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Getting to Bonaire: What to do in Jamaica Airport for 5/12 hours?
Bonaire Talk: Getting to Bonaire: Archives: Archives 1999-2005: Archives - 2004-02-01 to 2004-08-15: What to do in Jamaica Airport for 5/12 hours?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Gwen Stewart (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 7:56 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hello,

I just registered today, so I am new to the discussion group.
I will be traveling on my own in Mid June connecting to Jamaica (red eye). I am totally not familiar w/ Jamaica Airport, as I always have connected to Miami/Curacoa in the past. (I used to live on Bonaire as a child). I have a 51/2 hour layover (arriving at the crack of dawn!). What is that airport like, and anywhere good to have a nice breakfast?
Thanks!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #11073) on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 8:05 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Gwen, it will surely be a LONG 5 1/2 hour lay over. AJ USED to let Bonaire travelers use the First Class lounge, but I'm not sure if they still allow that. If they do, that is where you want to go...if they don't, then as I said, it will be a long 5 1/2 hours...the chairs are not very comfortable, the place isn't really air conditioned. The lower level has food and shops, but nothing fancy...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3440) on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 10:55 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Jimmy Buffet's place is on the upper level....don't know what time they open up in the morning, but they do have food and television and air conditioning and fairly comfortable seating. Good luck! Either way, it will worth the wait....getting to Bonaire is, I mean! LOL. Carole

PS I do believe AJ checks your tickets before allowing you into the First Class Lounge...checking for first class passenger status prior to letting anyone in...at least they have for the last few trips we have been thru MB with AJ.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #11079) on Saturday, May 15, 2004 - 12:55 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks Carole, I thought they weren't letting "regular" passengers in anymore (to the First Class lounge)...guess those days are over:-( I don't remember seeing the Jimmy Buffet place on the upper level...I thought I walked all over that place!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Lisa Barclay (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #105) on Saturday, May 15, 2004 - 6:29 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

The "Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville" is a nice place. I am not sure what the hours are but they have lots to look at and the food (and drinks) are great. Last year my husband and I went to Jamaica and the only thing we found to do at the airport was go to "Margaritaville". Have a great time and I hope the layover isn't too bad for you.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Liz Ginocchio (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #218) on Saturday, May 15, 2004 - 6:48 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

They do have a lounge on the 2nd floor for smokers. It is air conditioned and has seats with TVs. A little more comfortable than down stairs. They also have those smoke eaters in the lounge, they only work well as long as you don't have a lot of smokers in there. Ed and I have sat in their when there were only around 5 people in there. We had a drink and watched TV in Air Conditioning.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3442) on Saturday, May 15, 2004 - 7:20 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Cynde, how did you miss Margaritavlle??! LOL!!! You have to walk right by it to board the planes. Pretty funny. It's more towards the end of the gates where Air Jamaica has their planes....away from the immigration area. It's a pretty neat little place. I can only imagine how Joe and I might have gotten very comfortable in that little place in the past when we used to "party"!! (Key word is "used to"...) I do know a couple of folks were in there having fun for a very, very long period of time once when our return flight was delayed and they were "killing time" in the bar area....they couldn't get one of he guys off the floor! I guess you just have to know your limits....time and consumption. LOL.

Have a great time on Bonaire, Gwen. Carole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #11096) on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 6:32 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Carole, we landed at 6 am, and left at 11am, so maybe it isn't open in the morning. on our return flight, we didn't have any layover time at all, had to rush from one plane to the next, so I wasn't paying too much attention!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3448) on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 10:57 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Must have been on that ole Red Eye, Cyn! Wow, what a long layover for you, too. It might not be open that early (6) but probably does have lunch it not a brunch hour. If you cruise thru MB again, check it out....swing chairs and all! Carole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ann Phelan (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1386) on Monday, May 17, 2004 - 8:33 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I love the shops downstairs. I go and buy spices and sauces in the spice/coffee shop, Maggie loves the spicy Jamaican meet patties and Ting. The Jamaican Bobsled Team has a booth now..and their is the cheap booze..haa..

Upstairs at Margaritaville try the Jamaican breakfast: Ackee and saltfish and Johnnycakes..veyr local and great..

I love this airport..very colorful but HOT..

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chris Gianos (BonaireTalker - Post #14) on Monday, May 17, 2004 - 11:59 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

We have a long layover as well June 20th, and we are traveling with a 16 month old. So, I am also wondering what to do. Does anyone know if AJ will let you pay a fee to access the first class lounge?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Gwen Stewart (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Monday, May 17, 2004 - 4:51 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thank you everyone for your input! It's been very informative, and now I have a better idea what to expect. I will try out Margaritaville and check out the shops. Just curious....what is 'Ting'?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Freddie Hughes (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #4893) on Monday, May 17, 2004 - 5:18 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

yummy grapefruit flavored soda!!
P

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3451) on Monday, May 17, 2004 - 5:27 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Chris, unfortunately, I think the only fee accepted by AJ to access the first class lounge is the price of a first class ticket all around. Carole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kelly Jo Lott (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1118) on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 8:39 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I had my first Ting in Antigua and I am addicted to it. Love it w/ vodka.... lol ...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ann Phelan (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1387) on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 8:47 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Oh Kelly,

You have great taste if u love Ting..I lived on it during my life in Antigua..Miss it sooo...Sometimes Cape Cod supermarkets carry it due to the large influx of Jamaicans for Summer work. I would buy the whole store out at times..My preferred way is out of a chilled bottle with a straw..sitting in a West Indian Rum Shop listening to the smack of Dominoes...

:-)

When we fly on JM I never eat the meals but ALWAYS ask for two unopened bottles of Ting to bring back to Bonaire..I even tried to pay a clerk in one of the liquor stores to buy me a case (when I was heading to BOS) for my return trip. No luck. I wonder if Consales would want to be the BON distributor?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chris Gianos (BonaireTalker - Post #15) on Friday, May 21, 2004 - 4:26 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Two more questions to add to this since we are on the LAX to MBJ red eye in just 4 Weeks!!! Do they keep the plane quiet, low lights, etc? They advertise an 'in flight fashion show' and I am hoping this is short and at the end...

Second question, we will be arriving with a baby that will still want to be sleeping for a few hours. Are there any quiet areas at the airport we can hide in?

Thanks!

Chris

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Nadine Rubin (BonaireTalker - Post #62) on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 - 8:11 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Don't know if the early morning is quiet or not. It is like a zoo mid morning when most east coast flights arrive. They started something new - they won't let you from the one wing (gates 1-5) to the other(6-14)unless it's your time to board. They have created a second departure area just before immigration. They started to select certain flights and hand check all carry on luggage! There is such a level of noise that either your baby will sleep through it all or be very curious!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ann Phelan (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1414) on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 - 8:21 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Go to the Jamaican Bobsled kiosk..haaa..

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chris Gianos (BonaireTalker - Post #22) on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 - 12:59 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Well, we will see soon. We leave LAX Saturday night arrive in Jamaica for a 5 hour layover at 6:30am. Not looking forward to the travel with a baby but we are sure looking forward to arriving!

 


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