BonaireTalk Discussion Group
Getting to Bonaire: ALERT!! AA Cancelled BONAIRE Service
Bonaire Talk: Getting to Bonaire: Archives: Archives 1999-2005: Archives - 2004-02-01 to 2004-08-15: ALERT!! AA Cancelled BONAIRE Service
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By gregg brewer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #559) on Thursday, July 1, 2004 - 1:19 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I just found out this a.m. from AA that they have cancelled service from SJU to BON. There have been rumors to that effect. My flight was scheduled for Sept 17. The AA agent said the change was issued June 28 but doesn't know when it is in effect....

I may wait an hour and call back...hopefully the agent was in error

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mickey McCarthy (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #158) on Thursday, July 1, 2004 - 1:53 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Gregg
Here's my 2cents. I spoke to AA yesterday. I called because of the article in Bonaire Reporter a couple of weeks ago. Our flight was on Oct.29. It is now scheduled for Oct.30. I asked her to check and she said "that flight shows on Sept 17 but not on Sept. 24." I'm surely going to keep a close watch. I believe that the Nov. 30 flight is now sold out, Mickey

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kelly Jo Lott (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1365) on Thursday, July 1, 2004 - 2:25 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

What are the other routes from the US? I have always gone through SJU except my trip in a few weeks is on Delta to Aruba and then on Bonaire Exel. The big issue for me has been the weight limit. Apparently on BE you can only have a total of 66 lbs... (only 44 lbs if they don't have you listed as a diver). So any other time I travel with two bags, approx. 60 lbs. apiece... not this time ! I hope that doesn't end up being one of the only route available... that would suck..

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Barbara Leary (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5942) on Thursday, July 1, 2004 - 3:13 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Okay, Gregg, that comment sent me into a phone call frenzy to expedia and AA...both reassured me that my exisiting reservations for July departure and August return are on schedule and the AA rep was not aware of future changes but I didn't ask about specific dates/flights....keeping my fingers crossed in California! :-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tony Paugoulatos (BonaireTalker - Post #143) on Thursday, July 1, 2004 - 4:46 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

The AA flights to and from SJU and BON have been changed as follows:
Departures from SJU to BON are now on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays only. Departures from BON to SJU are now Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays only. Not sure of the effective date but I know it's effective for Oct. travel dates.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By bob (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1217) on Thursday, July 1, 2004 - 5:13 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

friday flights from sju to bon are still seem to be on at least thru aug 6th...

confusion over flight departure times does not seem to be limited to the ticket agents - extends to the AA flight crews too - as well as i can tell

35 days...

:-)





 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3657) on Thursday, July 1, 2004 - 5:14 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

This will undoubtedly pack more folks onto Air Jamaica and they will most likely raise the rates again....supply and demand.....not good. Maybe they will add more planes to the schedule at AJ??? One could only hope...the weekend flights are packed now....Carole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By gregg brewer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #560) on Thursday, July 1, 2004 - 6:06 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I waited an hour and called AA back. The second agent told me that AE had changed the schedules such that they fly to Bonaire Mon, Wed, Sat and return Tues, Thurs, Sun

My flight on Sept 17 is cancelled...my return flight on 4th also cancelled...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By gregg brewer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #561) on Thursday, July 1, 2004 - 6:10 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Tony,

I guess we are getting closer....now if AA can only figure out if they fly to Bonaire on Wed or Thurs

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Woodward (BonaireTalker - Post #17) on Thursday, July 1, 2004 - 6:21 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Kelly Jo,

I too am going via Aruba and BE on July 8-19. I checked their website again today for baggage stuff. 1 checked 20 Kilos/44 lbs--1 carryon 10 Kilos/22 lbs. Plus as you mentioned an additional 10 Kilos/22 lbs if one asks for it.

I'm not sure where the additional weight must go, I'm guessing that it will need to be in the checked luggage. I will email them to check.

I checked the weight of my dive gear today, 45 lbs. My carryon was a little under 18 lbs. I have split up camera stuff among dive bag, carryon, and my wife's checked luggage.

The one real concession is that I'm not taking any backup stuff of any kind. Part of the BE adventure, I guess!! ;>)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marcus L. Barnes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #144) on Thursday, July 1, 2004 - 7:17 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

AA just gave me Monday-Thursday-Saturday to Bonaire from San Juan; Tuesday-Friday-Sunday Bonaire to San Juan for the Late October - Early November time frame. Scans on AA.com are also currently working for me for these days in the April timeframe.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kelly Jo Lott (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1369) on Friday, July 2, 2004 - 10:10 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Jim, that's definitely going to help, not having back ups. Part of my problem too ! Plus, I probably won't be bringing my underwater camera this trip... which really bums me out. But I'm traveling alone and have no one else to bring stuff. I am sending some books to another friend who is traveling from N.C. to Bonaire next week.. so I'll have to get by without any underwater photos this time.. Oh well, I'll be in Bonaire !!!! Woo hoo !!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Cousino (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #585) on Friday, July 2, 2004 - 11:19 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

When I first saw this post I said "Oh s---!" Told my dive buddy who is going to Bonaire with me in October about our potential problem. He called a friend at our local airport and got our tickets changed - no problem. Oh well maybe a little one, we now have to spend an extra day on Bonaire:-{)}

Just hope Bart and Bob have a room available for that extra night or we will be sleeping in a slave hut;-{)}

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marcus L. Barnes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #145) on Friday, July 2, 2004 - 12:45 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Tom: The same thing happened to us for our October trip. The only option we had was to add 1 night - gee, how awful.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Cousino (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #586) on Friday, July 2, 2004 - 3:02 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sad isn't it Marcus?

I did not see your names on the October visitor's list.

If you are interested, go to:

http://www.oldbonairetalk.com/newsgroup/messages/27/167029.html?1087721901

and put your information in the proper place. Easy to do just follow the instructions provided.

Tom

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marcus L. Barnes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #146) on Friday, July 2, 2004 - 3:13 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks Tom!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Larry Leonard (BonaireTalker - Post #70) on Friday, July 2, 2004 - 3:31 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Holy guacamole! I have to call AA to check on a couple of tickets for my trip in August now! My 18yo son and his GF are flying AA but their travel days look to match up with the new flight days so I am hopeful they will not have any problems. :-(

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Susan Taft (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #387) on Friday, July 2, 2004 - 4:58 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Tom... what a shame to have to spend an extra day! Maybe it will begin to make up for the fiasco last February! Hmmm... sure hope Bob and Bart have that room for you as I think you may be a little tall for the slave huts.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Cousino (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #587) on Friday, July 2, 2004 - 5:47 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Susan, You are such a nice person for worrying about the clearance issue and the "fun" I had getting to Bonaire last year. Although I would take what I went through over what Wally and Eva went through on their journey any day.

My dive buddy Smack and I have come to an agreement. This October, as long as we are heading towards Bonaire, no matter how long it takes, we are going to enjoy the adventure.

Note to travelers flying through Aruba: Do not eat the fried foods at the little eatery next to Bonaire Excel's ticket office - burp....

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Susan Taft (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #389) on Friday, July 2, 2004 - 8:28 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Nice agreement to have with your dive/trvel buddy. Mark and I long ago came to the realization that it is not worth getting all worked up over something out of our control. Last Oct our flight home from LAX was cancelled because of the fires and our rebooked flight was 8 hours later so we rented a car, went to the Getty museum and then out to dinner on Santa Monica Pier -- way better than getting our blood pressure sky high!

Thanks for the tip on the Aruba airport food as we are flying through there this month.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Woodward (BonaireTalker - Post #19) on Saturday, July 3, 2004 - 9:13 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Kelly Jo,

I did email BonairExel to check on the extra 10 kilo baggage allowance. They said that the extra weight can be split between carryon and checked.

Jim and Carol in Cincinnati--yep, I saw the other thread where you spoke of a possible Ohio BT get together--sounds good!!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Cousino (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #593) on Sunday, July 4, 2004 - 5:48 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Got our revised tickets yesterday. Hope AE stays with this new schedule. Actually I hope they decide to reinstate their cancelled flights. Bonaire needs more flights not less.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Linnea Wijkhof-Wimberly (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #717) on Sunday, July 4, 2004 - 10:27 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

So far I have a Friday, Sept. 3 SJU to BON flight, but my Sat. flight BON to SJU had to be changed to a Friday flight. I think the change becomes effective after Labor Day until ??? Since I always spend a day or two on PR each way all I had to do is add a day at the Hotel Milano in Old San Juan (unsolicited and unconnected plug).

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Corney Ann Carter (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #222) on Sunday, July 4, 2004 - 11:03 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Is this AA change of schedule seasonal during a slack time or is now 3 days a week period?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bill Westman (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Sunday, July 4, 2004 - 8:30 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

According to the latest AA schedule the SJU to BON service is FRI-SAT-SUN-MON and the BON to SJU service is SAT-SUN-MON-TUE. So you cannot travel down on TUE, WED or THU and you cannot travel back on WED-THU or FRI. Hope that clears it up a bit.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sandy Burgess (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #6) on Tuesday, July 6, 2004 - 10:48 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Good Luck to all in rebooking flights. AA did the same thing last year in Sept. I had tickets for the Christmas/New Years holiday when they cancelled the flights. AA tried to get me rebooked (during the holidays???who were they trying to fool?) AA could get me to Aruba and it was my problem to get to Bonaire from there. I finally cancelled (no cancellation fee imposed) and booked Air Jamaica. Later AA called me....the flights had been reinstated and they wanted me to book with them. Needless to say, I stayed with Air Jamaica.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Larry Leonard (BonaireTalker - Post #72) on Tuesday, July 6, 2004 - 10:58 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

My son and his GF's flights did not have any changes, but like I said they were already flying in on a MON and out on a TUE. I am getting AA to email me their flight info as well as post a paper copy (darn etickets). I've never had a flight disappear from their routes before, what a PITA for folks that have needed to change their vacation plans.

Sandy, I am stunned at the gall that AA would strand you and force you into cancelling only to reenable the route and ask you to rebook later. Sheesh.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Josie (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #932) on Tuesday, July 6, 2004 - 3:07 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I've just booked for next year, travelling down on Thursday, February 10, and returning on Monday, March 21. This was booked two days ago --- I'm wondering if I need to press them further for confirmation that the flights are actually scheduled (for the Thursday one particularly), in light of Bill's schedule listed above...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By gregg brewer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #563) on Tuesday, July 6, 2004 - 5:19 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Apparently AA is telling everybody a different story on which days they are flying..They cancelled my fligts for Fri and Monday...my advice, check with them often.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By craig thomson (BonaireTalker - Post #39) on Tuesday, July 6, 2004 - 6:17 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

For what it's worth, I bought my tickets to Bonaire (via Miami and SJU) a long time in advance of our trip (April/May 2004).

The schedule changed numerous times between purchase and departure date.

I'd say that there is no guarantee of a flight on a specific date with more than 20 days advance ticketing, and even then I'd now expect things to change and attempt to be flexible (and whine a lot at the AA reps on the phone).

To say with certainty that the travel I buy tickets for today will resemble *exactly* the travel experience I have when it's time for the plane to leave is foolish and does not bear truth in reality.

Buy now, expect changes, go with the flow...it's called a vacation.

Ciao,
Craig

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chet Wood (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #493) on Wednesday, July 7, 2004 - 7:27 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

By doing flight searches on the AA website, I found that starting Labor Day (6 September) the American Eagle flights between San Juan (SJU) and Bonaire (BON) are:
SJU to BON on Mondays, Thursdays, & Saturdays
BON to SJU on Tuesdays, Fridays, & Sundays
I agree fully with Craig, since AA/AE has been flying to Bonaire, we've booked flights between 4 and 8 months in advance and every year, flying days have been changed before the scheduled trip.
Josie, Great timing next year, Jean and I are again scheduling end of February through first couple weeks of March; exact days dependent on when AE will actually fly.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By DARLENE ELLIS (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1063) on Wednesday, July 7, 2004 - 9:10 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Josie and Chet,
Tom and I will be there March 5-19th so we will get to meet up with each other again!!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Susan Taft (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #391) on Wednesday, July 7, 2004 - 9:28 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hey Josie and Chet and Jean -- we won't be seeing you all this year at the end of Feb/beginning of March. Have a wedding to pay for which is cutting into our winter travel next year. Look forward to catching up with you again in 2006!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Matheson (BonaireTalker - Post #16) on Monday, July 12, 2004 - 2:56 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I just wanted to drop a thanks to Gregg and the rest who posted on this thread. A bunch of us from Alaska are headed to Bonaire in November and many were routing through San Juan on AA. We of course were not notified by American that our flights were canceled and would have been up "you know what" creek had I not read this thread. Now we were able to get all the reservations changed in time and revise our accomodations without it becoming a crisis. Thanks again for taking the time to post.

PS Of course all that good news assumes that AA will not change our schedules again over the next four months but at least I know to keep a weary eye out now!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Werne (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #5) on Monday, July 12, 2004 - 9:29 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thank you all for posting the alert on American Airlines. I booked a trip with Expedia for Sept. 17 - 26, and after reading your post I logged into Expedia to check things out and had a message to call them. They made no attempt to contact me, if I had not logged into Expedia after reading this thread my vacation would have been ruined since my flight was canceled.

I ended up getting things switched around to Sept. 20 - 28. One day less, but at least I get to go and found a flight that was not booked yet.

I would have assumed Expedia would contact me if my flight was canceled. I'll know to check every few days next time.

Thank you all so much!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Joe Pacific (BonaireTalker - Post #65) on Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 1:24 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks for the heads up, Gregg.
AA never contacted me so I had to take the initiative. I had to shorten my trip from 14 days to 13.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kate Hickson (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #183) on Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 2:14 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Chet & Jean, Darlene & Tom, et al--
Look forward to seeing all of you at the same old time (Feb/March). It's never too early to start getting psyched! I'm hopeful we can do the Woodwind again as that was an absolute highlight of last year's vacation.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Angela Strozier (BonaireTalker - Post #60) on Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 3:20 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks for the post....We have flights booked in Sept. and have recieved nothing from AA regarding the change! I just wonder if or when they would have notified us. On the up side we were able to get seats and can still go in Sept. and just move it up a day....

Thanks again for the post.

Angela

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Josie (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #937) on Thursday, July 22, 2004 - 12:24 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

FYI, I just got off the phone with AA, booking Alan's flight (he'll be on BON Feb 21 - March 8), and they confirm the schedule as:
SJU to BON on Mondays, Thursdays, & Saturdays
BON to SJU on Tuesdays, Fridays, & Sundays

Chet -- are you going to start a spreadsheet for our Feb/March 05 group???

I am SO keeping my fingers crossed that AA/AE doesn't mess us up --- we've both used FF miles (that's why we're travelling down on different dates -- couldn't get the same dates for both of us) This is our first ever use of FF miles (thanks to the Citibank AAdvantage card!), so I don't really know what to expect if changes happen.

Can't wait to be on the way... I haven't been on the Woodwind for a long time -- it would be great to have a BT only trip!

See you all soon...
Josie


 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Matheson (BonaireTalker - Post #17) on Thursday, July 22, 2004 - 5:28 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Josie,
As far as using FF miles and schedule changes go I wouldn't worry too much about the FF part. Our group of 14 going in November are all on frequent flier tickets with Alaska and American. When American changed the schedule and screwed up our flights all bets and restrictions were off with frequent flier tickets, capacity controls, and blackout dates. Basicly both Alaska and American just found us replacement flights regardless of all the initial "rules" that we had been under. It actually worked out that most of us got the flights we originally wanted that had been oversold when we originally booked the FF trips. They were both actually quite helpful in getting things fixed up.

Now, if we could just find some way to insure that they don't change their schedule again and actually fly on the days promised!!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chet Wood (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #495) on Thursday, July 22, 2004 - 8:25 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Josie,
Wow, we will finally get to meet Alan! We'll be at the Zale's unit again (26th Feb-16th March). Yes, of course I'm doing the spreadsheet (and buttons).

John,
AMEN! on the "don't change their schedule again"!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Josie (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #938) on Thursday, July 22, 2004 - 10:08 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Chet -- I'd forgotten you and Jean haven't met Alan (yes, he does exist). We'll look forward to seeing you (and the buttons, again!)
Josie

 


Visit: The Bonaire WebCams - Current Bonaire images and weather!
The Bonaire Insider - the latest tourism news about Bonaire
The Bonaire Information Site, InfoBonaire
Search Bonaire - Search top Bonaire Web sites


Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration