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Getting to Bonaire: Recent ALM experience
Bonaire Talk: Getting to Bonaire: Archives: Archives 1999-2005: Archives - 1999-06-02 to 2001-12-31: Recent ALM experience
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kris Warmann on Thursday, June 28, 2001 - 9:04 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Well, yesterday I returned from a fantastic week of diving in Bonaire. Our travels took us from Miami to Curacao and finally to Bonaire via ALM. On the flight there, our departure from Miami was delayed by 2.5 hours. Without us even asking, ALM provided food vouchers good for $8.50 per person for lunch. We used them at the hotel restaurant, thus getting a first class meal, for fast food prices (it ended up costing us about $6/person out of our own pockets). When we arrived in Curacao, ALM had delayed our connecting flight so we quickly boarded and arrived in Bonaire about 2 hours later than planned. The best part...all of our luggage arrived with us!

On the return, we were delayed 1 hour leaving Bonaire and an additional 30 minutes in Curacao. Not too bad, but enough to make us miss our connecting flights out of Miami. Again though, our luggage did make it.

My recommendation for those flying ALM.....set your expectations low, and they shouldn't disappoint you and may even satisfy you.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kelly on Friday, June 29, 2001 - 9:03 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hmmm, delayed only 2.5 hours, you got free food, and you and your luggage arrived on the same day, that is a MAJOR accomplishment. ALM remains the premier air service to Bonaire.

As to flights home who cares, you were leaving and who is in a rush to do that. :]

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sarah on Friday, June 29, 2001 - 2:17 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Kris, so glad your luggage arrived!! On our first trip to the island, we arrived with nothing... we had travelled in from the UK and had winter clothes on.. thankfully, we were saved by a now good friend of ours at the dive store, and were given t-shirts etc.. we waited 3 days before our luggage arrived on Bonaire!!! We have also experienced delay with ALM on every occassion thereafter, apart from last December when we decided to fly in with KLM via Amsterdam.. Thanks for your report, always interested to hear of other peoples' experiences...:)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Glen Reem on Friday, June 29, 2001 - 4:25 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sarah,

I always carry a change of clothes to island temperatures in my carry-on when I travel away from summer. A change to them just before descent to the first warm place makes the rest so much more comfortable. A heavy coat can be laid across the top of a carry-on between the handles and carried that way.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kay Powers on Friday, June 29, 2001 - 6:26 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I flew ALM out of Miami to Bonaire on June 15th. I gave the agent our tickets (4 passengers) and after removing the copies she needed, she handed me back the rest of the tickets. I put them away and on June 23 we arrived at the airport and I handed her the envelope with the remaining tickets. Shortly after that she asked where the coupons were for 2 of the 4 passengers. I said what you have is what the agent gave me back on June 15th. Needless to say the agent in Miami tore off the return portion of the ticket for 2 of us. We were all listed in the computer but because the return portion was missing they refused to allow us on the plane without purchasing a one way ticket from Bonaire to Miami. What a nightmare. I argued for 40 minutes and they still wouldn't allow us to board the plane without purchasing the 2 one way tickets ($600.00 US). She then told me once we got to Miami that they would refund our money. Yeh right!! Upon our arrival in Miami we went to the ticket counter and the agent said...We can't refund your money here. You need to write a letter explaining what happened...yada yada yada.....I would suggest anyone flying on ALM ...CHECK YOUR TICKETS AFTER THE AGENTS REMOVE A PORTION OF IT....IF THEY REMOVE ANOTHER LEG OF YOUR TRIP.....YOU ARE STUCK.........
Double check so you don't have to pay for their incompetence!!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Niki Harris on Friday, June 29, 2001 - 6:34 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Oh man. That's really infuriating... Super-human effort would be required to remain calm and mellow under such circumstances... My utmost sympathies to you four. Last month, we were just plain lucky. Delays happened, but we made it.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sarah on Friday, June 29, 2001 - 8:31 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Glen, great idea.. and one that we had thought about!! Though after many years of travelling from cold to hot climates and having always received our luggage, we took a chance, never again though...:)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Scott on Saturday, June 30, 2001 - 9:10 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Checking your ticket is something anyone should do before leaving the ticket counter on any airline, it was more than likely an honest mistake, the people in MIA are not ALM employees,so they would not "benefit" the airline by selling extra tixs.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kelly on Saturday, June 30, 2001 - 9:30 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Scott ya got that right. This is not an ALM "horror story".

It doesn't take long when traveling to learn to make sure agents have it right the first time. Don't be embarassed to question the agents and double-check EVERYTHING !!! I don't leave the counter until I am sure my boarding passes are 100% correct, including flights, seat and gate, and that I am booked through on the connecting flights. Especially when flying out of the USA.

I thing I learned is if I get an "earlier" flight, my original reservation is cancelled, so far as the computer is concerned, I did NOT arrive in my destination, and my reservation on the return flight is also cancelled. The first thing a traveler should do after landing is make VERY sure they are booked out on the flight they are planning to depart on. Do not wait till the last minute to check on departure reservations. If the booth or counter is open check that day or the very next. If corrections are necessary then they will have time to take care of the problem.

Flying blind is best left up to the pilots.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Glen Reem on Saturday, June 30, 2001 - 10:45 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sarah,

My technique is used for immediate comfort rather than luggage-loss backstop. I just hate to stand in the immigration line, wait for baggage and then go to the lodging sweating in cold weather clothes. The last time I didn't change I was soggy before I even got to the imm-line. No sense starting a vacation in Paradise in misery!!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Glen Reem on Saturday, June 30, 2001 - 10:48 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

And I do the same in reverse on going warm-to-cold. Usually it is more comfortable on a long plane flight in slacks and socks.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sarah on Saturday, June 30, 2001 - 3:11 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hello again Glen, since our bad experience, I've started wearing a summer top under a jumper.. when we arrive, I put the jumper around my waist and "hey presto" sorted..:) We travel to the States after Bonaire in December, so I put it in reverse order....:) We always have our coats.. guess you just can't get away from those things!!

Perhaps out travel tips will be useful to others???

Still looking forward to the day when BA announces direct flights from Heathrow to Bonaire.....:) Have a great evening all..

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kerri Freeman on Saturday, June 30, 2001 - 5:44 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

You, too, Sarah..Check your e-mail. Something to start the folks off......Kerri

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By michael gaynor on Sunday, July 1, 2001 - 8:01 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

sarah, You should start working on Air Jamaica. They fly daily to Montego Bay. Bonaire now has three flights per week from there. If enough folks from the UK contact them, perhaps they will come up with a decent fare. It may require an overnight, but I would not mind spending one night in Montego Bay for the chance to visit Mr. Chow's in Knightsbridge again!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sarah on Sunday, July 1, 2001 - 6:22 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Michael, thanks for the suggestion. We have an overnight in Amsterdam which we really do enjoy...:) We stay in our favourite hotel and visit our favourite restaurants.. personal choice, of course... but it's good to have something else to fall back on, if necessary.. I'm sure it will become more popular as time goes by.. the service on KLM really is very good.... I would still recommend taking this route to those here in the UK.. :)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Anonymous on Wednesday, July 11, 2001 - 5:16 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Perhaps you will want to see the message I posted regarding my "horror story" with AA posted on July 10th and 11th on the AA talk group. I also flew back to the states on ALM (slight delay - but no big problems). Yes, you should always make sure that your tickets/bording passes etc. for your other flights are in their packet. You should also check the baggage tickets (the ones that get attached to your luggage) to make sure that they have indicated the correct airline/flight numbers with the correct city codes. This is probably how a lot of luggage does not make it back home with you unless you happen to re-check the luggage as I did (it was mislabeled) after going through customs in Miami! Currently, after my experience with AA, I will probably fly ALM since I have had much better luck with them should I need to change or rebook my flights!

 


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