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Getting to Bonaire: Air Service a Fiasco - what is being done?
Bonaire Talk: Getting to Bonaire: Archives: Archives 1999-2005: Archives - 2005-01-01 to 2005-05-01: Air Service a Fiasco - what is being done?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James Reilly (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #4) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 12:20 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Fran and I LOVE Bonaire. We are planning to return in July, but getting there from the USA is becoming a very difficult chore. (We live in Philadelphia.)

Air Jamaica simply is not working anymore. Their web site has a message from the Chairman claiming that the US FAA is requiring some maintenance. But other air travel journals claim that the airline is deeply in debt and that flight crews have been laid off. Who really cares what the cause is? AJ regrettably has transformed from a great airline to one which cannot be trusted to perform.

And, who really wants to fly to San Juan and sit in the airport for several hours? Or, as has been suggested on this web site, be forced to fly to Aruba, then take Excel to Curacao and then hope you can catch a flight to Bonaire. (Nothing against Divi Divi, which really is a great operation.) Three transfers of passengers and luggage, coming and going; are you serious? And, yes, I know about the American flight to Curacao, with a stop in Miami- still 3 legs.

The real question I am asking is WHAT IS THE TOURIST INDUSTRY IN BONAIRE DOING ABOUT THIS FIASCO? Have they approached DELTA, or Southwest, or US Airways or someone else? Unless this problem is FIXED, it will directly impact the island's tourist trade. What is being done?

Or are cruise ships the solution? How many cruise ship passengers rent hotel rooms or order dinner or other meals?

Sorry for the rant and all the caps, but the situation needs clarification or remedial action ASAP.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brigitte Kley - Coco Palm Garden (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #262) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 12:45 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

None of the big ones will come to Bonaire without a rather big increase in beds ....
perhaps the chances are getting bigger when the new Hilton or whatever on the place of the Sunset Beach is ready
By the way, Bonaire Exel has direct flights from Aruba to Bonaire and the other ones is just a stop on Curacao, you loose about 20 minutes.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John"Smack"Anderson (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #601) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 1:22 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

James,

The issue of getting to Bonaire is not a new problem, and will probably continue for some time to come. The airlines are in a state of consolidation and are trying to reduce operation costs in order to stay alive. Most US carriers have already implemented or are asking for wage concessions and many are already in chapter 11. It's a rough road ahead for them, and to expand services at this time without hope of showing some profitability would not be in their best interest. As for the European carriers, I can only assume they are feeling the same financial pressures and must also act in the same way. I seriously doubt if the officials on Bonaire or any govt in the ABC's have much influence in this matter, although it is very much in their best interest to do all they can to increase the air transport service for economical support. A Fiasco? Maybe. A short term solution? Not likely. Best advice I can give is roll with the punches and remember your on vacation. Relax!

Smack

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jake Richter - NetTech (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5412) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 2:20 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

James,

The issue I see from your e-mail is that while you acknowledge there are a number of other options of flying to/from Bonaire, they are not convenient enough for _you_.

I say that because I am flying from/to Bonaire at least twice a month, if not more, and with the exception of flying from the west coast, I can make it to/from anywhere else in the U.S. in a single day (usually about 10-12 hours travel time), Philadelphia included (I was there last year once, and twice the year before).

Sure, connecting in San Juan or Curacao is not as wonderful as having a reliable and regular U.S./Bonaire direct connection on a name brand carrier, but if it were that easy to get to Bonaire, wouldn't that change Bonaire's character just a bit?

BTW, I have not flown AJ in 2 years because I don't like their schedules for making connections to places I typically need to go. All my flying (other than the inter island Bonaire/Curacao connection) is on American, and so far I've been pretty pleased with their service (the 2.5 hour delay on both my legs on Friday back home to Bonaire notwithstanding, as I still made it home to Bonaire on Friday).

Smack and Brigitte both point out some realities. The only way to get a large airline to fly scheduled flights from the U.S. mainland to Bonaire is to guarantee them a minimum amount of revenue so that they can fly profitably. The cost to charter a jet (according to one knowledgeable source) to Bonaire from the U.S. is about $80K.

It's not cheap.

Further, Bonaire's government has no money (major deficit going on), and the few guarantees they have made to help improve transport to Bonaire in the past have typically burned them (a certain ferry comes to mind).

So, all the wishful thinking and foot stomping in the world isn't going to change the direct flight picture for Bonaire any time soon. Only hard cash will, and airlines won't see Bonaire as a profitable destination unless Bonaire has an awful lot more room space, at which point Bonaire's entire character changes from what it's like now to a precursor of what Aruba has become. Ick.

I would suggest that if you love Bonaire, you'd be willing to suffer another couple of hours of travel time and have Bonaire stay relatively unchanged, instead of having your travel be more convenient but have Bonaire change into a place you no longer want to vacation.

All just my personal opinion, of course :-)

Jake

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marcus L. Barnes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #254) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 2:44 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I agree totally and have stated so several times before. It takes us 12 hours to get from Iowa to Bonaire, which is a long day, but we are willing to deal with it if it means Bonaire remains as we know and love it today.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James Reilly (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #5) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 3:14 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hello all:

I seem to have gotten a few replies which seem angry or in deep denial. I'm told to roll with the punches - get used to it. Accept poor airlines service and although the number of vacation days offered to workers in the USA is rather limited (OK, stingy), I should just be prepared to accept the loss of a full day coming, the loss of a full day going home AND the prospect of arriving at my vacation destination feeling exhausted. I think not. I'm also curious why, on an island which has a large investment in tourism, there is not a sense of crisis about the evidnet failure of Air Jamaica. The replies to my post seem more a denial that the situation has changed or express of helplessness, which I find surprising given the enthusiastic and energetic folks I've enjoyed meeting on the island.

Look, I'm not trying to provoke a heated discussion, but on the AJ flights I've taken to Bonaire, the planes were loaded with folks. Few if any vacant seats. I find it hard to believe that another airline would not JUMP at the chance to fly full airplanes. How hard would it be for US Airways to fly directly from one of it's US hubs? How hard would it be for the Bonaire establishment to encourage Excel to fly more frequently from Aruba to Bonaire? Right now, the only linkage possible is a 5PM flight to Bonaire, despite the fact that US Airways flies several times a day to Aruba. How about encouraging Divi Divi to fly between Bonaire and Aruba?

Look, I'm not a travel industry expert - just a traveler. But, I sure would like to hear from the Travel Industry/Tourism folks in Bonaire about what they hope to do to correct this situation.

As I stated, I love vacationing in Bonaire. But I can tell you that if getting to Bonaire remains the chore it is now - Well, there are other destinations I can spend my money on. And, yes, they would not be as special as Bonaire, but everyone makes difficult quality-for-time trade-offs.

So, let's hope the tourism experts and officials in Bonaire are rapidly developing a plan to improve air service.

And, I'd sure love to hear what they are thinking about. And I'm sure I'm not the only North American diver who feels that way.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kelly Baum (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2434) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 3:36 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Very well said, Jake. And I repeated the mantra while stuck in Aruba with a missed flight.... "There's no place like home. There's no place like home." Or is that "there's no place like Bonaire"? Same difference.. lol

And I read entire book while waiting perched on my pelican case. :-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marcus L. Barnes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #255) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 3:41 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I can't help but notice every time there is a glitch (i.e. Air Jamaica) we start hearing about imminent economic collapse on Bonaire due to a lack of tourism - yet, it never seems to happen. This is only speculation, but my guess is Bonaire has a whole lot of repeat customers regardless of travel difficulties. It appears American Eagle has jumped at the chance to fly full planes to Bonaire in that they are flying from San Juan everyday once again; I assume this is in response to the Air Jamaica situation. I don't see sitting in San Juan waiting on a plane for a couple of hours as a big deal. Sorry.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kelly Baum (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2435) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 3:45 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I would like to point out that it's easy to get to Cancun or Cozumel from the US. A short flight from Houston. Anyone ever notice how crowded it is there? I wouldn't go back to Cozumel on a bet! I personally love that Bonaire is so "quirky" and hard to get to. That's what makes it different and that's one of the reasons I love it and appreciate it so much more. And it almost guarantees that people that take the time and effort to get there will be the kind of people with whom I like to vacation... laid back and with a come-what-may attitude. [don't really need to name names, but Wally comes to mind here.. ;)]

It is definitely worth it to this traveler to lose a day coming and going. I guess the answer is if you don't like the stress involved in getting there, maybe try another vacation destination? I don't think it's a heated discussion at all, but more, if you want the quaintness and quirkiness that is Bonaire, you gotta suffer a little getting there. ;)

And as Clark W. Griswold would say, "getting there is half the fun!"

And to get REALLY philosophical... we should learn more to enjoy the journey and not just the destination. My vacation starts the minute I leave in my car to head to the airport, not when I arrive at my destination.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Webb (BonaireTalker - Post #43) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 4:22 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

The problem is obviously volume. How many people visit Bonaire in a year? 25000? If so, divide that by 365 and you get 68 people per day. Thats not a lot of people, compared to a place like Belize, which I read is now getting about 500,000 per year. A majority of course are probably going to Bonaire during the winter, peak season, so the average number of people per day during low season might be only 25-30 or less. Of course if my 25,000 is wrong and its 50,000 per year that still will just double to about 136 per day, once again, the majority being in the cold months. Everything on this planet runs on volume,(thanks to the MCDonalds and Wal-Mart models) Billions served etc. But I'm sure this same lack of volume is what actually gives Bonaire its charm, which we will experience April 20. JMHO.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By sherry baker (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #559) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 4:52 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Bonaire does cost more to get to than alot of other destinations.. but Aquaman and i dont care-
the inconvenience or pain.. is worth the gain in our oppinion.

Kelly, i am with you on the minute we get to the airport, make it through security.. WE ARE ON VACATION! make the most of the situation. of course Aquaman and I can have fun most any place, anytime.... and there is no such thing as too much fun!

i am sure the hassle of $ plus time and plane changes are too much inconvenience for many. Bonaire's rewards are worth it to us and we anxiously await traveling there in June.

Bubbles

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kelly Baum (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2440) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 5:00 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Sherry... yes I agree, if Bonaire was easy to get to, it would get way too busy for me and I'd have to find another obscure location to hide out... :-)

I don't even really mind waiting in airports, I love to fly, and I love to people-watch. Would I rather have less inconvenience? I don't know, because all the hassle seems to make me appreciate it that much more I think. There is something about landing at Flamingo Airport that is just sooooo relaxing... (right, Liz G.?!)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Taylor (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 7:04 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Think about it - you can travel from almost anywhere in the US an obscure island in the Caribbean in less than a day. Amazing!!

I have always used AA (six trips) because of my FF miles but compared to other international travel this trip is not bad. My advice to other travelers is to buy a book, write a journal, or get that iPOD you have wanted. Or dream about the warm water and that first dive.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Cousino (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1575) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 7:37 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

James, If you want to hear from the Travel Industry/Tourism folks in Bonaire, it would be best to contact them directly. I believe the people to direct your questions to are members of the Bonaire Hotel and Tourism Association. Their e-mail address is: info@bonhata.org

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By The Ginocchio's @ Golden Reef Inn (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #655) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 8:06 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Kelly,

Yup and me and the tarmac have a very special relationship! LOL!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cheryl B (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #148) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 8:35 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Kelly wrote:


quote:

My vacation starts the minute I leave in my car to head to the airport, not when I arrive at my destination.




I can vouch for that! We met in the San Juan airport and traveled together to Bonaire - Kelly was definitely already on vacation!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wally and Eva (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #744) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 8:41 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I believe vacation starts as soon as I leave the house and my 100 hour a week boss man job. Which means if I arrive at the airport it's beer time....and if it's 5:30AM that's with a coffee chaser. :-)

Actually if they build a gigantic hotel that guarantees easy air line routes and tons of people start pouring in screwing the whole cozy little island up.....it will be time to find another island.

Trouble is the next choice is probably SE Asia where my buddies are diving now and that is a haul. The jetting over to China last november was tough. Leave the house at 4:30AM friday, drive to JAX, fly to LAX via DFW, spend night, Sat depart for China and 13 hours later land in Sunday. 2 days traveling and lost a day to boot. Of course you gain the day back when you fly back but what the hell good is that.

Long day to BON...works for me....and keeps the riff raff out.

As everybody knows when I retire from boatbuilding... my last boat and my last house will be one and the same... with twin diesels and I bet I can get to BON in....oh say 14 weeks. If I hurry :-)

I'm finished packing and depart 3:30AM Thursday for BON. See all you guys on the cams.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jake Richter - NetTech (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5413) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 9:42 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dennis,

Your 25K is not far off for U.S. visitors (there's about 60K annual - over half from Holland and other parts of Europe, as I recall). (If anyone has more accurate numbers, please correct my recollection!)

Those few dozen of tourists a day don't typically arrive in such an even distribution - you tend to have major clumps around weekends, but none the less, if you figure that inter-island flights from Curacao and Aruba already contribute to some of that U.S. originated tourist volume, it doesn't leave much of a final incentive for an airline to "take over".

And, no matter whether the island sees AJ's decline in service as a crisis or not (I will grant it's a serious issue), there is an issue of werewithal - money talks, and the government doesn't have any to spare, and the private sector tourism groups might have more, but not enough to pay the guarantees an airline would want to fly regular flights to Bonaire from the U.S. mainland.

Pure economic reality.

Jake

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Susan Taft (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #460) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 9:47 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Kelly, I bet if you really think about it all the build up to a Bonaire trip is also part of the fun. I have already started "staging"for my April trip -- I have started to wash the shorts, fondle my dive gear, make piles of things that I am taking to friends, buy shampoo etc, etc, etc! Getting to -- and from -- Bonaire is always a challenge but I totally agree with all that Jake and others have said. Mark and I have had crazy trips and experiences in both directions but always find it worth every minute. I too have become one with the SJ airport, finished novels and written pages in my journal but would not trade it for anywhere else. James, AA has held many islands "hostage" by promising more flights in return for more rooms and has not always followed through -- Grenada is a good example of this.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #4752) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 10:26 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I wouldn't want hordes of folks headed toward Bonaire on a daily (or many times per day) basis. I recall our first years on Aruba before they destroyed it....we would watch the Air Aruba plane fly over the beach and say "here comes the Air Aruba flight"....meaning one single flight of tourists....now you can't keep up with the number of planes flying over the beach to get to the airport in Aruba....they all unload the folks to ride up the the high rise section of Palm Beach where it now looks like Miami Beach....only the buildings are closer together on Palm Beach.

It is just horrible what happened to Aruba....please folks, suffer the pain of delay and time to get to Bonaire...it is worth it to keep her pure and pristine the way she is right now.

I certainly hope AJ can straighten out their mess soon as we love to fly with them. As pointed out already, it never was "easy" to get to Bonaire before AJ jumped on the route so I guess it is sort of back to "square one".

Can't wait to return in a few weeks....yes, on AJ...with fingers crossed, for certain! Ayo. Carole

PS Air Aruba (as it was owned/operated back then) exists no longer.....a fate we do not wish for AJ.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Holcomb (BonaireTalker - Post #20) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 11:12 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Well said everyone.

Your comments come from a loyal following who are not in a state of denial, but very much aware of how special of a place Bonaire is. The little extra effort that it requires to get there is the one thing that prevents it from being over-run and changed forever. Who ever said a day of reading, listening to my MP3 player, people watching, and cat-napping was a waste anyway! It's the closest I ever get to having nothing to do, and a little forced relaxation never hurt anyone (at least I don't think it has).

Anyway, when I want to do quick and easy from Texas, I fly to Cozumel for a few days, and though not Bonaire, I thoroughly enjoy the type of diving that it offers. But I purposely save more of my hard-earned vacation time so that I can spend 7 days or more on Bonaire and not worry about how long it takes to get there and back. So for now, I will just be counting the days until June 4th when I have to suffer through that wretched day of travel necessary to take me to my favorite week of the year! On Bonaire!

Steve Holcomb

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Webb (BonaireTalker - Post #44) on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 9:43 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

They will have just started flights on April 1 direct from Lexington,KY to Ft.Lauderdale for $140.00 rt! Then its merely about, $500.00 rt from FLL to Bonaire! YeeHA! Just announced today in the local paper!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Cousino (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1581) on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 9:51 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

With Jet Blue flying to San Juan, rt from Burlington, VT to Bonaire is now approximately $700.00. If AE sticks to its' current schedule, this could be one of the cheapest fares I will have ever paid to visit Bonaire in the past ten years.

Being a Northeast Diver, when I have long layovers in San Juan or Aruba, I go outside and enjoy the warmth.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marcus L. Barnes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #257) on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 10:11 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dennis: Who is they? Thanks.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John"Smack"Anderson (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #603) on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 10:58 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Well, it seems the best points have already been made and most understand the issues involved with getting to Bonaire and the economics that are todays reality. As my recently passed grandparent once told me,"patience is a virtue, seldom found in women, never found in men". I know what she meant now, and do my best to prove her wrong. She would be proud of my last fiasco:-) If time is so important and any part of getting to Bonaire(delays or otherwise) gets you upset, you are headed in the wrong direction. Go somewhere else, cause you are wound way too tight. Island time starts when I drag my bags out my front door on the way to the airport. It ends at the same place.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marcus L. Barnes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #258) on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 11:01 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Well Said John.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Lorraine Bayford (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #170) on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 11:23 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Those of you who live on the east coast or close to a major city have it pretty easy. Try getting to Bonaire from Canada's west coast! It is always 5 legs and 2 overnights and 2-3 days traveling EACH way. But I am not grumbling, that is the price I pay for living where I live and want to go to paradise. I am always on the lookout for better routes and prices but alas, there are never any deals from the west coast. I met a couple in Mexico in January complaining it was going to take them 8 hours to get home to Detroit but when I told them it was going to take us 2 days and 2 more flights, they were astounded and said they wouldn't complain again. We use AA from Seattle and sometimes Vancouver (if the time is right) and I have been happy with them. Only got bumped once in San Juan but in the end we got a flights to Mexico for the inconvenience. I take it as a challenge to book to Bonaire.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By George Blanchard (BonaireTalker - Post #78) on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 11:23 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Most of the best points about maintaining Bonaire as is and enjoying it for the Island experience have been made. In the mid 80's Judy and I visited Anguilla as a quick side trip from St. Maarten. We fell in love with it and visiited 2-3 more times in the following years. It was a snorkeler's paradise. Then some very upscale properties were built and a number of condos and apartments quickly erected. When we returned in 2001 we could not find our favorite snorkeling site, all of the coral had been ruined. Our great beach restaurant, only 2 tables, had become a large restaurant with all the trappings of fast food. I hope Bonaire never becomes another Aruba or Anguilla.

By the way, a direct flight from FLL would be great and would ease some of the problems of going through SJU.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #13308) on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 11:26 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Smack...


quote:

If time is so important and any part of getting to Bonaire(delays or otherwise) gets you upset, you are headed in the wrong direction.




Couldn't have said it better...and if anyone wants to complain...it takes 26 hours of travel time to get to Bonaire from California...well worth every minute...carpe diem (sp)...life is what you make of it...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Susan Taft (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #463) on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 11:32 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Smack .... we must be related as my mom's favorite saying is the same as your grandmother's!

Tom ... I am thinking of doing the JetBlue/SJ for one of my trips so will be interested if you do it first to hear reports. I am booked this month on AJ from Boston (everybody keep your fingers crossed) and in July on AA from Hartford so it will be at least Dec before I can try that route. Heading to your part of the state this weekend -- shall I bring some warmth from "the banana belt"???

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Webb (BonaireTalker - Post #45) on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 1:38 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Marcus:

I think it will be a Delta connection from Lexington. I'll check the paper when I get home. The price from Louisville to FLL is $140.00 rt, and the articles said the Lexington flight would be competitive with that, so I'm thinking it will be very close to $140.00. I could have saved about $300.00 total if I had booked a separate flight for 2 from Louisville to FLL. Then booked a flight from FLL to Bonaire. Instead i booked the whole trip for 2 from Louisville to Bonaire for $1500.00.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marcus L. Barnes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #259) on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 1:47 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks Dennis. So is the flight from Fort Lauderdale to Bonaire a Direct Flight?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Webb (BonaireTalker - Post #46) on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 2:45 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Marcus:

Its not direct. You'll still have to go through Montego Bay,sorry I accidentally skipped that important detail.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Webb (BonaireTalker - Post #47) on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 2:53 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi everyone, I just wanted to mention one more thing about this direct flight scenario. Even though Belize gets about 500,000 tourists per year, you still gotta fly from Houston to San Juan, and then Belize City, at least thats what it was back in May of '02. Mighta changed since then.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Davison (BonaireTalker - Post #48) on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 3:17 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Kelly,

>> I would like to point out that it's easy to get to Cancun or Cozumel from the US. A short flight from Houston. Anyone ever notice how crowded it is there? I wouldn't go back to Cozumel on a bet! <<

Yes it is easy ... just returned and the $250r/t from DC area was one of the major reason's I chose CZM this spring as opposed to Bonaire. Add a B&B for $21/person/night WITH breakfast and excellent diving. Its hard to beat the "value" .

As to the crowds ... the main reason is the POD people (at least on CZM)... 7-9 cruise ship in-port most days of the week.

I don't like the idea of returning to the "good" old days from the 80's and the ALL DAY trips and such when ALM was around. American isn't too bad via San Juan you just need a nice pair of active noise cancelling headsets.

Bob

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Frank (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #162) on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 8:09 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Er...did someone say (gulp) Hilton on the Sunset Beach site??? Yikes!

David

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Webb (BonaireTalker - Post #49) on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 8:17 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

We have just about exactly a month til we go to Bonaire for the first time. We haven't traveled extensively in the Carribean, but we've loved every trip. We have been to Puerto Rico,Belize, and the US Virgin Islands. We are really looking forward to this trip and as long as we can get there (10 day trip), I'm not too worried about delays getting back since I'll have from Monday til Wednesday before returning to work and my wife is self-employed. Anyhoo, I'll let everyone know how it turns out, since we'll be flying AJ from Montego Bay. I think that its all a matter of luck. Surely every single AJ flight is not a totally crummy experience? This thread is leading me to believe that we are facing 100% probabilities of delays, inconveniences, etc. At any rate, even if we do encounter all of the above, I know it'll be a great adventure and I'll share it with you when we get back.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wally and Eva (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #745) on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 11:22 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Well....I leave for the airport in about 6 hours for my all day trek to Paradise and all I have to say is NA NA NAN NA NANA NA NA

See you there Smack

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Linda Suter-Gibson (BonaireTalker - Post #27) on Thursday, March 24, 2005 - 3:07 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Yes, David, I kept waiting for someone to jump on that Hilton reference. How scarey is that??? Brigitte said "...the new Hilton or whatever..." We can hope for the "whatever" but that could mean Hyatt or Marriott or some other mega-chain resort. Can anyone confirm what is actually going on the Sunset Beach site?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Cousino (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1590) on Thursday, March 24, 2005 - 6:34 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Susan T., I will post my airline experiences no matter which one(s) I use to get there.

The 'banana belt" warmth is always welcome;-{)}

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Susan Taft (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #465) on Thursday, March 24, 2005 - 7:53 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Tom --- ooops snowing here this morning but not by you ....so much for banana belt!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Lorraine Meadows (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #919) on Thursday, March 24, 2005 - 9:11 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I always say that getting to Bonaire is part of the adventure.Starts the minute we leave the house for the airport.
I am "rolling the dice" on AJ this year again and hoping for the best.
If Bonaire was so easy to get to it would lose it's charm and be like Aruba, crowded. And other islands where you have to take a boat to be on the reef.
I'm up for the adventure and keeping Bonaire's natural beauty.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sue Goodman (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #122) on Thursday, March 24, 2005 - 9:49 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I spoke with a woman at the official Bonaire booth at Beneath the Sea this weekend & she sounded convinced that Hilton will rebuild at the Sunset site.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By The Ginocchio's @ Golden Reef Inn (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #663) on Thursday, March 24, 2005 - 12:17 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Check this website out, who knows?

http://flytca.com/html/tca_news.html

Liz

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chuck H (BonaireTalker - Post #32) on Thursday, March 24, 2005 - 1:45 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Don't get me wrong, I like Bonaire. I was there most recently in December. However, AJ was a mess then. I have almost given up on going back. Those of you looking for alternatives, try Little Cayman, Salt Cay or other parts of Turks and Caicos. Both are much more laid back than Bonaire. Not much shore diving however but I prefer boats anyway.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kelly Baum (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2441) on Thursday, March 24, 2005 - 2:34 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Bob, I enjoyed Cozumel because I took my (then 15) year old daughter and she had never been anywhere like that. But, that being said, the diving was only okay, and with the winds picking up, we lost all but 2 boat dives, and lost all our night dives because the boats wouldn't go out. The trip was a bust! And the POD people.... whoa... the downtown was FULL of people, like you couldn't even walk on the sidewalks because of all the people. Just not my idea of fun at all.

Bonaire is definitely where it's at. ;)

A Hilton??? A moment of silence please.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marcus L. Barnes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #263) on Thursday, March 24, 2005 - 2:49 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

What Kelly said. Also, you can't walk down the street on Cozumel without constantly being bothered by someone hawking something. We gave up on Cozumel 5 years ago and have been going to Bonaire ever since.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Davidson Mourillon (BonaireTalker - Post #16) on Friday, March 25, 2005 - 11:36 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

It does hurt a bit to see that the airlift at this end leaves a gap between the islands. Of course the number of visitors going into Bonaire does not warrant a direct flight to Bonaire. If the vacation plans can be coordinated to warrant a direct flight this can be organized by the visitors themselves. Say every month a thread is opened and all going to Bonaire registers on the thread and this can bring about the possibility of getting to Bonaire in one group. TCA may not start flying to this part for some time unless another agreement is arrived at. (I may be surprised and I shall like that because it will bring about the necessary airlift - I am optimistic) Coming Wednesday a definite decision will be made as to the air traffic between the islands. This matter does have my attention viewing the troubles the Bonaire fans are encountering to get there. It is true that Bonaire is fine at this stage and commercializing it will take away the peace it now offers to its visitors. Start a thread planning ahead for Bonaire - I shall do the research to plot the distances to Bonaire from each origin within the US and Europe. Hope you guys hang in there - These type of situations do not last for ever. Joint forces make good things happen.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Nadine Rubin (BonaireTalker - Post #95) on Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - 1:38 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I think we have all been spoiled with AJ and their customer service (missed connections, all inclusive over nights, car service from closest airport to your home, etc). We have been treated like royalty these past 5 or so years. Too good to be true- and all good things seem to come to an end. I think from the east coast we can all get to Aruba and St. Martin pretty direct. The problem is that there doesn't seem to be a good connection from there. I can't understand why TCB and BONHATA are not doing anything about this. TCB has an office in New York - at Radio City (of all the high rent places) - and what are they doing for us????? Who ultimately is paying for this high end TCB office? Why isn't BONHATA absolutely irate about the lack of airlift? All we want is a SIMPLE connection, just once or twice a week. Just like AJ had - hub into say Miami and out (like the old ALM)but without the 5 hour layover. If AJ can do it so can other airlines.But the squeaky wheel gets the grease. AND no this is not about personal convenience - there is no reason an airline can't operate efficiently and make a profit! Maybe it's about the handcuffs Curacao has on Bonaire?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sue Goodman (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #131) on Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - 1:46 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

BONHATA and TCB are in denial that AJ has serious problems. I spoke with them at Beneath the Sea 2 weeks ago & they indicated AJ's just having temporary problems and will be back to normal soon. I asked the woman what they were going to do when AJ stops flying to Bonaire & she told me they wouldn't let it happen. All she could talk about was a Hilton coming to the old Sunset site & having a "name" hotel would be enough to attract a non-stop flight from the US. Given the sad financial state of US carriers, I think again she is dreaming...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Nadine Rubin (BonaireTalker - Post #96) on Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - 1:51 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Yes, Sue, we were at BTS too and I bitched and complained and was given the same line too. But the people in those booths were not the ones to really talk to. I even thought the AJ booth - so cleverly disguised - was run by Aj only to find out they were a broker! So maybe on our next trip, we need to really complain directly in Bonaire.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Daren Daniels (BonaireTalker - Post #21) on Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - 9:38 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

True, I am sure the head of TCB wouldn't be running a booth! Also, all US airlines except JetBlue, Southwest, and AirTran are losing money every quarter and oil is getting more expensive.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Davidson Mourillon (BonaireTalker - Post #17) on Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - 3:54 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

As many of you indicated Bonaire does not warrant a direct flight Cost wise - Other than that Bonaire does not have sufficient rooms to warrant this either. Nonetheless it is important for us to look into the possibilities to get you to Bonaire in one stretch If this ever happens it will be either from Miami, Atlanta or Newark. Traffic to and from the Netherlands Antilles is governed by the Central Government. Basically the old ALM was being subsidised by the Central Government in the past to secure a guaranteed amount of flights between the islands whether they flew empty, half full or full. Of course in time this took it's toll because ALM had to cease operations to be continued by AIR ALM which could not pull the cart and ended up in DCA who by unfortunate political decisions also had to cease operations. If maybe Exell and DCA could have come to terms the FIASCO we today face could have been avoided. But, as it is - Men learn sometimes by his mistakes. Some repairable and some unrepairable but definitely the lessons are learned. Success is based on understanding and positively seek for efficient (not emotional)solutions - and to achieve - communication and cooperation are the keys. Please rest assured that soon there will be a solution at which time we shall all forget the aches and pains we went through - Just like a mother giving birth to a child - During labor the aches and pains are intense and when the baby is born the aches and pains are suppressed by joy. I never had a baby but saw mine being born. If any of you need help to get to Bonaire I may be able to help if within my reach and means - just let me know - We are here to give a helping hand untill such time when things are up and running smooth again.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Israel A. Sanchez (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #170) on Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - 8:31 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Personally, I do not have any problems with many legs in our flights, as long as the airlines have the courtesy to keep one informed, and do not severely compromise the arrival to the final destination. AJ simply showed that the customers do come last. Actually, I think their staff comes last since they're the ones who take the heat from frustrated travelers. I have no problem flying other airlines to Bonaire, even when they take long, because I WILL KNOW that they will take long. It's no surprise to anyone that the Layover in San Juan is quite lengthy and most people come prepared to kill that time until it's time to board. Air Jamaica refuses to update their boarding times till the very last minute. It gives you the impression that you may have a timely flight until the boarding time arrives, then boom! They nail you with the news. Repeat the cycle once more, then have the passengers stand in line for another 20 minutes, then have them sit in the runway for another hour. Getting to Bonaire is no concern for us. We love the island a lot, just like the grand majority of posters here, so we will find whatever means are necessary to arrive there. What I found disturbing was the rumor of a Hilton being in the plans. What an atrocity! The very pinnacle of what is NOT Bonaire and what all Bonaire visitors try to get away from. That alone would manage to destroy the spirit of the Island, it would rob it of its uniqueness. Some people would call it progress, I would call it a step in the wrong direction. I'm keeping my fingers crossed so that ugly corporations don't rear their greedy heads over Bonaire. Just my two cents. Coach Izzy

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John and Carol Collins (BonaireTalker - Post #83) on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 7:33 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

My comments to this discussion are as follows:

I don't mind that my flight is changed from one airport to another. Just notify me of the change.

I don't mind that we make an unscheduled stop and miss our connection. Just don't keep telling me that "we'll make the connection."

What I do mind is my luggage being lost and having to spend an 1 1/2 or 2 hours going to the airport every day and dealing with people who really did't give a da--...being shuffled from one person to another, one end of the airport to the other. Then when the luggage finally arrives 12 DAYS LATER, no one even calling to let us know it was there. Wonder how long it would would have been before they notified us if we had not gone to the airport again.

What I do mind is not being informed about a delay in our flight. That our plane had not arrived and we would be leaving MB for Newark almost 5 hrs. later than planned.

The time element is of no concern as we were staying for 3 weeks, but the rudeness and attitude of most of the AJ staff we had to deal with was inexcusable.

Yes, we will be going to Bonaire again next year. We will find an alternate route. From all the negative comments we heard re AJ, I wonder if they'll still be flying next year anyway.

Carol

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sue Goodman (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #141) on Saturday, April 16, 2005 - 6:57 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Carol,

When were your flights? I'm trying to make up my mind on which carrier to book for our early 2006 trip.

While AJ is the cheapest and most direct option, I'm seriously considering flying AA to Curacao and then DiviDivi into Bonaire. It will cost us $400-500 more for our family, but it feels like it might be money well spent in order to not deal with the AJ nonsense, as well as worrying if they will cut the route later this year.

Sue

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John and Carol Collins (BonaireTalker - Post #84) on Sunday, April 17, 2005 - 11:42 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sue...

We departed Newark on March 9th and returned on March 31st. AJ has always been reliable until this year. Being taken over by the Jamaican government, things do not bode well for them. We're waiting for a while before booking our flights for next year. Who knows what might develop by then. We will definitely look for another carrier.

Carol

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Geoffrey Feldman (BonaireTalker - Post #79) on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 10:04 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I have been diving for 35 years and I think people are missing a key point. The best diving is in out of the way places which, almost by definition, are hard to get to.

If Bonaire were to improve air transport they would also have to increase the more all inclusive style of resort which would increase tourists who did not care what happened to the environment, thus increasing the opportunity for air travel. With all that BS would come human waste, increased algae blooms on the reef and a less desirable place to dive.

Relative to the quality of diving, Bonaire is very accessible all things considered and including the acknowledged service issues.

Deal with it. Or, go skiing. If you elect the second option, that reduces pressure on the reef and makes Bonaire more worth getting to for the rest of us.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sue Goodman (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #142) on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 10:41 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Geoffrey,

I agree that Bonaire's alure is that it's quiet. However, the frustrating part is arranging airfare on a carrier that can't make good on its schedule and provide the service you have paid for and they trying to figure out what to do for early 2006, given the limited number of seats to Bonaire. While my impatient, type-A personality would love a non-stop from the NYC area, my practical side knows we need to leave these sorts to Jamaica.

Sue

 


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