By Lisandro (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #8) on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 12:16 pm: |
Fresh news, just came in that Continental will be starting a new flight into Bonaire. Flights will be leaving Houston every saturday from Houston non-stop into Flamingo Int'l Airport. These services will be effective December. This week TCB and the Com. of Tourism hope to put their signature to officially clear this deal
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By Rog & Karen Huff (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #162) on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 12:30 pm: |
wooooo-hooooo!
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By Gary Long (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #123) on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 12:33 pm: |
I hope they have about the same times as Air Jamaica had. Leave Bonaire about 3:30 PM so you can get 6 different days of diving.
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By mary pequinot (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #515) on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 12:40 pm: |
That is (potentially) VERY good news!
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By Debbie Babcock (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1718) on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 12:48 pm: |
Let's hope this is true!
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By Jake Richter - NetTech (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5530) on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 2:22 pm: |
It's in the local paper today, I understand, and the paper indicates if the deal goes through, flights would be starting in mid-December. Not sure if it's a done deal though. I'd certainly like to know the flight times too...
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By Gary Long (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #124) on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 2:41 pm: |
Bulletin (June 12, 2005) The Bonaire Island Government just announced that it has an agreement with Continental Airlines to fly daily from Houston to Bonaire beginning Saturday, December 16. Booking via the airline reservation systems should be available July 1. Meanwhile, efforts to organize weekly charters from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Bonaire are proceeding well and a public announcement is expected by the end of this month.
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By Marcus L. Barnes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #336) on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 2:56 pm: |
Just to clarify, is this every day of the week or just Saturdays?
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By Gary Long (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #125) on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 3:03 pm: |
I think there are two errors in the article. First December 16 is on a Friday and I think it will be a weekly flight.
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By Lisandro (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #9) on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 5:24 pm: |
It will be a weekly flight indeed out of Houston, TX. Probably on Saturdays.
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By Jan Klos - ( Hamlet Bonaire Owner) (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #335) on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 5:44 pm: |
This is great news for the West Coast folks... Keeping our fingers crossed that those in the east Coast will have good news as well.
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By Randy P (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #354) on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 5:52 pm: |
Well if I ever get money again, Continental would be near perfect. they serve Midway Airport in Chicago which is less than 10 minutes from my home and would likely open up a "package" airfare.
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By Sue Goodman (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #181) on Monday, June 13, 2005 - 10:19 pm: |
I'm 15 minutes from Newark, why couldn't they have started non-stop service from here ???
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By Tom Cousino (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1945) on Tuesday, June 14, 2005 - 7:53 am: |
Patience Sue, I have been hearing that other cities are in the works.
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By Sue Goodman (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #182) on Tuesday, June 14, 2005 - 8:42 am: |
OK, I'll try...
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By Lisandro (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #10) on Tuesday, June 14, 2005 - 9:25 am: |
I've heard the local authorities are working on a weekly connection with Delta too, they are still in negotiation so if this deal can be sealed we would have connections from ATL too.
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By David Bridenbaugh (BonaireTalker - Post #16) on Tuesday, June 14, 2005 - 10:37 am: |
I share the same anxiety that everyone else shares about the air travel problems getting to Bonaire. I was left rather wide eyed after reading the article about Bonaire tourism in the Bonaire Reporter.(See the thread "Efforts for new US-Bonaire direct service", Glen Reems comments) , It seems that there are either not enough of us traveling to Bonaire to support too many flights or perhaps the airlines need to be more organized. I suspect that it is a combination of both. How many divers (most Bon tourists ARE divers) have been turned off by the delayed flights, missed connections, lost luggage, and other trauma encountered on getting to Bonaire? My wife and I spent a night trying to sleep in the waiting area at an airport because AJ screwed us up coming back from Bon this past April (still no word from AJ to date BTW). Yet, many of us love Bonaire so much that we are willing brave all of this. I suspect that if the airlines find a way to improve these aspects of their service that the interest and actual tourism will improve dramatically.
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By Benji Beaujon (BonaireTalker - Post #19) on Tuesday, June 14, 2005 - 6:37 pm: |
The reason that CO is not departing from Newark is because they plan on have weekly saturday Newark-Curacao flights
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By Scott Phillips (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #155) on Tuesday, June 14, 2005 - 9:42 pm: |
The Bonaire Reporter article last week had a valid point: if the planes are not full coming to Bonaire, and the hotels on Bonaire are not full, then someone's not doing their job in marketing the island. They point out that there has been a lot of bad talk, especially on the internet, about crime on Bonaire (and this has been discussed in excruciating depth here on BT), and whether the bad rap is deserved or not is not the point: the fact that this perception is out there in public forums impacts tourism. Someone needs to do some serious marketing to change the image/perception of Bonaire to increase the number of tourists from the US. The police force also must work on THEIR perceived image. Airlines are not going to fly half full planes to Bonaire, and more hotel rooms does not equal more tourists if the existing hotels are not booking anywhere near capacity. How often do you tell someone that you're going to Bonaire, and they have no clue as to what you're talking about. Bonaire does have more to offer than just scuba diving (birding, windsurfing and snorkelling come to mind) and somehow needs to find a way to tell the citizens of the US (and the world, for that matter) "hey, come on down -- this is a really cool place to go on vacation."
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By Glen Reem (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2077) on Wednesday, June 15, 2005 - 4:38 pm: |
This week's Bonaire Balance article in the Reporter expands on this theme. http://www.bonairereporter.com/
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By Brigitte Kley - Coco Palm Garden (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #298) on Wednesday, June 15, 2005 - 5:07 pm: |
The idea is that Continental is leaving Houston Friday 11pm and arrives Saturday 6am on Bonaire, 1hour later returns to Houston ... it is done like that because otherwise connection flights are nearly impossible.
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By C Poteet (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #278) on Wednesday, June 15, 2005 - 5:28 pm: |
Brigitte -
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By Carl Pflanzer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #195) on Wednesday, June 15, 2005 - 7:42 pm: |
I think there will be alternatives in the near future, which will be much more attractive to American travelers. If you arrive on Bonaire at 6am, you are exhausted, and resorts have check in times for late afternoon. Who would let you check in at 7am? So you get off the plane, can't check in, can't dive, and you're totally spent. I'd rather go to Curacao or Aruba and take DiviDivi, even if I have to recheck my bags.
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By Jake Richter - NetTech (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5544) on Wednesday, June 15, 2005 - 8:35 pm: |
I dunno, Carl. Seems to me if you get to the resort by 8am, you could still do the required Marine Park orientation at 9am (at least when most resorts seem to hold it, I believe) and be in the water by 10am. Sure, there are some logistical issues to resolve, but heck, they've got 6 months to figure it all out!
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By Brigitte Kley - Coco Palm Garden (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #299) on Wednesday, June 15, 2005 - 9:23 pm: |
I don't know how other properties are handling the KLM night flights ... but CocoPalm takes in high season the full rate - but the flight from Peru arrives at 1.30 am and the one from Amsterdam at 4am .... in low season we take 50% of the room rate - we can not rent the room for that night to other guests, no way to clean in a small property the room in these early hours ... but we have also a simple room available for $15 and the guests can move into their normal unit after lunch. For the bigger hotels it should be even easier, they have a front desk and a hospitality room normally .... we offer to buy the breakfast items they want so they can have their breakfast , unpack the suitcases and by 8am they are off to the dive shop ... and for the late departure ... we handle it the same way ... the guests normally have a late dinner in town and than shower, change and off to the airport ... the KLM for Amsterdam leaves at 2.30am .... never a problem up to now ...
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By Brigitte Kley - Coco Palm Garden (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #300) on Wednesday, June 15, 2005 - 9:26 pm: |
Oh... forgot ... my source ... no, I better keep that a secret -- but it came from a reliable source
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By Carl Pflanzer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #196) on Thursday, June 16, 2005 - 9:13 am: |
Jake I agree logistically it is possible, but what a way to start your vacation! A tiring overnight flight, rushing to get to orientation and your dive gear together, and I'm not a diver but I don't think it is optimal to dive when you're tired and rushed like that. But heck I could be wrong, I work everyday like that! :-)
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By Jake Richter - NetTech (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5545) on Thursday, June 16, 2005 - 9:26 am: |
"Much easier for another airline..."
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By Brigitte Kley - Coco Palm Garden (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #301) on Thursday, June 16, 2005 - 9:46 am: |
50k tourist a year but about half of them coming from Europe and they have a flight of 9.5 hours and fly now for 3 years at night and arrive at 4am ... and don't complain !
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By Kelly Baum (GDLW) (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2739) on Thursday, June 16, 2005 - 10:25 am: |
Carl, maybe it is possible to make it to your 9 am (ish) dive briefing, get your dive site map, and NOT do your dive right away? Maybe go back to the hotel and get settled in, and do your dive after a nap and some food? I don't know the rules on this -- but I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have to do your dive right away after the orientation. Anyone????
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By Mary Mueller (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #4085) on Thursday, June 16, 2005 - 10:43 am: |
Carl - I think Kelly is correct. You do not have to do your check out dive right away. I would go eat and take a nap and then go do the check out dive. None of the dives shops that I have used made me do a check out dive right away after the orientation.
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By John"Smack"Anderson (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #734) on Thursday, June 16, 2005 - 11:45 am: |
I sent a feeler out to someone who may be able to shed some light on what CO has planned. I'll give you all any info I can release as soon as I hear back.
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By Carl Pflanzer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #197) on Thursday, June 16, 2005 - 1:02 pm: |
Ok, let's look at a best case scenario. You arrive at 6am, get out of the airport and to the hotel by 7:15am, situated, have something to eat and get to orientation at 9am. Remember that is best case scenario. Take your course and go back to the resort, take a little nap, have some lunch, now you can dive in the afternoon. Still best case scenario.
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By Sue Goodman (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #183) on Thursday, June 16, 2005 - 1:28 pm: |
While this flight doesn't seem ideal to those of us on the East Coast that can make it to Bonaire in the daylight, it might be a welcomed option to West Coast folks who generally need 2 days to get to Bonaire.
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By john merriner (BonaireTalker - Post #29) on Thursday, June 16, 2005 - 3:18 pm: |
Layovers or red-eye...I will take any flight that leaves when it says it will leave, and arrive when it says it will arrive! I do like the thought of diving the day I arrive! I can leave BWI in the afternoon, have 3 hour lay-over in Houston and be in Bon next morning to dive...no problem.
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By Carl Pflanzer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #198) on Thursday, June 16, 2005 - 3:20 pm: |
Opportunities exist here for certain enterprising entities to take advantage... Air Jamaica's leaving, while shutting one door, has opened several others. While I initially thought of it as a negative occurrence, I see many positive possibilities now.
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By Jake Richter - NetTech (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5550) on Friday, June 17, 2005 - 3:41 pm: |
A very reliable little birdie just whispered to me that the actual flight schedule will be as follows for the Houston flight:
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By Josh Schrank (BonaireTalker - Post #18) on Friday, June 17, 2005 - 3:56 pm: |
and round trip from Dayton OH will only be $250???
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By Gary Long (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #126) on Friday, June 17, 2005 - 3:58 pm: |
Jake, in December their is two hours different in time, I don't believe they can fly there in four hours.
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By Jake Richter - NetTech (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5551) on Friday, June 17, 2005 - 4:39 pm: |
Josh - that's probably wishful thinking, but you'll know if you check with your travel agent in a few weeks.
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By Jim Woodward (BonaireTalker - Post #60) on Friday, June 17, 2005 - 8:00 pm: |
Josh, If it's $250. from Dayton--it will be $1000. from Cincinnati!! (;>]
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By Davidson Mourillon (BonaireTalker - Post #80) on Saturday, June 18, 2005 - 1:08 am: |
My dear friends:
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By Carl Pflanzer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #199) on Saturday, June 18, 2005 - 9:19 am: |
I agree - Miami is a terrible place to connect from; although in my opinion anyplace in Florida is a fine place to hook up with the ongoing flight to Bonaire. I was even thinking Memphis, Birmingham/Mobile AL or Louisiana. Even Tupelo Mississippi (just kidding). If a plane can be found down there that is normally idle a couple of days a week, I would think a flight could be constructed down and back, like CO is doing with their Houston run.
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By Carole B. (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5001) on Saturday, June 18, 2005 - 12:50 pm: |
Hi, Carl...if we can get from EWR/Newark, to Atlanta and into Bonaire in an effortless/painless manner we will pay what we have to pay. Joe and I like to fly Business class so it will cost more...hopefully there will be a business class on these runs, LOL!
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By Sue Goodman (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #186) on Saturday, June 18, 2005 - 6:35 pm: |
The savings in being able to shore dive for very little ($20/day most packages) vs paying $50-75/2 tank boat dives in other places add up very quickly to overcome the higher airfare. This is how we rationalize paying a high fare...if you could put me on a non-stop or one-stop from Newark, I would even pay more!
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By John"Smack"Anderson (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #743) on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 - 10:29 am: |
As of this morning, Continental has not added any info about this on their employee web site. BON doesn't come up as a service destination just yet, but if it happens it should in the near future.
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By Davidson Mourillon (BonaireTalker - Post #82) on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 - 12:45 pm: |
If all goes well Continental may start flying in december to be exact around December 17 which is a Saturday out of Houston.
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By Marcus L. Barnes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #351) on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 - 12:59 pm: |
Davidson: Is the Atlanta to Bonaire flight some kind of charter? What is the proposed schedule?
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By Kelly Baum (GDLW) (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2752) on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 - 1:11 pm: |
Okay I missed something somewhere.... Josh, where did you get the $250 round trip amount from Dayton? I'm only about 2 1/2 hours from Dayton and if it was that cheap I would burst into tears.
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By Josh Schrank (BonaireTalker - Post #23) on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 - 1:23 pm: |
*chuckle* ... sorry Kelly, I should have put that in brackets with <sarcasm> </sarcasm> By the way, you may know one of my students that graduated last year.. Erin Dolan? She was from Newark and knew most everyone there.
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By Carole B. (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5021) on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 - 5:51 pm: |
Oh, no, Kelly! You bit the hook with the $250. R/T airfaire from Dayton....silly girl! LOL.
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By Davidson Mourillon (BonaireTalker - Post #84) on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - 12:22 am: |
Hi Marcus,
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By Sue Goodman (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #187) on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - 8:33 am: |
Davidson,
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By Yana girl (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #270) on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - 9:49 am: |
Davison,
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By Carl Pflanzer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #205) on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - 10:32 am: |
In a perfect world, a Sunday and Wednesday or Thursday flight would suffice, some people like myself prefer more frequent, shorter trips.
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By Susan R. (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #354) on Sunday, June 26, 2005 - 3:55 pm: |
Charlotte/Houston/Bonaire in April '06 according to the Continental website today is $688.65. I think I will like the early morning arrival and not having to connect in PR. Still hoping for a direct from Atlanta though...
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By Davidson Mourillon (BonaireTalker - Post #85) on Sunday, June 26, 2005 - 10:28 pm: |
I am very confident Susan that there will be a direct flight from Atlanta. It is taking a bit of time but once it is up and running we shall all get the benefit of having been patient. During these moments a day seems like a lifetime - I know the feeling. If my father was Bill Gates or the owner of Fort Nox the problem would have been - "Where do we put up all these people" because definitely there would not have been sufficient rooms on Bonaire. Hope we can get to the bottom of things shortly.
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