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Continental Airlines signs for Houston-Bonaire   

BONAIRE – UPB-party-leader Ramonsito Booi announced yesterday during a press conference that after one month of intensive negotiations, Bonaire has achieved that the American airline company Continental Airlines will start with weekly direct flights Houston-Bonaire this December 15th.    

It took just one month to get Continental Airlines to decide.  Thanks to a well-prepared plan of Larry Gerharts, a delegation of Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB) and members of the Government Board convinced the airline company to fly directly to Bonaire.  “The fact that our friends of the KLM interceded for Bonaire, has also been an important factor in the final decision”, said Gerharts.  It was so obvious how pleased Booi was after the press conference.  “When Air Jamaica ran into difficulties and had to cancel the Bonaire-flights, we were very concerned about the future of Bonaire.  Therefore we started to look for alternatives as soon as possible.  At first we thought about American Eagle, because they are already flying on Bonaire.  Fortunately, they have helped us somewhat with setting off the canceled flights, but later it turned out that this company was not willing to exchange their propeller aircrafts for bigger machines.  That’s why we were forced to continue looking.  Subsequently it was good too, because now we have a direct flight from the US, while American Eagle conducts her flights from PuertoRico.  Basically, Continental had also interest in Curacao, but thanks to our fast and effective handling, they have chosen for Bonaire”, said Booi.  Curacao is negotiating with American airline companies on direct flights from Newark. 

Effective December 15th, Continental Airlines will fly with a Boeing 737 with 124 seats from Houston, Texas on every Friday night to Bonaire and return to Houston on Saturday morning.

Bonaire will continue negotiations with Delta Airlines.  “Considering the current interest for Bonaire-flights, I continue to hope that Continental will expand their flights to Bonaire in 2006. We still have to be on the safe side and continue to extend our horizons”, said Gerharts.

and here is the official announcement from TCB


Press Release from Tourism Corporation Bonaire

For more information on this press release contact Ronella Croes, General Manager TCB at 717-8322 or via gm@tourismbonaire.com

Kralendijk – 23 June 2005
BONAIRE ANNOUNCES CONTINENTAL AIRLINES TO LAUNCH SERVICE FROM HOUSTON TO BONAIRE

- Weekly Flight to Begin December 15, 2005 -

After lengthy negotiations, the Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB) is pleased to announce that beginning December 15, 2005 Continental Airlines will launch a weekly flight from its Houston hub to/from Bonaire.

Continental will operate scheduled round-trip air service departing Houston on Fridays at 11:15 p.m. and arriving Bonaire on Saturdays at 5:00 a.m. The return flight to Houston will depart Bonaire at 7:30 a.m., arriving Houston at 11:20 a.m. Continental Airlines will use a Boeing 737 airplane with 124 seats including 12 first class seats.

Continental Airlines is the world's sixth largest airline. Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental connection has more than 3,000 daily departures throughout the Americas Europe and Asia, serving 150 domestic and 130 international destinations, more than any other carrier in the world. Nearly 400 additional points are served via SkyTeam alliance airlines, which include Aeromexico, Air France/KLM, Alitalia, CSA Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Korean Air and Northwest Airlines. With 41,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with Continental Express, carries approximately 56 million passengers per year. Continental consistently earns awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its corporate culture.

For the second consecutive year, FORTUNE magazine named Continental the No. 1 Most Admired Global Airline on its 2005 list of Most Admired Global Companies. Continental was also included in the publication's annual "Top 50" list, which ranks all companies, across a wide variety of industries, that appear in the Global Most Admired Companies issue. Continental again won major awards at the 2005 OAG Airline of the Year Awards including "Airline of the Year" and "Best Airline Based in North America" for the second consecutive year, and "Best Executive/Business Class" for the third consecutive year. For more company information, visit www.continental.com.

I checked this out and Continental is now booking online for this flight. This is an excellent solution for us. In fact, we're seriously thinking of booking this for Megan.

It was too hard on her this past Spring missing 8 days of High School, along with her Spring Break, to be with us the entire two weeks. No overnight layover and just one plane change. She could meet us and we wouldn't have to give up our time. In fact, maybe we'll stay three weeks!!
She could do this......but being the parents that we are, we'll probably hire an escort for the airport. The fare is $763 from Denver. That's a pretty good fare for our area.

This is GREAT news ! Thanks to all that helped bring us this option.

just for kicks I checked it out from Newark for early March 2006:

$857.

EWR-IAH 6:30p-9:28p
IAH-BON 11:30p-6:16a
10:45 travel time

BON-IAH 8:00a-10:50a
IAH-EWR 11:40a-4:09p
9:09 travel time (this connection seems too tight for me)

Given my "lovely" 8 hours stay in MoBay last Feb, this actually doesn't look too bad!

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...

I hate to sound whiney, but those times are awful!

I totally agree. $857 is an awful lot for people from NY/NJ to pay to get there, and the salt in the wound is the 5am arrival time. Ouch! Yes, you have a full first day there, but wow! You'll spend the day exhausted.

The flights from Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale will be cheaper and at more convenient times, I am certain. We all need to be a little patient before running to book right away.

C

Agreed - starting your vacation out exhausted is not the way we want to go. We'll stick with American. We don't mind the San Juan layover all that much.

Sleep on the plane people......... Ron

As member of the US Military for the last 30 years I've spent alot of time sleeping on planes - I'm sick of it.

I totally agree with Ron. If the flights work for you, sleep during it. If either the flights or cost don't appeal to you, find an alternative.

For what it is worth, I just got off of the phone with a longtime employee of Continental. This person said that Continental is "testing the waters" with this first arrangement and if it proves profitable to them, surely more flights will be added.

My hat is off to TCB, Continental, KLM and anyone else who has been involved in making this arrangement happen.

As for sleeping on the plane, I never have been able to.

Hopefully this is a test and there will be expansion. We flew Continental to Ireland and they were great.

I'm truely amazed at some of the reactions to this announcement. For quite some time, even before the AJ issue, many were hoping for a US airline to step up and provide direct service to Bonaire. Now Continental, be it a limited schedule, has decided to begin service to BON from IAH at a time that fits into their crew and equipment schedule. A QUALITY airline as you have already read on this thread. Yet some feel that now the times of departure and arrival that they have chosen doesn't "cut it" with the expectation that the service will run for their personal convenience. Well, got news for ya! It's been a long time since another US carrier even thought of picking up this route, and it may be quite alot longer if another does if Continental finds it's not worth the time or can use their fleet elsewhere with less cost. Cry about the times? No sympathy here. Deal with it! Continental seeing the potential...just a I would expect from a class act!

Smack

It's right around $800 from Columbus for various dates I plugged in. Probably worth it to us to spend the extra 80 or so bucks be on a bigger plane, as my husband is not a fan of flying, and the less stops and the bigger the plane, the better.

I'll be anxious to see how this works out once it's up and running.

I wasn't criticizing Continental for their decision, just commenting that the times aren't good for me. It's getting so you can't make a comment without someone jumping on you on this board.

Kelly, it costs you $720.00 to fly from Columbus to Bonaire??? Manno, I don't know what airlines you fly out of Columbus, but my wife and I don't even think of looking at tickets until they are below $500.00 from Columbus. No way I'd pay $800.00 for plane ticket anywhere in the western hemisphere.

I agree the times aren't the best, Mary, but for those connecting in Houston, especially from the West....it's IDEAL.

And in my situation we'll use air miles with American and already be in Bonaire so my daughter will have her room waiting for her. She can even go to school half day (she says NOT ), do the 3 hour drive to Denver and arrive in Houston for an easy connection. She's pretty excited about the possibilities !!

And Mary, I agree about those that jumping on comments. Shame, shame !!

Linda, that's great it works out for you. Hopefully, by the time we can afford to go back, we'll be able to leave from ATL.

Josh, I have never paid less than $680 I think... and I fly on American. I've been to Bonaire 5 times. What airline to you fly? I went on Delta last time and through Aruba (onto Bonaire Exel), but I don't like having to re-claim baggage, etc.

Mary, negative comments of any type, directed towards anything even remotely related to Bonaire, are not accepted on this board. In fact, don't even THINK of a negative comment. In fact, the fact that I mentioned the word "negative" in this posts means that someone will probably jump on me for writing it. And I'll bet I'm in even bigger trouble for using the "n" word three times.

Yep, you probably are.

Josh and Kelly,

I keep a tabs on flights from all over the US. Josh, I have to ask the same question...Where do you get a ticket from Columbus to Bonaire for under $500.00???????

I haven't seen prices under $500.00 for ANYWHERE in the states to Bonaire in over 4 years....

Hugs to all!

Liz

Okay... here is where I blush a tad and smile sheepishly and say... "um, I dunno..." My wife has a fare watcher on Travelocity and it notifies her whenever prices fall for Bonaire. I know that we do the San Juan / Bonaire hop, so that is American Eagle. I don't know what airlines we fly from Columbus however. Whenever the tracker gives her a rate below $500, she instant messages me, we check all our bank accounts for loose change, I instant message her back, and then quick buy the tickets. Our tickets (prior to the obligatory fees etc) usually are between $460 and $480. After taxes and fees I'm guessing they come in just around $500.

<jump_on_mary_and_jim> wheeeeeee! better than a trampoline! </jump_on_mary_and_jim>

Ouch! This is beginning to HURT!

Josh, I have the farewatcher also, but I have found that it has always involved an overnight, or a very short or very long layover time. Also, in many instances, you actually have an overnight AND you have to change airports (in NY). No thanks for me!

Sorry to hear that Kelly. When we fly out, usually around 6 in the morning, we get into Miami or Ft Lauderdale (they all look alike after awhile), then to San Juan. We get into Bonaire around 7 or 8, get our truck and get to the resort to check in. From what I've been reading, that isn't any longer than what any one else is doing. Don't know what to tell you Kelly.. I've never had to fly through New York or anywhere else...

Oh okay that makes sense then... I DETEST flying through Miami. I prefer the Columbus-Chicago-San Juan route. Good for you for finding such great deals! What airline do you fly?

Yup! I figured I'd get some heat over this one.(warned the moderators in advance) I guess it's all about perspective. To those who I may have offended, accept my apology. Your point is taken.

What I was trying to point out(badly) is there has been discussion about getting a new service to Bonaire from the US for quite some time(not just on this thread or even this site). An airline that finally responds to the need(reguardless of schedule) deserves an "ataboy". If the schedule doesn't work for you, find the one that does. I think many who live out west will find IAH-BON a welcome alternative. Keep in mind that one flight once a week will become one of two things. More flights from other cities with more frequency. or cancelling the service for lack of interest. An airline, like Continental, can and often does do this when the feedback they get is either positive or negative. Maybe if what they hear is positive, times and cities will expand instead of go away. I suspect EWR or CLE nonstop if they did.

Sooo I'll take this one on the chin. Thanks for pointing out what I don't like when others go over the line, yet did myself. Dive Safe, Everyone!

Smack

(Message edited by smack on June 27, 2005)

Jet Blue is running a sale from JFK to San Juan for $99 each way. If you can find a reasonable timed flight from San Juan to BON, you're in great shape.

C

I wonder if I will be able to use my OnePass miles on the EWR/IAH/BON trip? My cure for sleeping on planes was to have 2-3 beers just before boarding & I was usually out before takeoff. Too bad that's not a great idea if I want to dive the next day!

Sue,

It's a scheduled Continental flight - I wouldn't see why you couldn't use your OnePass miles to get a ticket to Bonaire (although you may have to pay with extra points to get the dates you want).

Jake

Jake,

My issue in using OnePass is seat availability. Continental seems to be quite frugal in allocating seats for reward travel to the Caribbean. I tried using miles to book EWR/AUA for Feb06 the day the seats opened up in Apr05 and there were no "discount" FF seats available.

Sue

The Jet Blue sale from JFK is good through December, but you must order the tickets by June 29. There are six flights per day to San Juan from JFK!!! So you can get down there for $99 and have a reasonably short wait to fly on American Eagle over to Bonaire. So for me would be a $200 plus $325 round trip, not bad, and the layovers are around two hours down and three hours back. I am cheating a little bit, I will use miles for the American Eagle leg of the trip so flights will only cost around $200.

I'd like to get down two more times this year, so the other flight will be on one of the new commercial flights or charters, NOT Houston!

C

"Smack", why does Continental deserve an "ataboy"? Do you think they picked up the route just to be nice to all of us? I don't. They picked it up because they saw a business opportunity. Cash money. And they will drop it in a heartbeat if the business opportunity doesn't pan out.

And it's not like if we have to be be nice to them and not complain or they'll get upset and stop serving Bonaire. They'll stop serving Bonaire when they can't make enough money at it.

Also, keep in mind that feedback, positive or negative, is a good thing. If one is unhappy with any provider's service, then the only way they can make it better (if they care) is if they hear about it. That's why corporations spend big $$ hiring consultants to survey customers, have focus groups, etc.

So when people complain that Continental's schedule isn't the best, that's important info, and should be encouraged. Especially if it gets back to Continental.

Well said Jim.

Also remember folks, two things. First, there is no guarantee that this schedule will ultimately be "the" schedule they adhere to. Everything is subject to change. Also, if you don't like the schedule, just find another carrier that suits your schedule better. I will probably give it a try, but don't know about the early arrival. I can sleep on the plane pretty easily though, so it may be perfect for us.

Now, the Jet Blue thing intrigues me for sure. I have a dear friend, retired police officer, who is now a flight attendant for Jet Blue. She loves it ! I can get a cheap hop over to JFK from Columbus and go from there. Might have to check into that as well.

Have a blessed Tuesday everyone !

I don't want to beat a dead horse, but I think a point that can be made about Continental, is that they claim to offer more flights to more locations than any other airline in the world.

That being said, an 11:00pm overnight flight to Bonaire landing at 5am does not seem to me to be a tremendous sacrifice on their part, nor is it convenient to most tourists. It seems to me they had a plane hanging around down there not being used until noon the next day, so let's see if we can make some money on an idle plane. Not a big sacrifice, and I really do like Continental for domestic travel.

C

So far I haven't had a problem with Continental Airlines (knock on wood) so I was quite happy when I found out about their flight to Bonaire. If we get delayed, Houston International DEFINITELY beats skanky Montego Bay airport. So this is how I would plan my itinerary:

Thursday: Pull an all-nighter of fun. No alcohol.

Friday morning: Finish Packing the carry on. Kind of get the adrenaline going (how many get sleepy while packing? I think nobody! In fact, it can rob you of sleep) Make sure to pack chamomile tea and "Shadow Divers".

Friday noon: High Protein lunch with a good serving of fresh fruit. The protein gets your body temperature up (and your metabolism) and the enzymes in the fruit help you digest the protein without getting bloated. NO CARBS! Also stop by the Barnes & Nobles to pick up a book by Al Gore. Check-in online when getting home.

Friday Early Eve: Depart from Newark Airport. During flight go over list of dive sites, restaurants, and people to see. Chamomile tea. 1/2 hour nap.

At Houston: Freshen up. Start reading "Shadow Divers" standing up (there will be plenty of time for sitting later) No matter how many times I read it, I always find it a fascinating read and always perks me up. Have a light carbohydrate meal 1/2 hour before boarding.

Flight Houston to Bonaire: Drink Chamomile again, start Al Gore book, that's lights out in no time flat. Wake up as we approach the island.

In Bonaire: Customs, Car Pick-up, Check-in, breakfast and unpacking. Should be ready for orientation right after that. Attend orientation. Hit the water to check buoyancy and gear. NO DIVING yet. Return home and nap. Light meal after nap, Ready to dive now!

That's of course, given a good scenario, which is VERY likely with Continental. It'll be a snowy day in Bonaire before I fly AJ again. True that people deserve a second chance, but that opportunity must be earned, not just given away. That's my view from now sunny & sticky NJ! Things are looking good so far... Coach Izzy

i agree with Coach Izzy on everything except the first flight from Newark. We would only have a 1 1/2 to 2 hours drive from home to catch the flight to Bonaire. Would hate to have to fly to the east coast to catch an AJ flight or fly to MB or San Juan and change airlines to get to Bonaire. We can sleep while flying and the time will pass faster any way.

We live 100 miles north of IAH in Houston so the Continental flight will be great for us. I know it will be a boon for those from the western part of the US. It is not the best time but better than what we were going to have.

Andy

Well, how awesome is that for you guys? I'm sure the news must have made your day! A 100 mile drive beats flying north only to fly south. I'm sure this flight will also make things a whole lot easier for folks from the west coast and maybe Canada. Good luck! Coach Izzy

Izzy,

Escape sticky NJ and cool off at Dutch Springs! Surface water temp was 67F on Sunday & 55F at 50 feet. Only an hour drive from North NJ. Viz was lousy due to all the students getting certified. My kids loved the new water park, as did many divers during surface intervals.

Jim,
I think they deserve the "ataboy" for the same reason Wannadive, Eden Beach and Bongos recieved our thanks for saving the cams. They all saw the need to provide a service and took the next step. And yes, all have the motive of making a profit. I understand that. But with the airline industry in the state it is in today, expansion has taken a back seat to survival. I'm sure this will be a test the waters endevour, but Continental was the one that took that first step. And you are correct in the complaint dept. Continental does listen to the good and the bad, so send them your opinions and they may adjust to accommidate the majority. You never know. The present times work very nicely for me. Those to the west now have a more direct way to go, but I can't speak for them.

Carl,
You may be correct in that Continental had idle equipment and available crew. Why not Bonaire? Maybe the question should be "Why Bonaire?". There is a huge selection of ways to utilize their equipment. Maybe because of reasons I have already stated, they chose Bonaire. It's a best guess on my part. As far as convenience goes, I could not pick a better time given my location. YMMV.

Dive Safe, Please!

Smack

Thank you Continental......

I just showed my appreciation by booking !!!!

"Smack",
Well, okay, if you want to give an "ataboy" to McDonalds when they open a store in your area to meet a "need to provide a service", then I guess that's up to you. Not sure I understand the rationale, but anyway...

(By the way, before anyone gives the obligatory anti-McDonalds response, don't. Insert your favorite business entity as necessary until you get the point.

And as far as the complaints, does this mean that you won't jump on people anymore for posting complaints here?

Continental doing what they are doing gives us all another option to get to Bonaire. If it works for you; go for it.

Jim,

To answer the last question of your most recent post, at the very same time you do The choice is now yours.

Smack