Can someone tell us what airlines fly between Aruba - Curacao - Boniare.Thinking of flying to Aruba using Continental so we don't have to deal with Air J. Did you know that Butch Stewart sold the air line to the Jamaican government about a year and half ago. Explains things eh?

Thank you in advance, Mike

Hi, Mike!
Bonaire Express is the only local airline which flies from Aruba. It stops at both Curacao and Bonaire.
Divi Divi, a more reliable airline, flies small planes from Curacao to Bonaire, but only during daylight hours.
Why not just fly Continental to Bonaire from Houston (if you are coming down after mid December)?
Tish

Leaving the first part of Dec. Thinking of using Continental to get to Aruba. Is there a problem with Bonaire Express??
Thanks, Mike

Check the threads which concern BonairExpress (and note the spelling) and you will learn a lot.
However, it's the only game in town. I take this route myself often and personally have not (yet) had trouble, but many others have sad tales to tell.
These days American to Bonaire is more reliable than AJ.
All airlines sometimes prove unreliable (not just to Bonaire), so there's no guaranteed way to avoid that.
Good luck!
Tish

mike, i agree with tish, if you're going to fly continental to aruba anyway, why not take the continental redeye from houston to bonaire. it is scheduled to start flying fridays beginning december 16. obviously if you're travelling before the 16th or your reservations are for something other than a saturday to saturday stay that probably wouldn't work.

Mike is coming down before the Houston to Bonaire flights begin, which is why I suggested the American to Bonaire alternative.
But come mid December, we're all going to be celebrating!!
Tish

ok...and like you said, you can have problems on any airline. i remember how people used to badmouth alm (always late mon, all luggage missing, etc.). but we never had a problem with them. after a while you just get used to planes being late and things like that. when my sister in law visited us on bonaire last winter she described the "trip from hell" getting home. they were supposed to fly AJ to montego bay then catch a flight to BWI. the flight was late leaving bonaire, they missed their connection in montego bay and had to fly to philadelphia instead of BWI, then take a van back to BWI. after all that they were only about 3 hours late getting home. that's not all that bad, i don't think.
there have been times flying to and from bonaire that we've been a day or so late going both ways. there's really nothing i can do...i don't have a pilot's license so i can't fly it myself...you just make the best of the situation and get where you're going eventually.

I love your attitude, Pat. Agree absolutely!
Tish

Just completed a trip using Bonairexcel (10/12-10/21) and had no problems. Flights were full because of Antilles Day but we were not bumped and arrived 20 minutes early in Bonaire. Was 10 minutes late arriving in Aruba on return flight...smooth and uneventful

Also just completed a trip on BonairExpress (10/17 - 10/26) and both flights departed on time and arrived early. Took the 6 PM departure from Aruba that arrives on Bonaire at 7:30 and the 10:00 AM departure from Bonaire that arrives on Aruba at 11:30, both with intermediate stops in Curacao. Baggage from both came out promptly. Only drawback with BE is the planes can get hot and stuffy while on the ground since they have little (Aruba; Bonaire) or no (Curacao) ground power, so just expect to sweat a little. Word from many locals is that BE has been striving hard to operate reliably and on time, and has successfully been doing so over the last few months.

Forgot to add one thing, triggered when I read an earlier thread about BE problems. Be sure to reconfirm your return BE flight at the airport at least one day ahead and provide a local phone number on Bonaire in case they need to reach you.