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Getting to Bonaire: Boston to Bonaire via Continental
Bonaire Talk: Getting to Bonaire: Archives: Archives 1999-2005: Archives - 2005-08-10 to 2005-12-13: Boston to Bonaire via Continental
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Toby and Sandy (BonaireTalker - Post #37) on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 5:59 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi all. We're trying to get to the island again in March. After last years horror show with AJ we're ready to try something else. Have looked at a couple of options but so far its really pushing the budget envelope. Anyone book with Continental yet? Can we do a ten day or are we stuck with the one week lockstep - arrive late, leave early - which really chows into the diving. I know I'm asking a lot here but maybe someone has some info, even if its just a reality slap. Thanks!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Scott Phillips (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #245) on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 7:21 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

As far as I know the Continental flight is only from Houston (not particularly convenient to those of us in New England) and only once a week. We flew AJ for 6 years or so, but besides the horror shows, they are not flying out of Boston anymore as far as I know. We did the AA/AE route thru San Juan a little over a month ago and got stuck in San Juan for a day (see my thread title "Stuck inside of San Juan..."). To my knowledge, the only options out of Boston are: AA/AE thru San Juan (ten day trip is possible); the upcoming charter flight out of someplace in Florida (also only once a week, so no ten-day trip is possible), or any one of a zillion airlines to Aruba or Curacao followed by a flight on Divi or Bonaire Excel (or whatever it's being called now). I personally do not think that Continental out of Houston is a viable alternative from Boston.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ron Gould (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #323) on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 7:33 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Well it looks like you will just have to make it for 2 WEEKS!! ;-) Ron

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cecil (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #4266) on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 7:33 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

IMHO your best bet right now from Boston is through Aruba. There are quite a few direct flights on either American or US Air. Once there use Bonaire Excel for the final leg. You arrive around 6:00 PM and get to spend part of the day in Aruba. It's also fairly cheap and can be had for less than $600 total. The other option is Curacao and Divi Divi.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Wulfken (BonaireTalker - Post #12) on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 8:58 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I was very interested when Continental announced their Houston redeye flight but with further thinking I asked myself if they were serving their demographics (a word almost as distasteful as paradigm). Perhaps they are since I have met people from all over the USA on Bonaire. But my thinking was that since Houston is their biggest hub they had a plane available. Well, anyway, I called them and suggested that they change (or add) from Houston to either their Cleveland or Newark hubs (based on population demographics). Newark flies to just about the same Caribbean destinations as Houston. Cleveland (my nearest airport) flies to only Nassau, Aruba, and San Juan. Hey, but Newark works for me. I can fly there right now for $89 RT (plus those pesky but necessary taxes & fees). They're always nice to talk to but when you bring up a subject such as this you don't get a lot of good conversation (know what I mean, Vern?). I can easily go through Houston from Cleveland (they're both hubs) in one day each way but they are LONG days. Has anybody else talked to Continental about why they decided Houston and not another hub? Or if they are trying out Houston before adding flights from another hub (i.e. Newark)? How about a Continental Express in the ABCs?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Linda Stoltzfus (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #669) on Thursday, October 6, 2005 - 12:04 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

John,
We have booked two seats out of Houston for March. Using Houston for a connecting flight is ideal for my daughter and friend to meet us for their Spring Break. It would be a hardship for her to fly back East before going South....plus a possible overnight layover without an adult would kill her annual trip to Bonaire. It's a short, 14 hour trip for her through Houston. Thank you, Continental, for making this new connection possible. I hope it is successful so that they expand to other hubs.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John"Smacky"Anderson (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1078) on Thursday, October 6, 2005 - 8:34 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

John,
I'm not sure why Continental chose that time and base to fly from, but I would image availability of crews and equipment had something to do with it. I also thing the shorter distance was a factor considering the skyrocketing cost of jet fuel. It will be interesting to see if they continue this flight, add more, add departure cities like CLE or EWR, or pull out of BON for costing too much to operate. Fuel costs are devastating the industry right now. I don't see and have not heard of any plans for ExpressJet(Continental Express) to begin service to the ABC's as "we" have already taken over routes for Continental in the states so they can redirect their assets. We have been flying to Nassau and Cayman, but these are within the range of the aircraft. Aircraft must be certified for long, open water routes and I'm not sure if the EMB145 has that capability. To begin service further south would probably require moving assets and personnel there(ie another base) which is another costly move. Cost is a BIG factor right now for all the airlines and most are scaling back. Time will tell.M2C

John

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ann Phelan (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1963) on Thursday, October 6, 2005 - 9:51 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I do the BOS BON leg often and since I cannot use Air Jamaica I will use AA. Sure, I can take USAir to Aruba or one of the several charters but with Bonaire Express's track record, weather issues and my luggage needs, I find AA the best option at this time via SJU.

CO is very pricey for folks using the BOS/IAH leg and then onto BON.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By DIANE AND BEA (BonaireTalker - Post #51) on Thursday, October 6, 2005 - 12:15 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

We are doing a red eye out of Chicago in April 2006. Leaving Friday afternoon Chicago to Houston , leaving Houston at 11:30 pm and arriving Saturday morning at 5:15 am Bonaire. We will be ready for a full day on Saturday by arriving early Saturday morning ( if all goes well ) .

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Benji Beaujon (BonaireTalker - Post #31) on Thursday, October 6, 2005 - 2:46 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Continental is flying out of IAH because of the high demand from divers. Several dive operators in Texas have also requested this. As for the time....probably used what was available.


P.S. Bonairexpress(Dutch Antilles Express)has an amazing on-time performance(curently 1 of there planes is out for repairs)but not a single flight has been canceled or delayed in august.(they have a new Manager)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Toby and Sandy (BonaireTalker - Post #38) on Sunday, October 9, 2005 - 9:46 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks for all the input. It does look like we'll be rolling the Excel dice via Aruba. Maybe. Hey we used to fly ALM, and for that matter AJ. As long as we expect a horror show at least we won't be surprised. Personally I'm usually satisfied with living through the experience.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By steve kokkins (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Monday, December 26, 2005 - 6:27 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Bonaire-Boston travel: We have been going for 15 years and travel to BON is always a moving target. No more AJ flights via MBJ for us Boston people--but am always prepared for them to revive that. Had several good all-jet, daytime trips w/AJ--most recent was, however, May 05, w/a prior one in Jan 05. Now am going in Jan 06 but forced to take AA via San Juan. Propjet SJU-BON plus much wasted time, plus inconvenient early departure back to BOS, plus SJU not an easy airport to lug luggage. But, that is the least unpleasant way right now. Look for Ann Phelan's comments on BOS-BON travel--she is always up to date, plus she can make good Bonaire arrangements.
We used to take a Sat GWV charter NONSTOP BOS-BON (on a DC-9/MD-80!) but that has been not available for a few years.
Anyone had luck locating a scuba group charter and tagging along air-only?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Kaye (BonaireTalker - Post #85) on Thursday, January 5, 2006 - 8:20 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Okay, I think I've got the message - these days the only practical choice from BOS-BON is AA/AE thru SJU. That's what my own searches today have come up with, also.

On the brighter side, AA is offering roundtrip fares of $565pp, (+$62 taxes & fees) on a number of dates in March. That doesn't seem too bad. Maybe I can persuade my wife that we can go.

Can any of you think of good reasons to go to Bonaire? (Just joking; we're repeat visitors and know the reasons.)

David

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Susan (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1444) on Friday, January 6, 2006 - 1:11 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

David,
What dates might those be? The best Bos-Bon AA fares I can come up with are almost $1000 per person.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerry Gauron (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #312) on Friday, January 6, 2006 - 1:47 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

We made our res back in Aug for Jan 21, 06. Bos-SJ-Aruba-Bon.
AA to SJ, AA-Aruba. (757) BE-Bon.(Turbo Prop)
We used FFM's on AA. Got bumped up to 1st class, at a cost of 20k more miles each.

Depart Bos 7:00AM Arv Bon 8:00PM
Depart Bon 10:00AM Arv Bos 10:00PM

As you can see two days lost.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerry Gauron (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #313) on Friday, January 6, 2006 - 1:49 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

PS to the above. Total cost was $550.00. Make a res as soon as you can.

 


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