How long have people found it takes to claim luggage and clear immigration and customs on Sunday mornings in Newark on the way back from Bonaire. Also, is the flight generally right on time or a bit early.

I followed through on my threat to my teenage daughter on not taking her to Bonaire in 2008 if she didn't dive more or leave the air conditioning, so she is spending the week with my cousin in Florida. (she will be mucking out horse stalls and is thrilled about it!) I am now booking her return flight and hope to coordinate our arrivals at EWR.

Hi, Sue! The flights were on time in both directions and it was the "usual" on the luggage claim. You have to walk "forever" to get to the claim area and then we waited about 20 minutes or so...then off to the customs folks.

It's the only way anyone should fly to Bonaire from our area, now....you can't beat that non-stop CON flight!

Have a great time and if your daughter doesn't want to dive more with you in 2008 I'll take her place! LOL. Carole

Sue, we did the trip through Newark in August. Our flight was about 20 minutes late leaving Bonaire and then "toured" New Jersey for about 25 minutes waiting for air traffic to clear out so we could land. Then it felt as if we were continuing to tour on the ground as it took a long time to get to the gate. The Immigration and Customs lines were LONG with several international flights arriving at the same time. We had to make a connecting flight so once we got through Immigration and had our luggage the Customs folks let us get to the head of the line. We then had to go through Security and race to our plane (it was already past take off so we had no idea if it was gone or not). Continental had held it for us but needless to say our luggage did not make it. I see that you live in NJ so won't have the connection issue but I would be prepared for it to take awhile.

Thanks - For business I travel through EWR on Continental all the time (often international), but since I never check luggage I have no appreciation of how much time that adds to the trip. I have also not arrived at EWR at 11am on a Sunday in the international terminal. We've booked her to arrive just a few minutes after us, so she will just need to listen to her iPod while she waits for us!

PS - I know y'all hate to hear it, but I only live 15 minutes from EWR, so we are keeping our fingers crossed that this is a stress-free trip to/from BON unlike AJ hell in 2005!

Sue, it took us an hour and half to get off the plane in Newark, go to luggage claim, wait for luggage (forever) and then a very long, long line for customs. This was our first trip from Newark to Bonaire, still great getting to Bonaire in 4hours 10min., but Newark airport in a real PITA at that time on Sunday mornings. Our flight from Bon. was late and that put us almost an hour late getting into Newark too. We are going to try it again in November, will let ya know how this trip goes, maybe it will not take quite as long this time on the return. I do like Phila. a lot better as I only have to walk and wait half as long usually. Too bad CO is out of Newark.

Sue,
Glad to hear that our son is not the only one rejecting his parents, not matter how attractive the lure. Oh well, they'll come back to it when the come to their senses.

Brian - at least your son dove with you earlier this year. I think my darling got in 3 dives, including her checkout dive. She liked to stay in bed and read books. I didn't need to spend the money for her to do that in Bonaire.

anyway - right now she is thrilled that she will be flying alone, sleeping on the cousin's place, getting up at 6am to feed the horses and muck their stalls. I'll report back how the trip actually goes and if she wants to do it again!