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Getting to Bonaire: Logistics of making a connection through Curacao
Bonaire Talk: Getting to Bonaire: Archives: Archives 2006-2008: Archives - 2008-03-01 to 2008-12-31: Logistics of making a connection through Curacao
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Felix (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Monday, April 21, 2008 - 8:50 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I've got reservations from the US to Curacao - then looking to catch a hop to Bonaire on Divi Divi Air. My question is - what are the logistics involved in making that connection.

Do I go through customs and immigration in Curacao then again in Bonaire? Or do I go through the process only once on either of the two islands?

Same question going back from Bonaire to Curacao to return to the states.

Finally - about how much time should I allow to make the connections in Curacao?

Thanks for any assistance anyone can offer .. Bob

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sue from NJ (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #772) on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 - 9:43 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

In Feb07 we took non-stops to/from CUR and used DiviDivi to/from BON and here's what I remember:

Land in CUR, get off plane, go thru immigration (took a long time), pick up luggage, walk past customs agents (no forms), walk outside and over to DiviDivi counter. Check in - if you are running late like we were, they will walk you thru immigration & security lines and to their gate. I think we cut it close with a one hour connection. (I rationalized this that we were 4 of 9 seats, so they would wait & they knew our inbound flight, so they would know if it was on the ground. There were others on the same Continental flight that were booked on the next DiviDivi and thought we were crazy).

On the way back, Divi talked me into allowing 2+ hours, which was too much. The hardest part was figuring where to enter the terminal from the tarmack, where Divi dumps you with your luggage. The Continental checkin did not open until 90 minutes before the flight.

In summary, I would allow at least 90 minutes on the way to BON to cover delays and immigration. On the way back you can get by with 90 minutes, as you don't need to clear any major lines and don't need to retrieve luggage.

PS - one of the biggest time savers with Divi is not having to wait for your luggage to come up on the belt in BON.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Felix (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 - 12:52 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks for the info - exactly what I was looking to learn. I do appreciate the help and I'm looking forward to getting back to Bonaire. It has been way too many years away!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sue from NJ (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #773) on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 - 2:16 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Bob - I see you are in PA. Why not consider the Continental non-stop red-eye from Newark? It was announced after we already had ticketed the non-stop to CUR for Feb07 and we didn't change. We took it this year and it was amazing to not have to hassle with any connection and be in BON in 5 hours. A red-eye isn't my favorite sort of flight, but watching the sun come up while I waited for my car was worth it.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Felix (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 - 3:46 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sue - I looked into it, but by the time I add travel time on either end getting to/from Newark it gets to be too much of a hassle. We live about an hour west of Philly - add driving time (or Amtrak) to Newark on both ends and the trip gets to be really long for what I would save on airfare. Plus as I get older I find myself trading off dollars for convenience more and more.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Judy T (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #4463) on Sunday, April 27, 2008 - 10:08 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Bob - we do the same connecting flights & have had no problem the past few years. We used to do the PR to Bonaire but had numerous problems.
We fly out of JFK & my step-daughter flies out of Philly & does the same to MIA & on to Curacao then DiviDivi to Bonaire. We arrive on Bonaire much earlier than the flight out of PR and leave considerably later going through Curacao on the return.
Immigration in Curacao is hit & miss - most of the time we were lucky & got right through.
Like Sue said - I would allow 90 minutes Bon to Cur just in case of a delay & the reverse. DiviDivi has been great - on time & you don't have to worry about getting your luggage from the conveyor belt. If you want to do duty-free shopping on the return - Curacao is the place to do it & with 90 minutes you'll have plenty of time.
Have a great trip & safe travels :-)
And welcome to BT :-)

 


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