I have been reading with interest all of the tips and adventure stories about the early AA flight from Bonaire to SJ including a recent trip report detailing 7 people not being allowed on the flight. We travel to Grenada every year and AA is now using the turbo props but I do not remember anyone being denied boarding as long as they arrived at least thirty minutes before departure. I am not thrilled about having to arrive at the airport at 4am for our 6:10 departure in April but will do so (and then sleep on the beach in SJ while waiting for my 3pm flight!) But here is my question -- has anyone had similar problems getting on the flight from Puerto Rico TO Bonaire? Or is this just a problem leaving Bonaire? 25 days and counting -- hooray!

Susan,
Our experience of three weeks ago (Saturday, 23 March).Arrive SJU around 5:00 pm from Chicago with scheduled 6:40 flight out to BON. No problems with check-in.
Notice that every American Eagle flight has either over booked or over weight announcements with voucher offers (from $200 to $400), including our flight. Didn't notice if anybody was actually bumped off our flight, but it was full.
Many of the larger "carry-on" got "Valet" service; that is, if you get a red tag on your carry-on, they take it from you as you board and put it in baggage compartment (to be picked-up as you exit the plane, not as regular checked baggage). So, if you have a larger type "carry-on", make sure the things you really need during the flight can quickly be removed and carried on separately.
Regular checke baggage: We had four (2 each) with no issues during check-in or boarding; but at arrival in BON the fun begins:
First you notice that there are a bunch of people waiting for baggage that were not on your flight (these are the people from yesterday whose baggage didn't arrive with them). They all seemed to have gotten theirs; but we (and several others0 wait and wait for all of our baggage to arrive (we got one of our four). Nobody announces that no more baggage is still coming, and nobody around to ask, but customs. Finally we start figuring-out that we are not going to get the rest of our bags and go to the ticket counter for information.
The information: The plane couldn't carry the weight of all the luggage (they had to carry yesterday's 'overweight' load), so, our baggage MAY be on the extra flight they are adding to arrive at 10:30 (or would be on the next evening's flight if they didn't decide to add another flight). They offer that we could either come back at 10:30 or Sunday morning to see if our baggage arrived; since we have frozen food packed in one of the missing bags, (and that it would have cost us an extra $30.00 to do the round trip to Sand$-airport), we decided to sit at aiport and wait. Fortunately, the flight landed shortly after 10:00- with our baggage!
So, BE PREPARED!
The happy ending: since we were using Alan & Joan Zale's 2 bedroom unit at Sand$ (2nd of hopefully many more to come consecutive years), and, the Zale's departed earlier the same day, they left some first night survival items in the refrigerator, like a 6-pack of Amstel; thanks again Alan & Joan!
Chet

How about that flight from San juan on AA? It is just a prop plane? How comfortable and how bumpy??

Another question, we thought that we might fly in to Bonaire and then out of Curacao. How is that ferry ride? Does it go every day and is this idea do-able?

Hey Robin, I have been flying in and out of SJU since 87 and still hate it. The planes are small (ask for seats in the back) and noisey and bumpy. It is a short flight but still I deplore it so.

The inter island terminal at SJU stinks too..small and cramped but fun to watch the different flights take off..I always see an old friend or one of Maggie's relatives heading to Antigua..colorful terminal..no food tho.

Annie
Cape Cod

Robin -

This board is all about a variety of perspectives, so might we add our experience with the AA SJ-BON flight in January?

The perspective is that we had formerly used AA from Miami to Curacao, ALM Curacao-BON. Truth be told, we had only minor problems, but the AA flight from SJU-BON was so much better.

The AA ATR turboprop was quite comfortable, smooth and when we flew in January, going down it was early arriving in Bonaire, going home it was early arriving in San Juan. The AA staff was courteous and professional in SJU and in BON and in flight.

I think you will like it.

Of course, the scheudle could be better, but for us traveling from DFW, it made it possible to get to Bonaire in one day at a more than reasonable fare.

Ordinarily, we look for any other alternative than AA. But we must tell the truth: in January the DFW-SJU-BON run was uneventful and quite smooth.

Hope an added perspective helps.

Chas.

Chet..thanks for your experience with AA inbound to Bonaire. I will be on it this Friday night from SJ and hope it goes a bit smoother. Do you suggest then taking a nights clothing in a carry on?
How was the return flight to SJ
Chuck

Chuck,
I think AE now has 2 flights a day on the weekends; so the over full/weight problems may have been solved, but, I always carry-on the absolute essentials for the first night/day.
The flights home on March 9:
Taxi at 4:15 from Sand$, arrived airport little before 4:30. Line was fairly long, all checked baggage being hand searched. Lines moved slowly but surely and completed check-in shortly after 5:00. Lots 'a people showed up after us; didn't see anybody turned away. Went though boarding security around 6:00 (be prepared to run shoes through scanner); boarded and were airborne on-time. Flight was full, and again, several of the larger carry-ons got "valet" service. Except for long walks and limited food selection at San Juan, customs and connections went smooth (flight to Chicago left within an hour of scheduled time), and all baggage arrived home with us.
Chet

Thanks everyone! As I said in my original post we do the AA San Juan flight and American Eagle to Grenada each year and have never had a problem with connections or luggage. When I started reading some of the posts about the long lines and people being denied boarding I got a little tense -- but as the days get fewer to our trip to Bonaire I am getting into my "hey, relax, it's vacation and things will work out!" mode. Only 12 more work days til we arrive in Bonaire on the 13th! I would leave today if I could!

The SJU-BON-SJU run seems to be a mixed bag. On my way down (Feb 28), the flight left BOS late, so we missed our flight to BON, barely. I ran to the AE gate, with minutes to spare, and they wouldn't let me on because my luggage would never make it. "I don't care about my luggage. I'll get it tomorrow" I said. "Well, we do. You can't travel without your luggage." Funny, when it's their fault, and they lose your luggage, you sure travel without it. Went to get re-ticketed, and the following day was sold out and overbooked, so I had to spend 2 nights in SJ. The desk was a mob scene...seems like half the flight missed AE connections to the whole Caribbean. When I checked in the hotel, the guy at the desk said they had 75 check-ins from American that night. They really need to get their act together. Going home from BON to SJU, I got to Flamingo Airport early due to the horror stories I read here about people being denied boarding because they weren't there early enough. It was a piece of cake. I even saw a couple arrive for check-in at 6:15, waltz right up to the desk and get their boarding passes. At that point, I'd already been there almost 2 hours!! Anyway, good luck.

Flying with your own baggage is a US federal rule since 9-11 not AE's doing. Don't know what happens now if they slip up and the baggage doesn't get aboard and you do.