By Rick (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #7) on Thursday, January 20, 2011 - 4:14 pm: |
I've been watching, and waiting for airfare to come down, but it's just going up, up, up. For Denver to Bonaire, either via Continental or Delta, for 12-19 March (+/- a day) it is not running $2,000 round trip. That's just for airfare, that I paid $780 - $835 for in the past. I did notice that this specific week is higher (not sure why), but it's still over $1500 for airfare in March. Is there something special going on in March this year (I've been there the last 3 years the same time)? I have looked at going through Curacao or Aruba (which I've read is not recommended), but the cost is not much better, unless I arrive/depart 3-4 days earlier/later. Anyone know why?
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By KOB (LBR32) (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #406) on Thursday, January 20, 2011 - 5:13 pm: |
If you can get to Miami for $400- $500 R/T, Insel is running about $420 R/T or so for MIA - BON. On Saturdays, it's direct. On other days, it's via Curacao. That would make the total R/T air fare less than $1000.
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By Tom Schamp (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #648) on Thursday, January 20, 2011 - 5:24 pm: |
Kayak tells me $1278 to BON on Continental and $1111 to CUR on AA.
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By Tom Nic (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #131) on Thursday, January 20, 2011 - 5:40 pm: |
Perhaps pertinent to this discussion - I know that Alaska Airlines has a feature on their website that if you purchase a ticket and they come down in price that they will refund you the difference toward a future ticket purchase.
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By Ruth van Tilburg (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1467) on Thursday, January 20, 2011 - 5:55 pm: |
I go thru CUR every time...AA's 2x/day MIA/CUR gives a lot of flexibility. Add about another $100 for CUR/BON round-trip.
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By Patrick Matthew White (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #171) on Friday, January 21, 2011 - 12:10 am: |
Rick:
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By Ernest Day (BonaireTalker - Post #24) on Friday, January 21, 2011 - 10:08 am: |
We each got a new Delta Amex card. It posted 45k miles after 3k in spending. Add a few extra bills to top off the account at 50k, and there you go. An almost free ticket. We paid just $54 in taxes to go March 4 from SFO. if you see us, be sure to say Hello. We will be the group with the big smiles.
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By Rick (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #8) on Friday, January 21, 2011 - 11:35 am: |
Thanks for all your suggestions. I think Ruth hit the nail...but the group I go with has been going during spring break (whenever that is...here each school district is a different week, so didn't think internationally everyone would be taking the same week). Patrick, I have had success doing just that the last nine trips in the last three years, and none were over $835 r/t.
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By Rick (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #9) on Friday, January 21, 2011 - 1:22 pm: |
I just found a good price to Curacao, but it requires an overnight stay both ways. Can someone recommend an inexpensive place to spend the night there. Not looking for anything fancy...hopefully somewhat close to the airport (not sure how high taxi fees are).
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By Eric author of "Why is the Grass Green?" (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1549) on Friday, January 21, 2011 - 1:42 pm: |
The price of oil is going up, the price of flying is going to follow it.
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By Tom Schamp (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #649) on Friday, January 21, 2011 - 1:46 pm: |
That's a tad simplistic, Eric...
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By Tad Jones (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #398) on Friday, January 21, 2011 - 1:50 pm: |
Rick,
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By Sparty (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #311) on Saturday, January 22, 2011 - 8:03 pm: |
Our experience has been to book 330 days in advance, as soon as fares become avaialble. I often check back and cannot remember ever finding lower fares.
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By Kate Hickson (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #388) on Saturday, January 22, 2011 - 10:08 pm: |
Tom Nic- yes, most airlines, including AA will give you the price difference if the fare goes lower AFTER they take out a $150 "re-ticketing fee", and that's usually about the whole price difference right there.
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By Bill Thorpe, (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #745) on Saturday, January 22, 2011 - 11:04 pm: |
Rick
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By scotttyd (BonaireTalker - Post #13) on Sunday, January 23, 2011 - 3:54 pm: |
Prices in April are outrageous as well. Last two years (summer trips) I paid 650 and 815 from RDU. This year it was 1100 at a minimum for continental and 990 for delta. I ended up using Delta miles (only 50,000) and paid 52 in tax. One week later the price jumped to 1300 for continental and 1200 from Delta or 70,000 miles. I got lucky and got the mileage ticket just in time.
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By Deb Gunther (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Sunday, January 23, 2011 - 4:10 pm: |
We've found a local (US) charity event where they auction off a pair of R/T Continental tickets every year, good for 48 states US plus Caribbean. For 2 years now we've scored those tickets for $500 each. The charity benefits and so do we. I haven't had problems with using the tickets when I want to.
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By Rick (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #10) on Sunday, January 23, 2011 - 9:40 pm: |
For clarification, it is Aruba that is not recommended to fly through, not Curacao. I understand this is because it is a busy airport, with limited (2) customs persons.
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By Bill Thorpe, (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #746) on Monday, January 24, 2011 - 12:03 am: |
Rick
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By Ben Hand (BonaireTalker - Post #12) on Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 4:21 pm: |
Last year we were planning on a trip to Florida at Spring Break (mid-March). About a month out from that I was checking prices to Bonaire and got RT out of JFK for $382 each. This year it is roughly 3 times that amount. We're going to Cozumel instead this time. However we want to go back to Bonaire next year (March 2012). So I'm checking prices frequently this year to see if we see the same drop as last year. It is a big thing to risk though I suppose we could always head to Florida as a back-up plan (we have someone to stay with down there anyways).
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By Eric author of "Why is the Grass Green?" (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1568) on Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 4:27 pm: |
Simple does not mean false.
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By Debbie B.~ Jersey Gal(*) (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #12972) on Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 4:37 pm: |
I don't think you are gonna see $382 again. Maybe $480 and remember, they also add in the departure tax onto each ticket now.
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By Craig Cap (BonaireTalker - Post #23) on Friday, March 4, 2011 - 10:10 am: |
Rick,
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By Rick (BonaireTalker - Post #20) on Tuesday, March 8, 2011 - 1:27 am: |
Craig, I found the same thing - getting to MIA was almost as much as MIA to BON! I found a deal (kind of by accident) on Priceline for DEN-CUR on American for just under $700 r/t. That requires a red-eye out of DEN on Thurs midnight, to MIA, then connecting on to CUR. Then CUR to BON on Insel arriving at 8:10PM (22 hours later). Oh well, I'd rather spend the extra night in BON than MIA anytime. Also, have to return on Monday, to get the price break.
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By nestor kopko (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #200) on Tuesday, March 8, 2011 - 8:59 pm: |
Rick, my wife and I flew Toronto-Curacao last November then connected with Insel to Bonaire. I would not hesitate to do it again. AA flies to Curacao daily and having to travel around my wife's work schedule, this works out just fine.
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