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Getting to Bonaire: Rental car and making early departure flight
Bonaire Talk: Getting to Bonaire: Rental car and making early departure flight
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jan (BonaireTalker - Post #47) on Saturday, February 26, 2011 - 5:35 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hello,

For our upcoming June visit to Bonaire, we are renting a truck from AB rental, which opens officially at 5 am. For an extra $25, they will meet a renter earlier. We will be departing from Bonaire on the 6 am Continental Flight? Would you recommend we arrange to meet someone from AB before 5 am in order to be sure to catch our flight?

Thanks for the advice. Janet

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Lizard0924 (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #507) on Saturday, February 26, 2011 - 5:44 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Jan- I've done the Continental a.m. departure five times and never had to make special arrangements to drop the truck off in the a.m. We have rented through both Budget and AB and always been fine dropping the truck off between 6-6:30.

However, that being said, the outbound BON flight on Continental has never departed at 6:00 a.m. I better go check my ticket, since I, too, am leaving BON on 6/12 on Continental. God help me if I have to actually DEPART the gate that early. Eeek! Usually, the Continental plane leaves BON between 8-8:30 a.m.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Lizard0924 (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #508) on Saturday, February 26, 2011 - 5:49 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Holy Cow....I just looked at my e-ticket and saw that the flight departs at 7:30 a.m. on 6/12.....ugh.

I still wouldn't worry about dropping the car off before 6:00, although I'd make sure I was there at 6:00 a.m. on the dot. But, then again, my threshhold for missing a flight leaving BON is fairly low.....if I miss my flight back to the states that wouldn't be the worst thing in the world....

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jan (BonaireTalker - Post #49) on Saturday, February 26, 2011 - 6:39 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks,

Lizard. I will also double check with AB. I did verify that my departure is at 6:00 am. My flight is to Newark. I'm jealous you get the extra hour and a half.

You are leaving the island a few days before we arrive. Have a great trip.

Janet

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Lizard0924 (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #509) on Saturday, February 26, 2011 - 6:57 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Wow, yeah, a 6:00 a.m. departure is going to require a bit earlier of a truck drop-off. Maybe you should just plan an all-nighter the evening before? :)

This is my first trip in the summer months...I'm thinking the January flight schedules are a bit more kind for those of us who need lots of sleep before we leave paradise.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jennifer Parmley (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #116) on Sunday, February 27, 2011 - 4:49 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

last July my CON flight was scheduled to leave at 7am, and then it was changed before we left.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Judy T (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5727) on Sunday, February 27, 2011 - 6:49 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Jan,

We just recently got back from Bonaire and rented with AB. We took the Continental flight to Newark which left at 7:00 AM. AB has a truck and key drop off directly across the street from the airport - very convenient. My husband dropped me off at the airport (with luggage) then left the truck at the drop off & walked across the street. Just let AB know the night before & they'll check you out. Also, we wanted to make sure we were at the airport more than 2 hrs. before our flight.
Enjoy your trip :)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jan (BonaireTalker - Post #54) on Sunday, February 27, 2011 - 7:03 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi, Judy,

Did AB inspect your car at the airport? the night before? not until you had departed?

Wouldn't it be nice if the schedule changed before our trip and our departure was a bit later in the AM? Wonder what the odds of that are. I couldn't tell from Jennifer's post if her flight was changed to earlier or later than 7 am.

Anyway, I do appreciate all the comments.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jennifer Parmley (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #117) on Sunday, February 27, 2011 - 7:36 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sorry now that I'm thinking about it when I bought our ticket the flight was supposed to leave BON at 7:00am. Then we got an email saying that the flight had been changed and was going to leave at 8:00am. But... before we got to Bonaire the flight had been changed back to a 7:00am departure.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Judy T (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5731) on Sunday, February 27, 2011 - 7:36 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Jan,

They did inspect the truck the night before & then the day we left (after we left). Had an e-mail from them when we got home that all was fine. I don't know if it makes any difference - but we had rented from them many times before. Never had a problem with AB.
Do allow at least 2 hrs. at the airport b-4 your flight.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jan (BonaireTalker - Post #55) on Sunday, February 27, 2011 - 8:19 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks Jan and Judy,

I do appreciate those details. We have rented from AB a couple of times, and knowing how you handled your drop off is quite helpful, especially since, per Judy's advice, it sounds like we need to go to the airport at 4:00 am. Ugh. I have just been reading the Galen Piehl e-book on snorkeling Bonaire, so I will try to think of that and not the sad 4 am departure from the island. Thanks again for all your help.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By bob fraser (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #216) on Monday, February 28, 2011 - 9:56 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

have used AB every time (10) and have not had an issue. usually early morning drop off. last time they checked it out after i left--just left it across street, never a problem.did ofcourse talked with them in advance. do find the process of inspection a bit much and anxiety provoking. also use american express to do insurance and that's over the top too but that's what I do :-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kate Hickson (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #399) on Wednesday, March 2, 2011 - 8:03 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I use AB Car Rental, too. I just came back on Sunday via Continental through Newark. I did the early mornming drop off across the street from the airport entrance at 5:15am. But you have to arrange that with AB ahead of time and sign some paper. I didn't have the car inspected the night before with them, and I never have. When I pulled into the parking lot, a couple approached me and asked if I was from AB because AB said someone would be there to give them a ride to the airport (???). Huh? I said, "Umm, the airport is right there! And you each have a rolling suitcase. Plus, I doubt anyone is really coming to drive you 500 feet." I always have to bug them with an email asking if they found the car in good shape, with all the gas, etc. I don't know why they don't just do that automatically.

 


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