By Martin de Weger on Thursday, October 3, 2002 - 5:53 am: |
I just got informed that KLM will change his schedule from AMS to BON. There will be 19 flights a week, including 14 direct flights, from AMS to BON. This change will be effective from Dec. 1-st, 2002. The flight numbers will be KL753/4 and KL741/2.
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By Marc @ CrystalVisions on Thursday, October 3, 2002 - 6:19 am: |
19?? Wow... Are these transit flights to other destinations, like the daily flight to Quito?
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By Martin de Weger on Thursday, October 3, 2002 - 6:21 am: |
Marc, that's 7 to Quito and 7 to Lima....
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By Marc @ CrystalVisions on Thursday, October 3, 2002 - 6:26 am: |
That means it's also a boost for tourism out of South America. And the other 5 flights?
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By Kitty @ CrystalVisions on Thursday, October 3, 2002 - 6:39 am: |
Does this mean that the flights to Lima via Aruba have been cancelled?
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By Peter Cabus on Thursday, October 3, 2002 - 7:22 am: |
Martin,
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By Marc @ CrystalVisions on Thursday, October 3, 2002 - 7:30 am: |
I believe we all did that... KLM will be wondering why they get so many hits on that flight
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By Martin de Weger on Thursday, October 3, 2002 - 8:16 am: |
Special product news, issued today. The Lima via Aruba has been cancelled. The other flights go with KLM and BonairExcel from other islands (St. Maarten, Aruba and Curaçao.
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By Jake Richter - NetTech on Thursday, October 3, 2002 - 8:44 am: |
Here's the "Pers Bericht" - Press Release - from KLM:
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By Martin de Weger on Thursday, October 3, 2002 - 8:52 am: |
Thanx jake, didn't look for the pers berichten on the KLM site...
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By Marc @ CrystalVisions on Thursday, October 3, 2002 - 9:13 am: |
Very cool indeed, and great news for Bonaire! And for my mother, should Kit and I decided to move down there
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By Marc @ CrystalVisions on Thursday, October 3, 2002 - 9:19 am: |
One party will not be happy campers though... DCA. BonairExel will be a direct competitor to them, taking away all those KLM-clients that up till now were looking at DCA if they couldn't fly straight to the island of their choice.
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By Jake Richter - NetTech on Thursday, October 3, 2002 - 9:06 pm: |
I've heard speculation that one of the many reasons KLM pulled out Curacao was because they were unhappy that ALM (now DCA) had started a Curacao/Amsterdam flight of their own, in direct competition to KLM. So maybe, in addition to probably being a good business decision, it's a form of payback :-)
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By Marc @ CrystalVisions on Friday, October 4, 2002 - 1:58 am: |
More like an assassination attempt, if you ask me
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By michael gaynor on Friday, October 4, 2002 - 7:30 am: |
With DCA's level of service of late, it wont take much to put it out of business. They had the market at its feet and chose to kick it in the rear by not running the airline like a business. It's time to let the big boys on the field and hit a few home runs. I will personally be at the air port to welcome the first Air Excel flight.
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By Jake Richter - NetTech on Friday, October 4, 2002 - 9:06 am: |
You both are forgetting that DCA is owned and operated by the island government of Curacao - it is no longer the national airline of the Antilles (although Curacao & DCA really believe that should be the case, of course).
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By michael gaynor on Saturday, October 5, 2002 - 8:02 am: |
makes snse, but that is not necessiairliy how DCA will see it.
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By Jake Richter - NetTech on Saturday, October 5, 2002 - 10:41 am: |
Of course DCA won't see it that way. Monopolies, even ones whose monopoly status has been removed, kick and scream anytime anyone tries to open up markets (witness the telecom demonopolization in the Antilles and Bonaire for an example).
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By Marc @ CrystalVisions on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 6:16 am: |
KLM has stopped taking reservations on flights to the Antilles after December 1st, due to the "uncertainty" surrounding landingpermits for BonAir Exel. Strangely though, according to some sources some of the permits haven't even been requested yet.
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By Jake Richter - NetTech on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 8:39 am: |
The "uncertainty" may be also be due to the fact that Bonaire's government collapsed late last week when the minority member of the ruling coalition resigned. However, rumor has it that our island council may be reformed today, with just one party - no more coalition to get the 5 seats required to maintain a majority.
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By Marc @ CrystalVisions on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 8:56 am: |
How big is the chance of the Antilles government blocking the permits? I know the Transport minister is a Bonairian, so he will no doubt issue them, but what if the (Curacao majority in the) government doesn't agree and decides to give him a slap on the hands?
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By Peter Cabus on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 9:00 am: |
Marc,
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By Jake Richter - NetTech on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 9:08 am: |
Marc,
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By Marc @ CrystalVisions on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 9:36 am: |
Peter, I'm not sure about that. They claim they are worried about too much bookings because they don't know how many seats they have to offer after 1. December. Maybe the whole schedule change is dependant of BonairExel. Check with KLM if you want to fly to BON.
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By Peter Cabus on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 9:57 am: |
I just did a search for BonairExel on Google and it produced some very interesting reading. Hmmm, we'll see what happens.
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By Marc @ CrystalVisions on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 10:17 am: |
Yes indeed. Kitty and I had a nice discussion about that yesterday. I think there is a market for Bonaire in young (eco/backpack) tourists. You'd need more cheap rooms on the island ($50 a night max), and you'd need to be able to offer island-hopping packages (BonAir!)... But with the worldwide political situation becoming ever more unstable (look at Bali for instance), I think there is plenty of opportunity... and it doesn't have to be only about diving!
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By Peter Cabus on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 11:12 am: |
When more "young people" find their way to Bonaire, the Island would become more "lively". Bonaire is not famous for nightlive. And it certainly doesn't need the nightlive found in the big cities (loud disco's, bouncers, street noise, etc...) But it would be nice if some bars/pubs (e.g. Karel's, Bongo's, City) remain more often open after midnight (with people in them).
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By Marc @ CrystalVisions on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 11:25 am: |
I don't agree. Not every young person wants disco's when they go on holiday. Many will settle for meeting people, getting together around a campfire and stuff. The noise-makers will go to Aruba anyway because of the beaches there.
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By Peter Cabus on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 11:48 am: |
I don't want loud disco's either Marc. (-: But as every Belgian, I do enjoy some leisurely barhopping from time to time. And that is not always possible.
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By Marc @ CrystalVisions on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 12:13 pm: |
Because Karel's won't stay open for just you and me and Kitty ;-). And I can't blame them either. But if there were more like us, it would be worth their while.
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By Peter Cabus on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 12:27 pm: |
Correctemundo.. You can include my wife as well. (-: she is usually the worst one).
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By Glen Reem on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 2:37 pm: |
As long as Bonaire doesn't go to the Crete/Agean isle scene.
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By michael gaynor on Monday, October 14, 2002 - 9:39 pm: |
The last thing that Bonaire needs or wants are cheap rooms and backpacking visitors. It is in direct contadiction the the tourism plan adopted many years ago and that has been followed until now.
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By Marc @ CrystalVisions on Tuesday, October 15, 2002 - 1:25 am: |
But which, even in times of economic prosperiety, has resulted in declining number of visitors... And with the outlook for the coming years not very positive worldwide, it might not be a bad idea to rethink that plan. One does not exclude the other.
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By Peter Cabus on Tuesday, October 15, 2002 - 2:42 am: |
Michael,
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By Kitty @ CrystalVisions on Tuesday, October 15, 2002 - 4:29 am: |
Michael,
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By michael gaynor on Tuesday, October 15, 2002 - 7:52 am: |
I am referring to studies done a few years ago by the Univerisity in Surrey, England on the tourism outlook for Bonaire. Of course as with all studies, they tend to be flawed in that they have now may of predicting the economy, terrorism, natural disastors, etc. If it were up to me, would like to see youth hostels, campgrounds, as well as 3 and 4 star resorts.
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By Kitty @ CrystalVisions on Tuesday, October 15, 2002 - 8:12 am: |
Yeah! Way to go! Let's see if the Tourism Corporation Bonaire (apart from Michael) can start thinking this way as well...
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By Linda Richter - NetTech on Tuesday, October 15, 2002 - 10:27 am: |
Actually we do have a number of small places that are $50 - $75 per night for the room. Many of the small inns with a handful of units are very reasonable. The new Friars Inn has very low prices - $21 per person with lower rates if you share a room. You just have to look harder to find the cheaper places.
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