Has anyone ever been successful using Delta SkyMiles to get a free ticket on AJ? I submitted my request on the first available date for winter travel and it never came through. (ended up buying tickets for Feb 2004)

Just wondering if I should use them for another trip or keep hoping that I can use them for a trip to Bonaire...

I tried for months last year to use my Delta miles or Amex miles with AJ and got nothing. I told them I could go anytime in the summer of 2003, but they dont ever have any seats from Mobay to Bonaire. I think they did have some seats from Lax to Mobay, but if you can't get the whole trip, what's the point. We wound up going through Andy @Bonaire pros, as usual. I wonder if American Airlines through San Juan is any better? I've got a ton of miles with Amex that I can use on any airline.

I'm leaving on Aug 6 using Skymiles on AJ from BWI to BON. I booked in Jan 03. The Wed flight is much easier to get the seats. The Fri & Sat flights are almost impossible.

It does work but you have to have plenty of lead time. Good luck.

Thanks for the info James. Did you go through the Delta Freq. Flyer desk or did you talk to AJ directly? How many miles did each ticket cost?

Harry -

We used our bank Master Card travel points last March to book AA from DFW-SJU-BON. We were required to work with the bank's point travel desk, but there was no problem.

Also, we really like the routing, except the early morning departure returning is a bit trying.

Hope this helps.

Charles Poteet
Dallas

Harry, we have used AA miles for Bonaire several times. Because we are tied into school vacation dates and the seats are limited we always book as soon as the seats open up which is 300 days before the flight. To insure our seats for next Feb my husband got up at 2am to make the call the day the seats became available for outbound. Those were then put on hold until the return seats opened up a week later -- and once again he got up at 2am. But we got the seats!

We booked last August a free flight with AJ using Delta skymiles. I had to go through the Delta Skymiles phone number. At first, they said there were no 'legal' connections...we were flying BWI to Montego Bay and then to BON (the connection in Montego Bay is very tight...less than 45 minutes to catch the plane to Bonaire) but, I told them to call AJ because we had taken the flight before. They did and we got it all worked out and it was great. Now, I guess because it was free, we didn't have the greatest seats on the flights to/from Bonaire. On the way back, our seats weren't even next to each other but, we were able to switch once we were on the plane.

Hope this helps!

We had no luck using our FF miles on Delta/AJ through Montego Bay, and the Delta agent was really very rude about it (she told us that people book a year in advance, and we couldn't expect to get tickets with less notice than that). I called back the next day, and managed to get a much nicer agent who booked us on a flight to Curacao. From Curacao, we used DiviDivi, which was a delight, to Bonaire.

Just returned from Bonaire using my Delta FF miles on AJ. Departed Aug 6th but booked the flights in January by calling the Delta Skymiles desk. Apparently the lead time is required because the return flight (AJ41) from Montego Bay to BWI was completely full on a wide-body Airbus 310! A full account of our travel experience will be posted later in our trip report. Hopefully a good read.

Hi there,
Wanted to share with you a really very pleasant experience. I arranged the visit to Bonaire using Delta frequent flyer mileage. The process was user friendly, but then again I initiated the process already in May of this year. The people at Delta were very courteous! I tried to do it on the internet but was not able to due to my not knowing the frequency of flights to Bonaire with Air Jamaica. The Delta web team e-mailed back the key clues. Once I had the data, I phoned a Delta reservations person who took care of the rest. Being courteous and friendly with them is always more pleasant than just getting mad because you cant have it your way. Despite a reduced staff due to layoffs, they do a tremendous job. There was a 24 hour wait to get the confirmation from Air Jamaica, a small price to pay given that others are paying their way. The flight to Atlanta was Delta and from there to Bonaire on Air Jamaica who code shares with Delta. Air Jamaica did a great job in both directions and their planes were full. The hub on Montego Bay was busy and effective. Complimentary Champagne in Economy class was a treat! The change of flights in Montego Bay was smooth and on time. The luggage, dive gear critical to the vacation also made it with no problems at all! Air Jamaica uses new A-321's that carry 188 passengers as well as A-320 with a very comfortable cabin. I am not a million miler so I did not get any special treatment. Hope others also have good experiences, sorry for those who were not as fortunate. Getting there is half the fun!

I called Delta and we did it via the phone. WE had to hunt and peck for some dates but doing it over the phone made it much easier. Total time spent was approx 45 mins to get first class from LAX - Montego bay - Bonaire.

Last April we used AA frequent flyer miles to book seats for mid-Dec arrival and mid-Jan departure traveling via PDX-DFW-SJU-BON with no problems. I did it via the internet and was able to select seat assignments in the process.

Of course, we have actually made the trip yet, but the AA web site claims we are ticketed :-).

Barton

Last July my wife, daughter and my self flew AJ using Delta FF Miles. I booked the flights in Nov and had trouble finding seats from ATL BON but they routed 2 of us from Fort Lauderdale and the other from ATL but had to use 1st class milesfor the ATL ticket. 2 of us got bumped in mobay on the way home as the plane was 2 hours late leaving BON. AJ wanted us to stay in MBJ but after much complaining to the "AJ Station Manager" we flew to JFK, took a taxi to Newark for a Delta flight to ATL. My Daughter flying the 1st class ticket was asked by a AJ flight attendant if she would "give up her meals since she was flying on FF Miles" because they were 1 meal short...

Julian, that takes the cake...no pun intended! LOL. I guess her "thinking" was that since she did not lay out the cash for the trip, that she should sacrifice her meals....unreal! What happened in the end?? We sit in row 1 on AJ so they don't run out of "choices" of the meals by the time they reach row 3....the more things change, the more they remain the same. Carole

Oh my GOSH...like u didn't EARN those free flights..not too bright a light burning with that flight attendant Julian eh?

One flight on AA I wanted to snooze so took 2 pillows, propped them on the tray table and lay down to sleep. Meanwhile Mags wanted a pillow so rang for the flight att. She came and told Maggie she could not have one since I had hers..the flight attendant promptly started to PULL ONE out from under my head. I woke up to this annoying situation and told her in polite words to BUZZ off..I never eat the ^%$# meal and so I am entitled to TWO pillows..she backed off...but can YOU imagine..

Sue, I was in BON when you posted Aug. 4..it took me calling someone in Marketing at Air Jamaica to help me use my 60k miles on Delta..I had been trying to use the miles for 4 years..tried when I flew to Bermuda, Hawaii, even California..NEVER could I ever seem to find ANY flights..and I was very flexible.

Again, a super guy at Air Ja helped me..NOW, I get Air Ja frequent flyer miles vs Delta.

Just recently got my award tickets. I was persistent in calling every day until they had seats. Just call the Delta Sky Miles Desk and they will transfer you to their airline sharing desk. I found them very nice and helpful. Flight during the week is much easier to get and you might have to be open to creative airport usage. Just keep trying. Good luck.