We are flying to Bonaire on the new Houston-Bonaire Continental flight this summer. (Fares seem to go up weekly.) How are the resorts handling the early arrivals? Any problems doing the orientation that morning and diving before the rooms are ready?

Edward, contact the hotel and dive shop that you will be using.

As a generality, the resorts tend to accommodate early and late arrivals for rooms. Dive orientations are scheduled for 9 am or so generally; the shops open around 8. As Edward suggested, contact your own to see what they can do in your case. Good diving!.

Heard a rumor that Continental from Houston is booked up way out into the future, and they are considering a flight direct from a major US hub. Probably would also be a redeye, but I'm hoping for Newark. Fingers crosssed.

C

Carl, I’ve heard the same rumor. I have four friends that are attendants/pilots for CO. I ask every now and then about flights to the Caribbean. Apparently CO is pleased that the IAD/Houston flight to BON is doing well and there is consideration about doing the same for east coast divers from an east coast hub. It’s all about maximizing aircraft usage but it’s also head count. Being a NJ resident I’m sure you’d want Newark (and I wouldn’t mind that) but the rumor pundits also say the underused Cleveland hub is a consideration. There are only three flights, I think, to the Caribbean from CLE, to Cancun, Nassau, and San Juan. Some people in this area are still amazed CO still uses CLE as a hub but I’m glad since I use them regularly. Time will tell. I guess we need to wait for the analysts to run the numbers and then management to decide.

hope you're right john. we use AA to get to bonaire from cleveland but use CO to fly to denver and previously to boston to see our kids. i would love a non-stop CLE-BON. wow.

It will be from Newark if it happens. Continental has no interest in expanding its CLE hub.

Yes, Pat, it would be nice, but I only travel once a year to BON. Remember that recent PD article where CO stated they intended to keep their hub in CLE? To what extent? Anyway, it’s only a rumor. I don’t expect it. I agree with “Tel Aviv”. If they do add a flight to BON, it’ll be through EWR (still OK, better than IAH for us). Two of my CO friends recently said they were considering relocating to northern NJ. That’s an indicator. CO has stated they want to grow their international flights (more profitable!) and Newark is their prime gateway on the east coast to Europe and the Caribbean.

Just out of curiosity I priced my next October’s anticipated trip via Continental CLE – IAH – BON at $716.00 RT = 11 hr 30 mn travel time with 3 hr 50 mn layover in Houston. Looks like you’d better have food for the flights, too. Can’t remember, Pat, from your BT posts when you go (Feb and/or Oct?) but how does that compare to your AA flights?

john, that price sounds pretty close to what we're paying this time on AA...and we're travelling down on a wednesday and back on thursday which are cheaper days. i'll check into the CO flights for our october trip.