Has anyone who has traveled to Bonaire through Aruba been successful in getting the departure tax on the US-bound portion of their flights waived or refunded?

I know that DAE's predecessors (BonairExel and BonairExpress) would waive the departure tax for BON-bound passengers who provided their in-bound boarding passes, and believe DAE does the same. However, I have not been successful in getting the US-bound departure tax waived or refunded despite meeting Aruba's requirements for being "in transit", i.e., a stay on Aruba of less than 24 hours. I have been told by United (and had it confirmed by the Aruba Tourist Association) that since I had used separate tickets on United and BE, I was not considered to be in transit. Only way for me not have paid AUA's departure tax would have been for me to have all the flights written on one itinerary by one travel agent or airline. Has anyone found any other way?

We did not pay it a few weeks back. They did not even ask for it. We walked out of customs to the airline check-in, then to the departure area.

Now on the way down, Curacao got $2/person from us which we were not told about.

Further clarification: Aruba's airport (departure) tax is built in to the taxes paid on all US-bound tickets; it is not a separate charge as is paid in Bonaire. As I recall, about $37 per adult.

Got it, it was in the price of the airline ticket. Like duh. If you find out anything let me know, Aruba could owe me $148.

Cecil,

What do you think the chances are of you getting the $148 back from Aruba? Had a friend that got hit for $40 in the Dominican Republic when in-transit thru Santo Domingo to Aruba, even though she shouldn't have to pay that either. I think her chance of getting that back is about as good as yours!

It really gets confusing as to which places will make you pay the departure tax when leaving and which places have it included in the US bound ticket. In St. Kitts last year we had to pay when leaving (on AA) but in the Dominican Republic in March we didn't (on CO). There was a counter to pay at but no one was ever there before our flight and no one paid, so I guess it was in the ticket. We did have to pay $10 each to get into the DR for a "tourist visa". On one trip returning to NY from Puerta Vallarta, we changed planes in Mexico City. We asked where we were supposed to pay the departure tax, figuring it was when we left the country. We were told it should have been paid in Puerta Vallarta and they just let it go. We always make a point of keeping out $25 each in cash just in case we do get hit for a departure tax.