We just got home to Kelowna, BC Canada on October 6th. We took Delta in and out of Aruba. (We had a time share exchange in Aruba) We then took DAE to Curacao for a week, on to Bonaire for a week - then back to Aruba. Just want to let you know that all our flights on DAE were either on time or early. We were favorably impressed with the customer service agent at the Aruba airport. We were on the first flights of the day each time - we learned after getting to Bonaire that the first flights are the best ones to choose - the ones most likely to be on time. It worked for us. We have no complaints

And of course, we had three great weeks of diving!

Joyce

Glad you had a great time - three weeks - wow

we get to try DAE next trip.

Our past experiences with DAE were exactly the same. The 1st flight daily is the best.

We have a mid afternoon flight at 14:00 with DAE to Curacao and need to connect with KLM to fly to Amsterdam at about 19:00.

Should we fly out earlier?

Hmmmm....Wes and the nephew are on the second to last flight. Is that a bad idea? It's the first time we are using DAE and we are already frustrated by the luggage restrictions. I would hate for them to get delayed.

I would not sweat the schedule, I don't particularly like that airline, but so far it has batted 100% on schedule vs. actual time.

Believe the weight restrictions, I got bagged Wednesday for that puny 15 minute flight to Curacao. $30 penalty for a $60 flight, totally bogus.

Cecil when i left to go to Curacao, they also got me on the baggage weight. I had to pay 45 dollars for a five minute flight.

I think the whole point of owning and running an airline is to rake in SCADS of excess cash, preferably in a monopolistic situation...

That's what I'd do if it were my buisness.

I guess they will get us as we will have a 30Kilo bag (66lb) each to check. :-{

I did not add that our daughter had to leave a day earlier than we did - she took a chance and left in the AM to catch her 2:00 flight on US Air from Aruba. It all worked out perfectly.

Brian - maybe you can put some of that heavy stuff in your carry on bags. :-) Of course then you might run the risk of getting veeery long arms like we did once. At least DAE does not weigh the carry ons like some airlines do. But they do have a weight guide. I'm trying to remember - is it 10 kg?

DAE did make us put our larger carry on in the luggage compartment just as we boarded the plane - but our smaller one got on just fine.

Joyce

Joyce

Thanks for the tip, but we already used the 10kg carry on with cameras and strobes etc. If it is 2$ per kilo over then that is ok.

Joyce and/or Cecil...I was told they would weigh the carry ons. Are they doing this or is it luck of the draw? Cecil...was your charge just for the bags you checked?

Tribs,

When we flew DAE to AUA-BON on 14 October, they only weighed our two checked "25-inch" bags (21 kg / 46 lbs each) but they did not weigh either of our two carry-ons (a "21-inch roll-aboard" at about 14 kg / 30 lbs and the other a computer bag at 9 kg / 20 lb). Same on the way back to AUA on 21 October - DAE didn't weigh the carry-ons. No charge for being slightly overweight on the checked bags, although I too expected to be charged for the extra weight on both checked bags and the one carry-on.

This gives me hope. Thanks! We are shifting some heavy stuff to the carry-ons, but also since two of us are flying AA from San Juan we will shift a lot of weight to those bags. (The only good part of the four of us not being able to fly together.) Just hoping our bathroom scale is accurate.

Why are you carrying so much to a place where you wear a bathing suit and t-shirt every day? Cut back on the clothes, try wearing the same thing two different times. We carry frozen food and a chair for my wife to sit on the shore and I don't have a problem with the weight. You might want to consider the luggage you are using, I did change last year to a lighter piece.

Mike we have changed to lighter luggage our dive bag is 30 Kilos and the same for our luggage. We have cut back what we take and wash tee shirts etc during our stay. We both have housed DSLRs with strobe arms etc, laptop, dive lights and about 48 rechargeable batteries.