We're booked to fly from Ohare to Jamaica this Saturday for a wonderful week in our favorite dive location. We were just notified that on our return flight we'll miss the connecting flight in Jamaica by 10 minutes. Now I know, as well as all BTers that that flight from Jamaica to Chicago will be plenty late but our travel agent won't book us on it because theoretically we won't make it. They've given us three options:
1) Leave Bonaire early in the AM on an American flight so we'll make the AJ connection to Ohare. 2) Cancel the trip. 3) Spend the night in Jamaica and catch the AJ flight Sunday night.
SOOOOOOOOOO what to do, what to do?
option 1 would cost us a day's diving on Friday. We typ get at least two dives in the day before we fly and still respect the 24 hour rule.Option 2) We considered but they will only refund the air fair (not Buddy's $800.00) Option 3. This seems like the best. It will cost us a night in Jamaica plus travel to and from air port though.
Seems to me others have run into this. Thoughts???? We love Bonaire and have always put up with late AJ flights but this may be the last straw.

I have flown AJ 3 times and haven't had a problem with the connection. Each time, going down or returning they held the flights for those needing to catch a plane. It's worth a call to AJ and find out what "really" will be happening on your days of flying. Last year Bonaire by almost 30 minutes late and made it back to O'Hare okay- late but there.

Ray

Thankx Ray, we too have always made it to Jamaica "Way" before the flight out. However our travel agent won't book it because of the "scheduled" times.

John,
I agree with Ray! We have flown with AJ out of BWI for many years now. Only ONE time have we been overnighted and it was coming home. Hang up was in MoBay. We were more than an hour late though! Typically since the planes are full of AJ peeps that have other connecting flights they will hold the planes waiting for delayed flights; 10 minutes is really nothing to AJ. We have arrived in MoBay late quite a few times in the past years; sometimes by 30+ mins and the planes are there waiting. They normally will hold the planes vs. having to house and feed everyone on the plane.
After March 8th, 2008 AJ will no longer be flying into Bonaire SO future snafu's are not an issue for us.

I would, most definitely, call AJ first thing tomorrow. My travel agent would book the flight and think nothing of 10 minutes. She's very familiar with AJ and their antics! Good luck with everything; let us know how your flights work out.

Safe flying AND diving!

How do "they" know a week in advance that your RETURN flight will be late?

According to the schedule, you would have about 50 minutes to make the connection - more than enough time. I've done it a dozen times.....

Maybe the travel agent is making some assumptions.

Please let us know the outcome. We are scheduled on the exact same route in January.

Dave Goodwin

Maybe you should talk to AJ and book with them if they will accept the reservation.The agent may be following established rules but that doesn't help you.

We have taken the AJ flight many times. The flights have been held both ways, if needed.
The travel agent is worried about the liability involed, and if you did miss your plane, you would be barking at the agent!
It is not easy to get to Bonaire anymore! If you trust this board, you will by-pass your agent and book the flight yourself. If not, take a different route...

Ron that sounds very stressful especially if you are going for a week.

The same thing happened to me when I last flew AJ--The night before I was leaving Bonaire, I got a call from AJ saying my flight from Montego Bay to Chicago was going to be late--three hours late. I thought it was also strange that they new in advance that a flight would be late. When I got to Montego Bay, it was nine hours later that we got on a plane--something like 2:00 AM or so. I think the plane had to be used for something else, so we all waited for it to do another rotation somewhere and then come back to pick us up. That was the last time I flew AJ!

Thankx to all for thoughts / comments. I'll let you know how this gets worked out. What ever happened to the saying "half the fun is getting there"?

John,

Be careful what you ask for!!! You don't want the rest of your trip to be twice this!!!! :–)))

Update............Still sitting in Illinois (with snow falling) with an unclear return home path. As a clarification it was not my travel agent who would not book the flight it was AJ not letting them book it. There is something going on here. Not the normal connection. Something new. AJ says they are working on the problem but as of right now (36 hours prior to departure) AJ will not let us fly from Bonair on the 4:00 PM and catch the flight from Jamaica to Chicago. We'll be spending the night in Jamaica (on our dime) unless something changes.
I know...I know you and I know this can't be right but according to (several people from) AJ thats the way it is. So my advice to anyone getting ready to do the Chicago to Bonaire via Jamaica check on it. Something is up. I'll report back as to how it went.

Hang in, John. Almost any trip to Bonaire is good on balance. Have fun!!!

Well we made it back! 26 hours late. Ended up 4 couples all in the same position. When we picked up our boarding pass in Bonaire heading for Chicago via Jamaica they told us the flight from Jamaica to O Hare was cancelled do to weather in Chicago. When we got to Jamaica they told us the flight "did" go to O'Hare but we missed it. Then they said actually there never was a flight. At any rate they put us up in Jamaica and we ended up in Chicago Sunday night at 9:00 PM.
There are sure worse places to get stuck in but never the less getting to and from Bonaire remains a big challenge.
We did have a wonderful week. (Trip report to follow). Thankx for all the support here.

John, seems you/I were on the same flight - did AJ put you up in MJB for the night say at someplace called the Sunset beach???????

Yes Angie, if you're talking about Saturday 12-15-07 we were indeed on the same return trip. I was traveling with my brother. (Small world)

Funny - That flight back I would like to forget due to the bf... and since you were on the flight you know what I mean.. I swear I wanted to open the exit doors and push his sorry a.. out.. figure last AJ flight - options for next trip will stink but things we divers go through.