Received message from Delta that our BON to ATL flight on Weds. April 9th has been canceled. Called them and got rescheduled to leave on the 12th instead, at least they had two seats available on the Sat. return plane.
When I asked why the flight was canceled rep. told me that they were cutting back on non profitable flights and that was one of them, our Weds. the 2nd flight has not been canceled.....yet!
I hope that this is not some indication of Delta discontinuing this new flight down to BON.

Ron....that is NOT good news. I am supposed to be picking a friend up arriving ON Bon on Delta on April 9th......if they canceled the flight from Bon.....they probably canceled her flight TO Bon!!!

Oh heck......I'm gonna hafta e-mail her tonight!!!

Thanks for the heasds up!!!

LaDonna

Not good at all.

Don't forget they also canceled the March 12 flight that we were suppose to be on. Let's just hope they don't start canceling the Saturday flights.

Yeah
It looks like the midweek flight is headed for the waste basket. Maybe the will restore it again in high season.
Mick

I have read that Delta and Northwest are in merger talks. All we know about is the Bonaire midweek route. Wonder if other routes to other locations are being cutback as well, by either airline?

My nearest airport is Detroit. I heard this morning there is a major problem with the pilots' unions, and so the talks are on the fritz again...

As Delta just started flying to Bonaire this month, and is already canceling flights, is not a good sign! I'm sure the Saturday flights will be OK, but like Micky said, midweeks are history! I disagree with him though that they may be restored in high season. Cecil's flight was cancelled in March. That IS high season!

Outside of Southwest and a couple of others, air carriers haven't made a damn dime since Kitty Hawk!! Delta and Continental have no business going to Bonaire! One is canceling flights left and right, and the other gets you in at the butt crack of dawn, the day after you leave!

IMHO, direct to Bonaire air carriers, without a Caribbean layover, will never be able to provide the price point and arrival times their customers are looking for. Like Dennis Miller says though, "That's just my opinion......and I could be wrong"!!

Wait wait wait ... is this 'mid week flights are history' speculation, opinion, fact, or what?

I have the mid week flights in June/July. I have no cancellation notice from Delta. And seats are still available for my flights on the Delta web site.

Well
With 2 midweek flights being cancelled, and the agent TELLING Ron it's because it's not profitable that's not a good sign. Other than that I have no basis for my comment.
When I said high season I meant around Christmas time.
Mick

Mickey is right Denise....

While there has been no official press release, do you think those midweek flights will pick up during the slow season? If it's not profitable now....??

If seats weren't available midweek in July, I'd feel comfortable!! Since there are seats available, might pay to check your rear.

We're talking 5 months out here girl! They are not going to cancel a flight, that far in advance! Call Mickey and I Old Farts, or anal, but you learn to read the tea leaves.....and prepare in advance......just in case!

What's wrong with the Continental red-eye? I prefer that to AA that goes thru SJ, and wastes a full day of travel.

With Continental, I can leave home on Friday at 5:30 p.m.(so I don't burn a vacation day traveling), and be diving by noon the next day. Granted, I'm a bit tired, but nothing an early bedtime on Saturday doesn't cure! Yes, red-eyes usually suck, but if there is vacation waiting for me at the end of the red-eye, I find it pretty easy to deal with. That and in-flight cocktails...

I agree with Liz,, I am looking forward to leaving the ground on Continental at 11:55pm and arriving at 5am.. I have the whole day in front of me and will be diving before noon.. The trip home is no different that AA's early departure only we will go back non stop to Newark..

Liz,

You go girl!! If that's your cup of tea, GO FOR IT!! Myself, I prefer leaving on a Sat morning, and getting back in Sat night. I like a day down time, with a good nights sleep, before heading back to work Mon morning.

Tad - I'm not sure what you mean. The Continental return isn't a red eye, and I'm home, unpacked and sipping wine to curb the PBD by Saturday night, too Gives me a full day of grieving on Sunday before my return to the grind on Monday morning.....

Now, of course, getting up in the middle of the night to catch the return flight at the butt-crack of dawn isn't particularly delightful at the end of my week in paradise, but sacrifices must be made.

Ms Liz and Ms Freddie,

You both are absolutely correct!! I have never flown Continental. I like leaving in the morning, and getting to a Caribbean location by early afternoon. Coming back, I don't want my diving screwed up the day before I leave, because I have to get up at O dark 30 the next day. I do humbly apologize though.

Now, with that said, I think you both need to bone up on "Amazing Grace" and sing it to Mickey and I, for the guidance and direction we have given you all in this thread!!

LOL
Amazing Grace

Oh, Tad.....obviously you have no idea what you've asked for....when I sing (which is never, actually), dogs howl and small children cry...not a pretty picture, really.

But, in deference to the immensely helpful guidance you and Mickey always provide, I will hum a few bars out loud right now....hmmm-hmmmm, hmmmm-hmmm.....oh my......I hear the dogs howling, even when I hum......

Back on topic, though, I'm sorry for the folks affected by the Delta cancellations.

The continental flight seems popular. I've been on it many times and its almost always full. At newark you can tell where the Bonaire flight is by looking at the people at the gate. Happy, joyful, giddy people beginning a week of diving. Red eye flight is difficult but its a non stop flight from the North east fridge to paradise.

And no hassles of luggage not fitting on a small plane.

We have done the Continental flight from Houston and loved it. Get in early, get the truck and Condo, take a nap, do the orientation and be in the water by noon. Can't be beat in our opinion. But then we both can sleep on planes, so are not sleep deprived at all. It is the trip back that gets us, because neither of us are really good at early mornings, esp. that early.

We have the Continental flight out of Houston on Friday, March 7th and return through Newark on Sunday, the 16th. This way we get another day in Bonaire. If weather causes a delay in NY area who cares.

We love the CON from Newark to BON...arrive, pick up rental vehicle, check in, unload luggage, put on swim suits and get in pool to watch the sun rise and hear the birds wake up. Then, back to the room, take a nice nap and start out a whole new day on Bonaire. Can't get any better than that! cb

Ron, when they re-schedule your flight, did you have to pay for anything extra or did they honor the price you paid before? Also, who decided on the date for your re-scheduled trip? You or them? Thanks!

So another beware for folks considering using the Delta flight. We were booked down on April 2, coming home April 12. We were just informed today that our flight time on the 2nd was changed by about 15 minutes and our seat reservations just didn't make the change. Odd. I wonder if anyone else got similar news?

They offered to rebook us on flights that would have required THREE layovers. Eesh, no thanks. We canceled and rebooked on American to CUR and will fly Divi Divi the rest of the way.

Looking on the bright side, I guess it's a good thing that the airlines don't make it easy to get to Bonaire. And, the other bright side is that I wouldn't even know about Divi Divi if it wasn't for these Boards.

I just looked on-line at Delta.com (I was hoping to try the Wednesday, April 2nd flight to get back home to Bonaire without having to do the San Juan shuffle on American that week), but it appears the mid-week flights are gone for that period. Here's what the web site told me:

Flights to and from Bonaire, Netherland Antilles operate on Saturday only. Flights will also operate on Wednesdays from July 2, 2008 to August 13, 2008. Service for the date you selected is not offered or not available. Please select another date.

I just checked my Delta June 25th flights on line and other than a change of the flight numbers and slightly different times (a few minutes different). I am still on! We return July 9th - same thing, just change of flight numbers and a few minutes difference.

OK, you guys are wiggin' me out so I am off to their site to check my May 10th departures from BWI and ATL I do not like this Sam I Am.......

Just another sign of the lack of strength of our economy?
For west coasters that red eye into Miami/Curacao/Bonaire is looking like the most dependable/cheapest/convenient.

Economy is fluid/cyclical for sure but this chick, and her hubby, limit flights to ZERO or max of one connection. Miami scares me as we have been bit before; lost/stolen luggage Something like that always leaves a scare.
Hopefully, this too, shall pass and that route will settle down. Fingers, toes and paws are all crossed here!

Kobi
I guess I'm lucky--Miami is always the easiest, without any hassles

You are a lucky man Plus you live in Vegas, Baby LOL!

Miami has been pretty cruel to us, too. I'm trying the Delta thing a couple weeks before you, Kobi. I'm not liking the customs/immigration stories at all!

YES, Mia is a zoo, when headed for Bonaire, I "carry on" all my valuables, except for my formal dinner attire, and leave myself plenty of connection time--haven't had a problem--yet-lol

Don't jinx thyself I have entirely too much gear/sh*t to do all of it carry on so I take my chances and have a rider/inland marine insurance policy on ALL my gear and camera Let's hope all of us doing this route come out on the other side, unscathed!

Once when AA was having some kind of work slow down, they moved our departure gate four times, then told us to not block the area by forming a line, that they'd tell us when to board, then told us that the plane was ready to leave and if we weren't already on it, it was too late to board. That was one of my favorites.

Kobi
How many different colored fins do you bring?------just kidding---lol

Interesting... It sounds like they actually canceled our flight on the 2nd, if what Jake read is accurate, but the reason they gave us is what Denise learned when she checked her flight.

For what it's worth, flight prices seem to be going down a lot. The tickets we got today were about half the cost of what we paid for the Delta tickets a month and a half ago.

I am a little upset that I found out about the flights being cancelled here on BT before I found out from Delta. As soon as I read Carlea & Geoff's post I went to the Delta web site and found out that the Weds. flights are cancelled. I then went and checked the Sat. flight seat availability and there were only a few seats still available so I called Delta right away and changed out tickets to Sat. arrival.

Here I thought we had gained 3 extra days in sunny Bonaire but now they have been taken away.

(Message edited by limpit on March 3, 2008)

Bill...it's Rob's pink fins for technical diving that are the problem LOL!
Actually it's really his doubles stuff and multiple regulators! It's all his fault!!!

Carlea...thanks for the info. I am gonna check online again today. We have first class tickets we bought a while ago and doubt that price will ever go down; first class rarely does I hope this route is something that works; I'm nervous but hope that will pass May 10th once I'm there!!!

Ron, sorry to hear that you got the shaft. We actually never heard from Delta either. We'd booked our flight through AmEx and they are the ones who called us. Not good customer service on Delta's part!

Kobi, the funny thing is is that because the prices went down so much, we actually decided to spend the same amount on our flights and are in first class all the way to CUR. Woohoo!

I'm reserving judgment on this Delta route until I hear from others about it over the coming months. Honestly, I loved the Continental flight and would have been willing to do it again if we were only going for a week or were willing to go for two. But we'd decided on a 10-day trip this time, so we had limited options.

Good luck to everyone. Please let us know how it goes.

Carlea

(Message edited by carlea on March 4, 2008)

I really did not get the shaft, its just that now we are going down Sat. to Sat. instead of Weds. to Weds. so we are still going.
I will be getting the shaft if when I get to check in at the airport Delta says I owe them money on the tickets. The Weds. to Weds. flight was over $300 cheaper per ticket than Sat. to Sat.
The rep. on the phone made no mention of a higher ticket price when she made the changes, she just said she could do it no problem.
One thing I should mention is that both Eden Beach and Telerin have been very understanding with the changes to my reservations.

(Message edited by limpit on March 4, 2008)

Good news,called Delta yesterday to ask if any change in ticket due to them would cost us anything. Rep. said that since Delta had cancelled the Weds. flight and rebooked it to the Sat. flight that no additional charges were due.

Less than a month from now we will be in sunny Bonaire enjoying Brights and marine life, can't wait to get there. :D

I just called Delta to check on my Wed June 25th flight after many nervous weeks having been following this thread. My flight was no longer coming up available when searching for flights that day (Atlanta to Bonaire). Delta tells me it no longer comes up because it is sold out. Pfew! I asked if they were sure since their web site says no Wed flights til July. He checked again and said no, my flight is still on and it is sold out. I will go to my lds this weekend to celebrate my big sigh of relief.

(But I'll keep checking as it gets close.)

Hi folks, I know this has been a topic of discussion lately, so I just wanted everyone to know the latest. We just heard about the new Delta Summer Schedule. Details are at: http://www.bonaireinsider.com/index.php/bonaireinsider/delta_air_lines_announces_bonaire_summer_schedule/

Uh oh Denise - I'm guessing you will need to check again after next Saturday. But Aruba and then on to Bonaire (especially if they pay for it...wishful thinking) might not be so bad.

uggghhhhhhhhhh

:-) I'll call after next Saturday and just take it all in stride, remember - I will be on Bonaire after all is said and done

A group of us are getting ready to book a September trip. I've been looking at the Atlanta/Bonaire flight and they are selling really quickly. But, we haven't purchased our tickets for the flight just yet. If we purchase them before the planes are upgraded online, would we just get the same seats when they changed the planes? Does anyone know how that works?

Thanks in advance.

UPDATE: I checked on line and saw my itinerary Boston/Bonaire, Wed flights, said "contact Delta". So knowing from BT that the flights were canceled I called right away.

They gave me the Sat. flights with no additional cost. Of course I then had some follow up because my accomodations need a bit of changing. But all is good. We will still be on Bonaire for two weeks this summer.

Thank you Debbie B, and Ann P, for your help.

Oh man, I'm nervous. I have a delta flight on 5-3-08 out of Atlanta. I hope the saturday flights are ok......

Lisa - I would say that the Saturday flights are just fine. They are so popular that Delta upgraded its equipment to a larger plane.

I don't know if anyone read in yesterdays news, Delta is going offer voluntary severance payouts to 30,000 employees due to rising fuel costs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/business/19air.html?ref=business

OK - it took me a minute or two but I get it. They are offering it to 30,000 employees with the hopes of getting 2,000 of them to take it.

We do the same thing here - on a semi-regular basis.

YoMO...thanks. I thought they wanted all 30,000 people to take it! DUH!

I thought so too at first - LOL!

I just called Delta and they changed our flight (7/2-7/9) to Jun 28-July 5. Thanks Susan Davis!