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Getting to Bonaire: Is Delta Insane?
Bonaire Talk: Getting to Bonaire: Archives: Archives 2006-2008: Archives - 2008-03-01 to 2008-12-31: Is Delta Insane?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Don Freeman (BonaireTalker - Post #36) on Thursday, April 10, 2008 - 8:40 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

So, I've been checking airfare to Bonaire from Pittsburgh for October 18th. Delta wants almost $1200 per person ! Continental is less than half of that. Now, I'm not crazy about the arrival and departure times for Continental, but for half as much, I guess I can live with the lousy times. Actually I think we will leave on Oct 17th ( a Friday ) instead. That way we will be on Bonaire at 5:15 Saturday morning, can take a short nap, and still do the orientation dive at 9, and have the whole day to dive. The only thing that concerns me is being able to have our room when we arrive.Most people dont leave Bonaire till Saturday, so I'm wondering if we would even be able to have our reservations start on a Friday, to insure that our room would be ready for us. Has anyone ever done this? The thing that really surprises me is that the Delta flight is almost full. Only like 6 seats left in coach.
Now, I've flown lots of different airlines in my time, but I honestly can not understand the HUGE difference in price between Delta and Continental.
Does Delta use special ultra grade fuel to justify the glaring difference in price( said tongue in cheek ), or do they really think that the better arrival and departure times make them worth $600 per person more?
Honestly folks, I'm truely baffled by this.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Kaye (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #217) on Thursday, April 10, 2008 - 10:08 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

It's possible that Delta, with an almost-full flight, isn't interested in selling the remaining few seats at a discount. Most of us travelers choose discounted fares; the full fare comes as a shock to us.

For example, the lowest fare to travel tomorrow from Boston to Lansing, MI (don't ask me why you would want to go there) with a return a few days later is $973, presumably the full economy fare. The same flight a month from now is only $332, presumably a restricted economy fare, the kind we normally choose.

I doubt if everyone on your Delta flights paid the $1200 fare.

David

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By R J (BonaireTalker - Post #38) on Thursday, April 10, 2008 - 10:34 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I think David is on to something.
Out of curiosity, checked a flight from Atlanta in June. Price is @ $800.00 and there are 20+ seats available.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kyle Buse (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #4) on Friday, April 11, 2008 - 11:11 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I'm flying out of Atlanta in Sept for $475. I booked it about a month ago and within a week the price jumped to over $900... but in the mean time, the number of available seats went from about 50 to about 12.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Ingram (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #7) on Sunday, April 13, 2008 - 10:51 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Probably had a dive club book and the number of limited spots left create a supply low - demand high price point!

I have not flown Delta to Bonaire but have to Roatan. Luggage did not make it back with us with Delta.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Yo MO - Meet me at the 3Day in Boston (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3440) on Monday, April 14, 2008 - 2:22 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

That's why I say check going to Curacao instead and then take Divi Divi over to Bonaire. When I looked the price difference was almost $800! And the flights left about the same time.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Matthew Van Sickler (BonaireTalker - Post #15) on Friday, April 18, 2008 - 2:39 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I paid $700 pp with Delta and that was coming from Denver through Atlanta. I booked about 6-7 weeks in advance.

I looked at earlier stuff and it was in the $1200-$1400 range, so it is definitely a case of "book far in advance" not the usual domestic situation where you can get nice fares within 2-3 weeks of the flight.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Kuhn (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #5) on Sunday, April 20, 2008 - 9:20 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I found tickets on Delta thru cheaptickets.com. Only paid $707.00/ea, January 2009.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Denise (ParodyQueen) (BonaireTalker - Post #25) on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 5:51 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Flew from Colorado in March two weeks after Easter to Bonaire. Paid $700 each on Continental thru Houston, had the red eye, and was toast the next day. Even with sleeping on the plane.
Snoozed on pink beach after driving a couple hours getting our bearings!
nice

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Don Freeman (BonaireTalker - Post #48) on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 - 5:48 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I booked with Continental....Pittsburgh - Houston- Bonaire for $480 per person. Yeah, it's the red eye, and I'll probably be toast when we arrive on Saturday at 5:15 am. The one thing I did though, was book the Friday night red eye. We used to arrive at 3:10 pm on AJ,so I never got any diving in on Saturday anyway. I figure my daughter and I can at least do our required dive on Saturday, and sleep on the beach afterwards. That way we can start diving for "real" on Sunday. Now, if only we could make up our minds where we want to stay at this year, we'd be all set to go.

 


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