Just read on Bonaire blog (http://bonaire.web-log.nl/bonaire/) that besides the paid parking there will soon be restrictions in who are allowed to get people from the airport. It says you'll need a contract with Bonaire airport. Probably these contracts will only be given to taxi drivers and tour operators. So property owners etc. won't be allowed to get their guests...

Ron..Well that's in Dutch and I can't read it. However, are you sure they've really got their facts right? I'm under the impression that ANYONE can park at the airport lot provided they pay their ANGs to exit. So why would I have to pay a taxi driver to pick up a guest?
Anyway, I'm arriving tomorrow morning & will personally get it out.

I don't know where the blog gets their facts but usually the info on the blog is ok. I also find it very weird and am wondering how they will/can enforce this. I'm seeing images of guests hauling their luggage across the parking lot to meet their host who's waiting for them at the road side etc. Or you can take a cab across the parking lot, then it's allowed ;-)

Ronald is correct--the airport is beginning to put in restrictions on who may meet incoming visitors--not sure how they plan to enforce that, though. Additionally, they are doing away with the free 15-minute parking, because of abuse. So now everyone who parks, even if for a few minutes, has to pay.

well that just stinks.... I can understand the abuse thing though.. here everyone has to pay if they park whether it is for 5 minutes or 60... that makes sense,,,
to bad for the islanders that expect company though..

Yeah, I get having to pay to park, too bad they took the free 15 minutes away. The thing that bugs me is that NO ONE can drive up and drop off anymore, most airports allow that at least and also for pick ups, yet here, nada anymore. Really hard on older folk who have to lug luggage from lot to terminal as it is hard for them. Forces a lot of people to "use" taxis now. I also think it would be much better and efficient to be able to pay when you leave the lot itself, not having to do the machine inside. Way to much work the way it set up now. Oh well, I don't worry about anymore, I just take a taxi back to my place, a lot easier and I own a truck on island. Refuse to pay to just lug the luggage over to the lot and leave. The roadside is full of cars and lot is empty now. Hmmmmmm. Also, I don't always have guilders on me when I arrive and at o-dark thirty, I don't want to deal with the machine for guilders, I am not sure if it even takes US to get guilders. One would think so though, but don't really know. Never used it.

I would not mind paying for the 15 minutes..what the problem is that once you drop off the passenger, you have to walk to the terminal, pay the money, then walk back to the car..some folks have a problem walking and wouldn't it be much easier to have a machine that you could pay instead of having to hike across the lot? This is just another example of the shortsighted officials and how to tick of your visitors.

I have to take some friends to the airport in an hour with heavy suitcases. I will pull up at the check in curb and put the cases straight on the trolley. We will see what happens.....

I will play taxi for 3 minutes !

I just sent an e mail to the Flamingo airport requesting that they respond to this thread. If they respond to me via PM I'll post it.

Just back from the airport.

The kerbside access is now controlled by barrier and some form of access card that the Taxis and Buses and Operators have and there is no place to drop off anyone or heavy baggage.

The Customer is expected to park in the paid parking and carry the luggage to the check in.

Please write and complain.

christy@flamingoairport.com

Dear Christy

We travel frequently with heavy sports equipment and have just found out that we cannot any longer get close enough to the airport check in or arrivals to get out baggage and equipment easily on to a pick up.

The access is restricted to taxis and buses and authorised vehicles and all other traffic is forced to enter paid parking and then manhandle baggage to check in or from arrivals.

This is a huge step backwards in the modernisation of the airport and we wish to register our complaint against this change.

ALL airports need a drop off and pick up zone for old, sick, infirm or persons requiring special assistance and those travelling with heavy baggage or young children and the policy for Flamingo airport is failing badly in providing such facilities.

It is even noted that private cars park dangerously along the main road rather than enter the paid parking for even a short while.

This makes the airport policy look stupid and we urge that you re-cosnider the access control policy


Trevor & Carole & Sam & Nic
Lac Bay Villa
Kaminda Sorobon 39

+599 786 6896

Oops - I just saw Susan's note. That sucks about taking away the 15 minute grace period...

(Message edited by jake on August 8, 2009)

Trevor, I was wondering when you said you were going to do that, knew they had that thingie installed there. That is why I said, it is hard for older folks who have heavy luggage to park and then carry/roll all their luggage to terminal. And then having to pay to do so on top as the 15 minutes is now void.

Geez, it's hard enough to GET to Bonaire!!! Let's make it even harder!!!!!

Calm down everyone! I just spoke with the Airport Manager face to face and he assured me that you can still drop off and pick up passengers as before. If you remain with your car as opposed to entering the airport, you may still avail your self of the gratis parking. I am awaiting a letter explaining the procedure. There were people abusing the system and until a better method is found, then we will have to live with it. I will be sure to publish the letter when I receive it.

Michael, please let us know, as you CANNOT do that now. I don't get it. Call me blonde, but I see no way to do just that, would be great if you can. Off to do some more diving, mother ocean is calling my name again.

did you try it? I have not as yet but was told that you could still do pull in, drop off, and leave with the ticket. I am waiting for the manager return my call.Will keep you up to date..

Sorry Michael, not possible at all .
To drop people or luggage you need to enter the taxi/bus road and there is a barrier for which you need a special card.
That whole thing is just pure and simple stupid .
Personally I dont know any airport where you can not drop of people/luggage , where you are forced to cross a road and gutter with your luggage or to pay your parking fee.
Must be nice for the shop and the restaurant and the bank at the airport also !

I think Debbie means getting into the taxi lane. That is the lane closest to the departure hall. The difference it only a few yards though so I do not see why it is a big problem. At Amsterdam airport for instance there is also a taxi lane and the drop-off lane is outside of that, just like here at Flamingo airport. The 'drive in drive out' that Michael is talking about is simple. Drive and and get your ticket. Hold on to the ticket and within 15 minutes drive out with it. Still worked a few days ago.

Yes, Bas, that was what I was talking about and I feel, like Briqite on this one. I know a lot of older folks who find it a hardship when dropped off in the parking lot area to have to lug all their luggage, some are not as strong/agile as you and I. And if you cannot leave your car, then they are on their own to move the heavy luggage, I would not be able to get out and assist to the departure area. I could, of course, pay to do so. I know of no other road closer other than the taxi/bus road. Just makes no sense to me. Pick up and drop off should be an easy thing to do, it is not now.

Till it gets easier, I will just use the taxi to drive to and from my house, only 4 kilometers away, so no big deal, cheaper than having my truck parked there all night till I get in on the early CO too.

Folks were NEVER allowed in taxi line (Glad you understand me Bas. I was referring to the parking lot drop off section (about 15 meters away from the airport entrance. Most of the hulabaloo is due to the Bonaire Reporter story that (as usual) went to press without checking all the facts. Burney El Hage has already answered some of the comment letters and I am sure that one will be posted shortly..

Michale, thank you as always for clarifying. Actually, I did not know that it was never allowed, seen a lot of folks do it, there used to be past the old taxi spot some parking spaces that folks were allowed to park, it just all different and now confusing the heck out of me. I will wait to hear the correct scoop, but I can tell ya it is not so clear for first timers that for sure.

According to information from Christy at the airport, you are still allowed " a few minutes" free to drop off people. However they refuse to define "a few" - maybe if you try it it's actually about 15 and they haven't actually changed anything!!

Everyone, you have no minutes whatsoever! You drive in, get your card, and note that the sign says "0 to 15 minutes is 1 guilder." You have no choice but to take the card and pay the 1 guilder or you can't exit the airport after dropping off your passenger. If there is some magic way to drop off your passenger and not pay 1 guilder, please say how because it is not obvious in the least. So, how are you allowed a few minutes to drop off free?

If major airports like Chicago, Miami, Atlanta allow passengers to be dropped off free, what is the precedent for Bonaire to charge 1 guilder at least?

Please read the following response from Burney El Hage, who is in charge of activities at BIA:


Many thanks to you Mike for wanting to help clarify the situation of “parking” and “drop-off/picking-up” at the airport. Please help us educate the people on the following: “parking” is not the same thing/action as dropping off/picking up people at the airport but also in the law (national ordinance on traffic rules); People must understand that at the precise moment that they turn off their cars-engine and leave the car unattended that the car has to be parked in the parking lot; When dropping off or picking up you must not leave your car behind unattended and the engine has to continue running; The standard safety regulations for an airport are very stringent on unattended and not parked cars as they could impose a huge danger for people life and safety and premises at an airport; so “PARKING” is never free and also has no free time before charging; “DROP_OFF/PICKING-UP” is and was always free and the time from the moment you get your ticket at the entrance is around 5 minutes to leave the airport (“Please remember you must not and according to the law cannot turn off your engine or chit and chat before continuining to the exit”).



VERY VERY IMPORTANT: “A disabled person cannot be “dropped-off/picked-up” at an airport as this person most of the time is in serious need of help to go around an airport so you have to park and help a disabled person around an airport.



Thanks for everything MIKE,



Regards Burney

Never been in the taxi lane, and I agree with Bas, the short term parking is just a few meters further out, so we always park there to drop off or pick up people. I don't know if they reprogrammed the machines on the short term parking, but I thought it was set that you had about 15 minutes to get in and out of that area. Last weekend (Aug 1) Karen picked me up and tried to pay after 15 minutes and the machine wouldn't let her. By the time I collected my bags and got back to the car and out of the lot it was closer to half an hour and the gate opened with no charge.

I agree it would be much better to have a machine that collected the cash/ATM/credit card as you drove out, but they forgot to ask me when they set it up. :-)

The tried to call you Bruce, but your phone was busy!

Thanks Michael for posting Burney's response. I get it now.

I am confused. Other than the 15 minutes, what has changed since late last fall?

A few years ago, I did drive in the taxi lane for pick ups and drop offs. That was great (at most major airports you can still do this but the distance to your kiosk is much further).

When they redid it, there was a new drop off area in the first lane and they raised the grade. That means it is an extra 20 ft walk. Am I missing something?

OTOH, I think the airport improvement money could have been much better spent elsewhere. And they should allow 60 minutes of free parking (pick up / drop off plus for people to visit the shops/bar. And they should not have made the decisions they made that resulted in many car rentals moving from the airport.

Nothing has been changed in essence..David, airports are businesses and we have to face it that we are now all grown up and need to act like an adult country. I am not in favor of many of the improvements but am learning to live with them. It is up to the merchants in the airport to find a way to give their clients parking vouchers as do many businesses in the US whose clients have to pay for parking in public lots.

I have been quietly watching this thread but remain confused, even after Burney's reply to Michael.

Last October the only way it seemed that I could drop someone off or pick them up was to pull into the short term lot and if I stayed for less than 15 minutes it was free. The "free" 15 minute option is no longer available, but the short term lot drop-off/pick-up option is still available for a 1 NAF fee.

I also understand about the gate-controlled special-access taxi/bus lane (i.e., no private vehicles), as it was there last October.

With what Burney said, it appears there is another lane through the airport where, as long as you do not turn off the vehicle's engine or leave the vehicle unoccupied for any time period, you can drop off or pick up passengers without a fee. Is this true? If so, where is this lane and how is it marked?

Thank you.

theory is theory and reality is reality ... the machine asks 1 guilder .. no free 3 minutes .. unless the machine was reset in the last 24 hours .. and who is checking whether the engine is turned off? with the gas prices rising significantly tomorrow . i will turn off my engine for 3 minutes .. lets go back to the "good old days' when there was a outside booth with a real living person making the decisions .. and collecting the money ..no problems then .. how about going back to something that worked and worked well .. there is a big tragedy coming with all the parking and pedestrian traffic on a main road where the majority of motorists disregard the speed limit and travel routinely at a high speed..

Dr. Director, I'm with you. I'm still cornfused.

pietri
u are right an accident waiting to happen.
es

Two things:

Can someone (Michael does this sort of thing well) please post a diagram here of the area in question??? Perhaps the DIA (Dulles IA???) has published something to assist all Bonaire visitors??? Maybe a brochure?? 'One picture is worth at least a thousand words'.

Burney El Hage is quoted as saying: 'VERY VERY IMPORTANT: “A disabled person cannot be “dropped-off/picked-up” at an airport as this person most of the time is in serious need of help to go around an airport so you have to park and help a disabled person around an airport.'

It seems to me that disabled people are those most in need of being dropped closest to the inside of the terminal, not those to be made to walk the furthest. Surely he doesn't mean that a DP cannot be assisted from a vehicle at the curb by a third person (or more!) while the vehicle driver stays in place for the very reasonable stated reasons of safety though his words can be read that way. Perhaps he would like to rephrase the warning.

The best thing would be a special, signed spot for DPs to be assisted to the terminal at the closest–in curb, with a wheelchair ramp from the sidewalk level to street level such as is common here in the US. Our Wounded Warriors would appreciate that, I am sure. Not necessary for them but friendly for all. The ramp would also work nicely for anyone towing a roller bag. Win-Win-Win!!! Maybe this is all in place. Hope so. And so, back to my 1st paragraph. :–)

exactly . i have no idea of this confused mess except it has encouraged the majority of people to park in what I consider a suicide Zone waiting to happen, has hurt me in terms of where i live .. Lima .. no longer can bank or pick up a newspaper close to home.. and in so far as the bank and merchants getting a pass or whatever for us that care to use the facilities .. just ask .. a big NO by the government for even this courtesy .. i agree .Bonaire is lucky to still have tourism in these difficult times .. so as the only way on and off the island is air.. lets make that negative as well .. and i well know -- for me to see my family in Venezuela or for them the visit me is a tactical maneuver worthy of a General's expertise ...

i am a 60 plus club member.....not disabled yet .. just SLOW .. THREE minutes .. not really realistic .. ..just showing disrespect for special needs people ...but i guess getting the guilders is of up most priority .. Bonaire has or rather had a world wide reputation for our sweetness and courtesy .... now ??? ..

Michael, would you consider Sarasota - Florida - an airport in an adult country ? Airport a little bigger than ours and slightly more traffic and a big part of the day rather nothing .... there is a drop-off/pick-up lane directly in front of the airport with a roof over the heads protecting from the sun/rain (certainly important for older people or for people with a heavy luggage - fun at Bonaire with these weird stones and that strange gutter between the parking and the taxi road) ... driving in to the parking area it splits into short term and long term parking - you take your ticket at the entry of the parking you choose... when driving out you pay at the end just before getting on to the road coming from the drop-off/pick-up zone .... and 30 (thirty !) minutes are free !
With rather small differences it is the same in all airports I know .....
Grown up would also mean you pay at the exit as elsewhere in the world and not at a machine somewhere in the airport hall.
No quick little shopping or banking any more without paying ... and if you forget paying anyhow at that machine on the end of the hall, walk back again .... does Bonaire really needs that Nafl 1 soooo desparately - and what for, that parking lot was even empty with 15 minutes free !

at least a living breathing person takes your money .. many times i have played the "slots"with the machine .. new guilders don't work ..and all else seems to malfunction .. then you start the chase to exchange your "bad" guilders for acceptable ones .. once this chase cost me extra as i wasted a lot of time with this silliness ... the govt... should stop defending a very bad decision and have the courage to admit this system is bad and revise it .. mission impossible i think .. so when this senior greets the wounded warriors it should be quite a scene. oh sorry i forgot .. i will be on an authorized bus ...

Burney el Hage ... bring on the map.......

it is silly that now you'll have to pay to be able to use the MCB facility there. or if you want to pay your departure tax early you'll also have to pay to stop in the lot for a few minutes. i agree with brigitte, i can't imagine bonaire needs that one guilder that much.

yes, the parking lot used to be abused by people leaving their cars there for weeks at a time while they travelled. but the parking charges eliminated most, if not all, the abuse. it is almost empty most of the time now. that should tell them something.

Yep...it will tell them to raise the prices as they won't make enough off of those who do park and pay. (Sorry, feeling cynical right now)

well .. actually was the NEW abuse .. 15 minutes and you if needed more time .. get in the car .,,in under 15 minutes.. leave free of charge ,, re-enter for another 15 minutes .. yoooha .....30 minutes or whatsoever no pay .. that was the abuse ...now again if it were a living person . not machine.. ABUSE?? no way ..just rememeber what worked well in the past apparently not something to consider .. and gosh .. with our high underemployment rate ,, it might cost the government less than the unemployment benefits ...

Well, I feel silly
I just put a post on everything else about this very subject.
They notes they have at the rental places say you have a "few minutes" to pick up and drop off.

I do not know what that is. There is no lane that you can pull up to to drop off, if you try to drive where the taxi's go but go to the right instead of the gate, they will run you off if they are there and watching.
They definitely do not give you time to unload or load a lot of luggage.

I don't think paying 1G is high or anything..it was just very inconvenient the way we had to take care of it.

If you think you hurried and tried to leave just to get stuck at the gate with mad people behind you. That is what happened to us. Not because we thought we were only there for 3 minutes but because we didn't know they had changed it al.
The lady at Budget told me they changed it last Thursday...

Turn car off...????
Can they watch you and change the way your tickets read when you leave? That is strange they actually said that, haha

Bonaire is obviously having "growing pains" with all the changes going on island and this is definitely one of them. I drove by there tonight and see no other road to drop off and pick up, but only from the parking lot. Could be wrong as I didn't go in, ah, didn't want to pay...I could have walked in and looked though, doesn't matter. If we are confused, imagine how a first timer feels coming to Bonaire the first time. Hmmmm. Then again, most folks rent a car or take a taxi, so coming is not so bad. For those who live here or visit and picking up a person to join them on holiday, it is not good. Same with leaving. Another big Hmmmmm.

Psssst, I am still confused about the whole darn thing.

no confusion sista..they want your guilder!

Pull in, load your car with people and luggage

go to PAY STATION with Guilders...no dollars!!

The you may leave.

I am pretty sure the paper posted had 0-30 minutes AND 30-60 minutes were both asking for 1 NAFL

Our airport has just been re-vamped into an actual Int'l airport. Even got a parking garage& ped way (a long over-looked must have in our climate (Halifax, N.S.). So, the exact change has been made here. At 1st the locals were insane about it (bluenosers hate change!), but gotta tell ya, it's so much faster, safer, and easier than before. No curb car or people congestion. Drop off at curb (gotta leave engine running-tow trucks are there with their engines running!), swing into parking (or leave, if your not hanging out with them), walk back to help with luggage. For pick-up just automatically park and wait..... As stated above, it's more of a hassle for locals than visitors, but now 1/2 ish yr later everyone loves the system. BTW, our min parking fee is $3 cdn. 1st 1/2 hr, after that $4/hr. We can pay inside the lot, or they have a cashiers booth at lot exit if you forget, The money goes towards airport, and bridge maintenance. We can also use our Mac Pass (monthly commuter bridge toll card), in which case we're not actually paying anything.

How does the Mac Pass allow you to not pay anything? I think you mis-typed and meant to write that you do not need cash to pay if you have the Mac Pass as it charges to your pass. Please correct me if I am wrong.

I was in the airport yesterday, & frankly walked away with the impression that this is nothing more than "nickel & dimeing" the public. I understand that it takes revenue to operate the airport, however I'd collect this by adding another dollar to the departure fees (which as we all know have increased within the past 12 months). And on the subject of departure fees, I really don't understand why they just can't bury the fee in the cost of the airline ticket. Not very smart IMHO.

Brenda, this is off topic but thanks for the info about Halifax airport. We will be there in Sept. and since we are joining people coming in on different flights I'm glad to know about the new procedures in advance. Glad it's working for you. Sounds like the drop-off is a little easier or at least more clear than it is so far in Bonaire.
I'm thinking that it's no accident that this is going to boost taxi use. The powers that be are making a calculated risk that the benefits to the island will outweigh the inconvenience. But it is too bad about the businesses in there.

Your right Tribs! I posted the preview post, rather than the corrected post.......using mac pass(electronic card on windshield), you don't need to stop and pay (just drive through reader gate) and also receive a 15% rate reduction. Thanks

I much preferred the ease of use at the old airport. Now, everything about the front of the airport seems counter-intuitive...a real cluster %^&# to be more precise. There was no common sense put into the design at all...even the response in this thread from the airport official shows how confused they are.

I would not think that a lot of people are against paying for parking - at the exit ! Not at a machine which does not accept certain coins and does not change Nafl 10 and is located somewhere in the airport hall....
And why did they found it necessary to eliminate the approach in front of the hall to drop luggage or people ? It is much to unpleasant and even rather difficult for older people to walk over these weird stones and that big gutter with their luggage !
And now you have to pay for that as you can not help somebody in 1 to 3 minutes to go to the exit hall ... and it does not work every time anyhow.... yesterday one of our guests just drove in, unloaded a person and 1 bag ... no way to drive out without paying !
People living in Belnem used the little shop or restaurant and the MCB bank at the airport often - now most of them stopped doing so, too much trouble to pay ! A few days ago I tried 5 coins our guest yesterday 4 coins, not one was accepted by that stupid machine ! Why to expect the shop who is loosing now anyhow or even the bank to change again and again coins ?

Since I haven't been HOME in over a yr. & must admit I have not been on Bonaire Talk for quite a while, all of this parking business comes as a shock to me.
Growing pains is right. The way things are looking I may not be back on island until I retire 9/11/2010...hopefully all of this will be worked out by then. I will have to update renters with this info...and my baby brother!
Quick comment on why they don't include the parking fees in the airport tax...probably because they cannot monitor. I get asked the same question re:checked bag fee every day. Why not just add it into the airfare...can't monitor it...FYI...United raised it's bag fees a few months ago...14Aug09...American if following suit. $20 1st bag/$30 for the 2nd. Still $50 when it goes over 50#. Collecting bag fees are NOT a favorite part of my job (I say 1st bag free, but tiic did not ask me or ANY of my co-workers)...but guys, if you could just SEE some of the things people try to check...but the I digress...
Yes the Flamingo is cashing in on a new form of revenue & not doing it in a positive way. I hope tptb figure it out & make it work for all!

It all fits perfect in the way the island wishes to grow and is growing. ALL they want and do is accommodating Cruise Ships and their passengers the way they please! The rest can pick up the bill for getting there.

Sounds like everything else in the world....everyone pays the price for the ignorance of some.....{sigh}

sounds like more changes are coming .. a long article and even the headline in yesterdays Extra .. regarding the airport changes and the great discontent of the people here .. Burney El Hage was on a local radio station program and was most unsuccessful in defending the new policy ... to the point there was a lot of hostility expressed by the bonairians about all these changes ..for instance all our orthopedic patients must leave Bonaire for advanced medical treatment .. they certainly are not accommodated .... it was mentioned in defense by El Hage that they had the authority to stop the parking outside the airport and this will probably happen ..

Good Grief!

Charley Brown!

Tink!

Pietri,

You said above that 'it was mentioned in defense by El Hage that they had the authority to stop the parking outside the airport and this will probably happen .. '.

Can you elaborate on that: 'parking outside the airport'???? It all gets curiouser and curiouser.

Glen, lots and lots of people are parking their car on roadside, not the airport and walking to the airport to just pick up or do business at the gift shop/bank. You know the space where cars watch KLM take off at. Personally, I don't blame them.

Good Grief is right.

A rather big number of cars (for Bonaire than ...) parks along the airport fence on the road from airport to Kralendijk ....and even on the other side of the road where the airport authorities did everthing they could to ban some of the car rentals ....

Give it all some time. The transition to Holland is getting closer and closer. Holland is famous for nickeling and dimeing but even Amsterdam airport (Schiphol) has a zone for dropping of and picking up whomever and whatever you want without someone who feels important nagging over a running engine or not. These fearless leaders, who are most likely going to loose their job in the new situation, feel the need to get their names in the paper a few more times while they still can. Give them the opportunity to enjoy their last moments of fame..... At the end it is their own choice how we will remember them.

There must be a way the people of Bonaire can protest the intolerable situation at the airport! Most folks already boycott the parking lot as it is and now with all the publicity, maybe more will join in and stop using the facility. I feel sorry for the merchants (only two or three) whose businesses will be hurt. Also the tourists who return rental cars are not able to drop off luggage before returning their cars and now must cart all their luggage across the speed bumps, etc.

TKS, Debbie.

It was all so simple and sensible still on my last visit in 2002.

It's all very simple now.
When you go in you get a ticket, before you go out you pay at the payment machine. Same as nearly every other airport I've ever been to.
We don't like having to pay, but there's nothing complicated about it all. There's nothing sensible about it either!

JOBY, i don't know what other airports you've been to but the ones i travel to and from allow free drop-off and pick-up of passengers and luggage at curbside in front of the terminal. and more and more airports are offering a limited time free parking pass (some places it's up to about 45 minutes depending on the distance from the parking entrance to the terminal. and many airports now offer "cell phone lots" where people can park (for free) and wait for a call from their arriving passenger so they can then drive to the curb in front of the terminal and pick up that passenger (for free) without taking up a space in the airport parking lot.

i agree with menno and michael, the airport administration seems to be taking a tolerant situation and turning it into a bureaucratic nightmare.

For me the new system is a major PITA. We go to Bonaire for a month with our twins (2 years old). In the past when we arrived, I would stay with the twins and our 8 bags on the curb, while my husband got the rental truck..he would then come and pick us up. If it were just me and my husband I am fine with dragging our luggage across the street and into the parking lot, but when you add small children to the mix it becomes problamatic. This past FEB we arrived past 11 PM after delays all day...we were exhausted with 2 very cranky toddlers ...when my husband saw the new system, he drove around and backed down the lane. A few people started yelling at us, we just ignored them and we were out of there inless than 5 minutes.

I do not mind the fee....but the new system is ridiculous. We travel out of Logan and even there we candrive up to the curb for loading and unloading.

Back in the days when I worked in electronic engineering/hardware design (retirement IS good!) one practice I had was to have any wonderful new design idea tested by the inventor. They used their 'invention' just as the end-user would. You might be amazed at how quickly some 'wonder' ideas were modified to be user-friendly by their makers, always with a better end product.

It would likely help on Bonaire if the designers of the airport parking system were made to 'use' it for 6 or 8 hours during several 'rush hour' periods just to understand what they have wrought. I'll bet they could improve it.

Pat you obviously didn't actually read what I said. I agree that it isn't sensible and I agree that we should be able to drop off and pick up free like at every airport I know around the world.
But it isn't complicated.
If anyone comes up with a way to get it changed I'll be right behind them

The best way to change it is to eliminate it before it impacts the tourism and commerce on the island. The second best step is to put a human in a booth to collect the money as the do in most airports/parking facilities. At the same time they need to open the lane in front of the airport. One of the main stumbling blocks is the taxi driver lobby who don't want to loose their livelihood.

Micahel - how would a human in a booth help? They would be working to the rules that are given to them and if the rule says everyone pays, it would be exactly the same as if the rule was given to the machines.
they definitely need to open the lane in front of the airport at least for disabled drop off/pick up. There perhaps there would have to be a person in a booth to allow them in and make sure they didn't over-stay.

A human in the booth would eliminate the need to to go to the machines and the frustration of not having the guilders work or not having guilders at all. I would much perfer entering and paying on exit with a human in a booth.

Rather simple to make the people happy, just 2 things .....
1) A humun in the booth - with change in Naf and $ !
2) dropping and picking up in front of the airport

brigette .... that's exactly what we had years ago and it worked like a charm .... I'm with you ....

Petrie...pass by so we can make a plan!

Go, folks!!!

You can even work to have that manned booth at the drive-out exit of the 'pay area' where it would be most convenient instead of inside the building.

Here in the US there are many lots where the entrance and exit are co-located so that a single booth covers both coming and going if that is useful at BIA.

(Message edited by glenr on August 15, 2009)

Hi All! Was just at the airport paying my departure tax and noted that there were two (2) people at the parking lot checking tickets as each car exited. I did not use the lot, just walked over while Gregg was returning tanks. Maybe this is a good thing?

Sometimes it takes a while for the powers to be too listen...it will be sorted out..Do you all remember the $75 departure tax issue??

exactly, a person in the booth could collect the charge and make change. really, what sense does it make to drive into the parking lot and, instead just dropping someone off and continuing on, find you are forced to park your truck and pay a toll at a machine inside the terminal?

hopefully this is all a work in progress and the kinks will get worked out soon.

but i agree that it seems that the government is bending over backwards to accommodate the cruise ships and sticking it to the people who are actually spending weeks or months on bonaire (as well as the locals) for the sake of a few guilders. geez, add on a one guilder charge for each cruise ship passenger and eliminate the airport charges and the bottom line would be way up.

Michael,

All too true. Most times, not 'sometimes'.

Keep us advised as to whether the powers that be are listening and acting, and when and how we can help them. Bernie E L's last quoted words weren't encouraging. Some running comment along the way will help, progress or no. :–)

had 3 pickup and delivery services yesterday .....it is 1 nafl. for every 30 minutes or less ... in no way was there a a free time period .. and i had to pickup a disabled very important research scientist ... he walked to the vehicle .. no break .... in the day there was a booth at the entrance/exit to the airport parking area .. if you dropped off with due haste .. you were never charged .. person to person means a lot .. the security person on duty is watching for system abuse and to assist "the confused" as in reminding them to pay in the terminal .. friend of mine so i got the scoop ...

Wow. Just checking things out before our next trip and this is a surprise. Next they'll be ticketing cars parked along the road outside the airport so they'll get their $$ if that's all they're after. Agree that paying for parking is normal but not having a drop-off lane right next to the terminal is primitive. Did they really move the rental car businesses away from the airport? Hopefully this will get straightened out before my next trip. Regardless the inconvenience, this will not deter me from coming back.

more changes .. i went to the airport yesterday to pick up a member of the CIEE staff and was told no more .. i may greet them .. but they must take a taxi. and this is now in effect for all airport pickup services .. i was allowed the pickup... since we are a marine research station i was instructed to seek special permission to provide this pickup with the BIA director .. that is on my schedule for tomorrow early .. i'll let you know ...so this basically affects all hotel and accommodation pickup services.

Chris...We always rent from AB and they are no longer at the airport. They pick us up at the airport & take us to their new location in the Plaza Resort Hotel.

Pietri, are you saying that even if you pay to park, that you cannot pick someone up or see them off by waiting in the terminal???? are the taxis in that bad of shape money wise???

The airport cannot make everyone take a taxi, what's to stop a person from walking out of the terminal on their own two feet? I don't get it. I saw lots of folks walking from airport and taking the shortcut road with luggage in tow taking the shortcut road to the Plaza.

Pietri, will keep an eye out for your next post clarifying it up a little more hopefully.

The way it was set up just last week was taxi's, hotel buses all had a special little card that made the machine on the row closest to the airport hall go up and they could proceed through. Did they not already have special permission to be given a card? Still not getting it.

Now, the parking lot thingie, that is changing all the time as of late, still don't get it either.

Even if you decide to just park and pay the fee, it's a nuisance bouncing over all those curbs. It's pretty evident that, right from the beginning, no serious discussion went into the design.
Mick

very strange...no pick up...I do not see how they could keep you from paying your 1 NAFL to park and pick someone up...
this will be interesting!

How counter productive.
I wonder if things change daily, or if there is a lack of communication between employees?

I have a feeling he is referring to folks who have a so called pick up service. I think you can still park and get people coming in or taking off. You just have to pay the fee to park.

the keyword is "pick up service"

Well, at least there's one universal theme that all of us seem to experience - our governments (and this can be applied to our work, schools, etc.) don't invite any comments from those impacted until after they declare or implement a change. And then the light comes on and it's too late. They would be admitting they made a mistake if they changed the plan or backed it out. Perish the thought!

Peeps .. if you park it's a fair 1 ANG for the first 30/60 mins (of that I'm unsure) .. however, it's still pretty easy to get into the taxi lane, by just driving closely behind an incoming taxi/bus .. the gate did not smash my roof, I popped out the luggage, got out out again to the car rentals to bring back the car. And then walked the bit from there ..
This became an incredible long thread for something that is globally so unimportant .. :o)


(Message edited by Olaf on August 19, 2009)

The idea of the airport authorities is to allow only taxis and busses with special permits to pick up people from the airport.... no hotels, no apartment owners , no car rentals should be allowed to pick up their guests/customers .....
They try that for quite some time already and it has not completly succeded yet ... so I guess they come with a new idea to make it more difficult !

Olaf Glad your roof was unscathed.
While I'm sure no iceberg's will melt, because of the current airport situation, I feel it is globally important as the effects are far reaching. H*ll you're in the Netherlands and I'm in VA; that's pretty far!

Hopefully the chaos will settle down and some sort of agreement will be reach that will globally benefit the island and it's tourists.

brigitte is correct .. personal pickups are fine .. no commercial ...no hotels, no apartment owners no car rentals ...on and on .. i was reprimanded because i was identified as being from CIEE .. the marine research station .. the powers that be are unclear of our status .. will update ...amen

The regulations say that you need a permit for transporting new arrivals. Welcoming new arrivals is allowed by anyone at any time commercially or not.
Just about 2 more months then the Cruise Ships will come in again which will divert the attention of our beloved taxi-drivers again.
It will all start all over again when the island slows down and the taxi-drivers have no business...... Nothing new under te sun here. This is a yearly repeating event just like the extreme increase in numbers of car break-ins during school-holidays......

I will keep on going to the airport to welcome our guests. It is just meant as a warm welcome to the island and to assist our guests after a long day (or night) of traveling with whatever their needs are.

It might be called the Bonaire Flamingo International Airport but it is hardly the largest in the world. More like a village airfield so why has it become so complicated. Other than some people leaving their cars in the parking lots for free for several days, there never appeared to be a problem with dropping off and picking up travelers. Now it appears to be chaos. Surely when I am in Bonaire for two months in November and December I will be able to go to the airport in my son in laws truck to meet them off the KLM flight at 4am in the morning, park in a bay, pay the charge and leave without being hung, drawn and quartered. Or have I got it all wrong.

I don't know, Trevor, but please let us know what does happen Seriously appreciate daily or weekly info. being shared.
Maybe by November someone will have figured it to be fair and equitable for all parties.
Hope I can see, first hand, before year's end!

trevor ... you are correct ...

I have to go to the airport this afternoon with two windsurfers and a sail bag and nine suitcases (good job we packed light) and a Budget Rental Truck so I will report back on how it goes.

I have a cunning plan (Baldrick)

So do I have a problem under the following scenarios:

(1) I go to the airport to pick up one member of our party who arrives a day later than we do, and I am willing to pay the 1 NAF fee to park for the few minutes?
(2) Picking up my truck at AB and then returning to the airport to get my wife and our luggage, as long as I am willing to pay the 1 NAF fee and carry my luggage to the short-term lot where I will have parked my truck?
(3) Entering the short-term lot with my rental truck to drop my luggage off when I am leaving, as long as I am willing to pay the 1 NAF fee and carry my luggage to the terminal from the short-term lot where I have parked my truck?

In all cases I would be using the short-term lot, parking my rental vehicle, paying the 1 NAF fee (or more if I exceed the time for the minimum fee), and carrying my bags between the terminal and the parked truck. In none of these scenarios would I be using the taxi lane.

One final comment (at least for me): While it may be annoying to me as a regular visitor to Bonaire to have to pay 1 NAF every time I need to go into the airport (including having to go into the terminal to make the payment), the 60 cents or so US per airport entry (perhaps $2 - $3 or so per trip to Bonaire) will neither break me nor stop me from coming to Bonaire. I do however feel sorry for the people who live year-round on Bonaire and regularly go to the airport to pick up family or friends. I hope this issue does get resolved shortly.

Menno hit the nail on the head. The whole issue revolves around the taxi drivers and now that the ships are not here, they are clamouring for business. When the ships are in port, it is hard to get a taxi to make a regular run anywhere other than lac or one of the high revenue producing trips. I know I have tried to get a taxi to pick up one of my clients to bring back to Plaza during cruise ship and was told I had a two hour wait! They do have a big investment and I understand their plight. I also know that there are some destinations where you must take a taxi even to get a rental car. As was mentioned, Bonaire is small and we need to make some compromises.

Trevor....If we don't hear from you we'll have to assume your cunning plan failed and send in the search & rescue team :o)

Dr. Cunning, I dont think anybody has a problem to pay that 1 Naf ... but it much to difficult to even do it ! The machine is to far away and more often than not it does not accept your coins ! Why is there not at least a machine , better a human, on the exit - and with a possibilty of giving change and accept any coin ?
The 2nd problem is that walking with heavy luggage , certainly for older or handicapped people over these weird stones and that rather strange gutter

The 3rd problem is this protection of the taxi drivers and the strange situation for anybody picking up somebody at the airport and gets into problems as described by Petri.

By the way,who is protecting the population of the taxi drivers ... their extreme speed on roads which allow only 40km p.ex. .... or from taxi drivers who are not even insured ! (as happend to one of our employees ! Weeks in hospital, lots of costs and a food demaged for live ...nobody pays her !!!)

I understand that the taxi's have to make a living, however, IMO, people who require taxi's will still require taxi's and those who don't still won't! We have been to Bonaire numerous times and have never used a taxi. And if it is the taxi's raising such a ruckus and creating all these problems for everyone else, you can be assured that we will NEVER use one, I don't care if we have to walk a mile (fortunately we travel very light because we leave our dive gear and clothes on Bonaire). And, if they do in fact forget about the airport people when cruise ship season starts....then that's just wrong & people should boycott their service...you can't have it both ways! I guess we'll see what happens when we get there in Dec, I will contact AB to find out how they're handling these changes & see if we need to start training for a mile marathon now :o)

Did all this change happen after the change in the government ruling party? It seems about the right timing.

Actually, the head of the airport is from the old party, not the new!

Ahh, Michael, very clever! Make silly changes at the airport so everybody throws out the current government, and back comes your old/own party!

OK Peeps. Here is my take.

We drove to the airport in a Budget truck loaded with 5 persons, 2 windsurfers and 9 suitcases and I entered the paid Short Term parking lot.

There is a nice drop off area for long side pull up parking (rather than 90 deg parking) opposite the check in and arrivals area (the taxis are in between but out of the way) and a "Security" man was in attendance to make sure people only used that lane for drop off and short term pick up. He was most helpful and said that the entry ticket would open the exit by simple insertion without re-validation in the pay machine and does so for several minutes after arrival. Several is unspecified but I was there for 6 - 8 minutes for drop off before going to the Budget parking and drop off where they had a typed notice mentioning the 1 FL for 0 - 30 mins but underneath it mention "the first several minutes are free).

Several needs to be fully investigated but drop off is easy and free and clean and patrolled so please take note. It is not all that bad !!!

Trevor & Carole & Sam & Nic & Chris

We went in to pay our departure tax the other day at around 11:30 am. Really it was absolutely no problem at all. Parked in short term. Paid the tax. Went to the machine to pay the guilder. It would not accept any money. We left 5 mins later and the gate opened. No problems were encountered.

So, there is a parking lot God after all...Let's all go back to the beginning of this thread and re read where I said Burney said nothing had changed and in essence he was correct but it really did stir up a hornets nest...

Good news for short=stayers.

But if I stay long enough that the god-of-the-machine-at-the-gate wants a paid ticket and the machine inside won't accept money.... Reminds me of the song about Charlie who was trapped for life on the Boston MTA system, never to leave.

Pay-at-the-gate-as-you-leave still sounds best. :–)

Our last visit there .... somebody drove in to load suitcase and 1 older person , exit machine did not accept is ticket for free ..... not only a problem for this driver, but for the 5 cars behind him ... the last car had to understand to drive backwards, than the next one etc .... there is a 2nd exit, but a 2nd lane to drive there only for the last few meters ....

Why don't they just take away those stupid barriers and keep the parking free of any charges. The departuretax is high enough already in my eye's but probably not in their's so maybe if they just add US$ 1.- p.p. it should cover it just fine.
Simply forbid overnight parking and tow away any car that does it anyway. No more machines that do or don't work, no booth with staff, no hassle. Just one security gard with a phone or radio.....(or a tow-truck...:-))

I did not have to pay the other day when I went to the airport to pick up something. I was in 5 minute.

When we were there this winter we had a problem that hasn't been mentioned. We pulled up for the early American flight, while it was still flying obviously. My husband and I unloaded the bags and I got in line with them. He went to return the rental truck. Once in line I found out that the flight would be delayed three hours as they were late arriving the night before. By now he was in the rental car area, which you can not get out of without a special card. The rental car offices were not open yet and wouldn't be for an hour or so. We wanted to go back to our room for the three hours but there was no way to get out of the rental area. AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!
Then we had the good fortune of a car, by mistake, starting to come into the rental car area, causing the gate to rise, realizing they were in the wrong place, backing up. The gate stayed up, we quickly backed through it too and we were FREE. Free to go crash for three hours. But the whole thing is stupid.
The point is not that other airports charge for parking. This is a VACATION destination. I would think someone in charge of tourism would want their guests on Bonaire to have nice memories of thier stay. Not an illogical maze of rules and gates to navigate as the first impression and the last memory. Meanly squeezing out every dime they can get. I realize this is not the most important issue facing Bonaire but slowly it seems like someone is deciding to take away, one by one, the charming things we love about Bonaire. Like the passport stamp they used to have or...the coral life at Andrea.

I was at the airport this evening and after 9 minutes I had to pay to get out. So, according to the right hand machine, the limit is less than 9 minutes.
Where did I see that someone had 15 minutes free this week? Maybe it was in the reporter as I can't find it on this thread. it would be interesting to know if the time allowed varies according to which pay machine you go to, or maybe time of day - less time when there are flights??.
I don't see any problem with paying 1 guider for parking, but it's just like so many things here - you can't get anyone to give you a straight answer!