BonaireTalk Discussion Group
Getting around Bonaire: The last AJ Flight for us
Bonaire Talk: Getting around Bonaire: Archives: Archives 2007- 2008: Archives - 2007-06-01 to 2008-12-31: The last AJ Flight for us
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ron Gould (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1148) on Friday, November 2, 2007 - 9:38 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

We will miss AJ times getting to and from Bonaire! Our plane in ORD had mechanical problems and they called us on friday night to tell us we were fling on Continental(redeye)on Sat.14th out of Newark.

We caught the 1105am in ORD and landed at 225pm in Newark. We were directed to go to the Hloiday Inn as AJ had a dayroom(untill 9pm)for us. They also paid for lunch(of our choice)and dinner. It was nice to have that dayroom to streach out and relax till our 1155pm flight to Bonaire. The flight went well, but what to do at 440am? I sent emails to our carrental, and Hotel but never got any replies. The return flight was with AJ and without problems...

We booked our Hotel for may already, but now to figure who to fly with? Delta has the best hours, but cost the most! $1654.40 for two from ORD! The redeye is $1528.40 and then American at $1122.40. Looks like we are going to have to give American Airlines another try.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ron Gould (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1149) on Friday, November 2, 2007 - 9:42 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I should have posted the above message in Getting to Bonaire... Sorry.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Angie Ohlson (BonaireTalker - Post #19) on Friday, November 2, 2007 - 10:09 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

We are leaving Dec for last AJ from ORD... I surely hope no mechanicals - EWR red eye YUCK... Try booking your air thru Maduro - they or bonairepros - they have block rates and in most cases can do better than what you can find on-line or by calling airline.. just a suggestion -

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tad Jones (BonaireTalker - Post #29) on Friday, November 2, 2007 - 10:31 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

The thing I liked about AJ is that it got in at a reasonable hour in the afternoon. No redeyes, long layovers, etc. I could leave from Baltimore @ 8:30 and be on the ground in Bonaire @ 3:30.

As I understand it, Delta partners with AJ right now, but decided to start flying there themselves in Feb, 08. Not sure what their schedule is right now, but getting in late at night is not something I want to do. Soooooooo...maybe we all need to do some investigating on routes and schedules!!

A good place to check is sidestep.com. They search all the major airlines and discounters.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tad Jones (BonaireTalker - Post #30) on Friday, November 2, 2007 - 10:44 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

PS

Maybe we need to look at getting to Curacao or Aruba, and then getting a puddle jumper to Bonaire?

I can pretty much get to any place in the Caribbean and be there by the early afternoon. Now that AJ is pulling out, that's no longer true of Bonaire. Maybe Delta, AA and all the other carriers need to hear from us!! We are their customers!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Woodward (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #125) on Friday, November 2, 2007 - 11:30 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Delta leaves Atlanta at 10am Saturdays.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tad Jones (BonaireTalker - Post #31) on Friday, November 2, 2007 - 12:06 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

They are awfully proud of that flight!! I checked 5-3-08 to 5-10-08 and they want $943 just for that leg of the trip. First you have to get to Atlanta, and by 9 to allow a proper connection.

Granted, it does get in at 2:30 PM. However, their price is more than double what other carriers are charging to get you there @ 8:30 at night, including the trip from your hometown!! Between 2 people, you will pay more than a thousand bucks over and above what other carriers will charge.

Like I do on everything else.......vote with your wallets, and let em know how you feel via emails!!







 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Yo MO (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2905) on Friday, November 2, 2007 - 12:10 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

They had done an introductory deal at around $179 each way I believe but that has come and gone. I would say that this might be some of the "leftover" seats. I just don't remember how long they had that deal going on.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tad Jones (BonaireTalker - Post #32) on Friday, November 2, 2007 - 12:51 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

It ended Sept 20th, and was a "teaser" intro rate.

Regardless, I'm going to investigate some other options from Curacao or Aruba. If you do the math, to get in 6 hrs earlier on Delta requires you to pay a premium of around $150 per hour, per couple!!

Not sure how ATA, Southwest, etc. seem to be profitable charging lower fares, but Delta hasn't made a real profit since the Wright Brothers took off a hundred years ago!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kobi~SHAKING away the pounds in Virginia (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2295) on Friday, November 2, 2007 - 7:55 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Tad,
Let us know what you find. I'm in the Harrisonburg, VA area and we have always driven to BWI to catch AJ for years. We have enough love bird freq. flier pts. for 2 free flights we just need to figure out how to redeem such a thing since they're no longer going to BON. OYE!!!

I have to do first class due to being spoiled plus we carry extra things for the needs of Hoppner House and the animal shelter :-)

PS: I need a shopping trip to Fredericksburg soon :-)

Kobi

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By v.cioffletti (BonaireTalker - Post #75) on Thursday, November 8, 2007 - 11:04 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Uh, what are you guys talking about? Do I really wanna know? We have tickets on AJ to Bon for Dec 1st from OHare returning on 8th. Is this something new? I know there have been other times when they have said they were quitting Bon and then continued/recontinued................

We DID fly United once, I think, from Chicago to? then to Aruba then puddle jumped over. Worked ok, pain in the butt.

I heard the Montego Bay airport has been "remodeled" just recently from someone who flew through there......what does this have to do with anything? If it does at all?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kobi in Virginia (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2478) on Friday, November 9, 2007 - 5:49 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

v. cioffletti....AJ will cease flights to BON in March 2008 :-( Those of us who loved them and getting to the island early are definitely upset. Others are glad they're quitting :-)

Their website doesn't mention much about it anymore. Maybe someone else has a link that mentions their pullout so you can can read it and weep.

Your December 1st flight should be fine. ONE piece of advice is to call AJ the night before and reconfirm your flight; 24 hours at least.
Enjoy your trip and let us know how it goes!!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim (BonaireTalker - Post #24) on Sunday, December 16, 2007 - 10:38 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

My wife, Son, and I had our final Air Jamaica from Baltimore-- thanksgiving Week. We will miss the 8:30 AM departure from Baltimore and the early arrival in Bonaire. When it worked well-it was a marvelous way to travel to Bonaire from Baltimore. For us again, it was relatively uneventful--and although not AAA rated cuisine--you did get fed on the Baltimore-Montego Bay portion of the trip.
The only problem We had was that in Montego Bay [And I guess it could have happened in Baltimore]--but the Dogs they use to sniff the Luggage--Well one of them decided to do its liquid business on our luggage--and it had to be one of the cloth ones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nasty!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kobi in Virginia * (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3187) on Sunday, December 16, 2007 - 11:05 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Jim,
Ewwwwwww, sorry about the leg lifter! :-) Have never seen dogs in Jamaica. Glad you had a nice trip to BON. Hubby and I use BWI often and are scratching our heads currently about just how we're gonna get back there. This April's trip was AJ/BWI, July trip was National/Newark and redeye but AJ on the return! Just getting harder for us to get there from NW Virginia :-(

 


Visit: The Bonaire WebCams - Current Bonaire images and weather!
The Bonaire Insider - the latest tourism news about Bonaire
The Bonaire Information Site, InfoBonaire
Search Bonaire - Search top Bonaire Web sites


Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration