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Trip Reports: 4/14-4/20
Bonaire Talk: Trip Reports: Archives: Archives 2000 to 2005: Archives - 2004-08-02 to 2005-05-08: 4/14-4/20
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By joseph (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #8) on Thursday, April 21, 2005 - 11:35 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

just got back from bonaire. arrived at flamingo airport on 4/14 to discover that the contents of my luggage bag had been exchanged with someone elses. american eagle and american airlines have been profoundly useless in offering any type of assistance or compensation. every employee I speak to gives me another 1-800 number to dial, the buck passing doesn't stop. i'm so pissed, if i could push a button and put these people out of business i totally would.

stayed at the bellafonte, which was incredible. i don't see why anyone going to bonaire would stay anywhere else. i can't say enough good things about the place.

bonaire itself was quite nice. after reading over this forum, i had become worried about theft, but i found the place to be pretty non-threatening.

i saw more green moray eels on this trip than on any other dive trip i've been on, and the general abundance of fish at every dive site i hit was pleasing.

ate at casablanca, richards, and a couple other places. casablanca and richards were far and away the best. my favorite place to drink was the little havana jazz/cigar bar, they had a surprisingly good collection of music playing.

unfortunately, i spent a lot of time shopping to replace clothes i lost while travelling (imagine arriving in bonaire without even a bathing suit, only the clothes on your back). it's terrible that whenever i think back on this trip, i won't be able to help thinking of all the hassle i had to go through during and after the trip because these airlines don't have their together. my advice to anyone going to bonaire: stay at the bellafonte, and swim there before flying with american airlines. and, even if it costs a lot more, it's absolutely worth going the jamaica route, with only one connection.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mary pequinot (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #457) on Thursday, April 21, 2005 - 11:37 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

What a bummer! I hope you're able to get through to someone that can help. Glad you had a good time; let some time pass and try not to let it sour your memories of Bonaire (I know, it's hard).

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By joseph (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #9) on Thursday, April 21, 2005 - 11:52 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

thanks. all hope is not yet lost... among the foreign contents i found in my bag is a paycheck, complete with someones name, address, social security number, and income information. i've looked up this persons phone number and left a message with them. with any luck, their luggage was put in my bag and mine in theirs, so we can return our stuff to each other- of course, i'm not keeping my fingers crossed, and this does little to compensate for the time i spent on this matter while in bonaire... but it would be nice to get my stuff back.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carlea Bauman (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #48) on Thursday, April 21, 2005 - 12:12 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Joseph -

We're staying at the Bellafonte in June and can't wait. Any specific recommendations about the place that you can give us?

Thanks. Carlea

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By LaDonna Pride (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2707) on Thursday, April 21, 2005 - 12:55 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Joseph.....that stinks! I am so sorry you had such troubles! Hopefully things will work out and you will get your stuff back!

My solution to the possible lost luggage scenario, was to pack one of everything in each seperate case (including carry-on), one swim suit, one pair of shorts, one shirt, etc.....so I would have at least enough to get me by, should it be a problem. And my only piece of almost irreplaceable dive equipment (my mask) went in the carry-on as well. Mary went one step further and put all of her dive stuff in her carry-on(except her fins)

I wish you luck!!

LaDonna

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marcus L. Barnes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #283) on Thursday, April 21, 2005 - 1:01 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Joseph: What a bummer on the luggage; however, wouldn't it have been TSA instead of American who would have done this?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By joseph (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #10) on Thursday, April 21, 2005 - 1:12 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

carlea-

great choice on the bellafonte, i visited many other hotels while i was in bonaire and none of them came close to it. while i was there, they were doing some small construction, assembling what i believe is going to be a jacuzzi or hot tub, right on the deck where the view is great- hopefully it'll be done by the time you get there so you can enjoy it!

if you don't like walking up stairs, go for the first or second floor. there are no elevators, and carrying my stuff up to the third floor was a bit of work. the view was worth it, though.

if you're diving, they have a spacious, secure storage area for your gear, as well as a freshwater washing area and a shower. the shower is particularly nice because it has a great view, the whole place is just so nice, you'll see when you get there.

if you want to go to the beach or get tanks or weights, the plaza resort is two minutes up the road, and they have reasonable prices- like $20 a day for unlimited air and a boat dive. i had a truck, so i would go there and pick up 3 or 4 tanks, and return them the next day and get more. no big deal.

that's all i can think of right now, i'll let you know if i think of anything else. you're going to have a great time, it's such a nice place.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carlea Bauman (BonaireTalker - Post #49) on Thursday, April 21, 2005 - 1:22 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Great advice. We have a dive package with Photo Tours, which if I recall is the one at Plaza Resort (someone will correct me if I'm wrong about that). We have a couple of boat dives and unlimited shore diving. I went to Bonaire alone a couple of years ago and am returning with my boyfriend who has never been there. I had a wonderful time the last time - but going with someone who will be a constant dive buddy and staying at such a nice place (last time, I was trying to save money) - I only think it will be a hundred times better. Thanks again. I'm sorry about your luggage problems, but I'm glad the rest of the trip made up for it.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By joseph (BonaireTalker - Post #11) on Thursday, April 21, 2005 - 1:23 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Marcus-

It has been suggested that this was TSAs mistake. I spoke with a TSA supervisor in orlando last night, and of course, they told me it would be impossible for that to happen, they couldn't possibly make a mistake like that, etc. etc. i called their customer service hotline, waited on hold for 15 minutes, then had to hang up, so i plan to call them back.

even if it turns out that it is TSAs mistake, the total disregard for my case by AA and AE is appalling, and i stand by my judgement of their company. nothing is worse than when a customer service department that repeatedly dodges questions and passes you off to the next guy on the chain. considering the current conditions of the airline industry, they can't afford to not do everything within reason to help their customers.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mary Mueller (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3904) on Thursday, April 21, 2005 - 1:31 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Carlea - Photo Tours is at Caribbean Court - right next to the Plaza and you will find 2 of the best guys there - Bas and Eddy - please be sure to tell them I said hi!!! And make sure that you go to their BBQ and night dive - great food and fun!!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By LaDonna Pride (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2710) on Thursday, April 21, 2005 - 1:35 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Mary...you beat me too it!!! Carlea....definately say hi to both Eddy and Bas for me as well!!!!

LaDonna

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marcus L. Barnes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #284) on Thursday, April 21, 2005 - 1:42 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Joseph: You're right - from a customer service prospective, American shouldn't be running you around like that.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carlea Bauman (BonaireTalker - Post #50) on Thursday, April 21, 2005 - 1:51 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I've heard about this barbeque - will definitely check it out. Plus, another post I read recently spurred me to check and we will be there for a full moon, so a night dive is definitely in order. I did Town Pier last time and it was great - of course, no moon, full or otherwise, will impact that night dive.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #4807) on Thursday, April 21, 2005 - 7:15 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sorry to hear about the mess-up, Joseph. I was thinking the same thing...TSA, but it would be a tough one to prove who did it. Did TSA leave a flyer in "your" bag advising they had inspected it and allegedly "resecured" it once done? I'm curious as our bags made it to Bonaire last year with our own contents in them (AJ) and the flyer from TSA advising us they had searched our bags and had taken the precautions to resecure/relock our bags with zip-ties, etc.

Well, guess what....the bags were never resecured or locked after TSA was in them. Nothing missing but I was really ticked off.

I do hope you have a happy ending with the other person who might have your stuff.

That is horrible that you had access to such personal and vital information...if you were a "bad guy" you could steal their identity.

Makes you wonder "why" anyone would leave their paycheck/stub in "checked in" baggage in the first place, tho.....very odd.

Keep us posted. Glad to see you fell in love with Bonaire, too! Carole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By seb (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2159) on Friday, April 22, 2005 - 8:10 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Joseph, I strongly urge you to send a letter, return receipt requested,. to the TSA detailing your problems, and I suggest you CC that letter to your local news stations that might have a problem solving agent. It's a great story, and these guys need their toes held to the fire. I hope you kept notes of the names of the people you spoke to as well. If you don't get names up front, you are talking to the wind.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By pat murphy (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #161) on Sunday, April 24, 2005 - 3:09 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

i agree...it sounds like a tsa screw-up that was compounded by american airline indifference. however, after hearing some horror stories about air jamaica, i don't think that the montego bay route is the solution to the problem. we know people who have lost ALL their luggage, including carry-ons, somewhere in jamaica. last we heard, they still hadn't been found, much less delivered to bonaire.

 


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