Anyone do the SFO BON route (San Fran?)

I might go to a wedding Aug. 10th weekend in the Oakland area..any tips?

Annie

anne..just flew Delta to San Jose..same area for only $218..but maaaan the seats are so tight..wanted to opt for american but they were alot higher..jetblue is also flying to west coast affordably..nobody is giving you any food anymore..take a sandwich and some power bars with you for that long day of travel..have fun

We are planning an October trip to Bonaire. Is DCA a good choice from Miami to Bonaire? They seem to offer the lowest fare with stopover in CUR. Has anyone flown this routing before and their experiences please.

Sam -

You have come to the right place to learn about air options to Bonaire. If this group can't help you out, no one can.

May we politely suggest that you investigate options other than DCA?

I think if you will read this newsgroup (do a search of keyword "DCA"), you will see that most here would rather swim nude in a herd of really angry Man of Wars than fly DCA.

The airline is infamous for delays, cancellations (without notice), equipment problems, non-responsiveness, lost luggage, and an attitude that most generously could be characterized as textbook "de-marketing."

There are exceptions, but I think the preponderance of evidence is highly skewed against DCA.

It is a classic case of an instance in which you might not be able to afford the low prices! :-)

Two generic considerations: try to fly directly into Bonaire from Jamaica or San Juan and avoid stops in Curacao or Aruba; and try to avoid DCA.

Assuming you are starting in Vancouver, some options that meet the above critiera are Air Jamaica whom I believe flys out of LAX and Houston (routing is one stop I believe in Jamaica then directly to BON) and American to Bonaire through San Juan.

For alternatives, you'll find several folks on this board who fly from the West Coast and you can inquire about their carriers/routings.

We use a routing that is pretty efficient for us: American from DFW-SJU-BON. In fact, coming from your part of the world (what magnificient country!), picking up that connection at DFW might be a good choice.

Hope this helps. Perhaps some of the West Coast Bonaire Talkers will chime in with some more specific options.

Charles Poteet
Dallas

Ann, we just recently flew SFO-BON on AA. We stopped at DFW, then San Juan, but could not a get a same day connection from SJ to BON. I think they only do the 5:30pm flight out of SJ now and we did not get there till 7pm. We had to spend the night. Came home in a (long) day via SJ and Miami. No problems, there was food on some legs, and the extra room (apparently about to be a thing of the past) in coach was appreciated. Liz

Thanks Charles. The message is loud and clear - avoid DCA. We will be in Miami at that time to make the flight to BON, so there actualy will be more choices to San Juan and to Bonaire. Yes, Vancouver is beautiful, I lived in Houston for a number of years and it was hot. Good change.

also agree ..avoid DCA ( dumb crap airline) at all cost..and have a safe and enjoyable trip to Bonaire on another airline...

Debbi,
Do you mean San Jose, CA (SJC) to Bonaire? I have never heard of flights that cheap! In the last three years I don’t think I’ve paid less than about $600. If so, considering all flights seem to be crowded these days, I think Delta would be worth the savings.

To all west coast people. After flying Southwest Airlines, I think ANY airline will seem like luxury. (Except perhaps Korean Air.)

Ann, you might want to check on the discount travel sites like orbitz or priceline...I just looked and found some airfares from Sacramento to Bon for under 1000 which is a first! I'm sure they're cheaper if you plan way ahead...there are always at least 2 stops from what I can tell...let me know if you come out and Alison and I could come meet you down in SF if you have a free day!

Barbara,
I am looking for airfare for my first BON trip. I am flying from Sacramento. You say under $1000 is a good deal?? I had a $760 quote last week but now it's $860. Do you think I should jump on the $860? I have been advised to wait until July to purchase, but that sounds risky.
Any input you can provide on SMF-BON would be invaluable to us. Thanks!

Joe, same thing (airfare jump) happened to me when I booked my April trip to Hawaii two days after I saw a very low fare...so I think yes, book now before it goes up if you are sure on your dates...I didn't realize you were in Sacramento too ...I'm in Folsom..haven't been to Bon yet myself...but the fares when I was looking last summer were well over 1200 round trip for a trip within 2 months of the booking date..never made the trip as my parents became ill and now I'm waiting for them to get a more stable living situation before I take on a trip that far!

Joe, which airlines are you looking at, Air Jamaica or AA or another? If you go AJ, you will have to fly to LAX, then to Montego Bay, then to Bonaire (we did it the first time this way, only we live in the LA area so we took the red eye directly out of LAX). That was just before 911, and we paid 800something for each ticket.

Last July I took AA because they have more flights to Bonaire that AJ does. Cost was 829...and I surfed for a few months for fares. It did dip below 800 at one point and I didn't jump on it and ended up paying a little higher. I wouldn't wait too long to get your tickets, I'd certainly buy them at least 3 months in advance if you can because you never know when the rates will jump. We are going to Sint Maarten next week, and when I first started searching last summer they were in the high 900's for each ticket. I checked DAILY and they dropped below 900 at one point so I thought I would wait and see...within a month they went back up over the 900 mark and that's what we ended up paying. It's a gamble. If you find one in the 700's, JUMP ON IT!!!

Cynde, you find it better to go via LAX than ATL?

Seb...ATL??? Atlanta? I live on the "lower left coast."

I see Cynde, it's all left to me. I guess my pals in Tahoe would do better going through Atlanta.

I bought our tickets last night. (What a relief!)
The only way that we could avoid spending the night in Atlanta on the return trip was to go through DFW (Dallas).

Barbara, Cynde, et al,
Thanks for your comments!
FYI - bought last night paid $1725 for two thru CSAA online (direct through AA was $1740). Flights leave SMF at 12:30 am and go thru DFW and SJU. No overnight stays rqd like other schedules I found (ATL with AJ). Now I can finally relax and wait...
Barbara, Any tips on where to find a decent mask in the greater Scratchtomato area? I used to use a cheapo $20 "Dolphino" but the silicone disintegrated last year. Time for a better mask...

Joe, the best shop I've found in the area is the Dolphin Scuba Center shop off of Highway 80 on El Camino...here's a link... Dolphin Scuba Center They seem to have the best selection around here...lots of masks to try on...I ended up spending about 90 bucks but it was worth it, even for a "just snorkeler"...no leaks and very comfortable!
I am jealous, I want to go too!