February-July 2011, temporary adjustment to flight schedules will happen, due to airport construction & closing times on Bonaire. See this article from the Bonaire Insider for more information: http://www.bonaireinsider.com/index.php/bonaireinsider/bonaire_international_airport_announces_extended_schedule_through_july_for_/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Keep in mind that CUR can be VERY busy--and, you need to clear immigration, along with everyone else (maybe all the booths are staffed to speed you along, maybe not...), baggage claim & customs. There are 3 x-ray machines for all luggage entering CUR, but only one line to enter this area. There are signs indicating,Something to Declare,and Nothing to Declare, but personally, I have not seen these is use. They do x-ray all incoming bags; but just because there are 3 machines, it doesn't mean that all will be in use. Maybe, maybe not.... After this, you must check-in,* clear checkpoint #1 (show boarding pass & ID), pay transfer tax (show boarding passes), clear full security (collect tax stub, laptops out, shoes off, all thru x-ray}, then immigration (boarding pass, ID & exit card, which you will have received on the plane), then get to your gate. Although none of this is very far, there still can be many people ahead of you. Give yourself at least 2 hours, and know the alternate airline's later flights just in case. CUR/BON connecting flights are available on these airlines (not Tiara-they fly only BON/Aruba, not CUR): Easy Air - contact info: http://fly-ezair.com/ email: flyezair@gmail.com or call (011) 599-796-3939 or (011) 599-9-515-3939. Their last flight of the day from CUR to BON is at 5:30pm. Free baggage allowance is 15 kg (33lbs). Divi Divi - contact info: http://www.flydivi.com/ email: reservations@flydivi.com. Their last CUR/BON flight of the day is at 5pm. Free baggage allowance is 18 kg (40lbs). Both Easy & Divi are easy to deal with-you make your reservation by email (or phone), then pay cash at the counter when you get there. Before you travel, follow-up with another e-mail and provide your incoming flight info. You cannot book via their website, only by phone or by email. Insel Air - http://fly-inselair.com/ They have a daily flight at 5pm, then later ones (but not daily-check their timetables online) at 7:45 or 9pm. Insel is the only local airline with a non-stop from MIA to BON (Saturdays). If you fly Insel from MIA/CUR/BON, and it's same day travel (this same day travel is being interrupted by the airport construction on Bonaire; normally it's available), they will check your bags all the way to Bonaire, and walk you thru the transit area in Curacao (same upon returning BON/CUR/MIA). Baggage info here: http://fly-inselair.com/flight-info/baggage-information DAE - http://flydae.com/ DAE has connecting flights at various times, depending on the day of travel--usually they have 2 or 3 flights from 6pm on. One around 6:15/6:30pm, another around 8:30pm & last around 10/10:30pm. Some days there are only 2 flights-one around 8:30pm & last at 10:30pm. M-F they have a 6am BON/CUR, however, now that the morning AA CUR/MIA flight is at 7:05am, this is a VERY risky connection (I strongly advise against it, as AA will most likely close their counter before you even land. Also, the Bonaire airport construction can delay this flight). DAE's baggage allowance is 20kg (44lbs). More info here: http://flydae.com/baggage-allowance RE: DEPARTURE/TRANSFER TAXES The transfer/transit tax in CUR is $2pp. Present your boarding passes at the window to prove you're in transit. If you cannot prove you're in transit youwill have to pay the local departure tax which is $8. When you leave Bonaire, the departure tax is included in your ticket, except if you're on DAE. For some reason, DAE does not include the tax,in that case, you pay the local departure tax of $9 at the tax window, not at the counter, then the transfer tax in CUR. Your departure tax from CUR to the US or Europe, etc. is included in that ticket. *RE: BAGGAGE If your baggage is over the weight limit of the airlines, you will need to pay. Cost is around $1/kg (1 kg = 2.2 lbs), but this varies with the airline. You are allowed more than the limit, you just have to pay. On the smaller planes that Easy & Divi use, if there's not enough room, your bags may be sent on a later flight, even if that means the next morning. Sometimes they let extra weight go uncharged, but plan on having small bills available to pay the fees (i.e., don't land with only $50's & $100's; they take cash only; Divi does accept locally issued debit cards). With Easy Air and Divi, if you're over, you pay at the counter when you're checking in, same as you'd pay for your ticket--at their counter. If you're over with DAE or Insel, you need to leave the counter & go to their ticketing windows to pay (about 100m away, on the other side of the arrivals hall,this is also where you'd go if you did not pay for your ticket ahead of time), as they do not handle cash at their counters. Insel & DAE accept credit cards at their window. Re: Carry-onsthe airlines MAY weigh them, or not. When you get to the plane, you will hand your bag to the baggage guys standing next to the plane, and they will put it in the cargo space. When you land, they will take the bag out & hand it back to you. Space in the cabins is very limited (a purse or laptop case will fit, but not much more); they will not let you enter the cabin with a carry-on that's too big, but they will place it in the cargo area. Baggage handling differs between the airlines. When you fly Easy or Divi, you check your bags & they will put them in the plane. However, when you land, you walk your own bags from the plane. Don't get off the plane and walk away expecting your bags to appear on the baggage carousel. They do not use baggage handlers when you land-you can request help upon landing, but don't count on it. When you fly DAE or Insel, they will send your bags to the baggage carousel when you land. You'll need to get your own carry-on if they took if from you when you got on the plane. Something like this can matter when traveling back thru Curacao: because you have to wait for your baggage to arrive, it adds extra time to your transit, so plan accordingly. All incoming baggage is (supposed to be) x-rayed on Bonaire. There is only one x-ray machine. Besides your personal items (clothing, dive gear, cameras, laptops, toiletries-all the âusual suspects), you are allowed $175 duty free-for example, if you purchased liquor or cigarettes or other obvious new items not usually used for normal travel, you may be taxed 8% for purchases over the $175 allowance, so keep your receipts handy in case youare asked. If they decide to tax you on something, you will have to pay in cash. (Message edited by modfreddie on March 31, 2011) |