FlamingoVilla
Registered
Reporting back that my experience with Insel Air was great on 2/09! My expectations were somewhat low, but the results were high. The staff were very pleasant to deal with, the cost did not waiver day to day ($411RT), you were allowed 40k of weight (88 lbs) which could be divided up between 2 bags, allowed 1 carry on of 10k (22 lbs), and they were on time. We bought our tickets only 1 week prior (no hike on ticket prices), called them on the phone at their Miami office (1-877-546-7352), you can make changes to your schedule for only $30, and they will send all confirmations to your email. Insel Air Service on Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday. You can also purchase one-way airfares.
You must show your passport and boarding pass at many steps throughout the process, so don't put it away until you are actually sitting in your seat. You are not allowed to bring water on board (although you ARE allowed to bring it through the security check point into the gate area), so spill it out or toss it before you board the plane. They DO have a security check after you pass by the ticket counter for boarding, so don't buy a new bottle of water thinking it is okay - not. If you buy something at the duty free store at the airport, they will meet you just outside the plane and hand your package, no problems.
They serve a small lunch ... turkey, ham & cheese sandwich or a chicken wrap and drinks. No chips, crackers or cookies (bring our own). They come around again later to offer you coffee and hot tea or a refill of your drink, and then they come around again later to offer you more coffee & tea and water. You will not go thirsty! They were so easy to deal with, kind, caring and gracious. There is no "first class" so you can use the restroom facilities in the front of the cabin without any disgruntle glares.
At Miami (2:00pm departure), they do not have curb-side check in, so you must go to their counter to check in. Not a big deal. They weigh your bags, tag it, and they take it over to their security area and you are done. We had only one small glitch - their computer system that issued the boarding passes had a major crash and they had to hand write each ticket. They dealt with it, the security team knew of the situation, it delayed the initial check-in process a bit, but everything still worked out. Because they are new to the Miami location, please give yourself 2 hours for that check-in! Luckily we did and needed it due to the computer malfunction. The airplane a, MD83, was only half full, so you could pick your seats! They do not offer a movie to watch, so bring your own laptop (which we did and watched our own movie), or your ipod.
At Curacao (10:30am departure), give yourself 1:30 for the check-in process. You must pay the departure tax once you get up to the top of the escalator, and they have an additional security check once through the boarding gate. And of course, always give yourself :30 minutes to return your rental car back in. Again the aircraft was only half full, so you could spread out and pick your own seats. There were no problems with their computers on this end of Curacao, so everything went very smoothly. Always courteous, friendly, and helpful.
Compared with AA or Delta, I have to say that we were very impressed with Insel Air. Their departure times are much better than American Airlines, although I understand AA has changed their departure times starting April 7 to leave MIA at 10:15am and leave CUR at 2:10pm. The lines were shorter, they were more caring and pleasant to deal with, and more services offered in flight. Their aircraft are older so expect small items to be broken, held together by duct tape or not in perfect working order (common for older airplanes), but still safe, roomie and comfortable, and no lost baggage. What the planes lack in cosmetic looks, they make up with attentive service and pleasant attitudes.
One surprise we had on both legs of our flights - Insel Air handed out numbered tickets to each passenger. Towards the end of each flight, they had a drawing to pick a number and gave away a free air travel ticket to the lucky winner! I have never seen anything like it before. I don't know if this will continue, but it was fun and unexpected, especially from an airliner.
I sure hope they are successful with their Miami connection because we will definitely use them again and I highly recommend their service to and from Curacao.
If you have any questions, email me at: info@Flamingo-Villa.com
Safe travels,
Flamingo
FlamingoVilla.com, Curacao Villa Rental
You must show your passport and boarding pass at many steps throughout the process, so don't put it away until you are actually sitting in your seat. You are not allowed to bring water on board (although you ARE allowed to bring it through the security check point into the gate area), so spill it out or toss it before you board the plane. They DO have a security check after you pass by the ticket counter for boarding, so don't buy a new bottle of water thinking it is okay - not. If you buy something at the duty free store at the airport, they will meet you just outside the plane and hand your package, no problems.
They serve a small lunch ... turkey, ham & cheese sandwich or a chicken wrap and drinks. No chips, crackers or cookies (bring our own). They come around again later to offer you coffee and hot tea or a refill of your drink, and then they come around again later to offer you more coffee & tea and water. You will not go thirsty! They were so easy to deal with, kind, caring and gracious. There is no "first class" so you can use the restroom facilities in the front of the cabin without any disgruntle glares.
At Miami (2:00pm departure), they do not have curb-side check in, so you must go to their counter to check in. Not a big deal. They weigh your bags, tag it, and they take it over to their security area and you are done. We had only one small glitch - their computer system that issued the boarding passes had a major crash and they had to hand write each ticket. They dealt with it, the security team knew of the situation, it delayed the initial check-in process a bit, but everything still worked out. Because they are new to the Miami location, please give yourself 2 hours for that check-in! Luckily we did and needed it due to the computer malfunction. The airplane a, MD83, was only half full, so you could pick your seats! They do not offer a movie to watch, so bring your own laptop (which we did and watched our own movie), or your ipod.
At Curacao (10:30am departure), give yourself 1:30 for the check-in process. You must pay the departure tax once you get up to the top of the escalator, and they have an additional security check once through the boarding gate. And of course, always give yourself :30 minutes to return your rental car back in. Again the aircraft was only half full, so you could spread out and pick your own seats. There were no problems with their computers on this end of Curacao, so everything went very smoothly. Always courteous, friendly, and helpful.
Compared with AA or Delta, I have to say that we were very impressed with Insel Air. Their departure times are much better than American Airlines, although I understand AA has changed their departure times starting April 7 to leave MIA at 10:15am and leave CUR at 2:10pm. The lines were shorter, they were more caring and pleasant to deal with, and more services offered in flight. Their aircraft are older so expect small items to be broken, held together by duct tape or not in perfect working order (common for older airplanes), but still safe, roomie and comfortable, and no lost baggage. What the planes lack in cosmetic looks, they make up with attentive service and pleasant attitudes.
One surprise we had on both legs of our flights - Insel Air handed out numbered tickets to each passenger. Towards the end of each flight, they had a drawing to pick a number and gave away a free air travel ticket to the lucky winner! I have never seen anything like it before. I don't know if this will continue, but it was fun and unexpected, especially from an airliner.
I sure hope they are successful with their Miami connection because we will definitely use them again and I highly recommend their service to and from Curacao.
If you have any questions, email me at: info@Flamingo-Villa.com
Safe travels,
Flamingo
FlamingoVilla.com, Curacao Villa Rental
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