Getting to Bonaire

[dmaziuk]

Relatively inexpensive is still ~$200 more than our last trip to CUR few years ago. The story I heard is you can get off some affected island by ferry and/or local hopper to an unaffected one. Thereby increasing the demand there, and the market responds as it is supposed to. It should swing back, though, just about now, as more local companies add flights to places like Panama or Dominican Republic, from where you can catch flight to Toronto via Chicago.

Somebody recently told me sometimes a ticket all the way to Toronto is cheaper than the one to Chicago, and as long as you have no checked bad you can just get off at ORD and not come back on board.

 

[tkaelin]

Nonstop JetBlue JFK-Cur still in the $300s. Same for GCM on multiple airlines

 

[KathyV]

Prices from Albany, NY have jumped from somewhere around $600+ round trip to between $1,200 and $2,800 (and even higher - economy class) AND the travel times have gone from around 7 hours to between 20 and 40 hours either going or returning or both. Pretty much the same for Curacao. WTF? Are they trying to keep people from going to the Lesser Antilles?

This may be an off-the-wall suggestion, but would it be possible/feasible to cheaply take a bus or train to NYC and then fly out of NYC? I'm guessing that you may be able to cheaper flights from NYC than Albany.

Or how about renting a car in Albany and driving to NYC and dropping off the car at the airport?

And if you can find a cheaper (direct?) flight to Curacao then you should be able to connect to Bonaire pretty cheaply, just an idea.

 

[KathyV]

Aruba Airlines is now offering flights from Aruba to Bonaire 4 days per week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday) so if you can find an easy, cheap flight to Aruba you may be able to connect to Bonaire! And Aruba is a popular vacation destination so you may have more options to get there!

Aruba Airlines

 

[scubafanatic]

Prices from Albany, NY have jumped from somewhere around $600+ round trip to between $1,200 and $2,800 (and even higher - economy class) AND the travel times have gone from around 7 hours to between 20 and 40 hours either going or returning or both. Pretty much the same for Curacao. WTF? Are they trying to keep people from going to the Lesser Antilles?

Holy Moley! While Bonaire hasn't been on my bucket list for over a decade (did 2 1-week trips years ago, got the T-shirt....I'm more of a live aboard guy) I can sympathize with those wanting to go there, those prices/ time frames are outrageous! With those airfares, the 'all in' price of a nice, relaxing live aboard is less than the 'legendary' cheap bargain priced shore diving of Bonaire.

 

[Insta-Gator]

ATL to BON in January has gone up $100+ PP since we booked some months ago. This may be our last trip to the Caribbean for diving. We can drive to Florida. Even if we spend ~$3,000 for a week in FL (with some dives) the total cost for a week will be about $2,000 less.

 

[Kharon]

This may be an off-the-wall suggestion, but would it be possible/feasible to cheaply take a bus or train to NYC and then fly out of NYC? I'm guessing that you may be able to cheaper flights from NYC than Albany.

Or how about renting a car in Albany and driving to NYC and dropping off the car at the airport?

And if you can find a cheaper (direct?) flight to Curacao then you should be able to connect to Bonaire pretty cheaply, just an idea.

Actually none of those work anymore. No direct flights out of Newark or JFK and the going and return trip is still through Huston & sometimes Chicago to Newark - 20+ hours. And, the cost is the same from NYC factoring in driving (which sux), hotel (which sux), and/or bus/train (which sux).

Next stop Key Largo. I can fly direct from Albany (3 hrs+ for <$200 round trip)) to Ft. Laud. rent a car, bypass Miami, and dive from a boat for about a quarter or less of the cost of Bonaire at this time.

 

[tkaelin]

Bon air travel just has to improve. When we first went to Bon in 2009. We choose Bon, in part, because there was a nonstop flight from JFK for in the $300s. If that flight and price remained we would have traveled to Bon every year. unfortunately it did not. In 2010 the JFK flight no longer existed and the only nonstop option was out of Newark in the $400s and a redeye. The next year it was in the $600s and we passed. We have returned in '12 and '16 but cost and flight options a big deterrent.

 

[Kharon]

Nonstop JetBlue JFK-Cur still in the $300s. Same for GCM on multiple airlines

Yep. It's a 3-4 hour drive to JFK 6-8 hours round trip (usually more) and the trafic sux. Add in cost of gas and tolls, parking, hotel (if needed) and it ain't no where near $300. It's much closer (if not more) to the fare from Albany - and it's Cur not Bonaire. It's another $150 round trip IF you can make connections without an overnight.

You have to take in all the costs and other factors. My brother used to say it only took 3.5 hours to my sister's house. He started counting when he got on the thruway and stopped when he got off - door to door it was actually 5 hours.

 

[mbs]

Yep. It's a 3-4 hour drive to JFK 6-8 hours round trip (usually more) and the trafic sux. Add in cost of gas and tolls, parking, hotel (if needed) and it ain't no where near $300. It's much closer (if not more) to the fare from Albany - and it's Cur not Bonaire. It's another $150 round trip IF you can make connections without an overnight.

You have to take in all the costs and other factors. My brother used to say it only took 3.5 hours to my sister's house. He started counting when he got on the thruway and stopped when he got off - door to door it was actually 5 hours.

Clearly the solution is to move closer to Newark Oh wait, better yet, move to Bonaire!!