Continental to Bonaire? Hot damn.

Bulletin (June 24, 2005) In a ceremony that heralded a first for Bonaire -
a US carrier flying to Bonaire non-stop-Continental Airlines signed an
agreement to begin weekly flights from Houston beginning Saturday, December
16, 2005. The Friday night "red-eye" will leave Houston at 11:15 pm,
arriving in Bonaire at 5 am. Because of the time difference the schedule
effectively adds a day to a vacation. The return flight leaves Bonaire at
7:30 am, arriving Houston at 11:20 am. More details in the next issue of The
Reporter.

http://www.bonairereporter.com/


Houston, TX (IAH-Intercontinental) to Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
(BON)Dec. 16, 2005Once weekly+
(Friday southbound/Saturday northbound) Boeing 737-700 (73G)

(+subject to government approval)

http://www.continental.com/travel/de...F9B9B60B5485A2

Thus spake "Greg Mossman" <mossman@qnet.com> :

>Bulletin (June 24, 2005) In a ceremony that heralded a first for Bonaire -
>a US carrier flying to Bonaire non-stop-Continental Airlines signed an
>agreement to begin weekly flights from Houston beginning Saturday, December
>16, 2005. The Friday night "red-eye" will leave Houston at 11:15 pm,
>arriving in Bonaire at 5 am. Because of the time difference the schedule
>effectively adds a day to a vacation. The return flight leaves Bonaire at
>7:30 am, arriving Houston at 11:20 am. More details in the next issue of The
>Reporter.

The Reporter adds an extra day at the beginning, but fails to notice
the loss of a day at the end.

If I get in at 5 am, where am I going to put my gear and get changed,
or get changed and put on my gear? If I'm going to add a day to my
vacation, I want to do it diving, and waiting for a room to become
available at 3 pm.

>
>http://www.bonairereporter.com/
>
>
>Houston, TX (IAH-Intercontinental) to Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
>(BON)Dec. 16, 2005Once weekly+
>(Friday southbound/Saturday northbound) Boeing 737-700 (73G)
>
>(+subject to government approval)
>
>http://www.continental.com/travel/de...F9B9B60B5485A2
>

--
dillon
Linux, it's not just an OS, it's a way
of life.

And a damn fine one, at that.

"Dillon Pyron" <dmpyronINVALID@austin.rr.com> wrote in message
news:bgg5c1hm8lgiefg7g8qgucmp03qj6kci1d@4ax.com...

> If I get in at 5 am, where am I going to put my gear and get changed,
> or get changed and put on my gear? If I'm going to add a day to my
> vacation, I want to do it diving, and waiting for a room to become
> available at 3 pm.

Stop griping. It's enough that Continental is flying there at all.
Finally.

Either you can negotiate with your accomodations to allow you in a bit
earlier (it's gonna be a bit later then 5 in the morning by the time you get
your luggage, clear customs/immigration, and get your vehicle), or perhaps
they have day rooms or at least a changing area where you can change and
secure your belongings. Real divers wear their gear on the plane so all
they have do is strap on a tank, weight up, and walk into the water straight
from the airport.

I don't see it as losing a day. It's really gaining one since you
Houstoners can work until 5 p.m., go home to eat dinner and pack, get to the
airport that night, and be diving the next morning. I can catch a late
afternoon flight out of Ontario so I don't lose a full day even from the
west coast. Far superior to the AA option through PR or the AJ option
through Montego Bay or the Exel option out of Aruba or Curacao. And I can
get my Continental mileage for the flight and use miles to upgrade. If this
gets government approval and becomes official, I'll give it a whirl in the
spring.

Dillon Pyron wrote:
> Thus spake "Greg Mossman" <mossman@qnet.com> :
>
> >Bulletin (June 24, 2005) In a ceremony that heralded a first for Bonaire -
> >a US carrier flying to Bonaire non-stop-Continental Airlines signed an
> >agreement to begin weekly flights from Houston beginning Saturday, December
> >16, 2005. The Friday night "red-eye" will leave Houston at 11:15 pm,
> >arriving in Bonaire at 5 am. Because of the time difference the schedule
> >effectively adds a day to a vacation. The return flight leaves Bonaire at
> >7:30 am, arriving Houston at 11:20 am. More details in the next issue ofThe
> >Reporter.
>
> The Reporter adds an extra day at the beginning, but fails to notice
> the loss of a day at the end.
>
> If I get in at 5 am, where am I going to put my gear and get changed,
> or get changed and put on my gear? If I'm going to add a day to my
> vacation, I want to do it diving, and waiting for a room to become
> available at 3 pm.
>


It beats my current options by a long shot - San Pedro Sula to Miami,
to Caracas, to Bonaire via Aruba or Curaçao. Now if the price is
decent......because current fares from SPS to Bonaire are as much as a
round trip flight from SPS to Seattle, WA from SPS

Sandi

Greg Mossman wrote:
> Either you can negotiate with your accomodations to allow you in a bit
> earlier (it's gonna be a bit later then 5 in the morning by the time you get
> your luggage, clear customs/immigration, and get your vehicle), or perhaps
> they have day rooms or at least a changing area where you can change and
> secure your belongings. Real divers wear their gear on the plane so all
> they have do is strap on a tank, weight up, and walk into the water straight
> from the airport.
>
> I don't see it as losing a day. It's really gaining one since you
> Houstoners can work until 5 p.m., go home to eat dinner and pack, get to the
> airport that night, and be diving the next morning. I can catch a late
> afternoon flight out of Ontario so I don't lose a full day even from the
> west coast. Far superior to the AA option through PR or the AJ option
> through Montego Bay or the Exel option out of Aruba or Curacao. And I can
> get my Continental mileage for the flight and use miles to upgrade. If this
> gets government approval and becomes official, I'll give it a whirl in the
> spring.
>
>
Its official. You can go online and book Continental for the spring.
There are a couple of options for the early arrival; KLM flies in from
Amsterdam very early in the morning, 2:00 or 3:00, I think. Some of the
resorts charge for 1/2 day for a room. I will probably ask the resort
to store my luggage, grab my truck, and go diving (after the 9:00
required orientation dive.) The real downside for me is that the return
flight on Saturday knocks out any diving on Friday.

With Air Jamaica, we arrived early enough on Saturday to do our
orientation dive and a night dive, and since the plane doesn't leave
until 3:00 or so on Saturday, we can dive most of Friday. I'm booked on
an Air Jamaica flight in about three weeks, and I'm worried about
getting there at all this year. They have just resumed year round
Saturday flights, so it may get better.

Thus spake "Greg Mossman" <mossman@qnet.com> :

>"Dillon Pyron" <dmpyronINVALID@austin.rr.com> wrote in message
>news:bgg5c1hm8lgiefg7g8qgucmp03qj6kci1d@4ax.com.. .
>
>> If I get in at 5 am, where am I going to put my gear and get changed,
>> or get changed and put on my gear? If I'm going to add a day to my
>> vacation, I want to do it diving, and waiting for a room to become
>> available at 3 pm.
>
>Stop griping. It's enough that Continental is flying there at all.
>Finally.
>
>Either you can negotiate with your accomodations to allow you in a bit
>earlier (it's gonna be a bit later then 5 in the morning by the time you get
>your luggage, clear customs/immigration, and get your vehicle), or perhaps
>they have day rooms or at least a changing area where you can change and
>secure your belongings. Real divers wear their gear on the plane so all
>they have do is strap on a tank, weight up, and walk into the water straight
>from the airport.
>
>I don't see it as losing a day. It's really gaining one since you
>Houstoners can work until 5 p.m., go home to eat dinner and pack, get to the
>airport that night, and be diving the next morning. I can catch a late
>afternoon flight out of Ontario so I don't lose a full day even from the
>west coast. Far superior to the AA option through PR or the AJ option
>through Montego Bay or the Exel option out of Aruba or Curacao. And I can
>get my Continental mileage for the flight and use miles to upgrade. If this
>gets government approval and becomes official, I'll give it a whirl in the
>spring.
>

True. It beats the crap out of missing your connection in Montego
Bay, which AJ is very notorious for doing. Either they are late
getting out of Houston or Miami and miss the connection or you get in
on time and discover that the flight out of MB is delayed several
hours.

I'll quit my whining, except that it's going to be a year or so before
we can go.

And now AJ isn't feeding you. CO at least does that.

--
dillon
Linux, it's not just an OS, it's a way
of life.

And a damn fine one, at that.

Sandi wrote:
>
> Dillon Pyron wrote:
>
>>Thus spake "Greg Mossman" <mossman@qnet.com> :
>>

> It beats my current options by a long shot - San Pedro Sula to Miami,
> to Caracas, to Bonaire via Aruba or Curaçao. Now if the price is
> decent......because current fares from SPS to Bonaire are as much as a
> round trip flight from SPS to Seattle, WA from SPS
>
> Sandi
>

Under $500 for a direct flight.

Edward wrote:
> Sandi wrote:
> >
> > Dillon Pyron wrote:
> >
> >>Thus spake "Greg Mossman" <mossman@qnet.com> :
> >>
>
> > It beats my current options by a long shot - San Pedro Sula to Miami,
> > to Caracas, to Bonaire via Aruba or Curaçao. Now if the price is
> > decent......because current fares from SPS to Bonaire are as much as a
> > round trip flight from SPS to Seattle, WA from SPS
> >
> > Sandi
> >
>
> Under $500 for a direct flight.

$491 from Houston to Bonaire but I don't originate in Houston. I
originate in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. It's closer to $1500 for me. I
checked Continental. Two people, $3K just on airfare. Thanks but no
thanks.

Sandi

Whistler wrote:
> Edward wrote:
>
>>
>> Under $500 for a direct flight.
>
>
> Now how do you suppose they do that, with their shorter flights to
> Roatan about $200-$300 more?

Introductory/off season pricing.

Whistler wrote:
> Edward wrote:
> >
> > Under $500 for a direct flight.
>
> Now how do you suppose they do that, with their shorter flights to
> Roatan about $200-$300 more?

Airport fees charged to airlines? I live in Honduras. I've found that
this is one of the most expensive countries for airline prices.

Sandi