15 replies to this topic

[finGrabber]

Hey Everyone,

Wenchie and I are looking into air contracts for Bonaire in June 2009. So, we need to know the interest in using a contract for your airfare.

Basically, we must have 20 people use the contract discount which is 5% off the current published fare. They write the contract so that it can be used between date A and date B. This type contract allows us more flexibility because it can be used from any city Continental flies from. They usually also include a car rental discount code as well.

So, who is interested? Vote above and let us know!

[uwfan]

With my round about trip to Grenada I have a "certificate" (for lack of a better word) from Continental that has to be used on flight within a year (would be useable for this trip) - I'd definitely use air contract with Continental if I could apply that as partial payment. Is that possible? (Would use the air contract anyway but would hope to use the money already given to Continental.)

I'd also be willing to go with American Airlines - would just want to know which one to plan how to use the Continental funds.

[finGrabber]

I'll have to find out if you can use your existing e-Ticket with a discount code. I suspect you can but you'd probably have to call Continental direct to have the transaction processed

[georoc01]

Until the options for this trip, including classes gets posted, its hard to determine. Especially if I am making a decision of a 7 vs 10 day trip as the flight options are going to be different depending on the dates since most airlines don't fly to Bonaire daily.

My preference would be a one stop or less non red eye flight from Denver that doesn't involve a puddle jumper with major weight restrictions. However such flights don't exist, so its too early to tell what compromises I am willing to make vs the prices for those options.

Edited by georoc01, 01 October 2008 - 06:38 PM.

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

I can fly Continental to Houston, then the Continental red-eye out of Houston to Bonaire on a Friday night. So if that is one of the options available under contract, I would participate. Especially if add-on days in Bonaire work with the contract.

[finGrabber]

Actually, I don't think any airline flies there daily anymore, except the ones coming from Aruba or Curacao

I think that the flights will be determined by how long you want to stay. For example, you could do a mid-week trip with AA, Tuesday returning on Sunday of the following week. Or Saturday, returning the Sunday 2 weeks later

Or, you could do a 2 week trip on CO, Friday, returning the Saturday, 2 weeks later.

The choices have changed quite a bit since we were there in May

[finGrabber]

I can fly Continental to Houston, then the Continental red-eye out of Houston to Bonaire on a Friday night. So if that is one of the options available under contract, I would participate. Especially if add-on days in Bonaire work with the contract.

Yes, this is one of the options available. And add-on days will be available too

[uwfan]

I'll have to find out if you can use your existing e-Ticket with a discount code. I suspect you can but you'd probably have to call Continental direct to have the transaction processed

Now that I have it in front of me--it's a "Electronic Travel Certificate" (not a ticket). Not sure if that would make a difference...er, reading the fine print "may not be redeemed through a Travel Agency." It does have to be processed through Continental, if useable for this kind of transaction. Either way, I'd be up for either airline as a contract option. These things work out one way or another.

[Scubatooth]

mmm, i would be going with a AA flight plan since thats who i hold status with, but then again there is a pain threshold of how long the trip will take and how many stops.

Its looking to be 1-3 stops one way based off what im seeing since American only goes to bonaire 3x week according to the current timetable, and the airfare is through the roof.

[georoc01]

I have been playing with different options. One thing I noticed is that Continental has added a red eye through Houston on Saturday nights as well as the Friday night option that I flew last year. Which means flights back to the states both Saturday and Sunday Morning. Is an 8 day option available for this trip?

AA on its reduced schedule is a killer on the return. The shortest timeframe runs about 26 hours.

How about flying down on AA and back on Cozumel, how does that effect the contract option, or do they have to be RT?

Edited by georoc01, 06 October 2008 - 10:18 AM.

[Scubatooth]

george

i will agree with you on the AA options are crazy this far out. the cheapest routing i found was this DFW-LGA-MIA-SJU-BON-SJU-JFK-ORD-DFW, the most direct 1-stop route was over 1800.

[finGrabber]

I have been playing with different options. One thing I noticed is that Continental has added a red eye through Houston on Saturday nights as well as the Friday night option that I flew last year. Which means flights back to the states both Saturday and Sunday Morning. Is an 8 day option available for this trip?

AA on its reduced schedule is a killer on the return. The shortest timeframe runs about 26 hours.

How about flying down on AA and back on Cozumel, how does that effect the contract option, or do they have to be RT?

They have to be into and out of the same airport; so, the contract is only valid into and out of Bonaire

[georoc01]

I have been playing with different options. One thing I noticed is that Continental has added a red eye through Houston on Saturday nights as well as the Friday night option that I flew last year. Which means flights back to the states both Saturday and Sunday Morning. Is an 8 day option available for this trip?

AA on its reduced schedule is a killer on the return. The shortest timeframe runs about 26 hours.

How about flying down on AA and back on Cozumel, how does that effect the contract option, or do they have to be RT?

They have to be into and out of the same airport; so, the contract is only valid into and out of Bonaire

Sorry, working on two trips at once, I meant flying into Bonaire on American and out of Bonaire on Continental. Just booked flight to Cozumel for Halloween $402 RT. But had to do it into Cancun and out of Cozy to make it work.

The other question would be to do it as a 13 day trip, flying in Sunday AM on the 14th and out the Saturday AM on the 27th. Of course, the class schedule and other questions like costs to extend the trip need to be answered before to start worrying about airfare.

[finGrabber]

I have been playing with different options. One thing I noticed is that Continental has added a red eye through Houston on Saturday nights as well as the Friday night option that I flew last year. Which means flights back to the states both Saturday and Sunday Morning. Is an 8 day option available for this trip?

AA on its reduced schedule is a killer on the return. The shortest timeframe runs about 26 hours.

How about flying down on AA and back on Cozumel, how does that effect the contract option, or do they have to be RT?

They have to be into and out of the same airport; so, the contract is only valid into and out of Bonaire

Sorry, working on two trips at once, I meant flying into Bonaire on American and out of Bonaire on Continental. Just booked flight to Cozumel for Halloween $402 RT. But had to do it into Cancun and out of Cozy to make it work.

The other question would be to do it as a 13 day trip, flying in Sunday AM on the 14th and out the Saturday AM on the 27th. Of course, the class schedule and other questions like costs to extend the trip need to be answered before to start worrying about airfare.

for the AA contract to apply, you'd have to purchase the ticket one way...the same applies to CO; and the tickets must be purchased thru AA for AA space or CO for CO space...you can't use the discount code thru Orbitz, etc

WW, OTWdiver and I have talked about some specifics regarding classes, etc and I think we all agreed that we'd have to be in Bonaire longer than just 1 week to get everything done (rats!!) but, everything is dependent on schedules, other trips, etc

I'm sure once WW gets back in town for a while that we can hammer out the details and get the trip posted

[scubaski]

Here's some local 2nd tier Aruba-Curacao-Bonaire air carriers, some larger than others. Some have nice airport check-in counter and gates at Aruba and Curacao a/p. My last visit on Curacao dive trip another diver and wife went down a week earlier to Bonaire and used Divi-Dive to fly into Curacao. He said airline was well run with internet booking and this flight option worked well for him. Aruba is easy to fly into direct from east coast gateways and a connection to Bonaire could be made there.

http://www.flydae.com/

http://www.flydivi.com/

http://www.fly-inselair.com/

http://www.tiara-air.com/

Ss