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Scuba Forum / Scuba Locations / November 2005so the second trip fell through.. info requested..
My wife and I were looking to take our winter dive trip to the Caribbean between the end of February and mid March '06. We were thinking of Bonaire and two of the local shops offered trips there in the time we were looking.. both have disappeared in the last week .. Well more accurately they were moved to times when we can't go.. Now we are sad. I'm hoping someone can recommend some place that books dive travel. Ideally someone would know of a Toronto or at least Ontario company that runs dive charters... If not that then some company that puts together packages that leave from major centres.. Or at least some place on the internet that actually books packages with Air and Hotel and Diving.. I can get to whatever major Air hub is used but arranging all the minutiae is beyond anything I want to deal with. > Or at least some place on the internet that actually books packages > with Air and Hotel and Diving.. I can get to whatever major Air hub is > used but arranging all the minutiae is beyond anything I want to deal > with. James, what minutiae are you thinking of? I book virtually all of my own dive travel and find it completely painless. Is it that you want to be on a group trip? > > Or at least some place on the internet that actually books packages > > with Air and Hotel and Diving.. I can get to whatever major Air hub is [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Is it that you want to be on a group trip? Who do you book it through? Using Bonaire as an example I tried to re-create one of the trips that I could not make and scheduling the flights was just stupid.. OK so the place isn't the easiest place to get to but I kept seeing either incredibly high prices, long layovers or bizarre connections, one of the on-line companies actually showed me a connection through Amsterdam. I can find a hotel and they will be able to get me to and from the airport, Dive ops are also easy to come by.. rental car/trucks I can find or can be provided by the hotel .. putting it all together though isn't working out too well. > Who do you book it through? Using Bonaire as an example I tried to > re-create one of the trips that I could not make and scheduling the > flights was just stupid.. Hmmm. What airport are you leaving from, when do you want to go, give me five minutes and I'll get back to you. > > Is it that you want to be on a group trip? > > Who do you book it through? I almost always fly Continental. >Using Bonaire as an example I tried to > re-create one of the trips that I could not make and scheduling the > flights was just stupid.. Sometimes the places I want to go, can't be pieced together on their website. So far, with a telephone call, they've been able to put it together. Continental staff advises that their website just can't present some connections, for whatever reason. All I lose by making the reservation over the phone is 1000 points and 15-20 minutes. In any event, once booked, they email me my ticket. After I have my confirmation/reservation number, I can go into the website and select my own seats. I might even be able to finagle Continental into giving me the 1000 points too, inasmuch as, it is not my fault that their web booking system can't make the connection. I haven't tried that on yet but it seems reasonable to me. ;^) Also, you can try Sidestep. http://www.sidestep.com/ref/mail/travelfinds_web.html > OK so the place isn't the easiest place to get to but I kept seeing > either incredibly high prices, long layovers or bizarre connections, > one of the on-line companies actually showed me a connection through > Amsterdam. What has been more of a concern for me is when routing through Houston (which I do most times), there may only be 45-60 minutes between flights. This is not a problem for me when going to Belize, because if I miss the connection, there is another plane later that day, or worst case scenario, the next day. When traveling to a destination that has only once a week flights, I will often chose to stay in Houston overnight before the onward flight. Continental claims that I don't have to do this, that their connection times are adequate, but I chose to err on the side of caution. For example, on one of the trips to Roatan this year, my buddy coming from another city and decided to take the chance based on Continental's advice that there was time. Unfortunately, her plane was an hour late leaving her departure city. I was in the air on the forward flight, before her plane even landed in Houston. Continental managed to get her on a TACA flight within 3 hours, but her luggage didn't show up until 3 days later. As I understand it, had she also missed the TACA connection, she'd have had to be routed through San Pedro Sula the following day. Like I said, I'd rather err on the side of caution when taking a trip like that. As long as I'm already in Houston, I'm comfortable that I'll make the flight to my onward destination. Sure, it costs a bit more unless I'm using points for my hotel, but it's worth it to me. It's either that or always go to Belize, a destination which I've enjoyed almost often enough. > I can find a hotel and they will be able to get me to and from the > airport, Dive ops are also easy to come by.. rental car/trucks I can > find or can be provided by the hotel .. Exactly. >putting it all together though > isn't working out too well. Near as I can tell, your only problem is the air. Since you have to talk to your travel agent anyway, why not just cut out the middleman and book your flight directly? For the most part, my experience has been that the only time you save any money with an agent, is on a group trip. Even then, there's no guarantee of a saving. I've got a trip to Bequia coming up in the spring. The land/dive portion is an awesome deal because it's a package but we each have to arrange our own air. At this time, I have enough points to fly most of the way free. I just don't like the times of the points flights, so I'm considering shelling out the cash anyway. Long story, short: I've rarely spent more than 1/2 an hour making my own arrangements. As an aside, I still use Dasilva Dive Tours (now Caradonna) http://www.caradonna.com/caradonna/ for the dive portion of my SE Asia trips. I suppose that were they were able to put together a package, that was comparable to what I do for myself (for Caribbean destinations) I would use them for that. However, they haven't been able to meet or beat my own arrangements. Back in the day, when travel agents were still getting enough of a discount on flights, things were different. If you are considering using them, ask for Daryl Cyr. > I might even be able to finagle Continental into giving me the 1000 points > too, inasmuch as, it is not my fault that their web booking system can't > make the connection. I haven't tried that on yet but it seems reasonable > to > me. ;^) You could probably determine the legs you need on the phone and then book them, even if you have to do it as separate flights, on line. > Near as I can tell, your only problem is the air. Since you have to talk > to > your travel agent anyway, why not just cut out the middleman and book your > flight directly? For the most part, my experience has been that the only > time you save any money with an agent, is on a group trip. My experience is sometimes different, but usually because I book more than one service as part of a package. On one of our trips to the Caymans, for example, we booked a flight, hotel, food, drink and dive package through an agent for about what we would have spent on the hotel, food, drink and dive package alone. Practically, we got our airfare free. Lee > > I might even be able to finagle Continental into giving me the 1000 points > > too, inasmuch as, it is not my fault that their web booking system can't [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > You could probably determine the legs you need on the phone and then book > them, even if you have to do it as separate flights, on line. Not according to the phone staff. They say that some of the flights are code share or something like that. Also, the flights are more expensive that way. > > Near as I can tell, your only problem is the air. Since you have to talk > > to [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > agent for about what we would have spent on the hotel, food, drink and dive > package alone. Practically, we got our airfare free. OK. > Sometimes the places I want to go, can't be pieced together on their > website. So far, with a telephone call, they've been able to put it [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > I > can go into the website and select my own seats. It's not only 1,000 points. If you're flying a discounted economy ticket, which is basically what they sell, you only get half the mileage credit toward elite status when you don't book online. Also, I believe they charge a ticket surcharge of $10 or $20 when a real person actually has to do some work. > I might even be able to finagle Continental into giving me the 1000 points > too, inasmuch as, it is not my fault that their web booking system can't > make the connection. I haven't tried that on yet but it seems reasonable > to > me. ;^) You might want to try that. Good luck. I did have it out with them once when I only got half the elite credit for a flight I had booked online but had used miles to upgrade. Somehow, my talking to someone on the phone about the upgrade took the flight out of the "booked online" status. But that was their error. I played by the rules, so they did too eventually and credited me the rest of my miles. > What has been more of a concern for me is when routing through Houston > (which I do most times), there may only be 45-60 minutes between flights. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > flight. Continental claims that I don't have to do this, that their > connection times are adequate, but I chose to err on the side of caution. But none of this has to do with Bonaire. I easily found Toronto-Bonaire flights on continental.com, and there's a four-hour layover in Houston which is even enough time to get drunk. I have a half-hour in Guam to change planes to/from Bali, but Continental assures me that's OK even though it's sandwiched between a 5-hour leg and a 7.5-hour leg. They will hold certain flights if necessary. For example, had your flight into Houston been a little delayed, they may have held the flight to Roatan knowing that you needed to catch it. Otherwise, they're responsible for getting you to Roatan even if they need to use another airline to make it happen. > For example, on one of the trips to Roatan this year, my buddy coming from > another city and decided to take the chance based on Continental's advice [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > routed through San Pedro Sula the following day. Like I said, I'd rather > err on the side of caution when taking a trip like that. There you go. Risking a 3-day delay of baggage versus having to spend even one night in Houston, that's a real tough call. Me, I'd rather wear dirty underwear, but if it meant not have my scuba gear on a liveaboard trip, that's a different story. What's a real joke is that they only plan for the same 45 minute layover on connecting flights from outside the U.S. There is absolutely no way to get one's baggage, go through customs and immigration, recheck the bags, and run to the gate in that amount of time, especially with their new international arrivals maze which involves several miles of trekking through the bowels of IAH. Even if you were to make it, baggage doesn't have a chance to catch up. I'd prefer if they extended the connection time, perhaps doubling it. It's nice to absorb some local color in a foreign place like Texas. I enjoy counting guys wearing cowboy hats and Christian missionary kid groups in their colorful T-shirts. You never see that kind of stuff at LAX now that TSA keeps Jews for Jesus and the Hare Krishnas from getting past the security checks. > As long as I'm already in Houston, I'm comfortable that I'll make the > flight > to my onward destination. Sure, it costs a bit more unless I'm using > points > for my hotel, but it's worth it to me. It's either that or always go to > Belize, a destination which I've enjoyed almost often enough. Don't be so smug. I've laid over (in Miami, for example) and missed the next morning's flight due to oversleeping. It can happen. > Near as I can tell, your only problem is the air. Since you have to talk > to > your travel agent anyway, why not just cut out the middleman and book your > flight directly? For the most part, my experience has been that the only > time you save any money with an agent, is on a group trip. In the good old days, agents would market specials for the airlines. But with online sales, the airlines realizing that paying commissions hurts their bottom line, and the airlines realizing that paying employees hurts their bottom line, airlines usually reward those who help themselves, saving the best deals for their online customers. That's why you'll see far fewer travel packages that include air nowadays, unless, as you mention, it's a group trip. And oftentimes with a group trip, the group trip leader is taking up all the "slack" so you don't realize an individual benefit. > > they email me my ticket. After I have my confirmation/reservation number, > > I [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > which is basically what they sell, you only get half the mileage credit > toward elite status when you don't book online. I haven't noticed any difference in that regard. I'll have to look into it further. >Also, I believe they charge > a ticket surcharge of $10 or $20 when a real person actually has to do some > work. Hmm . . .I don't think I've had to pay that. I'll look into it. > > I might even be able to finagle Continental into giving me the 1000 points > > too, inasmuch as, it is not my fault that their web booking system can't [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > that was their error. I played by the rules, so they did too eventually and > credited me the rest of my miles. This is what I'm saying. > > flights, I will often chose to stay in Houston overnight before the onward > > flight. Continental claims that I don't have to do this, that their [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > flights on continental.com, and there's a four-hour layover in Houston which > is even enough time to get drunk. If that's what one chooses to do. > I have a half-hour in Guam to change planes to/from Bali, but Continental > assures me that's OK even though it's sandwiched between a 5-hour leg and a [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > responsible for getting you to Roatan even if they need to use another > airline to make it happen. And that's what happened for my buddy. However, if there is no other flight, what then? > > be > > routed through San Pedro Sula the following day. Like I said, I'd rather [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > underwear, but if it meant not have my scuba gear on a liveaboard trip, > that's a different story. There ya go. > What's a real joke is that they only plan for the same 45 minute layover on > connecting flights from outside the U.S. There is absolutely no way to get [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > IAH. Even if you were to make it, baggage doesn't have a chance to catch > up. Been there but I don't worry about it so much on my way back home. So what if I'm a day late getting home? > I'd prefer if they extended the connection time, perhaps doubling it. It's > nice to absorb some local color in a foreign place like Texas. I enjoy > counting guys wearing cowboy hats and Christian missionary kid groups in > their colorful T-shirts. You never see that kind of stuff at LAX now that > TSA keeps Jews for Jesus and the Hare Krishnas from getting past the > security checks. I don't think I've even seen anything like that in Houston airport, let alone the Sheraton. > > for my hotel, but it's worth it to me. It's either that or always go to > > Belize, a destination which I've enjoyed almost often enough. > > Don't be so smug. I've laid over (in Miami, for example) and missed the > next morning's flight due to oversleeping. It can happen. LOL. Don't drink so much on your layover. > > Near as I can tell, your only problem is the air. Since you have to talk > > to [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > group trip. And oftentimes with a group trip, the group trip leader is > taking up all the "slack" so you don't realize an individual benefit. There ya go. > And that's what happened for my buddy. However, if there is no other > flight, what then? There's always another flight. > Been there but I don't worry about it so much on my way back home. So > what > if I'm a day late getting home? You could get fired. That's what I'm constantly fretting about. >> I'd prefer if they extended the connection time, perhaps doubling it. > It's [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > I don't think I've even seen anything like that in Houston airport, let > alone the Sheraton. Definitely bigger over the summertime, when the kids are out of school and ready to save heathens in exotic foreign countries like Mexico and Aruba and all the suburban cowboys are wearing big cowboy hats to keep that strong fluorescent airport sun out of their eyes. I always imagine going up to one of the cowboys and saying "Howdy" or going up to one of the Jesus kids and saying "bless you", but if I were to get that drunk they wouldn't let me on the plane. Check it out sometime when you have more than 45 minutes to kill. > LOL. Don't drink so much on your layover. It was like staying in an airport overnight. I couldn't help myself. > > And that's what happened for my buddy. However, if there is no other > > flight, what then? > > There's always another flight. True, but it might not be for another week. Personally, I'd rather be sure that I get to my chosen destination to enjoy the intended week. > > Been there but I don't worry about it so much on my way back home. So > > what > > if I'm a day late getting home? > > You could get fired. That's what I'm constantly fretting about. LOL, ya, me too. > >> TSA keeps Jews for Jesus and the Hare Krishnas from getting past the > >> security checks. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > all the suburban cowboys are wearing big cowboy hats to keep that strong > fluorescent airport sun out of their eyes. Far more likely to see the big cowboy hats in the Calgary airport. >I always imagine going up to one > of the cowboys and saying "Howdy" or going up to one of the Jesus kids and > saying "bless you", but if I were to get that drunk they wouldn't let me on > the plane. Check it out sometime when you have more than 45 minutes to > kill. Well, according to you, I'd first have to have spent some time in the airport bar. > > LOL. Don't drink so much on your layover. > > It was like staying in an airport overnight. I couldn't help myself. :^) > What's a real joke is that they only plan for the same 45 minute layover on > connecting flights from outside the U.S. There is absolutely no way to get [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > IAH. Even if you were to make it, baggage doesn't have a chance to catch > up. The trek is seldom over a mile and a half, and you left out the part about clearing security again. That gives your baggage a chance to get ahead of you, especially since they make the entire journey on conveyor belts. When our return flight from Roatan arrived an hour late we made it to the gate in about 1:05, missing our connection by 5 minutes after covering 8.6% of the journey on slidewalks. Our bags were a bit quicker, and were waiting in a storage room when we got to Newark the next day. So much for any claims about bag matching.  SignatureSteve The above can be construed as personal opinion in the absence of a reasonable belief that it was intended as a statement of fact. If you want a reply to reach me, remove the SPAMTRAP from the address. > Or at least some place on the internet that actually books packages > with Air and Hotel and Diving.. I can get to whatever major Air hub is > used but arranging all the minutiae is beyond anything I want to deal > with. Take out your credit card. Oh, that's right, I forgot. Well, if you had a credit card, you could go online to American or Continental and book your flight to Bonaire in about 5 minutes. Hotel and diving you can maybe do online through one of the hotel websites, or at the least they'll have a contact number to a U.S.-based travel agent who makes their reservations. The hotels can usually book you a car as well, and they all offer diving packages. The minutiae is that you pick your car (preferably a pickup) up at the airport, you drive to your hotel, and you check in. With all the internet travel tools available nowadays, it's miraculous that travel agents can stay in business. Apparently there are still some people that believe that making travel reservations is some sort of arcane craft. If you do it yourself, you often get deals that the agents will ignore. You get better choice of seating on the airlines when you do it yourself. You save money on ticketing fees and other add-ons that travel agents have to charge nowadays since no one wants to give them commissions (go figure). And best of all, you get it done right if you're halfway competent. > > Or at least some place on the internet that actually books packages > > with Air and Hotel and Diving.. I can get to whatever major Air hub is > > used but arranging all the minutiae is beyond anything I want to deal > > with. > > Take out your credit card. Oh, that's right, I forgot. Well that is what happens when you tape it to the door.. It is amazing how hard they make it to spend money you actually have.. > Well, if you had a credit card, you could go online to American or > Continental and book your flight to Bonaire in about 5 minutes. American didn't seem to recognize Bonaire, at least in the online schedule checker.. I guess I'll try by phone .. Hey I just checked! On American I can Fly from Houston to Bonaire and from Toronto to Houston.. I just can't get from Toronto to Bonaire. I'm leery of trusting Continental again.. they succeeded in turning my last one our flight to NYC into a 14 hour farg around but I'll suck it up and give them another chance if their online system actually works. (nope they apparently fly Fridays but are totally booked up forever) > The minutiae is that you pick your car (preferably a pickup) up at the > airport, you drive to your hotel, and you check in. > > With all the internet travel tools available nowadays, it's miraculous that > travel agents can stay in business Normally I would agree but this is getting pretty silly > American didn't seem to recognize Bonaire, at least in the online > schedule checker.. I guess I'll try by phone .. Hey I just checked! On [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > works. (nope they apparently fly Fridays but are totally booked up > forever) I'm not sure if you wanted one or two weeks, but: Plugging Feb 24 and a Mar 4 return into Continental's website yields two seats at $943 per person. Four hour layover in Houston, which is more like three hours when you consider boarding and debarking waits. Plenty of time for a nice dinner at Pappadeaux's. Not the best price, and I personally hate flying on those RJ-45s, but it gets you there with one stop and minimal layover time. Same results for a Mar 11 return date. Trust Continental. They have one of the best on-time records, best consumer satisfaction grades, etc. They're also remarkably solvent. Houston gets a bit backed up at times returning through customs, but with 3 hours in between flights you'll have no problem. If you're getting a message that they're "booked up forever" you're simply using the wrong days. Continental only flies out of Houston at 11:30 p.m. Friday night and only returns from Bonaire on Saturday mornings at 8:30 a.m. Therefore, if you try to return from Bonaire on Friday, the system will tell you that there are no available flights. Makes sense? American does the trip with two stops: Miami and San Juan. Leaving on Feb 25, returning Mar 5, gives a fare of $1,184 per person. You can use their flexible dates feature to find lower priced fares. For example, if you leave on Feb 26 and return on Mar 5, you can fly for $1,004 per person. I have no idea why you'd want to fly through Houston on American. Houston is Continental's hub. It took me about five minutes to get both results for you. Give me your credit number and $50 and I'll even book the flights for you and call the hotel to arrange your car, room, and diving. I can't do everything for you for free, after all. > Normally I would agree but this is getting pretty silly Isn't it? A further option is Air Jamaica, which can fly you from Toronto to Montego Bay and then onto Bonaire. Unfortunately, they don't have a link to their flight schedule on their website and the few dates I plugged in for you didn't work. I had heard that they were discontinuing service to Bonaire, so perhaps that's why I can't get a reservation. Good luck. > It took me about five minutes to get both results for you. I was able to get similar but slightly costlier results by phone last night.. but unless I put both legs in the online tool exactly as they quoted me on the phone it still comes up "no seats available" >Give me your > credit number and $50 and I'll even book the flights for you and call the > hotel to arrange your car, room, and diving. I can't do everything for you > for free, after all. If I thought you were serious and wouldn't simply use the opportunity to take the piss I would happily do just that .. $50? a deal at twice the price.. > A further option is Air Jamaica, which can fly you from Toronto to Montego > Bay and then onto Bonaire. Unfortunately, they don't have a link to their [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Good luck. Thanks .. I think .. >>Give me your >> credit number and $50 and I'll even book the flights for you and call the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > to take the piss I would happily do just that .. $50? a deal at twice > the price.. I'm perfectly serious. $50 U.S. of course, not Canadian. However, I'll likely get arrested for impersonating a travel agent or practicing travel agency without a license. Maybe I better not. Still, for ten minutes of my time, it's not too bad a deal for me. That comes to $300 an hour, close enough to my attorney billable rate. The internet costs are free, I can call Canada and anywhere in the U.S. for free, and even if I have to call Bonaire directly, I've got a 25-cents a minute plan. > Trust Continental. They have one of the best on-time records, best consumer > satisfaction grades, etc. They're also remarkably solvent. Houston gets a > bit backed up at times returning through customs, but with 3 hours in > between flights you'll have no problem. I no longer "trust" 45 minute connections in Houston...think you suggested as much too. I now plan for 1.5 - 2 hours on our domestic connections through Houston, as we're usually also transferring between Continental and Continental Express, and they reside in different terminals in Houston, which can very easily eat up a half hour or more. Houston's one of those airports where the airlines use the time that the flight hits the runway as their official "arrival time" for the FAA, and not the time when the flight actually arrives at the gate and opens the door. There goes another 10 minutes. And while I'm probably exaggerating, it seems that the only time I've had a CO flight to Houston *not* arrive late was when then-CEO Gordon Bethune was sitting two rows in front of us...that flight actually arrived at the gate on time. -hh > I no longer "trust" 45 minute connections in Houston...think you > suggested as much too. I now plan for 1.5 - 2 hours on our domestic > connections through Houston, as we're usually also transferring between > Continental and Continental Express, and they reside in different > terminals in Houston, which can very easily eat up a half hour or more. I've made plenty, mainly because the flight out of sleepy Ontario airport is almost always on-time. But if it's anything important, like catching a subsequent flight or a liveaboard or something, I'll always allow extra time. We have three flights a day now to Houston. I used to take the 7 a.m., which puts me in Houston at a bit after noon and just in time to catch the 1 p.m. flights to various Caribbean or Atlantic locales. Now I take the 1 a.m. red-eye, which gets me to Houston in plenty of time to catch the 9 a.m. flights out with two hours to spare. If I should still somehow miss the 9 a.m. flight, the 1 p.m. flight serves as a backup. I basically trade the stress of potentially missing a flight for the exhaustion of a 3-hour red-eye, believing that exhaustion is far better on my heart. And if I ever get stuck in the airport for too long, my company was nice enough to buy me a President's Club membership. The 9 a.m./1 p.m. pattern works for most places they fly more than once a day out of Houston. I'm banking on it to get me to the Nekton Pilot in March: there's both a 9 a.m. and a 1:30 p.m. daily flight to Belize. (If I should somehow miss both, I've been told locals can ferry passengers to the boat for about $300 pp). There's a 9:15 and a 1:15 to Cozumel, a 9:15, a 10:30, and a 1:30 to Ft. Lauderdale, etc. I feel sorry for you Continental Expressed folks. Those RJ-145s scare the heck out of me and they screw you on the carry-on baggage. I'll add an extra leg to my itinerary just to route around flying on one as long as there's a reasonable alternative. Ontario is a big enough market to get three daily 737-800s plus two daily RJ-145s direct to Houston and it's only 15 minutes from my house. > Houston's one of those airports where the airlines use the time that > the flight hits the runway as their official "arrival time" for the [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > two rows in front of us...that flight actually arrived at the gate on > time. Amazing, that. > I feel sorry for you Continental Expressed folks. Those RJ-145s scare the > heck out of me and they screw you on the carry-on baggage. I actually like them, since with only ~50 passengers, they unload quite quickly and I like the seats better than the 737's. Since my carry-on bag is softsided and for the typical quick business trip (1-2 nights), I'm generally not carrying much anyway, their small overhead bins are big enough for me...its the guys with the big roll-on bags that have to gate-check. But you'll probably get your way, since the current US industry assessment is that small 50-seater regional jets such as the 145 are probably going to be removed from service over the next ~10 years, partly because the increase in fuel costs have made them too expensive per passenger-mile. Perhaps Embraer's "big brother" to the 145, the 72 seat Embraer 170 (see: http://corporate.alitalia.com/en/fleet/erj170.htm), will take over the segment? I don't know if anyone in the USA is flying these yet, but the 170 does have satisfactory sized overhead compartments. > > ...only time I've had a CO flight to Houston *not* arrive late > > was when then-CEO Gordon Bethune was sitting two rows in > > front of us...that flight actually arrived at the gate on time. > > Amazing, that. 'Twas a straight shot right in. Wished they did that all the time. -hh "-hh" <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com> pounded away at his keyboard resulting in: :I no longer "trust" 45 minute connections in Houston...think you :suggested as much too. I now plan for 1.5 - 2 hours on our domestic :connections through Houston, as we're usually also transferring between :Continental and Continental Express, and they reside in different :terminals in Houston, which can very easily eat up a half hour or more. I no longer trust 45 minute connections anywhere. Minimum 2 hours for sure, 3 in the winter. Dan Bracuk If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure. >"-hh" <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com> pounded away at his keyboard >resulting in: [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >I no longer trust 45 minute connections anywhere. Minimum 2 hours for >sure, 3 in the winter. If you're changing in DFW, allow a minimum of 90 minutes if you are changing terminals, more if you are going to A0, as that's a remote terminal and the bus ride seems to always take 30 minutes. >Dan Bracuk >If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure. > >----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==---- >http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups >----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- Signaturedillon Science is when a beautiful theory is killed by an ugly fact. >My wife and I were looking to take our winter dive trip to the >Caribbean between the end of February and mid March '06. We were [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >used but arranging all the minutiae is beyond anything I want to deal >with. Some time ago I used aquadreams and was very happy with them http://www.aquadreams.com/destination_menu.htm This is a list of other travel agencies with a scuba diving emphasis http://www.scubaduba.com/main/nftravel.html grandma Rosalie > If not that then some company that puts together packages that leave > from major centres.. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > used but arranging all the minutiae is beyond anything I want to deal > with. If you contact any of the operators on Bonaire, they will direct you to a US travel agent who can handle the whole thing. Maybe because you're in Canadia, they will send you to a Canadian agent. We used Frequent flyer miles to get to Aruba, and then took Bonaire Exel to bonaire. We bought a dive, drive and sleep package ffrom Plaza Resort through their US agent. We had trouble booking the Bonaire Exel flights ourselves, and Plaza'a US agent was able to do it with no problem. ajames54@hotmail.com pounded away at his keyboard resulting in: :I'm hoping someone can recommend some place that books dive travel. :Ideally someone would know of a Toronto or at least Ontario company :that runs dive charters... Rick Taman 416-461-2432 is a travel agent specializing in dive travel. He is currently with Paragon Travel, www.paragontravel.com. I do all my bookings through him. Pretty well all of the local dive shops also organize trips, but, their dates have to match your availability and you already know that does not always work. Dan Bracuk If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure. I've booked with www.bayadventures.com for Cozumel and Belize. They also do Bonaire and Cayman. They got me good rates for air, hotel and diving. Check online or give them a call (9-5 EST). Thanks for all the replies... this is a lot more to go on.. |
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