Continental(Micronesia)
 

I really like the percentage of how on time the flight usually is on aa.com but they don't seem to have that on Continental. Has anyone here flown with them to/from Palau, Guam or Saipan? Were they on time? On the way back, the flight will arrive in Hong Kong from Saipan at 8.40pm(Monday). I hope to catch another flight back home to Bangkok at 10.10pm, that's the last flight of the night on Cathay Pacific which I'll use my miles to fly for free. I don't really feel like spending the night and leave the earliest flight on Tuesday. I have no intention to get out of the airport either. Not too sure if I should take the risk? I'll only have my backpack which I will carry on and my tickets should be e-tickets. Any comment?

They're usually on time. For what it's worth, when I head over to China from Micronesia I've never had a problem with CO being on time and I've never missed connections in HK due to late arrival from CO.

They usually depart and arrive early.

Within the last year or so, Continental Micronesia had one of the best on-time arrival records of any domestic U.S. carrier.

You can check out the statistics at the DOT website, I understand.

I tried doing that on www.bts.gov, but couldn't find the stats on CO 909, for some reason.

Perhaps it's listed as CS 909.

Thanks a lot! That's very great to hear. You live in Saipan? Does it rain a lot these days?

The rainy season is from July to December, but we still get rain in the "dry season" (not like California).

I get the water in my house from a roof catchment.

While we don't have "monsoons," it usually rains a lot when tropical storms or typhoons pass through the vicinity. Otherwise, I could usually find an hour to go jogging after work, if I wanted to, four or five days a week. Often rain clouds will blow over the island, bringing 20-minute showers.

Except for tropical storm-associated activity, the rain showers can often be fairly light, so umbrellas are not common. One dries off quickly, anyway.

Thanks. I have a few more questions to ask if you don't mind. Is Tinian worth visiting. I'm not interested in casinos or beaches if it makes any difference. I understand Freedom Air flies every hour between Saipan and Tinian so maybe it's not too bad to visit it even though I have such a short time(8.20am to 5pm) or am I being stupid to even think about it?

As for Saipan, is there any travel agency at the airport that can provide me a car with a driver? If so, how much should I expect to pay? I actually have a US driving licence but due to the short time I have, I'd rather not drive myself and get lost :)

I have never heard of hiring a car and driver, and taxis are expensive -- unless you hire an "illegal taxi" driven by an unemployed, out-of-status alien. However, you might inquire from the Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA).

Most people not on a package tour do rent cars. Saipan is a small island, and it's hard to get lost -- especially since we got street signs a couple of years ago. The MVA often has maps at the airport (though the English ones seem to run out faster than Japanese or Korean), and I'd expect rental cars have maps.

I went to Tinian on my honeymoon. Other than the casino and beaches, there is the interesting history of World War II. It is fun to drive all over the overgrown runways of North Field, built by the Seabees and the busiest airport in the world in early 1945. There is the old Japanese operations building, the loading site of the Atomic Bomb, and a few other old concrete buildings. Only 4000 people live there, so it is very quiet and laid back. If you like hiking, there are caves on the southeast part of the island where you can still find WWII skeletons and other historical objects (not to be pilfered) and there is a nice view from the southern Suicide Cliff. I think it makes an interesting day trip to explore.

Things can be expensive, so maybe bring your own snacks, water, etc. You can also buy jars of the famous Tinian hot pepper. If you can get a historical map at the airport or visitor center, it will enhance your trip.

The short TIQ-SPN flight is also scenic.

Re-reading your question, is 0820-1700 your time available for Tinian? That would be enough for a fun day. Or Tinian plus Saipan? In that case, you're pushing it. There are at least three or four days worth of things to see here, particularly if you're into WWII history or nature.

Is September a good time to visit Saipan? :confused: I know it is Saipan's "wet" season!

Thanks! Unfortunately those are the times I will have in Saipan. The thing is my destination is actually Guam but I'll do a bit of stopover in Saipan. Maybe I should just forget about Tinian this time.

neuro0, well you can always hope and pray for good weather. I'm guessing typhoon season starts in Oct so I'm not too worried about Sep. I'm more a fan of rain than sun though so I'm sure it won't be so bad for me.

As posted above, "typhoon season" starts in July, but they have occurred year-round. While at least twice as common as hurricanes in the southern U.S., they are certainly not an every day occurrence.

Do tourists abandon Florida and New Orleans during the entire hurricane season? ;)

Oh someone told me even though it starts raining in July, typhoons normally don't come until Oct. But oh well he just moved to Saipan 3 months ago so he probably doesn't know much :)

One more question if you're not bored with me already. Is there a locker at the airport?

No.

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