More flights will connect South Florida and the Dominican Republic. Less than a month after ticket sales began for the first non-stop flights between Miami International Airport and Santo Domingo, the Dominican low-cost airline Arajet is opening sales for a second route: from MIA to Punta Cana.
Here's what you need to know:
When does the new Arajet flight start?
Arajet is adding six non-stop flights per week between Miami and Punta Cana. The flights start on June 13 and will operate daily, except Wednesdays, the company announced Monday, February 10. Tickets are already on sale.
What’s the fare?
▪ On Arajet's website, a one-way ticket from Miami to Punta Cana on July 1 was available for $174, with a return on July 8 for $206. Both fares include taxes and fees.
▪ As part of the new service launch, Arajet offers up to a 50% discount off the base fare — excluding taxes and fees — for two people until February 16. Use the promo code «LOVE2025» on the airline’s website. This applies to direct flights between MIA and Santo Domingo or Punta Cana, as well as connecting flights to one of 14 destinations in Latin America, including Bogotá, Buenos Aires, and Kingston.
What aircraft will be used on the new routes?
Arajet will operate on new Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, with a capacity of 185 passengers. The cabins will be mostly economy class, although some seats will offer extra legroom and will cost more.
What is known about the flights to Santo Domingo?
In January, the airline opened sales for non-stop flights between Miami International Airport and Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo. These flights will operate four times a week starting April 11. More flights are likely to be added later this year, according to the company's statement. The airline received approval from the U.S. government to begin ticket sales on January 17.
Are there plans to open new routes?
Arajet also plans to begin flights between New York and Santo Domingo or Punta Cana, although the airline has not yet decided on the airport or city, when Manuel Luna, the carrier’s communications director, spoke to reporters in December. Additionally, the airline plans to launch non-stop flights between San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.
What does this mean for American and Dominican tourism?
The long-awaited first flights from MIA are part of a broader opening of air connectivity between the Dominican Republic and the U.S., and a potential boon for travelers and the tourism industry. They emerged after the Dominican carrier received approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation in December under an agreement between the U.S. and the Caribbean nation, which facilitates flights for airlines to operate between both countries and from them.
"This agreement with the Dominican Republic is a step forward in the liberalization of the international civil aviation sector in the Western Hemisphere," the U.S. Department of State said in a statement. Arajet’s expansion comes at a time when tourism in the Dominican Republic is breaking records. According to the Dominican Today newspaper, in 2023 the Dominican Republic welcomed over 10 million tourists by land and sea, which is an all-time high.
In 2024, this number reached 11.2 million, another record, according to the same publication. During the first nine months of 2024, about 8.4 million tourists visited the country, a record for that period and 55% more than January-September 2019, reports Dominican Today. This growth may accelerate thanks to daily American Airlines flights between MIA and La Romana, which started on December 5 on a 128-seat Airbus A319. The connections of the Dominican Republic with South Florida are strengthening as this Caribbean country continues to grow. South Florida has been a major beneficiary of this growth.
In 2022 and 2023, the Dominican Republic was the third-largest source of international passenger traffic for MIA, after Colombia and Mexico. This year, that number is increasing. According to Greg Chino, Miami-Dade Aviation Department spokesperson, by mid-2024, the Dominican Republic plans to serve 1.7 million travelers at MIA. This is 36% more than the 1.25 million travelers in 2023, according to official U.S. Department of Transportation data.
Could this help baseball in Asia?
Another potential beneficiary of increased flights is Japan, which has a consulate in Miami and actively promotes business with the 305 route. Japan's professional baseball league largely recruits players from the Dominican Republic. The Japanese team Hiroshima Toyo Carp has a baseball academy in the Dominican Republic.
"We are very interested in discovering young talents in this region," said Kazuhiro Nakai, Japanese Consul General in Miami. He emphasized the importance of the Dominican Republic as a source of baseball talent.
What about other tourist destinations?
New Arajet routes may also benefit travelers wanting to visit other countries outside the Dominican Republic. Now you can book flights from MIA to nine Caribbean, Central, and South American destinations if you wish to transfer in Santo Domingo. These include Aruba, Bogotá, San Salvador, and Mexico City. In 2024, Arajet transported over 1.2 million passengers and hopes to raise that to 1.7 million in 2025. The airline’s two bases are in Santo Domingo and Punta Cana.
