What to know about tickets on sale for low-cost airline from Miami to Dominican Republic
South Florida travelers have a new option to get to the Dominican Republic.
Tickets are now on sale to fly the low-cost airline Arajet nonstop between Miami International Airport and Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo.
Starting April 11, the Dominican carrier will fly four times a week from MIA to Santo Domingo, with more flights added later in the year, the company said in a statement.
Arajet will fly new Boeing 737 Max 8 planes, with a capacity of 185 passengers. Cabins will be mostly economy, although some seats will have extra legroom and cost more.
Cost of tickets
Since going on sale, $130 one-way was the lowest fare the company promised. Arajet’s website on Friday listed a one-way ticket on May 9 from MIA to Santo Domingo for $126 with a return May 16 for $154. Both fares include taxes and fees.
The company also said it’s offering an additional 30% off fares on flights between MIA and Santo Domingo, excluding taxes and fees. Go to arajet.com and under Promotion, type HOLAMIAMI. The offer runs through Jan. 31.
Arajet will later add non-stop flights between MIA and Punta Cana. It’ll also start flights between New York and Santo Domingo or Punta Cana although it hadn’t yet finalized which airport or city when Manuel Luna, chief communications officer for the carrier, spoke with the Miami Herald in December. Additionally, the airline expects to launch non-stop flights between San Juan, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
U.S. and Dominican opening
The long-awaited debut flights from MIA are part of a larger opening between the Dominican Republic and the U.S., and a potential boon for travelers and the tourism industry.
They come after the Dominican carrier received U.S. Department of Transportation approval in December as part of an agreement between the U.S. and the Caribbean country that makes it easier for airlines to fly in and out of each country.
“This agreement with the Dominican Republic is a step forward in liberalizing the international civil aviation sector in the Western Hemisphere,” the State Department said in a statement.
The carrier received U.S. government approval to start selling tickets on Jan. 17.
Arajet’s expansion come as tourism in the Dominican Republic is breaking records.
In 2023, the DR received over 10 million tourists by land and sea, a high, according to the newspaper Dominican Today. That number is expected to reach 12 million by the end of 2024.
In the first nine months of 2024, the country saw about 8.4 million visitors, a record for that period and 55% higher than January through September in 2019, Dominican Today reported.
That growth could get turbocharged with American Airlines’ daily flights between MIA and La Romana, which started Dec. 5 with a 128-passenger Airbus A319.
Miami travel ties
The Dominican Republic’s ties with South Florida are strengthening as the Caribbean country keeps growing. And South Florida has been a big beneficiary of the growth.
In 2022 and 2023, the Dominican Republic was MIA’s third largest source of international passengers, behind only Colombia and Mexico. This year the number is increasing.
Midway through 2024, the Dominican Republic was on pace to provide 1.7 million travelers at MIA, according to Greg Chin, communications director for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department. That would be 36% more than the 1.25 million travelers in 2023, according to official figures kept by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Meanwhile, Miami VIPs have been flying to Casa de Campo Resort & Villas, a favorite getaway. Pitbull and Marc Anthony are regulars. Lili Estefan, host of Univision’s El Gordo y la Flaca, attended the resort’s 50th year anniversary in October. She told the Miami Herald she’s been frequenting Casa de Campo for 25 years and loves the Dominican Republic.
Springboard to other places
Arajet’s new flights could be a boon for places beyond the Dominican Republic and travelers looking to get there.
You can also now book flights from MIA to nine locations in the Caribbean, Central America and South America if you’re willing to connect in Santo Domingo. Those places include Aruba, Bogotá, San Salvador and Mexico City. The 30% promo also applies to Mexico City and Cancún,
The carrier transported more than 1.2 million passengers in 2024 and expects that to increase to 1.7 million in 2025.
Arajet’s two bases are in Santo Domingo and Punta Cana.