With rising airline ticket prices and the end of Southwest’s “bags fly free” policy, travelers are getting weary of sticker shock. Enter Arajet, the Caribbean startup budget carrier hoping to disrupt the U.S. market with low-cost flights between Miami and Santo Domingo.
Arajet launched its first flight from Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) in Santo Domingo to Miami International Airport (MIA) on April 11 and will immediately start operating four weekly routes between Miami and the Dominican Republic’s capital, with plans to ramp up to daily flights and add on a new journey between Punta Cana (PUJ) and Miami as well.
Though the airline is advertising one-way tickets for as low as $84, roundtrip fares from Miami to Santo Domingo hover around $220. Flights from Miami depart in the afternoons and evenings. Arajet began in 2022 and operates a fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which hold 185 seats.
The Caribbean airline released its ambitious plans to enter the U.S. market late last year, announcing new flights from New York, Miami and Puerto Rico. Arajet will begin flights from Newark International Airport (EWR) to Santo Domingo on June 16, with roundtrip fares starting around $262. Flights from San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) to Santo Domingo will also begin in June.
Most tourists know the Dominican Republic for its white-sand beaches and bright blue waters, but don’t sleep on its capital, Santo Domingo. One of the oldest settlements in the New World, the Caribbean city has undergone a radical transformation in recent years thanks in large part to a multimillion loan from the Inter-American Development Bank.
The tried and true gems of Santo Domingo are not to be missed, like the 15th-century architecture in the UNESCO-protected Zona Colonial. The Alcázar de Colón, with its fortified walls and double arcade, will transport you back to the days of Columbus while art deco hotels in the district boast a chic, modern flair. Let's be honest: any new potential trips gets us giddy with excitement—and this is certainly no exception.