It’s about to get easier—and cheaper—for American travelers to fly to the Caribbean from New York City and Miami thanks to new flight routes rolling out this spring and summer.
Arajet, the flagship airline of the Dominican Republic, has just announced a new route between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Las Américas Santo Domingo Airport (SDQ) with fares starting at $262 roundtrip. The new flight launches on June 16, 2025 and will operate four times per week on the carrier’s fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. From the Dominican Republic, travelers can continue on to a total of 24 connecting flights to destinations in Aruba, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and beyond.
It’s just the beginning of US operations for the low-cost carrier Arajet, which will also begin nonstop flights from Miami (MIA) to Santo Domingo on April 11, 2025, as well as from Miami to Punta Cana (PUJ) on June 13, 2025, and from San Juan (SJU) to Santo Domingo on June 4, 2025. The new routes will operate four times a week from Miami and San Juan to Santo Domingo, while flights between Miami and Punta Cana will operate six times per week. One-way tickets start as low as $84.
The new flights are some of the least expensive options out there for Americans traveling to the region; airfare prices to the Caribbean in March and April are averaging $424 per round trip ticket, according to travel booking platform Hopper.
“Arajet is excited to welcome American tourists and the diaspora community with low fares to the Dominican Republic and more than 20 exciting destinations,” Victor Pacheco, CEO and founder of Arajet, said in a news release. “These routes will expand tourism in our region, making it easier for travelers to discover our country and connect to exciting destinations in neighboring Caribbean islands as well as Central and South America.”
Arajet’s entry into the US market follows an Open Skies agreement between the US and Dominican Republic announced in August, which means Dominican-domiciled airlines are now allowed to fly anywhere in the US. Additional airlines currently flying between New York and the Dominican Republic include United Airlines from EWR, as well as JetBlue and Delta Air Lines from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
“This pro-consumer agreement will provide more flight options between the US and DR and lower airline fares. It will also increase travel and spur economic growth in both of our great nations,” US Congressional Representative Adriano Espaillat said in a statement following the Open Skies agreement. “Perhaps most importantly, today’s historic agreement will directly allow more Dominican American families, visitors, and American tourists affordable travel options to visit the country and their loved ones abroad.”
Founded in 2022, Arajet is a start-up carrier and not yet well-known by American travelers. Similar to low-cost carriers in the US, travelers can choose from three tiered bundles: Smart, Comfort, and Extra. Features like extra legroom, luggage, and priority boarding all attract extra fees. The baggage fee for a carry-on, for example, starts at $39.99 if purchased online and in advance.
