JetBlue -- AZS

[jd426]

No one knows LT, tired of explaining that I am not going to Punta Cana. Even by Dominicans abroad (to my great surprise).
I admit I kinda like it that way (selfish I know).

Try explaining Las Galeras to people even well Traveled NY/NJ Vacationers... LOL.. they have no clue unless they google it... where that is or what its about.. then you show them pictures and they are like WOW I wanna go there.

I think maybe jet blue thought the Samana Peninsula would catch on faster.. as in immediately.. They only started the Route in like Nov 2013? I know it was Nov, but cant recall if it was '13 or '12.
the Peninsula really is very much still how the OLD Dom Rep used to be, and if it stays that way for a long time, that is just fine with me. Jet blue to AZS direct or not.

 

[william webster]

2012... and yes, they feel it is a good destination that never got traction

 

[LTSteve]

2012... and yes, they feel it is a good destination that never got traction

The problem is for an airline they need consistient volume. The Samana Peninsula has a relatively small number of All- Inclusives and that's what tourists from NYC and NJ primarily want. I am on the flight next week and I will miss it but flying into SDQ is not bad. I have a rental car company about 10 minutes from the airport that will pick me up and drop me off. The drive to LT can be done in about 2.5 hours. Not the 30 minutes from El Catey but not bad. Perhaps another carrier will pick up the route next high season. I will talk to the people from Jet Blue while I am flying down and see what they say.

 

[william webster]

They all got this , Steve
and i said before, I doubt there are enough beds in area to support those flights & seats twice weekly.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saman?: We have struggled to generate awareness for this beautiful but relatively unknown destination since our launch in 2012. Our twice-weekly JFK-AZS flights represent the only airline service to/from the United States. Service will end May 3, 2016. Even with this change we are continuing to grow capacity to our five other BlueCities in the Dominican Republic, where we are by far the #1 airline. In fact, we will move capacity from Saman? into growing Punta Cana, where fares and load factors are far superior

 

[Africaida]

They all got this , Steve
and i said before, I doubt there are enough beds in area to support those flights & seats twice weekly.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saman?: We have struggled to generate awareness for this beautiful but relatively unknown destination since our launch in 2012. Our twice-weekly JFK-AZS flights represent the only airline service to/from the United States. Service will end May 3, 2016. Even with this change we are continuing to grow capacity to our five other BlueCities in the Dominican Republic, where we are by far the #1 airline. In fact, we will move capacity from Saman? into growing Punta Cana, where fares and load factors are far superior

I could almost hear the sad music playing in the background.

They failed to have affordable flights if you ask me :smoke:

 

[jd426]

Yeagh, someone did not do their Homework,. thats for sure..
Any seasoned DR Person on this board could have told them it would probably not work, or at least not catch on that fast... Not like they expected.. Samana is for me is a ONCE a year thing... I would guess for Many others as well.
Whereas the rest of the country could be 4 other trips. Especially Like Santo Domingo. where some people travel as much as 10 times a year or more.
That is probably the pattern they did not calculate. which is so odd.
How many AI's total, and how many Hotels, with home many Rooms ?'
and the many smaller Hotels you have to almost know about them to find them, they are so small How many NY Families would stay at such a small unknown Hotel ? Not many..Thats more of a European thing, small intimate Hotels..
Americans , esp NY'ers like the BIG Ai's where everything is done for them & their Days activities almost planned out , and there are just not enough of them on that Peninsula.. in the end its simple math really.

 

[william webster]

Apr 27... $179 one way

but 'Frica, that's the problem , they want more $$$ per seat and can't get it to AZS

 

[Africaida]

Apr 27... $179 one way

but 'Frica, that's the problem , they want more $$$ per seat and can't get it to AZS

Yeah, they had nice specials, but their high season ticket prices were insane.

My other problem was also that Wednesday and Saturday are not days I usually fly, it never worked with my schedule.

But jd nailed it, not an AI destination, no good for Americans I guess.

Also, LT have too few English speakers compared to other places in DR.

 

[LTSteve]

I could almost hear the sad music playing in the background.

They failed to have affordable flights if you ask me :smoke:

I am on the flight next weds and I payed $370 roundtrip. I don't necessarily think it is the price. Obviously it depends when you are flying and how far ahead you make your reservations. It may be the fees that the Airport mgmt at El Catey are charging Jet Blue. The DR does not make it easy for the airlines with many excessive fees. I would not be surprised if the route is picked up by another airline.

 

[william webster]

Steve -- read again
Punta Cana has superior fare and load factors..... cf AZS

Also read my $850 saving by getting the low fare guarantee 2 weeks before Christmas
One month before was astronomical.. as the date approaches, they drop prices to fill the plane.

You won't beat that $370 R/T... but remember, prices like that are the problem
Too low to satisfy JetBlue

 

[jd426]

The Odd thing is that POP is now so CHEAP... Cheaper than STI or AZS going all the way into Semana Santa Week... or am i seeing it wrong.
Its Good, but whats up with that ?
So now Im gonna land at POP and drive to Samana..but get to see the Coastline along the way, so that is good.

 

[william webster]

That is odd.... not normally so.

Prices are funny these days.. even the travel experts say it matters not when you book .
the pattern is all over the place.

Last AZS to JFK flight(end of Apr) is $650 +/-.... fly the Wed before for $179.... same route
go figure

 

[jruane44]

So now that the flights are getting canceled.....what is the best way of getting there? It was expensive taking a cab from the airport into the town.......about $75 to $85 each way. A flight into the capital then transportation to Las Terrenas can not be cheap. I love the place, but don't know if I want to drag the family, on a couple of hour drive, that will cost a fortune......round trip.

 

[santiagodude]

Did the POP bus to Las Terrenas January 2....5 hours one way, never again....Paid a premium for a private hire back to POP (little over 2 hours)..
It must just be me but I don't get the LT attraction (besides some nice beaches and good pricey food)....then again, I am not French

 

[jd426]

Whats wrong with Renting a Car ? its a NICE Drive.. if I can do it, anyone can and you can explore the Peninsula a lot more with the new Freedom.. Pick a Hotel with a nice secure Park lot.. and u good. just saying.

 

[william webster]

POP to AZS should be about 2.5 hrs.... then add to LT (25 min) or Pto Plata proper.

SDQ to LT should be a bit over a 1.5 hrs.

Those are my guesses

 

[LTSteve]

So now that the flights are getting canceled.....what is the best way of getting there? It was expensive taking a cab from the airport into the town.......about $75 to $85 each way. A flight into the capital then transportation to Las Terrenas can not be cheap. I love the place, but don't know if I want to drag the family, on a couple of hour drive, that will cost a fortune......round trip.

Yes, the flight into El Catey AZS was very convenient. Before that I would fly into Santo Domingo and have a rental car company meet me with a car at the airport and drive to LT. With the new highway it is under 3hrs. If you have to get a car and driver to pick you up in SD and drive you to Las Terrenas it will cost you with tip $200usd each way. You can rent a midsize SUV for probably $400usds for the week. I would think that by next high season that some carrier out of NY will pick up the route into the Samana Peninsula.

 

[LTSteve]

POP to AZS should be about 2.5 hrs.... then add to LT (25 min) or Pto Plata proper.

SDQ to LT should be a bit over a 1.5 hrs.

Those are my guesses

There is no way in you can get to LT form SDQ in an hour and a half unless you are doing 90 miles an hour all the way up the highway. I have driven it many times and the mininimum it would take is 2hrs 15minutes and with traffic getting from the airport to the Samana highway it is closer to 2hrs and 45 minutes. That is taking the new highway extention from El Catey to Coson. If you have to go over the mountain add another 30 minutes.

 

[william webster]

Steve
SDQ to LT is way under 3 hrs by my calculations....

10-15 minutes form the airport to the new hwy
50-60 minutes on that hwy
and then the short leg to LT... 45 minutes ? if that


It's 100km long, approx... the new road

 

[william webster]

I am Cabrera to SDQ in 2 hrs 15 minutes .... not killing it