When will DR open for International travel??????

[Cdn_Gringo]

I suspect until there is an effective treatment, most countries will opt to limit the number of people crossing their borders to prevent the loss of any containment gains achieved. In the case of a vaccine, countries will wait until the majority of its citizens have received the vaccine and a further 2 to 4 weeks to allow the created immunity to kick in.

The other side of the coin would be when the majority of a population has been infected and recovered so that additional infections won't stress the healthcare systems or be perceived by that population as a risk to their health. Either way, people will not be coming anytime soon. When borders can reopen is pretty much up to science and Mother Nature.

 

[windeguy]

When this first started, I had a feeling that August would be the "re-start" time frame.

I heard through the grapevine that the curfew in place would run through May 31. Just a rumor, but from someone who was sure of their connection to the government. I was looking to see if that was confirmed.

 

[windeguy]

I suspect until there is an effective treatment, most countries will opt to limit the number of people crossing their borders to prevent the loss of any containment gains achieved. In the case of a vaccine, countries will wait until the majority of its citizens have received the vaccine and a further 2 to 4 weeks to allow the created immunity to kick in.

The other side of the coin would be when the majority of a population has been infected and recovered so that additional infections won't stress the healthcare systems or be perceived by that population as a risk to their health. Either way, people will not be coming anytime soon. When borders can reopen is pretty much up to science and Mother Nature.

So with a vaccine taking between 1.5 and 2 years we have quite a long wait based upon that science and reality.

I suspect the reality of borders opening, people going back to work, etc will be based upon governments and not actual science. A trade off of lives versus money, which is after all, how the world really works.

 

[josh2203]

I read from POP digital that hotels on the NC would be closed (for now) up until the end of May, and just checked the website of Condor, you can currently purchase a slight FRA-PUJ for April 20th. No flights before that...

I hope the government here makes smart decisions knowing that (unfortunately) many of the main sources of tourists here are those places with the worst situation with the covid...

 

[NanSanPedro]

Excellent points. Be prepared to see the peso hit 100. I remember being ridiculed for calling a 50 peso mark when the peso was at 12. The naysayers called me an alarmist, a Chicken Little extremist. The path to 100 has been set and will accelerate thanks to coronavirus.

Opening up the country to tourism will solely depend on economic collapse factors. Public health be damned. Either way, the desire of a minority few to protect the local population will be outstripped by the financiers, the profiteers and pirates who have come to the DR solely for gain.

This has been the function and purpose of the DR since its inception over 500 years ago.Strip the land, remove its resources and extract any productive value to benefit foreign interests. Trujillo was the last Nationalist that gave a damn about the country.

You've got to be effing kidding.

 

[Timotero]

As a data point, United Airlines has canceled all flights into the DR for the entire month of April. (They normally fly here to four airports: SDQ, STI, POP, PUJ). On their website, the first date they are showing flights into the DR is May 4th.

Obviously that could change.

Additional information from United Airlines. Late Friday United “top management” issued the following statement:

“We are currently planning to make even deeper cuts in May and June. And, based upon how doctors expect the virus to spread and how economists expect the global economy to react, we expect demand to be suppressed for months after that, possibly into next year.”

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

I hope that an effective treatment that curtails this disease in the body can be found much quicker than the time needed for a vaccine to be produced, tested and distributed.

Governments have the option to open up their economy by releasing people from their homes and letting the chips fall where they may. I don't think any Govt could withstand the criticism of allowing foreigners into the country after making the decision to allow the disease to run wild for economic reasons. Citizens and Residents infecting one another is one thing, being seen to allow foreigners to infect locals is something quite different within the scope of political optics.

 

[chico bill]

So with a vaccine taking between 1.5 and 2 years we have quite a long wait based upon that science and reality.

I suspect the reality of borders opening, people going back to work, etc will be based upon governments and not actual science. A trade off of lives versus money, which is after all, how the world really works.

If they have something real I think they can fast track it. It may not happen in litigious societies, like the US, and all the red tape required by the FDA as well, but Europe might produce it quickly. Let's just hope they don't buy ingredients from China

 

[william webster]

Remember thalidomide

 

[playacaribe2]

Hey guys I am looking for some credible information as to when the Dom Rep will open again for incoming International flights? I have heard April 3rd, April 15, May 31 and beyond. Does anyone have any insight into this?

The DR opening is but a small piece of the equation. In the end it matters little what they do/want.

What matters is when other governments and airlines begin to allow flights to go out of their respective countries and into the DR.........because a flight out..........also means a flight returns......and at this point no one is willing to take any chances.

And if Governor Cuomo has any say..........JFK, which supplies a large number of flights to the DR and elsewhere, likely won't be reopening to international travel for months.

Added.........an accountant in Bavaro who is now working from home for a major hotel chain there, indicates even if the ban for flights has been lifted...........the resort will need at least another 1-2 months to fully clean, staff, do maintenance and provision before it can re-open.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

The development of new drugs is always subject to extensive testing and human trials for that very reason. The re-purposing of existing drugs that are already fairly well documented would be the type of thing that could be expedited in the current circumstances.

All options should be looked at but we must understand that some degree of testing is needed before anyone can say that such and such is a reliably effective treatment for CV19. Until that is testing is done demonstrating repeatable results even if limited and expedited, the premise is little more than hope and wishful thinking.

Better than nothing treatment options will present themselves first and in time even better options will be found. Patience is a virtue that is hard to maintain while hooked up to a vent.

 

[Timotero]

As a data point, United Airlines has canceled all flights into the DR for the entire month of April. (They normally fly here to four airports: SDQ, STI, POP, PUJ). On their website, the first date they are showing flights into the DR is May 4th.

Obviously that could change.

And United is also running what some might consider a “bait and switch”.

United has been actively promoting their new “flexible booking policy thru March 31st”. It says something to the effect of “we know your concerned about possibly having to change/cancel your travel plans. We hear you and therefore you can change or cancel without penalty any tickets you purchase by March 31st. Even ‘non-refundable’ fares qualify for this”.

So United is hoping you’ll go ahead and buy tickets prior to March 31st for say Thanksgiving travel in November, or a Christmas trip is December. Or your regular month long trip to the DR in January, confident that if you have to cancel the trip because of virus concerns (or any other reason) you will get your money back.

And now this is where, IMO, the scam comes in. Because recently United also changed its refund policy. Now, if you cancel your trip, instead of refunding the money to your credit card, United will issue an Electronic Travel Certificate (ETC). The ETC is good for future travel on United for the next 12 months. Only if you don’t use the ETC during that 12 month period will United then issue a refund to your credit card.

Here’s a practical example.

United has currently cancelled all their DR flights for April. But they are showing a full DR flight schedule for May.
So today (March 28th) you buy a ticket for a 2 week ticket to the DR from say May 10th-May 24th,2020 for $500.

The on April 30th, United cancels “all DR flights for May”. They issue you an ETC “valid for travel on United until April 30th, 2021”. You don’t use the ETC during that period, so then on May 1st, 2021, United (finally) issues a $500 refund to your credit card.

So even though they know right now that they will most likely cancel their flights to the DR in May, they are still offering tickets for sale for May. That’s the “bait”.
But when they do cancel those flights, the earliest you can actually get your money refunded will be in 12 months. That’s the “switch”.

So in the example I gave above, United basically received a $500 interest free loan from you for over 13 months (March 2020 -May 2021). Bad for you, but it helps their short-term cash flow.

 

[william webster]

The DR opening is but a small piece of the equation. In the end it matters little what they do/want.

What matters is when other governments and airlines begin to allow flights to go out of their respective countries and into the DR.........because a flight out..........also means a flight returns......and at this point no one is willing to take any chances.

And if Governor Cuomo has any say..........JFK, which supplies a large number of flights to the DR and elsewhere, likely won't be reopening to international travel for months.

Added.........an accountant in Bavaro who is now working from home for a major hotel chain there, indicates even if the ban for flights has been lifted...........the resort will need at least another 1-2 months to fully clean, staff, do maintenance and provision before it can re-open.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

The logistics of a 'reboot' are staggering --- not just airlines...society and commerce in general

 

[cobraboy]

My guess is only that it will NOT be April 3rd.......

Probably depends on the containment success.......
A moving target

Agreed.

I fully expect another 15-day extension from April 3.

I hope the poohbahs allow freight forwarders to bring in goods.

 

[william webster]

There are rumors of a TOTAL shutdown of the airways..... from a Jet Blue pilot

Imagine - people still flying in this mess..........

 

[Tamborista]

There are rumors of a TOTAL shutdown of the airways..... from a Jet Blue pilot

Imagine - people still flying in this mess..........

No need to spread FAKE NEWS.

 

[william webster]

Did you read the Jet Blue part TT??

Same one that got me JFK-AZS in under 3 hrs and flew over his brother's house here en route

USA better do something to limit interaction activities...
Pretty poor response(s) so far

Are you old enough to remember 9/11 ??

 

[Africaida]

Jetblue is selling tickets after April 3rd. WW

Not sure about Americans, but I don't know any Dominicans-Americans whose trying to to DR anytime soon.

 

[KyleMackey]

When will DR open for International travel?????? Within 1 week of the USA/Canada loosening restrictions.

 

[lifeisgreat]

Just because you can buy a ticket from airline right now ,means nothing print it use it as toilet paper.. most airlines are being optimistic 30 days and jet blue well it’s jet blue... but really no one knows ..my guess June, why June because I slept in a Holiday Inn and do yoga now !