The Best Dominican Airports

Which are your favorite Dominican international airport(s)?


  • Total voters
    49

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,368
3,150
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Which Dominican international airport(s) do you consider to be the best? If needed, you can pick more than one option in the poll.

Take into consideration the following characteristics:

1. Aesthetics inside and out of the terminal.
2. Efficiency (time it takes to go through check in, immigration, baggage claim, etc)
3. Convenience (location of terminal relative to your destination in the DR plus airline selection and flights offered)
4. Comfort (quality of the entertainment/restaurants/bars/stores available within the terminal, customer service, etc)
5. Safety (in terms of health hazards and personal safety)

Feel free to name the Dominican airport you hate the most and why.

AEROPUERTO INTERNACIONAL DE LAS AMERICAS (Santo Domingo)
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AEROPUERTO INTERNACIONAL DE LA ROMANA (La Romana)
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AEROPUERTO INTERNACIONAL EL CATEY (Saman?)
president-juan-bosch-el-catey-samana-airport-1.jpg


AEROPUERTO INTERNACIONAL DE PUNTA CANA (Punta Cana)
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AEROPUERTO INTERNACIONAL DEL CIBAO (Santiago)
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AEROPUERTO INTERNACIONAL LA ISABELA (Santo Domingo)
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AEROPUERTO INTERNACIONAL GREGORIO LUPERON (Puerto Plata)
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bigwhiskey

New member
Aug 29, 2010
383
4
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Puerto Plata airport suck's the big one from the immigration guy trying to get a tip from you when you present passport to the baggage handler saying "you have something for me n my friend because he no check your bag" No more
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
8,367
842
113
add the option "none of the above" and I will vote as none are worth much. Just another Dominican obstacle to overcome.
 

Luperon

Who empowered China's crime against humanity?
Jun 28, 2004
4,510
294
83
Do they have to x ray every f#$king bag at STI??? EVERY ONE!
 

rafael

Bronze
Jan 2, 2002
1,633
28
48
61
www.dr-tourist.tv
True story. Years ago near Christmas I arrived in STI with an ex novia. Besides christmas shopping, I had some musical equipment and also a piece of video equipment worth about 12k in my luggage. I see they have two long lines for x rays, which was not normal in SDQ.

So, I try the "dumb gringo" approach. After guy checks luggage tags I walk briskly between the two x ray machines and bolt for the door. Some customs guy is yelling senor, senor and I keep walking. Another guy catches me when I was halfway out the door. He starts walking me back to x ray machine and the customs guy was steaming. Yelling at me that I need to come to him and put all my stuff through x rays.

I notice, that the machine where he is at has a woman with face practically up against the x ray monitor watching like a hawk.
However, the other machine had NOBODY looking at monitor.

So, I continue to play dumb and walk to the unattended machine and put all of our luggage on the belt with the customs guy watching me like a hawk. He had a look on his face that said, "gringo tried to pull a fast one, but I am too smart". I took bags off belt stacked on cart and walked out waving to him.
 

cleverlemming

New member
Jul 14, 2012
150
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I had a great experience the last time I flew into Santiago (Cibao). First of all, the customs guy saw the huge wave of people coming off of the packed plane, looked around at how much staff he had, and then waved us all through. The airport itself was spotless. And, when I emerged between the metal barricades holding back the big crowds outside--half of them holding up cell phone cameras--I felt that I had finally achieved the celebrity that had long eluded me.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
i only ever used POP, STI and SDQ. POP rules: it is close to home, very well organized, never had a problem. SDQ is way too far, long term parking prices are a killer. flew to STI once and never again, the landing was the worse nightmare of puke with the flight approach and sudden drops and then lifts up.
 

CaptnGlenn

Silver
Mar 29, 2010
2,321
26
48
I voted for PUJ even though that's the only Dominican airport I've ever been through. LOL does my vote still count???
 

CARIBETORNO

New member
May 3, 2013
263
0
0
they never ever make me stand in line in Puerto Plata I get rushed through. I think it because I am ugly and they do not want me scaring anyone.
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,368
3,150
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Cibao International is trying to capture more customers:

[video=youtube;C2i8qaCCCGM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2i8qaCCCGM[/video]

Cibao (Santiago), La Romana, and Punta Cana airports are all privately owned and operated, but open to the public. The Santiago airport is own and administer by its own company owned by a handful of the wealthiest men in Santiago (they waited years for the government to build a new airport and, as usual for the Santiago region, they ran out of patience and had to take things into their own hands).

What would be of Santiago without its loyal businessmen? When the government fails to deliver, they do it themselves!

The La Romana airport is owned and operated by Casa de Campo/Florida Crystals corporation, based in southern Florida. Punta Cana airport is owned and operated by Grupo Punta Cana, the owners and developers of The Estates at Puntacana, the Punta Cana Resort, Tortuga Bay luxury boutique hotel, Punta Cana Village, and everything else between the airport and the entrance to Cap Cana.

All other international airports are owned by the government and operated by AERODOM, a public-private company.
 
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NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,368
3,150
113
Of all Dominican airports, the one with perhaps the nicest natural scenery awaiting visitors is the Cibao:

[video=youtube;YBlEHjjcMHc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBlEHjjcMHc[/video]
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
yeah, STI may have a nice scenery but landing is positively puke inducing. i've heard the same opinion from friends who has a misfortune to land there and thought those were the last minutes of their lives.
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,368
3,150
113
According to this, Punta Cana (PUJ) and Las Am?ricas (SDQ) are in 4th and 6th place, respectively, concerning the number of foreign airlines among Latin American airports. Punta Cana has 29 and Santo Domingo 21 both surpassing other much larger airports such as El Dorado in Bogot?, Benito Ju?rez in M?xico City, and Luis Mu?oz Mar?n in San Juan.

Dominican Republic, M?xico, and Brazil are the only countries with more than one airport in the top 14th.

airlines01.jpg
 

CFA123

Silver
May 29, 2004
3,512
413
83
. The Santiago airport is own and administer by its own company owned by a handful of the wealthiest men in Santiago (they waited years for the government to build a new airport and, as usual for the Santiago region, they ran out of patience and had to take things into their own hands).

NALs that's exactly what happened. I was business partner with one of these men... I admit to thinking they were crazy to do it when they were in the early planning stages. However their vision for what the airport would mean for our businesses and the growth of the Cibao region overall was on target. This handful of men have done and continue to do immeasurable things to benefit the region/country and deserve tremendous credit. Unfortunately that was one venture I was not in on...
 

gas

New member
Jul 28, 2013
238
0
0
Aside from its lousy location, I never had a problem with SDQ and kind of enjoy hanging out for a little while. It's like a mall, albeit an expensive one. Not once in about 10 trips did I have a problem with customs or immigration. Then again, if anyone starts asking questions, I just keep saying "no hablo espanol" until they get frustrated and let me go.
 

Riva_31

Bronze
Apr 1, 2013
2,533
179
63
San Pedro de Macoris
According to this, Punta Cana (PUJ) and Las Am?ricas (SDQ) are in 4th and 6th place, respectively, concerning the number of foreign airlines among Latin American airports. Punta Cana has 29 and Santo Domingo 21 both surpassing other much larger airports such as El Dorado in Bogot?, Benito Ju?rez in M?xico City, and Luis Mu?oz Mar?n in San Juan.

Dominican Republic, M?xico, and Brazil are the only countries with more than one airport in the top 14th.

airlines01.jpg

Aunque no esta actualizada la tabla hay varias lienas que ya no vuelan a SDQ pero a su vez hay otras nuevas que han llegado o estan por llegar a SDQ que no estan ahi como el caso de Gol que vuela actualemnte desde SDQ, Winair que comenzara a volar en Diciembre, y o Pawa y Santa Barbara Air de venezuela que anunciaron comenzaran a volar no mas tardar dentro de 3 meses.

Opps sorry this is english forum, lol, the table is not updated, there are some airlines that do not flight anymore to SDQ as Iberia and American Eagle, but there are some new one as Gol that is already serving SDQ and Winair from San Martin that will start service in December, and Pawa is coming back also Santa Barbara Airlines from Venezuela.
 
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dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
just came back from our trip to europe and getting to POP reminded me why i like the place so much. it's small and compact so there is not a lot of walking. new decorations are really nice (rainbow panels in windows, local beach names engraved in a wall). it's very clean.

my only complains are the high thieving prices and a lack on sufficient info upon entering the country. there should be large boards showing what documents you will need to fill, how much and where you will pay tourist card and so on.