Airlines schedule many flights as of June and July

Dolores

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 20, 2019
15,480
2,415
93
Airplane-Wikipedia-e1583190035204.png


Leading airlines had been operating repatriation flights after the Medina administration grounded flights upon declaring a National State of Emergency for the coronavirus on 20 March 2020. Airlines are now taking reservations for flights as early as mid-May, subject to government approval.

The airlines are advertising no change fees and may return your money if the flight cannot be made. The flights are being scheduled into Santo Domingo and Santiago international airports, where the largest numbers of Dominicans live. In addition to passenger travel, the flights are essential for cargo transportation. The carriers are expected to gradually resume other flights and add other airports to their booking.

The bad news is that many of the flight fares are costly, in some cases two or three times what they have cost in the past.

JetBlue is accepting reservations for flights...

Continue reading...
 
Last edited by a moderator:

CristoRey

Welcome To Wonderland
Apr 1, 2014
11,717
7,977
113
I have a flight booked departing Santiago for FL on May 22.
Will let you folks know if I make the flight or end up having
rebook for another date.
 

NanSanPedro

Nickel with tin plating
Apr 12, 2019
6,475
5,588
113
Boca Chica
yeshaiticanprogram.com
I'm wondering if the prices will come back down soon after the restrictions are lifted. My thoughts are that there will be an initial grab of flights by people desperate to go somewhere but then those of us who aren't desperate will wait to see if the fares get more reasonable.
 

PCMike

Active member
Aug 30, 2008
315
226
43
I'm wondering if the prices will come back down soon after the restrictions are lifted. My thoughts are that there will be an initial grab of flights by people desperate to go somewhere but then those of us who aren't desperate will wait to see if the fares get more reasonable.
Nan...I just checked some prices. They are not 2-3 times higher...in fact, most are lower than average into Santo Domingo and Punta Cana for early June and into the summer. Check it out on Google Flights.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NanSanPedro

Africaida

Gold
Jun 19, 2009
7,775
1,341
113
Nan...I just checked some prices. They are not 2-3 times higher...in fact, most are lower than average into Santo Domingo and Punta Cana for early June and into the summer. Check it out on Google Flights.

Same here. The price are slightly cheaper than usual.
 

Drak

Member
Jul 7, 2015
186
23
18
Air Canada announced yesterday that they may not fly until Christmas.

I think you misread what was said. Here is what I read:
"I think by Christmas you will see a significant amount of flying again..."

Source link.

Air Canada currently has flights from YYZ to POP starting June 3rd.

Whether they fly that day, remove them from their site, or whatever is of course unknown (including Windeguy's latest post).

Who knows what will happen after the elections or in the coming weeks as well.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
5,966
113
I think you misread what was said. Here is what I read:
"I think by Christmas you will see a significant amount of flying again..."

Source link.

Air Canada currently has flights from YYZ to POP starting June 3rd.

Whether they fly that day, remove them from their site, or whatever is of course unknown (including Windeguy's latest post).

Who knows what will happen after the elections or in the coming weeks as well.
Virtually zero chance flights will start into the DR before August 10.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TropicalPaul

mt_net

New member
Mar 19, 2009
15
13
3
My wife and I want to get home to Santiago as soon as we reasonably can. Even if commercial flights do commence, a big concern I have is the quarantine requirements that would be in place should we get there. I dont see any of the airlines helping with this info ...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Clandestino

TropicalPaul

Bronze
Sep 3, 2013
1,366
614
113
I agree with windeguy. If no hotels are open there will be no point in opening Punta Cana. I think there may be a service from New York to Santo Domingo, there may be a service from Miami to Santo Domingo and there may be a (weekly?) service from Madrid to Santo Domingo before then. That's honestly all I can imagine will run, mainly because those three cities have sufficient Dominican nationals and relatives to fill a plane.

What worries me is that August 10th is towards the end of the US holiday season, and when hurricane season is beginning to get going. September and October and always the worst months for hotels, so in reality tourism may not get going in any real way until November, and by then heaven knows what state the hotels will be in.
 

irsav

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2019
692
102
63
We plan to move back to DR ASAP. But we are concerned about a possible quarantine for Americans.
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
8,671
1,133
113
There is a two week quarantine for all DR citizens/residents arriving at this time. The borders are closed to everyone else.
 
  • Like
Reactions: miketallman

TropicalPaul

Bronze
Sep 3, 2013
1,366
614
113
We plan to move back to DR ASAP. But we are concerned about a possible quarantine for Americans.
I would suggest there is a great deal more to worry about than a possible quarantine. If the hotels don't open until just before the start of the main hurricane season, so no real business until November, then it is going to have a serious effect on the economy, making what is largely a very poor country even poorer. Add to that the elections this year, I would suggest that if you have the option to sit back and wait you do so before you decide to move this year. It may be a very different place to the one we all know and love.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Clandestino

TropicalPaul

Bronze
Sep 3, 2013
1,366
614
113
That s not what it says : La cuarta etapa abriría las agencias de viajes, los hoteles y los restaurantes, a partir del 10 de agosto
Travel agencies, hotels and restaurants will open starting August 10th, no mention of flights.

I would say 99% of people arriving on flights into Punta Cana, the busiest airport, are people going to hotels so I don't think they'll even open the airport again until August. In Santo Domingo it's more of a mix of other travellers and tourists, but if you take the tourists off those flights, as well as people who are travelling because they work in hospitality (i.e. hotel owners etc) those flights probably become uneconomic. My guess is until the hotels open the best you will get will be from Santo Domingo to New York, Miami, Madrid and Panama, and from Santiago to New York. And on each of these routes at best 1 service per day.

Also remember that September and October are the worst months of the year and aircraft loads have always been lower in these months, mainly because of hurricane season and kids going back to school. Airlines are already saying they are going to cut a big percentage of routes. I can't see that it makes sense for most of them to start up in mid August and go straight into their quietest months. So I would expect some won't come back until November.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Clandestino

Africaida

Gold
Jun 19, 2009
7,775
1,341
113
I would say 99% of people arriving on flights into Punta Cana, the busiest airport, are people going to hotels so I don't think they'll even open the airport again until August. In Santo Domingo it's more of a mix of other travellers and tourists, but if you take the tourists off those flights, as well as people who are travelling because they work in hospitality (i.e. hotel owners etc) those flights probably become uneconomic. My guess is until the hotels open the best you will get will be from Santo Domingo to New York, Miami, Madrid and Panama, and from Santiago to New York. And on each of these routes at best 1 service per day.

Also remember that September and October are the worst months of the year and aircraft loads have always been lower in these months, mainly because of hurricane season and kids going back to school. Airlines are already saying they are going to cut a big percentage of routes. I can't see that it makes sense for most of them to start up in mid August and go straight into their quietest months. So I would expect some won't come back until November.

I don't disagree with you, but we are discussing 2 different things.

It s just that the newspaper article specifally states that the airlines will state flying into Santo Domingo and Santiago in June (I agree that its for Dominicans abroad) The plan for reopening doesn't say either that flights into DR will start after August 10th.
More than likely, nothing has been firmly decided since nothing official has been announced.
 

Tonchi

Active member
Nov 17, 2015
301
170
43
My wife and I want to get home to Santiago as soon as we reasonably can. Even if commercial flights do commence, a big concern I have is the quarantine requirements that would be in place should we get there. I dont see any of the airlines helping with this info ...

This is a huge concern of mine also.. Are they going to order you into quarantine if you fly this month?
 
  • Like
Reactions: MarJD

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
3,480
732
113
I hope that flights will resume before the Aug 11 date. The five stages of opening do not mention when the borders will open, only that tour operators and hotels will open on 11 Aug. This has no correlation with flights or borders. We are an island nation and people need to travel for many other reasons other than just tourism.

I'm guessing that DR govt will watch and see what the USA does with respect to its borders and act accordingly.