British Airways London-Punta Cana

[John Boyter]

Coming from London, the problem with MAD is that Spain is generally one hour ahead of the UK and that flight normally leaves MAD at 12 mid-day. So you need to leave Heathrow at 7am (which means a 5am check-in) to make the connection. It's the same with Air France, their flight to Santo Domingo / Punta Cana from Paris leaves about 12 so it isn't easy to do from London. Routing from London to Miami then American to Santo Domingo, or London to Atlanta / New York then Delta to Santo Domingo are also options, but you need to leave time for a long connection in case there are long waits at US immigration. The BA2205 from Gatwick normally lands at 4.15pm earliest, sometimes 7.15pm. Both of which are too late to make the Expreso Bavaro bus even if you get straight out and jump into a taxi to Veron. So to me, if you're coming from London, the only sensible way is the direct BA flight and stomach the cost of a taxi from Punta Cana - which you can get down to US$ 100 if you shop around.

Getting back to London is much easier. Iberia going from Santo Domingo to London works well. You leave Santo Domingo at about 4pm, arrive in Madrid at 6am and there are a lot of connecting flights to London which leave Madrid at 9am. Or you can use Expreso Bavaro to Punta Cana, the bus drops right outside the terminal, and then get the direct BA to London.

I will probably end up doing what you are suggesting next time. Pay a taxi into Santo Domingo. 100 USD sounds reasonable and I save the hotel.

 

[Uzin]

As I mentioned some airlines are crazy with one-way flight prices, to make a point I just checked BA now (you can try for yourself):


www.britishairways.co.uk

- Flight return from LGW to PUJ direct going 17 Nov, back 15 Dec is £603

- Flight single from LGW to PUJ direct going 17 Nov, is £1233... !?!?

- Flight single from PUJ to LGW direct going 15 Dec, is $1379.... !?!?


Just to be sure I checked on Skyscanner.net too, if you buy from Kiwi.com you get :

- Flight single from LGW to PUJ direct going 17 Nov, is £631... !?!? (the price of a return ticket to be used as one-way, I think)

- Flight single from PUJ to LGW direct going 15 Dec, $1800 ... !? (just crazy)


Check one-way flight prices before making big plans, they might not be what you expect.....

 

[william webster]

Sometimes it is cheaper to book 2 one way flights from the Dr than a return duo. Something about the way they tax the tickets.

Flights originating in RD are taxed differently....

But not to the point Uzin examples show.
All airlines are different, all times are different - even day to day

It can be tricky....

I have rec'd $800 credit from JetBlue to cover their price drop.

 

[John Boyter]

What about stop in MAD and la d in Santo Domingo with Iberia? They have codeshare

That would especially be a good solution if I only travel to Denmark. I have codeshare from AA with BA and Iberia. I like to travel to England too though and spend some time there visiting family there. The big advantage with both options Punta Cana - Gatwick, London or SD-Madrid is to avoid traveling via the US.

 

[tee]

I don't mind flying through the US anymore. I have gone through the US 3 times in the last year from Santiago and so I guess they consider me a frequent flyer as when getting the printed immigration ticket I no longer have the X on the ticket which means I did not have to do the large queue in the immigration. I just flew to the UK from Santiago via Miami. Basic ticket price was U$288 then flew Miami to Heathrow with Virgin Atlantic for U$510. On my trip back I stayed in Florida for 4 days at a friends house and did a lot of Christmas shopping which has now saved me a lot of shipping costs as I usually buy everything on Amazon and have it shipped here. I have figured that just the ticket from Miami to the UK is about the same as the shipping costs for all the Christmas presents I buy for my family so I got a trip to the UK out of all that!!! I flew to the UK with an empty suitcase inside my other suitcase to avoid extra baggage fees and when I returned to Miami I went shopping and filled the sucker up....I came back to Santiago with 2 suitcases, a carry on case and a backpack, total weight of about 142lbs (52 each in the suitcase, 22 in my carry on case and 18 in my backpack) and only paid U$40 for the extra suitcase!! After figuring it all out I now know that I could fly to Miami from Santiago, have a short vacation and go shopping at Sawgrass Mill Mall, which is among the largest mall in the US which is absolutely huge and spend less money than having all the gifts I buy at Christmas shipped here by a courier service (oh, I do tend to spoil my wife and kids hence the high amount of courier fees I pay each Christmas). OK, I have the advantage of free accommodation at my friends house that keeps the expenses much lower.
Anyway, my point was that my recent flights via the US have not been that bad.

 

[nickjolly29]

British Airways will have direct flights 4 days a week between London and Punta Cana, December through March


https://almomento.net/informe-turistico-british-airways-tendra-nueva-frecuencia-londres-punta-cana/

That's Great!

 

[aarhus]

They are increasing the frequency to 4 per week just for three months - it starts mid December and runs to the end of March. After that they are going back to 3 days per week. I am aware that they have been asked officially if they would consider running a service to Santo Domingo and their response is always that they code-share with Iberia - part of the same company - who fly almost daily from Madrid to Santo Domingo. Let's hope the 4 days per week works out for them and becomes permanent. Worth noting that Air France flies 10 times per week Paris - Punta Cana so BA is well behind the curve on this one. Also worth noting that Virgin Atlantic doesn't fly at all from London - Dom Rep even though they have a direct service to most other Caribbean islands including Cuba. Would be wonderful if they started a service to give BA some more competition.

Restarting this thread about BA flight Punta Cana to Gatwick instead of under thread about International Travel during the national emergency. Right now this route is suspended of course. There was some hope of it starting again in July but now looks more like November.

 

[Linda Stapleton]

I was booked on a BA flight from London Gatwick to Punta Cana for 2nd August, bought the ticket a few weeks ago knowing it may be cancelled and it just has been. They are offering the opportunity to transfer or get a refund, the first available flight now publicised for 1st September, but I'm not holding my breath. I don't see what other options there are as we cannot use an ESTA visa to transit the US, and I wouldn't especially want to. I see routes offered with transiting the US so cannot understand how the companies can sell ticket for flights that would not be allowed to fly.

I live on the north coast and came back to the UK for a family situation at the beginning of March and now am just waiting to be able to get back. Obviously I want to get home, but also don't want to bring any risk of infection to the people and country I love from one of the worst hit countries in the world.

 

[rubio_higuey]

Evelop, 18 July, MAD PUJ, 250 Euro last few seats

 

[aarhus]

I was booked on a BA flight from London Gatwick to Punta Cana for 2nd August, bought the ticket a few weeks ago knowing it may be cancelled and it just has been. They are offering the opportunity to transfer or get a refund, the first available flight now publicised for 1st September, but I'm not holding my breath. I don't see what other options there are as we cannot use an ESTA visa to transit the US, and I wouldn't especially want to. I see routes offered with transiting the US so cannot understand how the companies can sell ticket for flights that would not be allowed to fly.

I live on the north coast and came back to the UK for a family situation at the beginning of March and now am just waiting to be able to get back. Obviously I want to get home, but also don't want to bring any risk of infection to the people and country I love from one of the worst hit countries in the world.

As far as I know you can travel as ESTA via US.

 

[aarhus]

I was booked on a BA flight from London Gatwick to Punta Cana for 2nd August, bought the ticket a few weeks ago knowing it may be cancelled and it just has been. They are offering the opportunity to transfer or get a refund, the first available flight now publicised for 1st September, but I'm not holding my breath. I don't see what other options there are as we cannot use an ESTA visa to transit the US, and I wouldn't especially want to. I see routes offered with transiting the US so cannot understand how the companies can sell ticket for flights that would not be allowed to fly.

I live on the north coast and came back to the UK for a family situation at the beginning of March and now am just waiting to be able to get back. Obviously I want to get home, but also don't want to bring any risk of infection to the people and country I love from one of the worst hit countries in the world.

Flights to Europe

I know we are a small group interested in this and therefore opening this separate thread. Its about any news of ways of flying from the DR directly to Europe. I am hearing best option right now is Iberia SDQ to Madrid. But will that route not be influenced by the EU travel policies. Of course...

dr1.com

 

[scot_tosh]

It's only ever been 3 times a week up until now. December will be the first time they go 4 times a week. And they have flown direct Gatwick - Punta Cana for about 4 years now.

I took that flight in 2011 and 2012 if it's the flight that stops in Antigua

 

[scot_tosh]

They did have really good deals then £550 for flight out in November and Back to London in February

 

[william webster]

As far as I know you can travel as ESTA via US.

My daughter's boyfriend did it... SDQ-JFK-LHR.........Esta

 

[TropicalPaul]

The easiest way is probably Iberia SDQ > Madrid and then Madrid > London, the connections work very well (6am arrive Madrid and onward flight to London at around 9am). Transit via the US is always a nightmare. Iberia is definitely flying and as BA's sister company, BA will happily book you onto Iberia. Be aware that when you arrive in the UK you will need to self-isolate for 14 days, and they do check. A friend of mine just came in and they have been calling her every day and tracking her location via her mobile phone.

 

[aarhus]

The easiest way is probably Iberia SDQ > Madrid and then Madrid > London, the connections work very well (6am arrive Madrid and onward flight to London at around 9am). Transit via the US is always a nightmare. Iberia is definitely flying and as BA's sister company, BA will happily book you onto Iberia. Be aware that when you arrive in the UK you will need to self-isolate for 14 days, and they do check. A friend of mine just came in and they have been calling her every day and tracking her location via her mobile phone.

This is why I have given up the idea of spending time in England before I fly further on to Denmark. I will go all the way DR to Denmark when I leave. In these times it is really best to stay where you are a citizen or a legal resident. There is a reason all countries recommend only essential travel.

 

[Linda Stapleton]

My daughter's boyfriend did it... SDQ-JFK-LHR.........Esta

Well, I wonder if that was before this new regulation. This is still current on the US Gov website:

Can I travel to the United States?/What does the travel order (Presidential Proclamation 9996) mean?
Entry of foreign nationals who were physically present within the following list of countries within 14 days prior to their entry or attempted entry into the United States is suspended, per Presidential Proclamations 9984, 9992, 9993, 9996 and the subsequent proclamation issued May 24, 2020:

Brazil;

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, excluding overseas territories outside of Europe;

The Republic of Ireland;

The 26 countries that comprise the Schengen Area (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland)

The Islamic Republic of Iran;

The People’s Republic of China, not including the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau

Please click here to review Presidential Proclamation 9996 in full for detailed information.

The travel restriction does not apply to American citizens, legal permanent residents, most immediate family members of U.S. citizens, and other individuals who are identified in Presidential Proclamation 9996. The Department of Homeland Security will direct those who have been in the Schengen Area who are exempt from these restrictions, including American citizens, to travel through select airports where the U.S. Government has implemented enhanced screening procedures. Travelers are advised to visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website for further guidance on U.S. travel restrictions.

See page here. https://uk.usembassy.gov/informatio...-following-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/

 

[Linda Stapleton]

Evelop, 18 July, MAD PUJ, 250 Euro last few seats

Is this to Madrid from Punta Cana, or vice versa? I guess both. I am trying to get back to the DR.....I think, very uncertain and probably too short notice, but keen to keep track of all options. Thanks.

 

[Linda Stapleton]

Sorry, I've misunderstood. I find it complicated enough at the best of times and these certainly aren't the best of times.

 

[TropicalPaul]

Is this to Madrid from Punta Cana, or vice versa? I guess both. I am trying to get back to the DR.....I think, very uncertain and probably too short notice, but keen to keep track of all options. Thanks.

Evelop flies to Madrid from Punta Cana and Iberia flies to Madrid from Santo Domingo. From the north coast you're better to go for the Iberia and it's mainly non-tourist traffic on the Santo Domingo - Madrid route so I think it will be less likely to cancel. They fly four times per week.