Not including Puerto Rico, PUJ is the busiest airport in the Caribbean. Las Americas is #4 trailing only Havana and Montego.
- Thread starter beeza
- Start date
The decline of European flights to Puerto Plata airport
I am trying to find out what is going on too, Eurowings says sold-out, but I think that is just the web page mistaking and giving that message - it can't be sold out every flight... !
I am hoping they are just updating or re-scheduling their winter flights, I hate going through US too, I missed my flight once via US due to immigration and customs long queue.
I don't know where you live, but maybe Brussels or Amsterdam can be options?
Like I said a couple of days ago in this topic: Tui is going to start flying again from Amsterdam (1 day a week to pop) and from Brussel (Wednesday and Sunday to pop) starting from Nov 2018.
Starting from May it will show on their websites.
This is useful for flying back, arrives in BRU around 8am. I have to go to London, unfortunately TUI does not offer a flight but there are plenty that do, I guess it is just the hassle of getting luggage and check-in again. All in all a good option for return. For going to DR it flies 9:25am, too early for any flight from London to catch that - need a night sleep over...
Also they start these flights to DR from late Oct.
Eurostar (train) is also an option that I have used before to transfer from Brussels to London....luggage not an issue either!
Condor, Eurowings, Thomson, most Tui no longer fly to POP from end Oct. 2018 (no more Air Berlin now).
So far I only found Tui to BRU that flies in Nov and beyond (no Amsterdam so far either). Not interested in flights via US.
No other flight from POP to Western Europe from Nov, this is really bad news. If you know of any other let me know...
Was there an issue from Nov that all these airlines no longer flying, tax increase, fuel cost etc. !?
So far I only found Tui to BRU that flies in Nov and beyond (no Amsterdam so far either). Not interested in flights via US.
No other flight from POP to Western Europe from Nov, this is really bad news. If you know of any other let me know...
Was there an issue from Nov that all these airlines no longer flying, tax increase, fuel cost etc. !?
Quickly checked on condor.com web site for November - the flights to/from POP are available.
Are these all BIG Planes by chance like the 747's . Because those like KLM have also stopped flying in on other Islands as well.. just too hard to FILL them + fuel costs I would imagine . the KLM flights to Sint Maarten for ex were all cancelled well before the last Big Storm .
Dont know much about this . just curious though.
Dont know much about this . just curious though.
That really is bad news. Like you, I don't like to go via USA. Maybe try via Canada?
We need an insight from Beeza who has the inside information from POP.
A friend came for a vacation in May this year on a TUI flight from the UK to POP. It was one of the super-large Airbuses (can't remember what they're called) and he said it was full both ways. Yet now TUI have stopped flights from the UK completely. There must be more to this than meets the eye.
As far as I can see, none of those are direct flights. Granted, only layover in Antigua, so not a big delay anyway.
EDIT: Just checked further, return direct flights do indeed seem to be available, but not for all days?
Condor flights from Nov are all via US (from what I can see - josh2203; what day after 1 Nov is there a direct one !?), but in any case have you seen the prices they offer... !
There is a way via Canada, but return only, coming over requires night stay due to flight times etc.
I wonder if we don't see many European tourists in the north coast this high season ... (we used to get many Germans and from other countries who would go through their hubs.)
There is a way via Canada, but return only, coming over requires night stay due to flight times etc.
I wonder if we don't see many European tourists in the north coast this high season ... (we used to get many Germans and from other countries who would go through their hubs.)
Well spotted, yes the Monday flight is direct to FRA, but the one way price is so astronomical it is not worth it (~US$900). I missed it because I was comparing it with other days which is via US and about the same price. I used to go to FRA with Condor one way about ~US$450 a few years ago, this is just too much.
I have people flying here from Miami in August paying $750 round trip to POP. The prices to fly to POP is insane and there are few options from Europe. Maybe this will change this winter I hope. My friend that lives here had to fly to Europe a couple months ago. He had the choice of taking the bus to Santo Domingo for a flight at a reasonable price and with availability or go to Punta Cana. Punta Cana has flights galore and at cheap pricing.... A tale of two islands... 
In my opinion, the cost and availability of flights to POP is the main thing holding back the area. Many people say its taxes and/or fuel and maintenance costs at POP. I have no idea, but it is the number one issue...imho
In my opinion, the cost and availability of flights to POP is the main thing holding back the area. Many people say its taxes and/or fuel and maintenance costs at POP. I have no idea, but it is the number one issue...imho