American Is Launching a Big Expansion of Nonstop Flights to Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic’s Most Popular Resort Destination

The white-sand beaches. The toes-in-the-sand bars. The fresh-caught fish and the merengue. Punta Cana is already the center of the most-visited destination in the whole Caribbean, and now the Dominican Republic’s crown jewel is getting another huge boost from American Airlines. 

The airline has announced plans to kick off four new routes from US cities to Punta Cana’s famous thatched-roof airport, with all four nonstop flights starting on Dec. 6, in time for the peak winter season. 

American is adding once-weekly flights from Indianapolis, Nashville, Pittsburgh and Raleigh-Durham, a spokesperson for the airline confirmed to Caribbean Journal. 

Each of the routes will be flying on Saturdays, all operated on Boeing 737 aircraft. 

The new routes mean American will be the clear leader in US travel to Punta Cana, flying to Bavaro Beach from 11 different source cities in America. 

Jose Maria Giraldo, American’s managing director for the region, said that would mean as many as 20 peak-day flights once the new routes begin. 

It’s a sign of the growing focus by major airlines on emerging source cities for the Caribbean, whether it’s places like Minneapolis and Detroit, Austin or cities like Raleigh-Durham and Nashville, both of which are seeing increased flights to the Caribbean on several carriers (Raleigh is getting a major new route to Nassau on Avelo this year, too). 

Are you planning a getaway to Punta Cana? The best way to get to the destination is probably at one of the area’s famous all-inclusive resorts, by far the most popular kind of accommodation in Punta Cana (if you’re in search of luxury, head to properties like the Eden Roc in the tony enclave of Cap Cana). 

So where to stay? We’ve long liked the Lopesan Costa Bavaro, the first Caribberan property for the top European hotel operator, which has rooms for $480 right now. 

What about things to do in Punta Cana? We always recommend venturing out to the fantastaic beach bar called Jellyfish (home to some of the best seafood in the whole country), trying a round at eithet the Corales or Punta Espada golf courses (Corales hosts an annual PGA Tour tournament that is back in April) or heading to the Scape Park, an adventure attraction that has everything from cenotes to caves. Of course, Punta Cana’s all-inclusives are generally filled with things to do; as the all-inclusive concept has gotten more popular, many such resorts have placed a premium on programming, with copious classes, activities and entertainment just about all day long. At the Lopesan, for example, you can spend the afternoon at the water park then take a long evening stroll down The Boulevard, a kind of long, winding promenade with shops and cafes in an upscale shopping boulevard kind of design. It’s a very cool idea.

There’s also the new Zel Punta Cana, a resort created through a partnership between Melia and tennis legend Rafael Nadal, that just opened its doors and has suites starting at $1,134 for a four-night stay, all-inclusive. 

It’s not yet clear what the new AA flights will cost as they’re not yet bookable, but expect something in the $3-500 range, based on current fares to Punta Cana from other cities.