With winter fast approaching, a trek to the tropics may be just what you need if you’re not ready for coat-and-gloves weather. The latest bargains discovered by our friends at Thrifty Traveler for its premium members could be exactly what you’re looking for. Right now, you can fly nonstop to gorgeous Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic for as little as $186 for a round-trip ticket.
The DR has long been a popular winter destination for Americans, and what makes this deal even better is that it includes availability during peak season, with low rates available between now and May 2022.
Fares through JetBlue, United, and most American fares are for Main Cabin, which comes with a free carry-on and a seat assignment. Delta flights are Basic Economy and can be upgraded for a fee.
For more TPG news delivered straight to your inbox each morning, sign up for our daily newsletter!
Airline: American, Delta, JetBlue and United.
Routes: BOS/ORD/FLL/MIA/MSP/PHL/JFK/EWR to PUJ
Cost: Starting at $186 round-trip for select routes.
Dates: Book for travel between October and May 2022.
Pay with: The Platinum Card® from American Express for 5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), the Citi Prestige® Card for 5x on airfare, the Citi Premier® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve for 3x on air travel, the American Express® Gold Card for 3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel, or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card for 2x on travel.
The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Here are some examples of the fares to Punta Cana included in this deal:
- Miami (MIA) starting at $186 round-trip.
- NYC (JFK) starting at $298 round-trip.
- Philadelphia (PHL) starting at $311 round-trip.
- Chicago (ORD) starting at $329 round-trip.
- Minneapolis (MSP) starting at $368 round-trip.
Given that international travel is still a bit volatile due to COVID-19 protocols, we want to point out that the U.S. State Department has the Dominican Republic at a Level 2 travel advisory. That indicates only a moderate level of COVID-19 in the country.
Now for the deals. One of the cheapest flights Thrifty Traveler found was from Miami, nonstop on American for just $186! Given the proximity of Miami and Fort Lauderdale to the Dominican Republic, it’s no surprise the fares from these cities were the cheapest on the list. Still that’s a great price! And even though it is American’s Basic Economy rate, you still get a free carry-on.
Here’s another sweet fare from Miami at the end of November — only $223 round-trip.
From Fort Lauderdale, an April weekend getaway will cost you just $260 on JetBlue. You can’t pre-select your seat, but you do get a free carry-on bag.
It’s clear that a lot of folks in the midwest think Punta Cana is a great place to escape January’s often brutal weather. Flights are already selling out at these low prices, but we found a round-trip on United right after the holidays for just $329.
Notice it’s for Economy, which lets you pick a seat and gives you a carry-on. If you wanted to save even more money, you could choose Basic Economy, which would shave $77 off the ticket price.
We found flights from Boston in February for just $368, and it was for a nice, convenient weekend itinerary.
Travelers from the New York City area have lots of great options through this sale to book a trip to the DR. One of the best we saw was for a long weekend in November for just $298 on American, for a Main Cabin booking.
Newark to Punta Cana in January will cost you just $328 on United.
Minneapolis to Punta Cana for $368 in December? Yes, please! This price is on Delta for a Basic Economy ticket.
We suggest you jump fast to take advantage of these deals. While some cities, like Miami and New York City, had a lot of options at these low rates, others did not. The Minneapolis and Chicago tickets, for example, are getting scooped up rather quickly. Don’t miss out on these bargain fares!
How to book
No special codes are needed to find these fares.
If you’re paying with cash, head to Google Flights and plug in your desired departure and destination cities. Then, use the calendar function to find dates and prices that work for you and then click through to book with the airline directly.
Maximize your purchase
Don’t forget to use a card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on air travel), American Express Gold Card (3x on flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel), Citi Premier Card (3x on air travel) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel purchases). Check out this guide for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
Featured image by Alejandro De Moya/EyeEm for Getty Images