Fly to Punta Cana from 11 different US cities for as low as $258

With clear blue waters and year-round warm weather, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic is another one of those perfect island escapes. With this deal, you can spend your winter or early spring in Punta Cana for as low as $258.

The deal applies to flights taking place between January and March, with some availability for select routes from November to mid-December. Carve out some time this winter to enjoy the water or swim with dolphins — a trip to Punta Cana gives you time to relax.

Eleven cities in the U.S. have discounted routes to Punta Cana under this deal. Such low prices are only expected to last for the next two to three days, so plan accordingly.

Deal basics

Airlines: Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, LATAM and American Airlines.
Routes: Los Angeles; Miami; Nashville; New York; Newark; Orlando; Fort Lauderdale; Buffalo, New York; Providence; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Richmond, Virginia, to Punta Cana.
How to book: Determine your best available dates through Google Flights, then book directly with the airline of your choice.
Travel dates: January to March 2023; select routes are available from November to mid-December 2022, excluding Thanksgiving.
Book by: Within the next two to three days.

Thanks to Scott’s Cheap Flights for flagging this deal. Sign up for the site’s Premium membership, which has a 14-day free trial and costs $49 a year for discounts of up to 90%. The Elite membership offers premium economy, business-class and first-class deals.

Sample flights

With this deal, fares are discounted by as much as 53% on select routes. Out of the 11 U.S. cities offering deals to Punta Cana, Newark, New York, Miami and Fort Lauderdale are the only cities that offer nonstop flights to Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ).

Here are a few flights we’ve highlighted:

• LATAM: From Miami International Airport (MIA), starting at $258.
• JetBlue: From Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), starting at $291.
• Delta: From Nashville International Airport (BNA), starting at $313 (includes a layover).
• Delta: From Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport (PVD), starting at $341 (includes a layover).
• JetBlue and Delta: From Orlando International Airport (MCO), starting at $345.
• JetBlue: From Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), starting at $348.
• JetBlue: From John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), starting at $348.
• JetBlue: From Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), starting at $371 (includes a layover).

We suggest using Google Flights to determine your ideal dates. Then, book your tickets directly through the website of the airline of your choice since this method tends to be more reliable in the event of a cancellation, delay or booking change.

When booking a Jan. 14 flight from Miami to Punta Cana, LATAM pops up as the cheapest possible option at $258. The other options are both American Airlines flights priced at $496 — almost double the price of the LATAM flight. The flight from Miami to Punta Cana departs MIA at 8:25 a.m., and the returning flight on Jan. 21 departs Punta Cana at 5:30 p.m.

Due to the availability of third-party booking options, Google Flights may display different prices compared with the airlines' websites. In this case, Google Flights shows the LATAM fare at $239, but if you try to book your tickets on LATAM’s website, they cost $258. Google Flights offers many third-party booking sites for this trip.

This deal only extends to economy fares. LATAM’s “Light” economy fare allows passengers to bring a personal item and a carry-on bag. However, the fare does not include checked baggage or ticket changes.

Once you pick your flights, LATAM’s website directs you to select a seat on both flights to and from Punta Cana. Seats range from $6 to $59, with the more expensive ones offering more legroom and a position toward the front of the aircraft.

Your first checked bag costs an additional $30, and the second one costs $100. For return flights, the first checked bag is $35.40.

Maximize your purchase

When booking your flights, be sure to use a card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases like The Platinum Card® from American Express (5 points per dollar on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Citi Prestige® Card (5 points per dollar on airfare), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve (3 points per dollar on airfare), American Express® Gold Card (3 points per dollar on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2 points per dollar on travel). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

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.

Bottom line

Given the low prices and the opportunity to spend time on the beach in the middle of winter, now is the best time to book a trip to Punta Cana. With basic economy fares, tickets to the town in the Dominican Republic are slashed by almost 50%.

What's more, you can fly from a handful of cities in the U.S., which makes for great flexibility, especially if you live in the New York area or in Florida.