Startup budget carrier Arajet set for first US routes as it tries to build a Caribbean hub
Dominican airline Arajet will make its U.S. debut this spring with flights to Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico, a key step in realizing its dream of building a Pan-American hub in Santo Domingo.
The budget carrier will begin flights to Miami International Airport (MIA) from Santo Domingo's Las Americas International Airport (SDQ) on April 11. Then, on June 5, it will add flights to San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) from SDQ. Both routes will operate six days a week.
Arajet will also link MIA and Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) four days a week from June 13.
Where to stay? Best all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic
Later in June, Arajet plans to connect New York and Santo Domingo as well. No start date for this route has been provided yet.
"Beginning U.S. operations with flights from these cities is the next step towards realizing our vision of the [Dominican Republic] as a new travel hub of the continent," Victor Pacheco, CEO and founder of Arajet, said in a statement. "This is the beginning of our U.S. operations, and these routes will expand tourism in our region, making it easier for travelers to discover our country and connect to exciting destinations in neighboring Caribbean islands as well as Central and South America."
Airfares for Arajet's new U.S. routes start at $84 one-way.
Founded in 2022, Arajet wants to develop Santo Domingo — the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic — into a connecting hub linking North and South America. The airline envisions something similar to Copa Airlines' "Hub of the Americas" at Panama City's Tocumen International Airport (PTY).
Arajet flies an all-Boeing 737 MAX fleet with 10 737-8s in service and another 20 737-8200s on order. At the end of last year, the carrier served 21 cities in Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America from its bases in Punta Cana and Santo Domingo, according to schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Arajet faces stiff competition in its U.S. expansion. American Airlines, Frontier Airlines and SkyHigh Dominicana fly the Miami-Santo Domingo route, while American, Frontier and LATAM fly the Miami-Punta Cana route, Cirium schedules show. Additionally, Frontier, JetBlue and SkyHigh Dominicana fly the San Juan-Santo Domingo route.
Related reading:
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month