JetBlue Joins Delta in Issuing Travel Waiver for the Dominican Republic
A wave of sudden deaths, illnesses and accidents among tourists in the Dominican Republic has raised questions surrounding the safety of Caribbean nation. So much so that the US State Department has had a Level 2 travel advisory on the country since April, encouraging tourists to exercise increased caution.
Fortunately, you've got options if you have travel booked there — even if you didn't book the trip with a credit card that provides trip cancellation and interruption protection. Just days after Delta issued a travel waiver for Punta Cana (PUJ) due to "recent events" there, JetBlue has announced that it will allow passengers with flights to/from the Dominican Republic to change or cancel their flights for no additional fee.
The waiver is not posted on JetBlue's website, but representative of the airline provided TPG the following statement:
"The safety of our customers and crewmembers is our first priority. While JetBlue's flights to the Dominican Republic are unaffected, we are working with the U.S. Embassy and local authorities to stay updated on developments. To support our customers, we are currently waiving change fees when rebooking flights to/from the Dominican Republic. For customers who wish to cancel their flights, we are waiving the cancellation fee and issuing a credit for future JetBlue travel. For additional questions, customers can call 1-800-JETBLUE."
Unlike Delta's waiver which only applies to travel to Punta Cana, it seems that JetBlue's covers all airports the airline flies to in the country (LRM/POP/PUJ/STI/SDQ). JetBlue's waiver also doesn't list any restrictions in terms of travel dates or dates you must have purchased your ticket by.
No other airline has issued a travel waiver for the Dominican Republic yet, though it can't hurt to still ask the airline to reaccommodate you if you don't feel comfortable going there as they may make exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
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