Air travel Within the DR

[BadJokes]

Whats up brothers

I have a question about air travel within the DR that hope someone can help with.

I have a bunch of A+ rewards points that are about expire if I don't use them. The only problem is that Air Tran only flies into Punta Cana and I'm not even going to consider the over the road option to POP at 5+ hours.

Does the DR have a reputable commuter airline that could get me from PC to POP for a reasonable price?
I used to hear about a company called Liat ...but don't know much about them or if they even still operate. I'd hate to loose the points and it's past due time for another trip back.
I'd be grateful for any feed back or ideas on travel from PC to POP.

Thanks

[SeaWeed]

Air Tran flies into Montego Bay, Jamaica

[TNT72]

http://www.colonialtours.com.do/vuelos/vuelos.asp

I have a free flight to PC on AirTran as well. But, it expires on 11/13. Looks like I may have to let it expire.

[gmalet]

This is the only one I am aware of. They fly to Santiago then you would have to drive from there.

http://www.dominicanshuttles.com/reg...hts.php?page=1

[eldorob]

I would use your miles and just take the bus to the north coast - I would hate to lose those miles. Yeah, long trip but the sights and chicas on the bus make it worth while. If you've never taken the bus, they're comfortable, chicas getting on and off, they make stops for pickups and food, and they got ice cold AC.

Good Luck

[jose1234]

I believe you have to take a bus from Punta Cana to Santo Domingo and then take another to Sosua. It is a bit of a hassle and an all day adventure... There used to be a guy who flew a commuter flight between Punta Cana and other destinations on the island but it wasn't a daily flight... In any case, I heard that they busted that guy for also being a drug smuggler...

[TNT72]

I believe you have to take a bus from Punta Cana to Santo Domingo and then take another to Sosua. It is a bit of a hassle and an all day adventure... There used to be a guy who flew a commuter flight between Punta Cana and other destinations on the island but it wasn't a daily flight... In any case, I heard that they busted that guy for also being a drug smuggler...

Some say drug dealer, others say entrepreneur......

[BadJokes]

Thanks for the feedback; man i really hate roadtrips. I'll see when the time comes.

[deezl]

I wouldn't let the miles expire, but I wouldn't fly to Punta Cana just to go to Sosua either. The options all suck. Either you rent a car and do the long drive by yourself (which would suck) or you could blow the better part of two days sitting on a bus (which would suck) or you could blow $250-300 for a r/t flight on a dinky little plane which would certainly be the fastest option, but at that point (after paying the flight taxes to get in/out of DR - which you still have to pay on a reward flight) you're basically paying $350-400 for flights, plus you'd still have to spend a couple nights in Punta Cana in between your flight from the States and your flights to/from POP.

It just all sounds like a big pain in the ass.

Stay in Punta Cana. It's nice there. There are chicas there. From what I've heard they're generally more expensive but buying an add'l flight to POP would negate the extra costs anyway. Or you could find some hotties out in Higuey via Tagged/FB/Badoo and set something up that way.

Take a bus to Boca Chica and stay there. Hit up the Capital (and the casas) for a day or two.

I dunno, I think there are a lot of good options to keep you on the East/South coasts.

[TNT72]

I wouldn't let the miles expire, but I wouldn't fly to Punta Cana just to go to Sosua either. The options all suck. Either you rent a car and do the long drive by yourself (which would suck) or you could blow the better part of two days sitting on a bus (which would suck) or you could blow $250-300 for a r/t flight on a dinky little plane which would certainly be the fastest option, but at that point (after paying the flight taxes to get in/out of DR - which you still have to pay on a reward flight) you're basically paying $350-400 for flights, plus you'd still have to spend a couple nights in Punta Cana in between your flight from the States and your flights to/from POP.

It just all sounds like a big pain in the ass.

Stay in Punta Cana. It's nice there. There are chicas there. From what I've heard they're generally more expensive but buying an add'l flight to POP would negate the extra costs anyway. Or you could find some hotties out in Higuey via Tagged/FB/Badoo and set something up that way.

Take a bus to Boca Chica and stay there. Hit up the Capital (and the casas) for a day or two.

I dunno, I think there are a lot of good options to keep you on the East/South coasts.

balcoach and I were talking. He said I should just rent a car, and travel around little towns down there, just checking things out. Sounds good, just don't know if I'll have the extra dough before the end of the year.


I've got a couple sisters I can steer you towards!

[greydread]

Whats up brothers

I have a question about air travel within the DR that hope someone can help with.

I have a bunch of A+ rewards points that are about expire if I don't use them. The only problem is that Air Tran only flies into Punta Cana and I'm not even going to consider the over the road option to POP at 5+ hours.

Does the DR have a reputable commuter airline that could get me from PC to POP for a reasonable price?
I used to hear about a company called Liat ...but don't know much about them or if they even still operate. I'd hate to loose the points and it's past due time for another trip back.
I'd be grateful for any feed back or ideas on travel from PC to POP.

Thanks

Good question. Easy answer.

Domestic flights

There are local companies that fly scheduled flights to and from Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana and Samaná. Air Century offers two flights per day to Punta Cana and from Punta Cana to Santo Domingo to the La Isabela International Airport (AILI). For more information, please visit http://www.aircentury.com/

Aerodomca offers daily flights from AILI to the area of Portillo in Samaná. Once a day it stops at the International Airport de las Américas (AILA). For more information, please visit http://www.aerodomca.com

Takeoff offers flights from AILI to Punta Cana (PUJ), as well as from this area to Puerto Plata (POP), and from Punta Cana to Samaná- Arroyo Barril (ABA). For more information, please visit http://www.takeoffweb.com

[greydread]

Thanks for the feedback; man i really hate roadtrips. I'll see when the time comes.

Ditto.

Road trips are only fun when it's you and a handful of friends and a dozen or so hookers in a bus with a stripper pole and a beermeister. Anyone who's taken the "Kegbus" in DC can attest.

[BorisDaBulletDodger]

Just curious, how come there is no specific Punta Cana Section?

Lack of reporting?
Does it suck that much there?
I recall reading a few reports, but no section

[greydread]

Just curious, how come there is no specific Punta Cana Section?

Lack of reporting?
Does it suck that much there?
I recall reading a few reports, but no section

Somebody once posted a history of the development of Punta Cana on DR1. There was no Punta Cana at one time. Bavaro was cane fields and raw, virgin beach with a few small fishing villages. Then a couple of guys with too much money on their hands stumbled by and had the bright idea to build an exclusive resort catering to foreign travellers and called it Punta Cana. It was a success. The rich and famous finally had a virgin beach to frolick out of view of any indigenous population or less well-to-do passers by and the resort made a lot of money.


Like every other successful business venture in the D.R. this resort was replicated again and again and the neighboring area was transformed into a support network for the developments. Dominicans flocked from elsewhere in the Country to work at the tourism jobs which were created and an international airport was built and soon the "town" of Punta Cana sprung up as a support hub to the Bavaro beach resorts which eventually swallowed up all the formerly uninhabited beachfront. Now on the entire road from the airport to the resorts one can see no beaches, only the walls of the resorts which own all the Bavaro beachfront. These resorts are all inclusives which maintain strict control of the movements of their clientele, warning them that travelling alone outside the resort will end in their gruesome demise and abdication of responsibility on the part of the resorts. Guests are moved around by bus or water taxi to and from the airport, outside restaurants, fishing and diving charters and other attractions.

Of course there are a few clubs and bars in the area and the Chicas, being Chicas are to be found at these venues as well as the various colmados, gas stations and car washes which are there primarily to serve the local populants and whatever gringos who might brave unescorted travel but the casas and bars that cater to Gringos are very expensive (like everything else there) and the local joints require language and culture knowledge not possessed by the majority of travellers there.

The past 10 years have seen the development of condominiums and they were selling like Ho cakes until the recession hit and this development slowed. There is a growing extranjero market and many mostly Canadian and European clients have resulted in the development of new markets and stores in Bavaro but the cost of living is much higher than other areas of the Country despite the fact that Higuey (basically the DR agro commodities exchange center) is only an hour away.

So there you have it. There's travellers in walled up resorts and ex-patriots in walled up condominiums and not a lot else. The place is a resort and retirement destination with enough Ho's to take care of the folks who work and live there and enough very expensive Ho's to take care of those who wander off the resorts and out of the condo's but no point and shoot aspect for the casual mongering traveller. There are other places for that. I have heard stories of guys finding inexpensive (<$1KRD) Putas at the gas stations and colmados but they are few and far between.

[Sidney]

DominicanShuttles.com has almost daily morning flights from Punta Cana to: STI, Semana, SDQ.