Price pressure is coming to one of Boston’s busiest Caribbean corridors. Starting November 20, 2025, Dominican low-cost carrier Arajet will fly nonstop from Boston Logan (BOS) to Santo Domingo’s Las Américas (SDQ) four days a week—Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday—using new-generation Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Promotional fares kick off at $170 one-way on select dates, a clear signal that the airline plans to compete aggressively from day one.
The announcement, made May 7 by CEO and founder Victor Pacheco, marks a strategic push into a market where visiting friends and relatives, student travel, and vacation demand all run strong year-round. Pacheco called Boston a natural fit, citing the sizable Dominican community in the metro area and the city’s pull for education, business, and tourism. It also extends the airline’s North–South network play: funneling U.S. passengers through Santo Domingo to a growing web of cities across the Caribbean and Latin America.
Why Boston–Santo Domingo matters now
JetBlue has long dominated the Boston–Santo Domingo route, with 14 weekly flights and deep brand recognition among Caribbean travelers. Arajet’s entry adds real choice and could mean lower average fares, especially outside peak holidays. Four weekly flights won’t match JetBlue’s frequency, but they land squarely on high-demand travel days, giving families, students, and weekend travelers more flexibility without routing through New York or Florida.
The airline’s network design is key here. From Santo Domingo, the new BOS–SDQ link unlocks more than 20 one-stop connections to regional destinations in Mexico, Jamaica, Aruba, Colombia, and beyond. For New England travelers who’ve had to stitch together pricey multi-stop itineraries to reach places like Jamaica or Colombia, a single connection via SDQ could shave hours off trip times and cut costs.
It’s also a statement of intent from a carrier scaling quickly across the hemisphere. Boston becomes Arajet’s fourth U.S. destination, joining Miami (already flying) and soon New York (June 16) and San Juan, Puerto Rico (June 4). The airline also plans a direct Miami–Punta Cana service from June 2, strengthening its footprint at both ends of the Caribbean.
For travelers, the pricing model is familiar but clear: an unbundled fare that includes one personal item, with carry-on and checked bags available for a fee. Seating, priority boarding, and other extras are à la carte. The airline will sell three tiers—Smart, Comfort, and Extra—so flyers can pick the bundle that fits their needs rather than paying for perks they won’t use. That approach often produces the lowest headline price and gives value-focused travelers more control over the final bill.
On the operational side, Boeing 737 MAX jets give the carrier the range to connect the Northeast with the Caribbean efficiently while keeping fuel burn in check. For passengers, newer cabins typically mean quieter flights and better environmental performance. For the airline, lower operating costs are what make $170 teaser fares possible and sustainable.
Expect the biggest early impact among travelers visiting family and friends, who drive much of the demand between Massachusetts and the Dominican Republic. Those trips are price-sensitive and fairly predictable around school breaks, holidays, and summer. Add Boston’s large student population—with many international students and frequent short-break travelers—and you’ve got a market where an extra nonstop can move the needle.
What the new route includes
The initial plan focuses on steady, high-demand travel days without trying to out-schedule JetBlue. That’s a deliberate move: build presence, stimulate demand with low fares, and let the connections via SDQ do the heavy lifting. If loads are strong, more frequencies could follow—especially in winter, when Caribbean demand spikes from New England.
- Start date: November 20, 2025
- Frequency: Four weekly flights (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday)
- Aircraft: Boeing 737 MAX
- Promotional fares: From $170 one-way on select dates
- Fare options: Smart, Comfort, Extra (unbundled pricing)
- What’s included: Personal item in base fare; carry-on and checked bags cost extra
- Connections: 20+ one-stop options across the Caribbean and Latin America via Santo Domingo
- U.S. expansion: Boston joins Miami, New York (June 16 start), and San Juan (June 4 start)
- Additional network news: Miami–Punta Cana launches June 2
Competition will be interesting to watch. JetBlue’s schedule depth, loyalty program, and brand familiarity give it a strong defensive position, but low-cost challengers have reshaped plenty of leisure-heavy routes before. If Arajet can keep fares low and operations reliable through peak periods—winter holidays, spring break, summer—it could build a durable niche.
There’s also a timing angle. Launching in late November puts the new flights in place just before the holiday surge and the long winter stretch when Caribbean travel becomes a weekly ritual for New Englanders. For price-conscious families and students making frequent visits, the math is simple: more nonstops usually means better deals and fewer missed connections.
For Boston Logan, the service adds another point of international growth that lines up with the airport’s steady expansion of long-haul and near-international options. It also gives New England a more direct on-ramp to Latin America through an alternative hub in Santo Domingo, instead of relying mainly on Miami, New York, or Panama City for connections.
If you’re considering booking, the usual low-cost playbook applies. Lock in early if you see a good fare, read the baggage rules carefully, and compare bundle tiers against what you actually need—especially if you’re traveling with family or sports gear. With competing frequencies in the market, it’s worth checking both airlines on your dates; the cheapest day may not be the one you expect.
Bottom line for travelers: a new nonstop, lower entry prices, and more one-stop options deeper into the Caribbean and Latin America. For the market: fresh competition on a busy diaspora route and a test of how much a focused, low-cost operator can chip away at a dominant incumbent in Boston. The next data point arrives November 20.
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