Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways are waiving change fees for travelers who don’t want to fly to the Dominican Republic following a string of high-profile tourist deaths.
Travelers with upcoming flights to the popular Caribbean vacation destination can change their flight to a different destination without paying change fees that can top $200 a person.
That doesn’t mean they won’t be out more money: the airlines will collect any fare difference between the cost of the Dominican Republic ticket and tickets for the new flight. The difference can be hefty for last-minute travel.
Delta and JetBlue passengers who don’t want to rebook now and just want to cancel their vacation can receive credit for a future flight. JetBlue won’t charge a change fee when you use the credit; Delta will.
Delta’s advisory, which only mentions “recent events” as the reason for the waiver, says travelers who want to change their flight can do it online or via the Delta mobile app. Another option: call the airline’s reservations center at 800-221-1212.
JetBlue spokesman Philip Stewart issued this statement about the airline’s waiver:
“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,” it said. “To support our customers, we are currently waiving change fees when rebooking flights to/from the Dominican Republic.”
JetBlue says travelers with questions about their Dominican Republic flights should call the airline at 800-538-2583.
Several other airlines offer flights between the United States and the Dominican Republic, and most said they are working with customers on a case-by-case basis. Note that travelers with flights on Southwest Airlines can cancel any flight, regardless of destination and receive a credit for future travel.
The airlines and their contact information:
- American Airlines: aa.com, 800-433-7300
- United Airlines: united.com, 800-864-8331
- Southwest Airlines: southwest.com, 800-435-9792
- Spirit Airlines: spirit.com, 801-401-2222
- Frontier Airlines: flyfrontier.com, 801-401-9000
- Sun Country Airlines: suncountry.com, 651-905-2737
Dominican Republic officials insist the country is safe.
“There is no such thing as mysterious deaths in the Dominican Republic,” Francisco Javier Garcia, the minister of tourism in the Dominican Republic, told reporters Friday. “There is not an avalanche of deaths.”
At least eight Americans have died this year in the country, but Garcia said the number of deaths is lower than in some previous years.
Source: Read Full Article