With just a few weeks until spring break, college students across the country are booking last-minute flights to sunny destinations.
Caribbean countries remain the most popular countries thanks to their beautiful beaches and relaxing atmosphere. That’s why Southwest Airlines has decided to launch a new route, debuting in March of this year, connecting popular U.S. airports to the Dominican Republic.
Learn more about this direct flight, including when it is offered, departure airport, and other important details.
Southwest Airlines launches new nonstop flight to Punta Cana
Kansas City Airport (MCI) is offering new nonstop flights to Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) in the Dominican Republic. According to the airport’s official website, the flight operates once a week on Saturdays.
Kansas City Aviation Director Melissa Cooper commented on the new route:
“Nearly 20,000 travelers took connecting itineraries from MCI to the Dominican Republic last year (…). This new flight will make it easier than ever to access Punta Cana and allow travelers to spend more time in their destination.”
The flight will operate on March 7 and is a four-and-a-half-hour flight that will take off at 7 a.m. and land in Punta Cana at 1:30 p.m. A return flight will also operate on Saturday, departing at 1:30 p.m. and landing in Kansas City at 6 p.m.
Key details of the new southwest route
Connecting
Kansas City Airport (MCI) – Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ)
period
March 7th – April 4th
Operating date
Saturday
The new route will only be offered in March and early April, with the last flight scheduled for Saturday, April 4th. At the time of publication, some flights are already sold out, so those interested are advised to reserve their tickets as soon as possible.
Dominican Republic breaks all tourism records in 2025
The Dominican Republic, one of the top tourist destinations in the Caribbean, hosted 3,730,852 nonresident U.S. air travelers from January to October 2025, breaking all previous records, according to a report from Travel Pulse.
In particular, this destination seems to be popular among travelers from the northeastern United States. Approximately 52% of all arrivals to the United States came from states such as New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maryland, for a total of 1,953,000 visitors. Topping the list was New York, with more than 900,000 people traveling to the Dominican Republic during the period.
Punta Cana is one of the most popular destinations in the country and features approximately 30 miles of sandy beaches. This destination is very famous for its large number of all-inclusive resorts, boutiques, hotels, and golf courses.
But that’s not the only Caribbean destination recently added to Southwest’s network.
Southwest Airlines adds new routes to its network while sparking backlash over controversial rule changes
In addition to this new flight to Punta Cana, Southwest Airlines has also added new routes connecting Orlando International Airport (MCO), Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) and Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) on the island of Sint Maarten.
According to official data, the undervalued island, about 300 kilometers east of Puerto Rico, welcomed approximately 536,748 air passengers and 987,408 cruise passengers in 2025, slowly establishing itself as one of the Caribbean’s premier destinations.
In addition, Southwest Airlines will soon launch new nonstop service between Hawaii’s Hilo International Airport (ITO) and Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport (LAS). The new route will officially debut on August 6, 2026, and will operate three days a week: Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
The company has also faced backlash for changing its seating rules in recent weeks. On Jan. 27, Southwest Airlines officially ended its open-seat policy, and CEO Bob Jordan recently said the airline is “seriously considering” adding first-class seats to some of its Boeing 737s.
However, passengers have not welcomed these changes positively, with many arguing that the airline is losing its identity by eliminating key features that differentiate it from other airlines. It remains unclear whether this new route will help Southwest Airlines win back some of its loyal customers.
