EXPANDING SERVICES IN DR

These are two news items of interest if you're flying or cruising to the DR.

JetBlue Airways has begun flights to Santo Domingo from Orlando, Florida. The flight is in time for the Easter Week holiday traffic and summer 2008. JetBlue flies using Embraer E190 jets and provides free films and snacks on board. The low-fare airline is celebrating the new route with sale fares starting at US$99 each way for travel through May 14, 2008. Introductory fares must be booked by March 13, 2008. The new service departs from Orlando (MCO) at 2:25pm, arriving at 6:05pm, and departs from Las Americas International Airport (SDQ) at 6:50pm, arriving at 8:50pm.

The Tourist Terminal at Sans Souci, on the eastern side of the Ozama River, is nearing completion. The first stage of the cruise ship facility includes a rebuilt wharf and tourist reception area and various other nautical features that cost an estimated US$50,000,000 according to Diario Libre. The work progress report on the new San Souci Tourist Dock was issued by group president, Lisandro Macarrulla. He said that the Don Diego Terminal Building on the west side of the river had received 150,000 passengers over the past year, and the new facility was designed to handle over one million passengers over the next five years. The new three-story terminal will be the most modern and functional in the region, according to Macarrulla.