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Delta Airlines Allows Cancellations to the Dominican Republic After Mysterious Deaths

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Delta Airlines has announced it will be allowing passengers to change their flights to the Dominican Republic without penalties after at least 10 Americans have mysteriously died. 

Delta cited “recent events in Punta Cana” may impact travel “to/from/through” Punta Cana International airport. 

Passengers who have booked tickets to Punta Cana from June 21st until August 15th will have three options.

  1. Remain on your current flight and stay tuned to to the most up to date flight information. 
  2. Change to a different flight in which Delta will waive any applicable fees. 
  3. Cancel your flight and use the credit for a future flight with Delta with one year (change fee will apply)
Tickets must have been purchased on or before June 21st, 2019. 
Hard Rock Hotel in Dominican republic
Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana

The decision by Delta to allow flight changes without penalties has come after a report in the Washington Post claims cancellations are up 45% since the beginning of June. 

In response, other Major Airlines in the U.S. including United and American are dealing with changes and cancellations on a “case by case” basis. 

Dominican republic airport
Punta Cana International Airport

Many travelers with vacation plans to the Dominican Republic are concerned about safety after a spate of recent deaths on the island have made international headlines. The FBI is currently investigating three of the deaths that occurred over five days at the Bahia Principe resorts in May. Toxicology reports are still pending and no further details have been released on the investigation. 

Edward Nathaniel Holmes and Cynthia Ann Day
Edward Holmes and Cynthia Day were found dead in their hotel room in the Dominican Republic in May

Kayak reported that earlier in June, flight searches for the Dominican Republic had plummeted by up to 22%. Dominican officials have repeatedly insisted that the island is safe and thus far all autopsies performed have shown the deaths have come from natural causes. 

The Dominican Republic is the most popular destination in the Caribbean and attracts over 6 million visitors a year. In a recent article by CNN, Americans are more likely to be killed in the U.S. than in the Dominican Republic. Negative attention was first drawn to the island back in May when an American woman, Tammy Lawrence-Daley claimed she was beaten and left for dead at a resort in the Dominican Republic. 

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