Sandy afternoons on Eagle Beach. Golf rounds at Teeth of the Dog. Long dinners at Le Pressoir in Grand Case.
JetBlue is betting Americans still want more Caribbean this summer.
The airline is expanding flights from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to three of the region’s most in-demand destinations beginning July 9, adding frequencies to Aruba, St. Maarten and Santo Domingo as Caribbean travel demand continues climbing heading into the busiest stretch of the season.
The additions include daily service to both Aruba and St. Maarten, along with a second daily flight to Santo Domingo, further strengthening JetBlue’s position as one of the largest Caribbean-focused airlines in the United States.
And each destination taps into a very different version of Caribbean travel right now.
In Aruba, travelers are booking longer beach stays and repeat summer trips. In St. Maarten, the draw remains the blend of French restaurants, Dutch-side nightlife and nonstop island-hopping. In Santo Domingo, more travelers are combining city stays with golf resorts and beachfront escapes farther east along the Dominican Republic coastline.
Together, the additions say a lot about where Americans are still spending money this summer: destinations with easy nonstop flights, established hotel markets and enough restaurants, beaches and nightlife to fill an entire week without much planning.
JetBlue Is Bringing Back Daily St. Maarten Flights
Beginning July 9, JetBlue will increase flights between Fort Lauderdale and Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten from four weekly frequencies to daily service.
The added flights continue a strong tourism stretch for the island, which has seen hotel inventory continue expanding across both the Dutch and French sides in recent seasons.
St. Maarten remains one of the Caribbean’s most complete destinations because of how much variety fits into one relatively compact island.
You can spend the morning on the sand at Orient Bay, stop for lunch in Grand Case, watch planes descend over Maho Beach in the afternoon and still make it across the island for dinner and cocktails in Simpson Bay later that night.
The French side continues anchoring much of the island’s culinary reputation, particularly around Grand Case, where waterfront restaurants line the boulevard facing the Caribbean Sea. The Dutch side leans more heavily into casinos, nightlife, beach bars and larger resort developments clustered around Maho, Philipsburg and Simpson Bay.
That contrast continues defining the island experience.
St. Maarten also functions as one of the Caribbean’s major regional gateways, with travelers regularly continuing onward to Anguilla, Saba, St. Barths and St. Eustatius after arriving at Princess Juliana International Airport.
The additional JetBlue flights strengthen those connections even further.
And the airport itself remains part of the attraction. Travelers still gather daily along Maho Beach to watch arriving aircraft descend low over the shoreline, one of the Caribbean’s most recognizable travel scenes.
Where To Stay In St. Maarten
On the French side of the island, La Samanna, A Belmond Hotel remains one of the Caribbean’s defining luxury resorts.
The property stretches along Baie Longue, one of the island’s most beautiful beaches, with white low-rise buildings, cliffside villas and a quieter atmosphere than much of the busier resort corridor near the airport. The resort also remains close enough to reach Marigot, Grand Case and Simpson Bay easily during a single evening.
Dining remains one of the strongest reasons to stay on this side of the island.
Le Pressoir in Grand Case continues drawing travelers for its position as the number one restaurant in the Caribbean, according to our annual rankings.
JetBlue Is Expanding Aruba Flights Too
JetBlue is also increasing service between Fort Lauderdale and Queen Beatrix International Airport in Aruba, adding four weekly frequencies and bringing the route to daily service beginning July 9.
Aruba continues standing near the top of the Caribbean tourism market because travelers know exactly what they’re getting.
Wide beaches. Dry weather. Reliable sunshine. Walkable resort districts. Strong restaurants. Casinos. Easy airport processing.
And unlike much of the Caribbean during the summer season, Aruba continues attracting heavy demand deep into July and August because of its location outside much of the Atlantic hurricane belt.
That reliability keeps travelers coming back repeatedly.
The island’s tourism core remains concentrated around Palm Beach, where resorts, casinos, beach bars and restaurants line the shoreline near Noord and Oranjestad. But Aruba’s appeal extends well beyond the hotel corridor.
Travelers continue heading inland toward Arikok National Park, off-road trails near the island’s northeastern coastline and quieter beaches like Baby Beach and Mangel Halto.
The island’s dining scene has also become a much larger part of the experience over the last decade, particularly around Palm Beach, where restaurants now range from casual seafood spots to high-end tasting menus and late-night lounges.
JetBlue has steadily expanded Aruba service as demand continues holding strong throughout both winter and summer periods.
And Aruba’s airport continues helping drive that demand.
The island remains one of the few Caribbean destinations offering full U.S. preclearance, allowing travelers to clear customs before departure and arrive in the United States as domestic passengers.
That convenience continues making Aruba especially attractive for shorter trips and long weekends.
Where To Stay In Aruba
Near Palm Beach, Boardwalk Boutique Hotel Aruba has become one of the island’s standout smaller hotels (rooms from $699).
The property replaces high-rise resort traffic with colorful private casitas, tropical gardens and multiple pools spread quietly across the grounds. Guests also receive dedicated beach space on nearby Palm Beach, giving the hotel a strong balance between beach access and privacy.
The atmosphere feels noticeably calmer than Aruba’s larger resorts nearby, particularly during the summer season. Not to mention, the lush landscaping means you can always find some shade.
And the location keeps you close to much of Aruba’s busiest restaurant and nightlife corridor without placing you directly inside it.
Santo Domingo Is Getting A Second Daily JetBlue Flight
JetBlue is also adding another daily frequency between Fort Lauderdale and Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo, bringing the route to twice-daily service beginning July 9.
The additional flights reflect how much demand continues growing into the Dominican capital, particularly among travelers combining Santo Domingo with beach stays farther east along the Dominican Republic coastline.
Santo Domingo has quietly become one of the Caribbean’s strongest city-break destinations over the last several years, buoyed by a mix of historic charm and urban energy.
The continued growth of the Colonial Zone, expanding restaurant scene and wave of new boutique hotels have helped reshape how travelers use the city. You can now routinely spend several nights inside Santo Domingo before continuing toward La Romana, Bayahibe or Punta Cana afterward.
Inside the Colonial Zone, you can move between rooftop cocktail bars, cafes, museums, cigar lounges and restored Spanish-era buildings spread across narrow stone streets dating back 500 years. Areas like Piantini and Naco continue driving the city’s more modern side, with upscale restaurants, rooftop lounges and luxury towers reshaping the capital’s skyline.
It all means that you can now spend time inside Santo Domingo and still continue toward the Dominican Republic’s resort coastline without feeling rushed.
Where To Stay Near Santo Domingo
About an hour outside the capital, Casa de Campo Resort and Villas remains one of the Caribbean’s greatest luxury resorts (Casa, as fans call it, is also hosting a major new luxury event next month).
The sprawling property in La Romana includes villas, golf courses, restaurants, a marina and the recreated Mediterranean-style village of Altos de Chavón overlooking the Chavón River.
Golf is one of the property’s defining attractions, particularly at Teeth of the Dog, which still ranks among the Caribbean’s best-known oceanfront courses.
The marina area continues anchoring much of the resort’s dining and nightlife scene, while Altos de Chavón remains one of the Dominican Republic’s most unique attractions — a full-fledged Mediterranean village in the heart of the Caribbean.
The location also works particularly well for travelers pairing Santo Domingo with the eastern coastline, giving visitors an easy route between the capital and one of the Caribbean’s most established resort destinations.
JetBlue Keeps Expanding Across The Caribbean
The broader story behind the expansion is how aggressively JetBlue continues growing throughout the Caribbean from South Florida.
Fort Lauderdale has increasingly become one of the airline’s most important Caribbean gateways, particularly as airlines continue responding to strong summer demand across the region.
And the additions to Aruba, St. Maarten and Santo Domingo all point toward the same reality: Americans are still prioritizing Caribbean travel this summer, and airlines are continuing to add seats where demand remains strongest.
Prices on the Flights
You can find roundtrips for about $717 right now from Fort Lauderdale to Aruba in July. It’s about $676 from Fort Lauderdale to St Maarten, and just $375 from FLL to Santo Domingo, according to what I found on Google Flights.
Karen Udler
2026-05-20 02:02:00