If you already had tickets to go to the Dominican Republic booked but the recent tourists deaths in the island nation has given you some pause on your vacation plans, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways are offering a solution, allowing customers to change their flight to a different destination without paying change fees, according to USA Today.
That is good news, considering change fees can cost a solid $200, which can now be put back into vacation spending.
That, however, doesn’t mean that no rules apply to this new consideration.
According to the report, the airlines will still charge any fare difference between the cost of the Dominican Republic ticket and the new ticket cost.
On top of it all, while you can cancel your vacation altogether to just get credit for another flight, Delta will charge a change fee at the time you choose to use the credit (JetBlue will not.)
The generous move to waive change fees comes as at least 10 Americans have died while visiting the Dominican Republic this year, raising suspicions as to the causes of death.
Delta’s notice as to the change in policy for Punta Cana travel only cites “recent events,” for the update.
JetBlue spokesperson Philip Stewart however issued a statement about the waiver noting, “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. To support our customers, we are currently waiving change fees when rebooking flights to/from the Dominican Republic.”