Arajet is changing the way we fly in Latin America

During Meet in Paradise, which brought together more than 1,500 operators, agencies, and media outlets from across South America in the Green Pavilion at La Rural, Arajet established itself as one of the event's key players. The Dominican airline, known for its low-cost model and its base of operations in Santo Domingo, highlighted the advances in air connectivity that are redefining travel in the region.

In this context, Manuel Luna, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Arajet, spoke with Travel2Latam about the company's expansion, its role in strengthening regional tourism, and the challenges of consolidating a network that already connects more than 20 destinations in the Americas.

Manuel, what was it like participating in this event organized by the Dominican Republic's Ministry of Tourism in Buenos Aires?

We're extremely pleased. The Ministry has organized a tremendous event, reflecting the significant impact the influx of tourists from Argentina to the Dominican Republic is having. Today, Argentina has become the third most important country for our tourism, and much of that also has to do with Arajet.

Arajet started with a few flights to Argentina. How did that operation evolve?

When we started, we had three flights a week. Today, we have 20 flights a week between Argentina and the Dominican Republic, operated solely by Arajet, not counting other carriers. It's a real coup. Argentines have grown comfortable flying with us, and that fills us with pride.

Additionally, in December we launched the new Córdoba–Santo Domingo route, and on December 10 we resumed Buenos Aires–Santo Domingo, adding two more flights to the thirteen we already operate to Punta Cana.

You mentioned there are new features in the customer experience. Could you tell us more?

Of course, and I'll give you a scoop. Today we're launching a series of passenger-focused innovations. From now on, customers won't have to pay to check in at the counter, even if they don't check in online. We're also increasing the baggage allowance from 20 to 23 kilos at no additional cost, and lowering the price of bags, which will now have a single, fixed price, regardless of when they're purchased.

In addition, passengers will be able to carry additional excess weight for a fixed fee, and on long-haul flights from Argentina, we will offer free water and coffee. We've also opened a new WhatsApp support channel for changes, cancellations, or inquiries, making it much more agile. All of this is designed to ensure passengers feel that Arajet offers more value for their money.

These measures represent a significant change in the industry. How did they come to be implemented?

Listening to people. We analyzed the main complaints and saw that many were minor annoyances that affected the experience. So we decided to take on that additional cost ourselves to improve customer satisfaction. We prefer to have a short-term financial impact but earn passenger loyalty.