United Airlines Is Adding More Nonstop Flights to a Caribbean Island Known for Its Rainforests, Volcanoes, and Dramatic Scenery

United Airlines is deepening its commitment to Dominica this fall, expanding its Newark–Douglas Charles route with a midweek flight that gives travelers a new, easier way to reach one of the Caribbean’s most compelling nature destinations.

Beginning Oct. 29, United will add a Wednesday nonstop from Newark Liberty International Airport to Dominica, complementing its long-running Saturday service and effectively doubling the weekly lift between the U.S. Northeast and the island. The new rotation marks a significant boost for Dominica, a destination that has grown steadily in visibility as travelers seek more immersive, outdoor-focused escapes across the Caribbean.

The added service provides a smoother, more flexible travel window for both leisure visitors and returning residents. For years, weekend flights defined the primary connectivity from the tri-state area, creating narrow arrival and departure patterns and often forcing travelers into longer connections through hubs like Miami, San Juan or Barbados. With the Wednesday flight, the island gains a more balanced weekly schedule — one that makes shorter trips more feasible and spreads visitor arrivals more evenly across the week.

It also signals growing demand. United first launched the Newark–Dominica route as a landmark connection linking the continental U.S. directly with the island’s rugged, rainforest-covered terrain. Since then, Dominica has continued to attract travelers seeking something different from the traditional Caribbean resort experience — a place shaped by volcanic peaks, black- and gold-sand beaches, hot springs, and a rainforest that feels untouched.

The new midweek flight also supports Dominica’s expanding hotel and eco-resort sector, which includes boutique properties, nature retreats, and new developments on the island’s eastern and northern coasts. With more consistent lift, hoteliers and tour operators expect steadier arrivals, particularly during high-interest seasons like late fall and early winter.

Where to Stay

Secret Bay
Dominica’s most celebrated luxury resort, Secret Bay is a collection of private, freestanding clifftop villas immersed in dense rainforest and perched above the Caribbean Sea. It’s the quintessential nature-luxury retreat — impeccable service delivered in a fully secluded, sustainably built environment, with private plunge pools, dedicated villa hosts, and a focus on personalized, experiential travel. Guests come for the privacy, the outdoor showers framed by tropical foliage, the remarkable views, and the sense of being deeply connected to the island’s volcanic landscape while staying in complete comfort. This is, plainly, one of the best resorts anywhere in the Caribbean — a true six-star experience.

Fort Young Hotel
Set along the waterfront in the heart of Roseau, Fort Young blends historic character with contemporary Caribbean style. The hotel is built into a centuries-old fort that once guarded the island, giving it a distinctive sense of place and a series of terraces and lookouts over the sea. Guests have easy access to Dominica’s capital — from markets to restaurants — along with quick routes to the island’s famed waterfalls, boiling lakes, and hiking trails. It’s also a gateway for diving excursions, with on-site access to some of Dominica’s most notable underwater sites. And did we mention its hallmark all-inclusive program?

The timing of the expansion — just ahead of the peak travel period — allows United to capture early-season demand while providing more options for travelers building multi-island trips or pairing Dominica with neighboring destinations. It also aligns with broader growth in the Northeastern U.S.–Caribbean air corridor, where carriers are adding capacity in response to strong year-round interest.

When United’s Wednesday service begins at the end of October, Dominica will join a short list of smaller Caribbean destinations with multiple weekly U.S. nonstop flights — a shift that aviation officials, hotel partners and tourism stakeholders say reflects the island’s rising profile and its growing reputation as one of the region’s most distinctive places to explore.

For travelers, it simply means more choice, better connections, and an easier path to one of the Caribbean’s last truly wild frontiers. Dominica is an island that has always been close to my heart — I actually honeymooned there — and it remains one of the great undiscovered places in the Caribbean.

So what about prices? The new flight costs about $537 roundtrip right now, according to Google Flights. It’s a four and a half hour flight.