You\u2019re over the snow, the slush and this whole blizzard thing \u2014 it\u2019s time to get out of here.<\/p>\n
Right now, the No. 1 destination for NYC-based escape artists is the Dominican Republic, said Sully Montero of New Jersey-based Teach Travel Discover<\/a>. But along with the perennially popular DR, she\u2019s seeing a boom in interest in destinations like Anguilla and the Bahamas, thanks to a bevy of new, convenient and affordable flight routes.<\/p>\n And don\u2019t forget Florida. Its so-called Paradise Coast \u2014 which includes Naples, Marco Island and Everglades City \u2014 is seeing a 13% year-over-year increase in demand from NYC travelers, per Tripadvisor. No wonder: Last year, this coastal nook of Southwest Florida saw the opening of Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort<\/a> \u2014 the first Four Seasons on Florida\u2019s West Coast. It will add a Tom Fazio-designed championship golf course this year.<\/p>\n Golf-thirsty Naples can never adopt enough ritzy resorts. Felix Mizioznikov \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Other Sunshine State escapes like Sebastian, Fort Pierce, Stuart and Port St. Lucie are also hot, according to Jonathan Alder, luxury travel advisor and CEO of Jonathan\u2019s Travels<\/a>. \u201cPlaces like Vero Beach offer quieter beaches and a more relaxed pace, all without the congestion that comes with flying into South Florida,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Ready to make your exit? New flight routes are landing right now in warm-weather locales in Florida, the Caribbean and beyond.<\/p>\n Florida<\/p>\n Plop down on the Paradise Coast with JetBlue<\/a>\u2019s December debut of nonstop, thrice-weekly service between Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) and Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Lee County, through April 28. The approximately three-hour flight (round-trip fares tend to stay between the mid-$100s and the low $300s), lands within a 40-minute drive of Naples. Get your fine-art fix at the Baker Museum<\/a>; your fresh-air fix at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary<\/a> (peep those towering cypress trees and turtles); your race-car fix at the Revs Institute<\/a>; and your beach fix at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples<\/a> (from $899 per night).<\/p>\n Frontier now has a Newark-to-Orlando route. Christopher Sadowski<\/p>\n If you want to swap Gulf views for golfing, head to its sister property, the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tibur\u00f3n<\/a> (from $499 per night), about three miles away.<\/p>\n Orlando International Airport (MCO) also got a snazzy new route from EWR, courtesy of Frontier Airlines<\/a>. That thrice-weekly, three-hour flight service took off in January with promotional $29 one-way fares.<\/p>\n Plot your dream Walt Disney World Resort<\/a> vacation or count sheep at Grande Lakes Orlando<\/a>, which comprises the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes (from $832 per night) and JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes (from $326 per night).<\/p>\n Allegiant Air now has twice-weekly, nonstop service from Trenton to St. Pete-Clearwater. Allegiant<\/p>\n Another good budget offering? A few days ago, Allegiant Air<\/a> commenced twice-weekly, nonstop service from Trenton-Mercer Airport (TTN) to St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE). Fares are as low as $49 one-way, and in just shy of three hours you\u2019ll land at PIE, roughly 15 minutes from St. Petersburg cultural institutions like the Dal\u00ed Museum<\/a> and the Imagine Museum of Contemporary Glass Art<\/a>. Stay at the Vinoy Resort & Golf Club<\/a> (from $429 per night), which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.<\/p>\n In December, JetBlue\u2019s daily service from JFK to Vero Beach Regional Airport (VRB) landed with fares as low as $138 round-trip.<\/p>\n Rates at the Kimpton Vero Beach start from $239 a night. Kimpton Vero Beach Hotel & Spa<\/p>\n R&R awaits at Kimpton Vero Beach Hotel & Spa (from $239 per night), an oceanfront property with excellent kids\u2019 programming.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the SkyMiles set can jet off to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) from JFK in about three hours with daily seasonal service through May 6 on Delta Connection partner Republic Airways. The service began in December, and round-trip fares average around $200. <\/p>\n Sarasota County has plenty of milestone celebrations this year, from the city of Venice turning 100 to the Sarasota Opera House<\/a> marking its centennial. Visit Sarasota\u2019s Mote Science Education Aquarium<\/a>, which opened in 2025, to view impressive ocean-science exhibits.<\/p>\n Rates at the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort start from $719 per night. St. Regis Longboat Key Resort<\/p>\n Catch ZZZs at Sarasota\u2019s Cirque St. Armands Beachside<\/a> (from $359 per night), a 2025 debut just steps from Lido Beach, or the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort<\/a> (from $719 per night), where you can live the good life with poolside butler service and sundowners on the Gulf of Mexico beachfront.<\/p>\n Dominican Republic<\/p>\n In January, Arajet<\/a> launched nonstop service from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), with an average round-trip cost of $155. It\u2019s a new low-fare option operating four times weekly. Additionally, new seasonal JetBlue flights between John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and PUJ start in early March 2026.<\/p>\n Arajet now flies nonstop between Newark and Punta Cana for $155 round-trip. Arajet<\/p>\n Service from JFK to Santiago de los Caballeros (STI) and nonstop flights to Santo Domingo (SDQ) are also launching this spring, creating expanded direct access to key destinations in the Dominican Republic (typical round-trip economy fares for these three routes hover around $250 to $600).<\/p>\n In Punta Cana \u2014 roughly a four-hour flight from NYC-area airports \u2014 stay at Club Med Punta Cana<\/a> (from $195 per person, per night), the brand\u2019s flagship North American resort, renovated in 2025. You\u2019ll love the deluxe rooms inspired by the coconut-lined coastline. You\u2019ll love the new international dining concept, El Mundo Food Club. And you\u2019ll really love that Club Med is all-inclusive when you get the bill.<\/p>\n Hydration is never a problem at Eden Roc Cap Cana. Pablo Senra\/Eden Roc Cap Cana<\/p>\n To splurge, stay at Eden Roc Cap Cana<\/a> (from $800 per night), a Relais & Ch\u00e2teaux property that is the only two-key Michelin resort in the country.<\/p>\n Anguilla<\/p>\n In roughly 3.5 hours, you\u2019ll swap snow boots for barefoot luxury via Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA). Launched in December and running through April, BermudAir<\/a>\u2019s twice-weekly flight to AXA from EWR will set you back around $750 to $900 round-trip. Even better, AXA\u2019s newly constructed, multi-million-dollar airport terminal was unveiled in December, giving your travel experience a major upgrade.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve touched down, post up at Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel<\/a> (from $1,095 per night). It boasts a primo perch on Maundays Bay, perhaps the most underrated beach in the Caribbean. Reimagined in 2024, don\u2019t skip the Cap Juluca Spa by Guerlain<\/a>, where treatments pay homage to the island\u2019s Arawak heritage.<\/p>\n Fly and flop into Belmond\u2019s Cap Juluca in Anguilla. Courtesy of Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel<\/p>\n We\u2019re also partial to resetting your winter humdrums at Zemi Beach House<\/a> (from $975 per night). Located on Anguilla\u2019s Shoal Bay East, after beachcombing, split your time between the 300-year-old Thai House Spa and the Rhum Room, with more than 100 single-estate rums on offer \u2014 and a heck of a daiquiri. All this and more can actually come with a free flight<\/a> on the new BermudAir route if you reserve three or more nights at Zemi Beach House, booked by March 15 (and travel by April 12).<\/p>\n The Bahamas<\/p>\n Nassau\u2019s spicy Margaritaville is a lot to drink in. Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassau<\/p>\n Since December, Delta<\/a> has been shuttling frigid city folk from LGA to Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) in Nassau, starting at $351 for a round-trip ticket.<\/p>\n Operating daily through early spring, the new three-and-a-half-hour flight affords travelers access to a growing roster of hotels on Nassau and nearby Paradise Island.<\/p>\n Our top two choices? First, Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassau<\/a> (from $430 per night), a family-friendly resort that serves as a mainstay along the redeveloped Nassau waterfront, complete with multiple pools and a marina.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the British Colonial<\/a> (from $244 per night), a historic hotel on the heels of its $50 million renovation in 2024, with refreshed interiors, a private beach and a downtown location.<\/p>\n Grand Cayman<\/p>\n It\u2019s a breeze to fly into the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman<\/p>\n With weekly service on Saturdays through April 11, Delta\u2019s newest flight route between Owen Roberts International Airport (GCM) in Grand Cayman and JFK has been wheels up since December. The first time in over a decade that Delta will serve this destination from JFK, expect prices to start around $315 for a round-trip ticket.<\/p>\n In March, the \u201cculinary capital of the Caribbean\u201d shows the island punches on the performance front, too, with\u00a0Cayfest<\/a>, presented by the Cayman National Cultural Foundation as a month-long film, music, dance and culture festival. Any day you visit, you can drift into serenity at\u00a0Meraki Wellness<\/a>, a standalone wellness destination unveiled in February. It has an impressive hydrotherapy circuit, including the region\u2019s first \u201csnow room\u201d and largest panoramic sauna. Cap off your day of health-supportive indulgences at\u00a0the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman<\/a>\u00a0(from $1,299 per night), where the renewed spa reopened in last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Going Down Under<\/p>\n Fly Delta to peep fairy penguins Down Under. ymgerman \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Warm weather, stateside insanity, sexy accents \u2026 whatever reason for a visit to the Lucky Country, Delta and United have launched new routes to get you there.<\/p>\n First up, jet off to Oz with Delta Air Lines on a long-haul Airbus A350 aircraft from LAX to Melbourne Airport (MEL) in Victoria. The flight debuted in December with inbound flight DL11 and outbound flight DL12 \u2014 cheeky references to Melbourne\u2019s tram routes 11 and 12 (which shuttle people to local treasures like St. Kilda, Spring Street and Victoria Street). In case you didn\u2019t know, Melbourne boasts the world\u2019s largest tram network.\u00a0<\/p>\n Delta is the first airline to fly the A350 nonstop from Melbourne to the United States and the 275-seat aircraft is loaded with 40 premium Delta One suites.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis new service will help bring hundreds of extra visitors to our state each week, which will help support Victoria\u2019s world-class tourism, dining and hospitality venues,\u201d said Lorie Argus, CEO of Melbourne Airport operator Australia Pacific Airports Corporation, in a press release.\u00a0<\/p>\n A glimpse down Brunswick Street, one of Melbourne\u2019s hippest corridors. Visit Victoria<\/p>\n Speaking of which, Melbourne isn\u2019t called Australia\u2019s cultural capital for nothing. The city has one the world\u2019s best dining scenes, a Formula 1 race and Grand Slam tennis (not to mention adorable\u00a0fairy penguins at the St. Kilda Pier). The LA Rams will also play the NFL\u2019s<\/a> first-ever regular season games in Melbourne this year at the city\u2019s pride and joy, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).<\/p>\n Melbourne is also a gateway to Yarra Valley\u2019s verdant hills and sun-soaked vineyards, the iconic Great Ocean Road coastal highway and the pinot noir-soaked hot springs of the Mornington Peninsula.<\/p>\n \u201cThis deal delivers an extra 86,000 seats a year between Victoria and the United States,\u201d said Colin Brooks, Victoria\u2019s Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing.\u00a0<\/p>\n A recent flight search for a travel period of March 2 through March 8 showed Delta main round-trip fare from $1,541 from NYC and Delta Comfort round-trip fare for the same period from $1,828. Flight time is around 15 hours.<\/p>\n Take a United Dreamliner from SFO to Adelaide. Christian Palent \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n For those looking to explore South Australia, make the connection to Oz from SFO on United Airlines\u2019 first nonstop flight from the SFO to Adelaide Airport (ADL). Wheels up since December 2025, the thrice-weekly flight also will clock in around 15 hours and will start as a seasonal service until March (though, in the future, there\u2019s the chance for increased service pending demand). The flight operates a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with 257 seats, including 48 in United Polaris Business Class and 21 in United Premium Plus.<\/p>\n \u201cThe addition of new international flights into Adelaide is a massive vote of confidence in our state as a visitor destination, and as a place to do business,\u201d said Minister for Tourism Zoe Bettison. \u201cWe now have more international connections to South Australia than ever before; we are welcoming the world to see all we have to offer.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n On any given jaunt, that could mean exploring cute-as-a-button Adelaide and the delicacies at its central market, or a day trip to the foothills to sip Shiraz at award-winning Penfolds\u2019 Magill Estate.<\/p>\n