Punta Cana marks the sixth Caribbean destination in AirTran Airways' network joining Aruba, Cancun, Mexico, Montego Bay, Jamaica, Nassau, Bahamas, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. This is in addition to other tropical getaways like Key West, Fla., and Bermuda (service begins April 7, 2011).

"AirTran Airways is excited to bring our high-quality, low-cost service to the beautiful beaches of the Dominican Republic," said Tad Hutcheson, AirTran Airways' vice president of marketing and sales. "As we enter the final stretch of winter, travelers across our entire network should warm to planning easy and economical vacations with these new flights to Punta Cana."

Passengers boarding today's inaugural AirTran Airways flight from Atlanta to Punta Cana were treated to a festive send-off celebration which included a merengue band and dancers.