{"response": {"Key": "RDU-PR", "orig": {"code": "RDU", "type": "airport", "city": "Raleigh", "fullCity": "Raleigh, North Carolina", "airport": "Raleigh Durham Intl Airport"}, "dest": {"code": "PR", "type": "country", "country": "Puerto Rico"}, "faq": {"q0": {"question": "Which cities in Puerto Rico can I fly to from Raleigh?", "answer": "From Raleigh you can fly non-stop to San Juan. One-stop connections also serve Aguadilla and Ponce via hubs such as Miami or Charlotte. San Juan is the main gateway for culture and nightlife, while Aguadilla and Ponce offer quieter beaches and access to the west and south coasts."}, "q1": {"question": "How long is the flight from Raleigh to Puerto Rico?", "answer": "From Raleigh to San Juan, non-stop flights take about 3 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 45 minutes southbound and roughly 4 hours on the return. One-stop options to Aguadilla or Ponce typically range from 5 to 7 hours total depending on the connection."}, "q2": {"question": "Are there direct flights from Raleigh to Puerto Rico?", "answer": "There are no non-stop flights from Raleigh to Puerto Rico. Most itineraries connect through a major hub such as Charlotte, Atlanta, Miami, or Orlando, with total travel time typically ranging from 5 to 8 hours depending on the layover."}, "q3": {"question": "Which airlines fly from Raleigh to Puerto Rico?", "answer": "From Raleigh to Puerto Rico you can fly JetBlue, Southwest, American and other carriers, mostly connecting via their hubs."}, "q4": {"question": "When is the cheapest time to fly from Raleigh to Puerto Rico?", "answer": "The cheapest months to fly from Raleigh to San Juan are September, August, and October, while December and January are the most expensive. Midweek departures — especially Tuesday — tend to be slightly cheaper, and evening flights offer the best value. Booking about 9 to 12 weeks ahead usually yields the lowest fares; peak summer and major holidays like Christmas see noticeably higher prices.", "methodology": "This 'good deal' estimate shows a representative best price for each departure date across roughly a 12-month window (about 3 months back and 9 months forward). It is built from real flight prices found by Priceline users searching this route, accumulated into a price history for each departure date. Rather than weighting all of that history equally, we apply exponential time decay so recent prices dominate — a price seen yesterday counts almost in full, one from about a month ago roughly a third, and prices from a few months back very little — giving a figure that tracks today's market instead of a stale long-run average. Clear price outliers are removed before any calculation, departure dates with no observations are filled in from nearby dates, and the resulting curve is lightly smoothed so it reads as a clean seasonal trend rather than day-to-day noise. The cheapest day of the week and time of day to depart are drawn from the same large sample of real fares Priceline users found on this route in the last 72 hours, grouped by the day of the week and by the time-of-day window of the outbound departure, with the lowest and average price reported for each. This booking-window guidance is built from the same real flight prices found by Priceline users searching this route, re-grouped by how many days before departure each price was seen (from the departure day out to about 180 days ahead) across the route's price history. At each booking lead time we report the 25th-percentile price — the cheaper end of what travelers were quoted, rather than the rock-bottom minimum (which can be a fluke) or the average (which is pulled up by expensive last-minute fares). The buy-or-wait advice then applies a risk premium that grows as departure approaches, since seat availability shrinks and prices become less predictable; using that adjusted curve we flag windows where waiting is likely to save a meaningful amount (at least $20 or 5%) versus windows where booking now is the better call. Isolated single-day recommendations are filtered out, so the advice only reflects a window that holds for several days in a row."}, "q5": {"question": "How far in advance should I book flights from Raleigh to Puerto Rico?", "answer": "For flights from Raleigh to San Juan, the optimal booking window is about 9 to 12 weeks ahead, when fares average around $435, though the very cheapest prices appear around 75 days out at roughly $432.", "methodology": "This booking-window guidance is built from the same real flight prices found by Priceline users searching this route, re-grouped by how many days before departure each price was seen (from the departure day out to about 180 days ahead) across the route's price history. At each booking lead time we report the 25th-percentile price — the cheaper end of what travelers were quoted, rather than the rock-bottom minimum (which can be a fluke) or the average (which is pulled up by expensive last-minute fares). The buy-or-wait advice then applies a risk premium that grows as departure approaches, since seat availability shrinks and prices become less predictable; using that adjusted curve we flag windows where waiting is likely to save a meaningful amount (at least $20 or 5%) versus windows where booking now is the better call. Isolated single-day recommendations are filtered out, so the advice only reflects a window that holds for several days in a row."}, "q6": {"question": "What are the most popular cities to visit in Puerto Rico?", "answer": "In Puerto Rico, San Juan is the main gateway with historic Old San Juan and Condado beaches. Many visitors also head to Rincón for surfing, Vieques and Culebra for pristine beaches and bioluminescent bays, and Ponce for colonial architecture."}, "q8": {"question": "Which airports in Puerto Rico are best to fly into from Raleigh?", "answer": "From Raleigh to Puerto Rico, San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín Airport is the primary gateway with the most connections and serves as a hub for exploring the island. Aguadilla and Ponce offer limited options but can be convenient for the west and south coasts respectively, though you may need to connect through San Juan."}, "q12": {"question": "When is the best time of year to visit Puerto Rico?", "answer": "For Puerto Rico, mid-April to June and September to November offer warm weather, fewer tourists and better prices than the peak winter and summer months. Spring and autumn avoid the heaviest crowds while still providing great beach conditions."}, "q13": {"question": "How do I get to Raleigh Durham Intl Airport from the city center?", "answer": "To get from downtown Raleigh to RDU, you can use the GoTriangle Route 100 bus, which offers a direct and affordable public transit connection to the airport. Ride‑share services like Uber and Lyft, along with taxis, provide door‑to‑terminal convenience and are the fastest and most popular choice. Driving yourself is also easy, with on‑site parking available in daily, economy, and short‑term lots. The bus is the cheapest option, while ride‑share or a taxi will get you there in about 20 minutes, depending on traffic.", "toolsUsed": ["article_lookup"], "references": [{"url": "https://rdu.com/ground-transportation", "title": "Ground Transportation - Raleigh-Durham International Airport", "time_published": "2026-02-25T20:46:41Z"}, {"url": "https://www.rdu.com/ground-transportation/taxis/", "title": "Taxis - Raleigh-Durham International Airport", "time_published": "2026-02-25T20:46:04Z"}, {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raleigh%E2%80%93Durham%20International%20Airport", "title": "Raleigh–Durham International Airport", "time_published": "2026-04-26T04:10:45Z"}, {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raleigh-Durham_International_Airport", "title": "Raleigh–Durham International Airport - Wikipedia", "time_published": "2003-07-14T02:56:33Z"}, {"url": "https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-seeks-public-input-runway-project-proposal-raleigh-durham-airport", "title": "FAA Seeks Public Input on Runway Project Proposal at Raleigh-Durham Airport", "time_published": "2023-02-02T00:00:00Z"}]}}}}