JetBlue Announces Havana Flights from Three U.S. Cities
JetBlue, the first U.S. airline to bring affordable and convenient air travel to Cuba after more than 50 years, today announced the long-anticipated addition of service to Havana’s José Marti International Airport (HAV) starting in late November. Havana, the airline’s fourth Cuban destination and 100th destination network-wide, will be served by daily roundtrip flights from three JetBlue focus cities on the airline’s newest Airbus A321 aircraft and its award-winning customer service: - New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK): Daily roundtrips begin on November 28, 2016 - Orlando International Airport (MCO): Daily roundtrips begin on November 29, 2016 - Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL): Once-daily roundtrips begin on November 30, 2016 and a second daily roundtrip (except Saturdays) begins December 1, 2016 Known for offering a customer-focused experience at a competitive price, JetBlue continues to make Cuba more affordable for those who meet government travel requirements. Introductory fares from Florida start at $54 one-way and introductory fares from New York start at $99 one-way, including Cuban government-required health insurance coverage. “Our historic first flight kicked off a new era in travel to Cuba, and once again JetBlue will make history with flights that finally make flying to the Cuban capital simple, affordable and enjoyable,” said Robin Hayes, president and chief executive officer, JetBlue.
Scheduled Flights to Cuba Now on Sale on CheapAir.com
CheapAir.com became the first U.S. online company to sell tickets for both charter and scheduled airline service to Cuba. At the moment only American Airlines, JetBlue and Silver Airways are flying scheduled flights to Cuba, but the U.S. Department of Transportation has authorized six airlines to provide scheduled service to cities outside Havana. Not all the airlines have announced start dates, but Southwest Airlines is expected to announce its Cuban itineraries Thursday. In late November and early December, major U.S. airlines will begin providing scheduled service from the United States to Havana. At this point, American Airlines will be the first with a flight from Miami to Havana scheduled for Nov. 28. Eventually, travelers will be able to book flights between the U.S. and Cuba on eight major airlines that have received DOT approval to fly to 10 destinations in Cuba.
CheapAir.com also is offering a Miami-Havana charter operated by Havana Air. Although online travel agencies sometimes offer airfare discounts, CheapAir.com will be selling tickets at the same prices charged by the airlines. However, booking on CheapAir.com will give travelers the ability to compare various airlines’ offerings and to mix and match travel segments on different airlines, said Klee. “As far as I know we are the first U.S. online company to do Cuba,” he said. CheapAir.com’s interest in the Cuba travel business was piqued in January 2015 when the Obama administration announced new rules on travel to Cuba that allowed a wider range of Americans to visit, permitted the use of debit and credit cards issued by U.S. banks, and eliminated a per diem rate on how much Americans could spend on their visits.
Klee said: “ So many airlines applied for Cuba routes, he said, because “I think none of them wanted to be left out. But frankly, it was overkill. It will be a buyer’s market for the next year and I think we will see a lot of discounting.” Booking air travel to Cuba on CheapAir.com is similar to booking a trip to New York or Chicago. “The only difference is in the final step you have to indicate the reason you’re traveling,” said Klee. The United States only permits travel in 12 categories, including family visits, travel for educational and religious activities, humanitarian trips, and travel in support of the Cuban people, which includes people-to-people visits.
Source: The Miami Herald