The Department of Transportation has okayed six airlines to begin commercial air service between the United States and Cuba. Even though in the last year and a half, the U.S. and Cuba have worked toward normalizing relations – which as a result has expanded U.S. citizens’ rights when it comes to traveling to the Caribbean nation – the only way to get to there is through chartered flights. Today, the Department of Transportation granted American, Frontier, JetBlue, Silver Airways, Southwest, and Sun Country for a total of 155 roundtrip flights a week, according to NBC Miami.
“Last year, President Obama announced that it was time to ‘begin a new journey’ with the Cuban people,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Today, we are delivering on his promise by re-launching scheduled air service to Cuba after more than half a century.”
The planes will leave from five U.S. cities (Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis/St.Paul) and land in ten Cuban ones. Though we’re set on the U.S. side, Cuba still has to approve the measure. But it’s not stopping airlines from selling tickets as soon as next month. American Airlines will offer two daily flights from Miami to Holguin, Santa Clara, and Varadero. JetBlue will head out of Ft. Lauderdale three times a day to Santa Clara, Camaguey, and Holguin, according to ABC 10.
Before you head to Orbitz/Expedia/Trivago, make sure you can visit under one of the categories, such as family visits, official business, journalist visit, professional meetings, educational and religious activities. And maybe wait for Cuba to get on board.