Alaska Airlines Is Canceling Flights To Cuba

I think it is interesting that Alaska doesn't fly to Toronto but felt there is a market to support LAX-HAV.

This was always about ego for all the US airlines involved. Like you, I'm not surprised that we're seeing routes cancelled, and not just because of the current administration's questionable foreign policy moves. The infrastructure in Cuba is nowhere near where it needs to be for the burgeoning market the airlines hoped it would be and the tourism just never materialized. There are many other developing nations with much better infrastructure and fewer political hurdles. There's a future for Cuba, certainly, but it's not going to come about because a bunch of US carriers raced to get there; foreign carriers have been going there for years with little change.

Looking at DOT T100 data, they did run a 84.6% load factor in April after starting in the mid 50s in January and February. Pulled using Diio. Their base fare was $174 which is only slightly lower than the $197 that LAX-FLL has, a much more well established route. LAX-MIA is at $244 (2nd quarter of 2017), a higher yield market. As a former route planner at a rival airline, the route looks like it did better than I would have expected, but was a little weak on the fare front. Their justification for dropping it may be legitamite.

I flew this route LAX-HAV over Labor Day this past Sept. for a 4 day weekender in Havana. Both legs, coming and going were full;
I asked the flight attendants and they said the plane was running approx 90% capacity.

Many airlines are cancelling their Havana flight and the visiting policy changes do not help them.

No one who visited Havana wants to go back. I’ll never go back. No culture and extremely overrated.

Contrary to what the Ahs-h*le above believes, I too recently went to Havana and found it rich in culture. The live music, the tradition, the living history, all amazing. Stayed in a beautiful regal 4-Star hotel situated across from the National School of Ballet. In fact, I experienced more culture in 3 days in Cuba than I’ve seen in 10 years in the overrated USA....

Cuba is fine for one weekend. Hotels are such a rip off. Stay in an AirBnb, Go to FAC and go home

"Contrary to what the Ahs-h*le above believes, I too recently went to Havana and found it rich in culture."

Because in fine OMAAT tradition, differences of opinion are always proper justification for personal attacks.

I just happened to be on the last Alaska Airlines flight from Havana to LAX yesterday. Watching the crew from Alaska Air and the Cuban crew from the airport hugging and crying and taking pictures together was heartbreaking. The crew onboard said that the planes just weren't full enough regularly. Obviously, the rule changes didn't help either.
This was my second trip there in two years, and I will definitely return.