Early last year sanctions began to be lifted between the US and Cuba, following the embargo which was in place for decades. This was huge news for those looking to travel to Cuba, since it created more circumstances under which US tourists could visit (and those travel restrictions have been eased even further since then).…
Continue reading: Commercial Flights Between The US And Cuba Are Now For Sale!
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I can't imagine why anyone would pay for F/J on such a short flight. I wonder if the airlines have a pricing algorithm that just plasters up the first price it calculates based on certain input variables, and ~$3000 is the non-human-adjusted price that happens to come up. Like, there must be some sort of human intervention involved, otherwise I can't imagine them ever selling a revenue seat at the front of the plane.
Does someone have a better model on how that pricing actually happens?
In the medium term, how do you expect award availability to be? These seem like perfect avios routes, even post devaluation, given the fares being charged.
i assume those with passports from elsewhere (Europe) can just go ahead and book these as we don't have any travel restrictions to Cuba... Or is there something about these flights to stop that... Any idea if through fares from outside the US are/will be available?
Interjet has daily flights to Havana out of Cancun for as low as $100 one way.
That $488 flight is the cheapest available. Go and return on certain other days and Y jumps as high as
$1128 R/T. And then they have the gall to post "upgrade to Business for only $2095". LOL
I'm thinking the fares are so high because they expect the planes to fly nearly empty and are just trying to cut their losses as they lock in the routes for a hoped for future profitability. Right now the only folks who are going to go are journalists, those with family members they haven't seen for many years, and those hoping to create some sort of business opportunity. Cuba doesn't have the infrastructure to handle 110 full flights a day of tourists anyway.
As for the "official reasons" to go, "support for the Cuban people" is a big enough opening to drive an 18 wheeler thru without even slowing down. 😉
@ Ben -- The economy prices are no where near "ridiculous." I don't understand why you are characterizing them as such. There is no other reasonable way to get there, and the pent-up demand must be high.
Oh, and, FYI, since your post, apparently AA "fixed" the business class fare, which now comes up at $808 for your example above.
Just checked ticket prices for the inaugural flight between Miami and Cienfuegos and business class fares have dropped to $806.
That price isn't extreme. It's actually less than many of the charter flights that have been operating for years. Many people who have been traveling to Cuba to see family are waiting until scheduled flights to start because of the lower prices that are available.
That price isn't terrible. It's >$400 on many dates DEN-MIA and that's a hub city. I used to pay less than $200 RT for that routing.
The charters flights are $400~500 all year around, with some promotion as low as $320, but you are forgetting something Ben, airport/taxes are $88.xx. Besides, I saw a lot of flights for $438.xx on AA.com.
Miami-Jacksonville is $260, with only $44 in taxes (is a domestic flight), I can assume we will see flights to Cuba for $250~$300, with some short sales for $150 in the future (similar price as Miami-Cancun when is on sale).