Airlines add flights to Havana, but new U.S. travel rules pose a challenge for Cubans
U.S. airlines will add daily flights to Cuba starting next month, as the island’s government prepares to lift strict COVID-related measures on Nov. 15.
But those flights will likely carry mostly Cuban Americans on family visits to the island, as newly imposed travel rules from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make it very difficult for Cubans to enter the United States. And tickets in December will make those 45 minutes separating Miami from Havana pricey.
“On December 2 we are increasing our service to one daily flight between Miami and Havana,” an American Airlines’ spokesperson, Laura Masvidal, told the Miami Herald. “American will bring back more service as the Cuban government reopens the market.”
The airline is currently operating one weekly flight.
The additional flights are already listed on the company’s website, and coach fares are nearly $1,500 for a round trip. Southwest also added daily flights in December at lower prices, but they’re mostly sold out. Charter airline companies also sell tickets, but those can be expensive too, with round-trip flights sold ahead of the holidays for $1,800.
The pandemic restrictions in both countries have left many families separated for a long time.
The island’s government closed the airports in March 2020 and briefly relaxed some restrictions for international travelers during the holidays that year. But facing the worst spike of COVID-19 cases earlier this year, the government issued strict quarantines for travelers and canceled many international flights.
Starting Nov. 15, Cuban authorities will no longer require visitors to quarantine for 10 days. Still, travelers must present either proof of vaccination or a PCR test taken no earlier than 72 hours before the trip.
But new U.S. requirements for international travelers enacted Monday threw a bucket of cold water on Cubans’ hopes to visit.
Starting Monday, foreign travelers coming to the U.S. will need to show proof of being fully vaccinated with a vaccine approved by the World Health Organization. They will also need to show a copy of a negative result of a viral test taken no more than three days before departure.
The island’s government said 90 percent of Cuba’s 11.3 million people would be fully vaccinated with locally developed products by the end of the month. However, none of the Cuban COVID vaccines — three called Soberana and one named Abdala — currently hold the WHO’s emergency use authorization.
A small number of Cubans who received two shots of China’s Sinopharm will be able to board flights to the U.S. because the product is on the list of the CDC’s approved vaccines. There are also some exceptions in place, including for people who have a medical reason for not being vaccinated against COVID.
“We have a process in place to guide our agents through checking COVID-19 test results and other required documentation,” Masvidal said. “Additionally, we recommend our customers use VeriFLY ― our partner and provider of a mobile health wallet ― wherever it is available, as a way to organize travel documentation and confirm compliance with their destination’s requirements.”
A CDC official told reporters earlier on Monday that the best way for travelers to know if they are allowed to take a flight to the U.S. was to check the CDC website.
Miami Herald reporter Jacqueline Charles contributed to this story.
This story was originally published November 8, 2021 at 5:37 PM.