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Many American Airlines Flights to Cuba Are Now Bookable
Emily McNutt
Contributor
June 14, 2016
•
3 min read
Many American Airlines Flights to Cuba Are Now Bookable
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Update: Since this post was originally published, AA has updated its site to allow travelers to book tickets on all of its Cuba routes. Previously, tickets to Santa Clara and Varadero were not bookable.
Late last week, the Department of Transportation approved routes for several US airlines — including American Airlines, Frontier, JetBlue, Silver, Southwest and Sun Country — to begin service to Cuba. As of last week, Havana (HAV) routes had not been awarded, just those to Camaguey (CMW), Cayo Coco (CCC), Cayo Largo (CYO), Cienfuegos (CFG), Holguín (HOG), Manzanillo (MZO), Matanzas (VRA), Santa Clara (SNU) and Santiago de Cuba (SCU). Now, it looks like flights to Cuba are actually bookable with American Airlines.
AA will operate several daily round-trip flights to Cuba, including:
- Beginning September 7, 2016:
- Cienfuegos (CFG; one daily flight from MIA)
- Holguin (HOG; two daily flights from MIA)
- Beginning September 9, 2016:
- Camaguey (CMW; one daily flight from MIA)
- Santa Clara (SNU; two daily flights from MIA)
- Beginning September 11, 2016:
- Varadero (Matanzas; VRA; two daily flights from MIA)
It's interesting that only some of these cities are bookable so far — all but Santa Clara (SNU) and Caradero (VRA) appear to be as of this writing. Note that pricing for the bookable flights is quite expensive. It also appears that you can only book round-trip flights so far, not one-way tickets.
You can fly on the inaugural flight between Miami and Cienfuegos for $488 round-trip.
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It looks like seating on most of the flights is wide open right now, as you can see below. Note that the 24-hour free hold option is available for flights to Cuba — TPG Contributor JT Genter is holding an itinerary.
When booking, AA will generate a popup, reminding you of the approved reasons one is allowed to travel to Cuba, including family visits, religious activities, support for the Cuban people, humanitarian projects, educational activities and people-to-people exchanges.
It's worth noting that you can apply 500-mile upgrades — or free upgrades for AA Executive Platinum members. There don't appear to beat award redemption options for these flights as of yet, but stay tuned, as an AA representative confirmed that AAdvantage members can earn and redeem AAdvantage miles on flights to Cuba.
TPG Senior Editor Kaeli Conforti recently returned from the first cruise to Cuba in 50 years and raved about the time she spent in Cienfuegos, Santiago de Cuba and Havana, especially how welcoming the Cuban people were. TPG himself has also been to Cuba several times and loved it — after his first trip, he already planned on revisiting. And now, with flights open for booking (at least on American Airlines), it seems visiting Cuba is well within the reach of travelers.
As of this writing, AA is the only airline that's released its flights for booking. Stay tuned for complete details, especially when the Department of Transportation releases the full list of approved flights to Cuba, including to Havana.
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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.