JetBlue Flight 387 took off with much fanfare from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Wednesday with about 150 passengers on board.
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Cheers broke out in the cabin of JetBlue flight 387 as the plane touched down.
Among the passengers aboard JetBlue flight 387 from Fort Lauderdale to Santa Clara were many Cuban exiles returning to their homeland for the first time in years, and the U.S. transport secretary, Anthony Foxx, headed for talks with his counterparts in Havana.
Check-in meant nearly two hours in a line that almost spilled out the terminal doors. I barely made it aboard my 45-minute flight Sunday. “I think that speaks to the interest on the part of the American people, and it also speaks to the level of commercial interest in the USA that exists”. For an extra $35, I hauled back 100 pounds of goods that are almost unobtainable in Cuba: porcelain kitchen tiles, ice cube trays, a designer dress for my fiancee.
“Travel. will build bridges between our people, and bring more revenue to those Cuban small businesses”, said President Barack Obama on his historic trip to Cuba in March, which was part of sweeping changes the White House has introduced over the last two years to restore relations between the two countries.
U.S.travel to Cuba is on track to triple this year to more than 300,000 visitors in the wake of the 2014 declaration of detente.
He said planning the trip was even more special because he bought the first ticket for the flight. So you can expect more flights in the future.
Americans who fit one of 12 categories will now be able to fill out a federal affidavit by clicking a box online and, in many cases, buy their Cuban tourist visa near the check-in counters of U.S. airports. You can buy Cuban visas in US airports. All of a sudden, a weekend getaway to Cuba is a real possibility for millions of Americans.
“It’s a new day for Cuba travelers”, said Marty St. George, JetBlue’s executive vice president, when the flight details were first announced last month.
Until Wednesday, passenger air links between Cuba and the United States were by chartered flights. A band played Cuban music at the gate. A water cannon sprayed a salute, and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx was the first to get off the plane once it came to rest.
Cuban officials insist the continuing USA ban on tourism will limit the impact of commercial flights to Cuba, but some experts believe the drastic reduction in the difficulty of flying to Cuba could turn the surge in US visitors into a tidal wave. “This will be a great moment for all of us and, I’m pretty sure, for the families of both countries”. He called it “another step forward”. “One, I am going to see my family”. The Obama administration has further eased the restrictions.
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Even though air service to Cuba is resuming, travel for US citizens is still limited. This makes any travel requirement unenforceable. American Airlines Group Inc was awarded the biggest portion. You can find it here. They had reserved their first night on Airbnb. Beyond that, they would improvise.
