14ymedio, Madrid, 14 July 2022 — On Wednesday, the United States approved the request of American Airlines to resume flights to five destinations in Cuba. The measure involves the return of the airline to the routes that connect Miami with Santa Clara, Varadero, Holguín, Camagüey and Santiago de Cuba.
American Airlines indicated that, starting in November, there will be two daily flights to Santa Clara and one a day to each of the remaining airports.
Currently, the company maintains six daily flights between Miami and Havana, a schedule that resumed in December 2021, after the reopening of the airspace closed due to the pandemic.
The return of the American Airlines flights was accompanied by several controversies; one of the most recent was the surcharge for the second suitcase. Until May, the second suitcase was charged at $40; now it is charged $65. The charge for the first suitcase, however, was lowered from $50 to $30.
In addition, the number of suitcases allowed if the origin is Cuba is limited to two free ones which, upon return, cost $200. Passengers were very upset with this measure, since travelers from other countries are allowed, for the same price, to take four.
The company’s return to the island was also marked by the increased price of its tickets, which amounted — in these complicated times — to almost a thousand dollars. In mid-January, the cost was approximately halved and, although it coincided with the start of the low season, US media claimed that the emptiness of the planes were a decisive factor in taking this measure.
American Airlines travel was interrupted in 2019, when the Trump Administration approved the ban on U.S. airlines from flying to eight international airports in Cuba outside Havana.
In June of this year, the Biden administration announced that it was reestablishing the affected commercial flights “with immediate effect.” Secretary of State Antony Blinken maintained that the measure was “in support of the Cuban people and in the interests of U.S. foreign policy.”
In addition to American Airlines, JetBlue and Southwest also fly to the Cuban capital.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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