In 1961 the USA put a trade embargo on Cuba, which meant that, amongst many other things, US citizens were no longer allowed to travel to Cuba. That ban lasted for decades. But not anymore! It is now not only possible for Americans to travel to Cuba, but it is also possible to fly directly from the USA to Cuba, here are all the flights that will get you there. Once you’ve figured out how you’re going to travel, it’ll be time to start planning the rest of your Cuba trip – and why not have a local Cuban help you make the most of your time there?
Yes! You can fly directly from the USA to Cuba on several different airlines. You’ll need to search directly on each airline's website as OTAs like Kayak and Expedia don’t include Cuba in their flight searches currently.
While this has not always been the case, direct flights from the USA to Cuba reopened in August 2016 for the first time since 1961. Don’t forget though, you will need a Cuba General License before you take off.
Currently, there are five airlines that offer direct flights from the USA to Cuba. They are:
Delta (from April 2023)
There are direct flights from six US cities to various destinations in Cuba. These are the routes currently available:
American Airlines
Miami to Havana - daily departures
Miami to Santa Clara - daily departures
Miami to Holguin - one daily departure
Miami to Varadero - one daily departure
Miami to Santiago de Cuba - daily departures
Miami to Camaguey - Daily departures
Delta
Miami to Havana - daily departures beginning April 10, 2023
Southwest
Tampa to Havana - one daily departure
Fort Lauderdale to Havana - daily departures
JetBlue
Fort Lauderdale to Havana - daily departures
New York JFK to Havana - one daily departure
United
Newark to Havana - one daily departure
Houston to Havana - one daily departure
While there are ferry services from Florida to Cuba, they are only available to Cuban Americans and American citizens must make their way to Cuba by air.
You can also fly indirectly to Cuba through another country, whether that be The Bahamas, Canada, or another country in the region.
Now that you’ve got your flights figured out, you need to make sure all the rest of your Cuba travel requirements are in order so you can travel hassle-free.
While Americans are allowed to get into Cuba and the process is fairly straightforward, there are some very specific documents you’ll need to make sure you have:
A valid passport with at least six months of validity from the date of entry and two empty pages.
A Cuba general license – not sure what that is? Check out this guide to getting your Cuba general license.
A detailed travel itinerary that you should retain for five years after your trip. Since putting one together can be quite time-consuming, ask a local to give you a hand!
Cash. While you don’t legally need cash, you won’t be able to access any of your US banks once in the country, so you should have enough cash to last you through your entire trip.
Now that you’ve figured out how to get to Cuba, make sure you have all the other parts of a perfect trip planned, and what better way to do that than to talk with a local Cuban and get their help?
And for more about Cuba travel check out our articles on: