How to Fly to Cuba in 2023
So you want to go to Cuba? We'd love to help you get there! Here's everything you need to know about how to fly to Cuba.
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Buy a commercial ticket from your home city
Several commercial airlines offer round-trip flights from the U.S. to Cuba. You can book tickets directly on the airline's website. In most cases, you can book directly from your nearest airport to Cuba, but most flights will include a layover since few cities offer nonstop flights at this time.
For example, you can fly from Pittsburgh to Havana with a stop in Fort Lauderdale on JetBlue. You can fly from Los Angeles to Havana with a stop in Miami on American Airlines. Or you could fly from NYC-JFK nonstop to Havana on JetBlue for rates comparable to other Caribbean destinations.
If you choose this option you will be asked to declare that your trip falls into one of the following twelve categories at the time you purchase your ticket to fly to Cuba:
- Family visits
- Official business for the US government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations
- Journalistic activity
- Professional Research
- Religious activities
- Public performances
- Support for the Cuban people* (most likely choice)
- Humanitarian projects
- Activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes
- Exportation, importation, or transmission of information or informational materials
- Certain export transactions
Most visits will qualify as Support for the Cuban People. Get more information on declaring your travel category to meet the requirements for the General License for travel to Cuba.
Fly to Cuba from Canada or Mexico
If you live close to the Canadian or Mexican border you may prefer to fly to Cuba from major cities in Canada or Mexico and taking ground transportation to that city. While it's certainly not necessary to add this extra step, you may prefer to do so if flights to Cuba from your home airport are more expensive than flights from Toronto or Tijuana.
The number one Canadian airline to book to fly to Cuba is Sunwing, which offers a fun bonus: a complimentary glass of champagne for all passengers. Sunwing flights from Toronto to Varadero begin at around $400 roundtrip.
If you're near the border between Texas and Mexico, flights from Monterrey, Mexico to Cuba are less expensive, while flights from nearby Corpus Christi, TX are usually much pricier. Hopping from Cancun to Havana is often the least expensive.
Pro tip: Google Flights, Skyscanner, Momondo, and Kayak won't display any results for Cuba searches, and instead show a statement that cites the legal issues with showing Cuba flight information.
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And for more on Cuba travel, check out:
- Cuba FAQ
- You Can Still Travel to Cuba: 2023 Update
- Cuban Tourist Cards and Visas
- Cuba Info for Americans
