Low Fares and a Meaningful Celebration of Cuban Culture Will Mark the Arrival of JetBlue’s Service in Havana and Its 100th Destination
JetBlue (NASDAQ:JBLU), the first U.S. airline to bring affordable and convenient air travel to Cuba after more than 50 years, today announced the long-anticipated addition of service to Havana’s José Martí International Airport (HAV) starting in late November (a). Havana, the airline’s fourth Cuban destination and 100th destination network-wide, will be served by daily roundtrip flights from three JetBlue focus cities on the airline’s newest Airbus A321 aircraft and its award-winning customer service:
- New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK): Daily roundtrips begin on November 28, 2016
- Orlando International Airport (MCO): Daily roundtrips begin on November 29, 2016
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL): Once-daily roundtrips begin on November 30, 2016 and a second daily roundtrip (except Saturdays) begins December 1, 2016
Known for offering a customer-focused experience at a competitive price, JetBlue continues to make Cuba more affordable for those who meet government travel requirements. Introductory fares from Florida start at $54 one-way (b) and introductory fares from New York start at $99 one-way (b), including Cuban government-required health insurance coverage.
“Our historic first flight kicked off a new era in travel to Cuba, and once again JetBlue will make history with flights that finally make flying to the Cuban capital simple, affordable and enjoyable,” said Robin Hayes, president and chief executive officer, JetBlue. “It’s remarkable that a startup airline less than 17 years old will mark Havana as its 100th destination.”
With service to Havana, JetBlue – which launched its first flight in February 2000 – will serve 100 destinations across 22 countries in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean.
JetBlue Celebrates the Culture of Cuba by Supporting the American Museum of Natural History’s Upcoming Exhibition: ¡Cuba!
To mark the inaugural flights, JetBlue will celebrate Cuba’s distinctive cultural heritage in its home at JFK’s Terminal 5 (T5) and in partnership with the American Museum of Natural History.
A special Live From T5 concert will kick off inaugural day on November 28 with performances from an award-winning Cuban music group and a New York-based Cuban dance group. Additionally, travelers passing through T5 will be able to take in a live mural creation by a Cuba-based artist. Other inaugural festivities will include traditional Cuban food and remarks to commemorate JetBlue’s first commercial flight to Havana.
JetBlue will also proudly highlight its support of ¡Cuba!, an exhibition by New York’s American Museum of Natural History. The exhibition opens to the public at the museum’s Manhattan location on November 21. ¡Cuba! will showcase the country’s biodiversity, culture and life and will invite visitors to discover Cuban nature and Cuban culture through music, dance performances, and a variety of interactive experiences.
“We are delighted to launch this wonderful partnership with JetBlue as corporate sponsor of our upcoming exhibition ¡Cuba!” said Ellen V. Futter, President of the American Museum of Natural History. “Our exhibition grows out of an unprecedented scientific and educational partnership with the National Natural History Museum in Havana, and we are so pleased to have JetBlue’s support of the Museum as we continue our work both globally and locally to advance scientific research, education, and cross-cultural understanding.”
As a leader in science and conservation, the American Museum of Natural History has long-standing research and capacity development collaborations with Cuban scientists at a number of institutions. Museum scientists have participated in nearly 30 expeditions and field projects to Cuba over the last 120 years.
Removing the Cost & Complexity of Cuba Travel
True to its customer focus, JetBlue is taking a number of steps unique to its Cuba service to set it apart from competitors known for offering high prices and inferior service:
- Affordable fares: JetBlue is introducing a low starting fare to make Cuba more accessible to those visiting family members or traveling to Cuba for cultural, business or group travel.
- Health insurance included: JetBlue will include Cuban government-required health insurance coverage for all travelers on all Cuba-bound flights so that customers do not have to worry about obtaining the insurance separately.
- Affidavit in a few clicks: Under U.S. regulations, every customer traveling to Cuba must complete an affidavit affirming the customer is going for one of 12 reasons of approved travel from the U.S. Department of Treasury. JetBlue has built the completion of the affidavit right into the booking process so it can be finished in only a couple of clicks.
- Day-of-travel Cuban Tourist Visa (Tourist Card): Separate from the U.S. regulated 12 categories, visitors must also obtain an entrance visa into Cuba. For customers who qualify for a Cuban Tourist Visa (Tourist Card), JetBlue will make those visas available for purchase upon check-in at one of its gateway airports or at the gate for connecting customers on the day of travel. All travelers to Cuba must make their own determination with respect to the appropriate type of visa required by Cuba for their purpose of travel.
All customers traveling to Cuba must be authorized to do so under the U.S. government’s Cuban Assets Control Regulations and they must certify that they qualify for one of the twelve approved travel categories outlined by the U.S. Department of Treasury. All travelers to Cuba must make their own determination with respect to the appropriate type of visa required by Cuba for their purpose of travel.
