Seems like there's a fresh piece of Cuba-related travel news every day. The latest: eight US airlines have received tentative approval from the Department of Transportation to operate direct flights to Havana. The flights could start taking off as early as September—when they do, they'll be the first commercial US flights to Cuba's capital city in more than 50 years. Here are the winning airlines and departure cities:
* Carriers: American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, United Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Frontier Airlines
* Departure cities: Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and Orlando, Florida; Charlotte, North Carolina; Los Angeles; New York; Newark, New Jersey; Atlanta; Houston
Though American tourism in Cuba is still officially banned, the US eased restrictions in March, allowing "educational trips" without special permission from the government, provided the trips fall under one of 12 categories, such as visiting relatives or participating in a charitable project. Travel to Cuba ballooned as a result, and it's expected to increase even further now that commercial flights are available.
