• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

2

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

3

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

1

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

2

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

3

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
Cuba

How to Travel to Cuba With Miles

By
Brian Kelly
Brian Kelly
and
Travel + Leisure
Travel + Leisure
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Brian Kelly
Brian Kelly
and
Travel + Leisure
Travel + Leisure
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 20, 2016, 9:00 AM ET
488586965
Pastel colored buildings near city center, Havana, CubaPhotograph by Danita Delimont — Getty Images/Gallo Images

It’s not too early to think about using your frequent flyer miles to get to Cuba.

In the last 14 months, President Obama has relaxed restrictions on U.S. citizens traveling to Cuba, which made it easier—though far from hassle-free—to plan a trip to the island nation. I know from experience, having visited twice since then. The first time, I had to book through a Canadian company and buy my visa en route in Grand Cayman. The second time, I had to fill out a travel application that stated I would be visiting for “journalistic activity,” and arrive at the airport five hours before my charter flight to Santa Maria.

But soon there will be scheduled commercial flights from the U.S. to Cuba—as early as September, in fact. Airlines were asked to submit their proposed routes the other week. Nine companies are vying for a chance to fly, including Southwest, JetBlue, and the three major carriers.

Once flights are for sale, they should also be available for redemption using frequent flyer miles. Here’s what you’re likely to see from the airlines.

American Airlines

American (AAL), which has a hub in Miami, stands to operate the most flights to Cuba. The carrier is proposing to fly to five cities besides Havana, and is likely to get many of them since Havana is limited to just 20 daily flights from the U.S., out of a total of 110 a day to the country.

American is changing its rates for award tickets on March 22; though you’ll generally need to redeem more miles for flights, not all of the changes are negative. Havana is about 330 miles from Miami, so getting there could be a real mileage deal. Flights to the Caribbean in general will also be cheaper: economy seats will cost 15,000 miles versus the current 17,500 and business-class tickets will be 25,000 miles instead of 27,500.

Delta Air Lines

Delta (DAL) will likely operate flights to Havana from their largest hub, which is in Atlanta. On Delta you can redeem 15,000 SkyMiles each way for economy or 30,000 SkyMiles each way for first class, though peak periods cost more.

United Airlines

United (UAL) recently announced flights from Newark/New York, Houston, Washington D.C., and Chicago to Havana. Awards to Cuba will cost 17,500 miles each way for economy or 30,000 miles for business/first class.

For more on travel, watch this Fortune video:

Southwest Airlines

Southwest (LUV) has applied to operate nonstop service to Cuba from Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and Orlando. Awards on Southwest are based on the type of fare you purchase, but for Wanna Get Away flights you can generally get 1.9 cents per point in value, so a $500 Wanna Get Away fare to Cuba would cost about 26,300 Rapid Rewards points.

Jet Blue

Scott Resnick, JetBlue’s (JBLU) director of loyalty marketing, told me, “We envision TrueBlue flight redemptions will be allowed for travel on JetBlue commercial flights between the U.S and Cuba subject to any restrictions in place.” It looks like these flights will take off from New York JFK, Fort Lauderdale, and Tampa.

Similar to Southwest, JetBlue awards are based on the type of fare you buy, but for Blue fare economy you can generally get 1.6 cents per point in value. A $500 Blue fare to Cuba would cost about 31,250 TrueBlue points.

There are still many factors to take into account before a “best” program can be determined, like the cost of fares, since JetBlue and Southwest peg their awards to the ticket price. If seats are cheap due to the new supply on the market, then JetBlue and Southwest (and American from Miami) will be clear winners. If fares are comparable to what they are now ($600 or more in economy and $1,000-plus in first class), then United and Delta may make more sense because their programs are based on zones.

More from T+L:
• How to Use Miles to Get a Seat Upgrade
• How a Trip to Mumbai Ended With my Bollywood Debut
• Airbnb Is Now in Cuba—A Major Win, With a Major Caveat

No matter what, travel between the U.S. and Cuba will be easier than ever before. If you’ve never considered Cuba as an option, you might want to—especially if you’ve got a stash of frequent flyer miles burning a hole in your pocket.

This article was previously published on Travel + Leisure.

About the Authors
By Brian Kelly
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Travel + Leisure
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

SpaceX just made IPO history. Gwynne Shotwell made it possible
NewslettersMPW Daily
SpaceX just made IPO history. Gwynne Shotwell made it possible
By Emma HinchliffeJune 12, 2026
2 hours ago
mortgage
Real Estatemortgages
Mortgage rate rises to 6.52% from 6.48%, near yearlong high
By Alex Veiga and The Associated PressJune 12, 2026
3 hours ago
elon
Startups & VentureWealth
Elon’s wealth: 1 trillion dollar bills would stretch 97 million miles, to the moon and back over 200x
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressJune 12, 2026
3 hours ago
victor
North AmericaSports
Victor Wembanyama nearly got egged by a rabid Knicks fan. Nobody filed a complaint with the NYPD
By The Associated PressJune 12, 2026
3 hours ago
With SpaceX IPO, Elon Musk is the world’s first trillionaire — but he mostly lives in a tiny home in south Texas. ‘There is no food in the fridge’
Startups & VentureElon Musk
With SpaceX IPO, Elon Musk is the world’s first trillionaire — but he mostly lives in a tiny home in south Texas. ‘There is no food in the fridge’
By Jason MaJune 12, 2026
3 hours ago
dan
PoliticsElections
Dan Sullivan could be kicked out of Alaska Senate primary — but not that Dan Sullivan
By Becky Bohrer and The Associated PressJune 12, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
Environment
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
By Catherina GioinoJune 9, 2026
3 days ago
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
Investing
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
By Jim EdwardsJune 12, 2026
9 hours ago
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
Energy
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
By Sasha RogelbergJune 10, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
1 day ago
American taxpayers have spent $33 billion on sports stadiums. They got fewer seats—and higher prices
Success
American taxpayers have spent $33 billion on sports stadiums. They got fewer seats—and higher prices
By Catherina GioinoJune 11, 2026
1 day ago
Meet the SpaceX employees who are set to become multimillionaires thanks to its IPO: from execs to even welders
Success
Meet the SpaceX employees who are set to become multimillionaires thanks to its IPO: from execs to even welders
By Preston ForeJune 11, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.