JetBlue Opens Ticket Offices in Havana

JetBlue Opens Ticket Offices in Havana

JetBlue Opens Ticket Offices in Havana. One year and a day after its historic launch of commercial flights to Cuba, JetBlue Airways celebrated on Friday the opening of two ticket offices in Havana to make it easier for Cubans to book air travel to and from the United States.

The first JetBlue flight from Fort Lauderdale to Santa Clara, Cuba took off on August 31, 2016. The flight marked the resumption of regular commercial service between the United States and Cuba after about 50 years.

The air service had been severely restricted under the long-standing trade embargo imposed on Cuba by the United States. But the restraint was lifted after the two countries reestablished diplomatic relations during the Obama administration.

During its first year in Cuba, JetBlue has transported more than 390,000 passengers on nearly 2,000 flights to and from the United States, the New York-based company said.

"The opening of these offices allows us to offer a truly personalized experience for our Cuban customers with face-to-face interactions when they organize JetBlue trips," said JetBlue President and CEO Robin Hayes in a press release.

The ticket booths will also allow JetBlue to reach more travelers in the Cuban capital, Hayes said.

JetBlue operates nonstop flights to Havana from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Orlando International Airport and the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. He is seeking approval from the United States Department of Transportation to increase his Havana flight from Fort Lauderdale and add a new service from Boston later this year.

From Fort Lauderdale, JetBlue also offers scheduled flights to Holguin and Camaguey, Cuba.

But while contemplating more growth in Havana, JetBlue was among a handful of US companies this year that cut service or reduced seating capacity on their Cuban routes to accommodate consumer demand. Other airlines such as Silver, Spirit and Frontier have completely abandoned their new Cuban routes due to strong competition, high operating costs and insufficient demand.

JetBlue's downtown ticket office is located in Havana's Vedado neighborhood, near Plaza de la Revolución, and is open every day except on Sundays from 8:30 a.m. up to several hours. The airport office, located in front of the check-in desks at Terminal 3 of José Martí International Airport, is open every day from 9 a.m. At 5 p.m.

In addition to buying air tickets, consumers can also use the offices to make changes to the itinerary, select seats and book other travel-related services, JetBlue said.

The low-fare airline is the busiest airline in Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood with 24.8 percent of passenger traffic this year through July, according to airport records.

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