First U.S.-Cuba commercial flight takes off from Florida today

On Wednesday, JetBlue is inaugurating the first commercial jet service between the U.S. and Cuba, with a morning flight from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to Santa Clara, Cuba. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx will be on the flight, signaling the historic nature of the first regular passenger fight between the U.S. and Cuba in 50 years. A second airline, Silver Airways, starts flying to Santa Clara on Thursday, and American Airlines begins its Cuba flights on Sept. 7. Three other airlines — Southwest, Frontier, and Sun Country Airlines — have also been approved for U.S.-Cuba flights, and on Wednesday, the Transportation Department is expected to announce which airlines can fly to Havana.

Since the Obama administration's thaw with Cuba began, the two countries have reopened their respective embassies, restored mail service, and allowed cruise ship voyages between the U.S. and Cuba. But since the U.S. still has an embargo in place against Cuba, American air passengers will have to pledge that they qualify for one of 12 categories of travel, including religious activities, humanitarian projects, and support for the Cuban people. Still, checking a box is much easier than the charter flights that have taken passengers from the U.S. to Cuba to date, including long waits and onerous documentation. You can learn more about traveling to Cuba, including travel tips, in the CNN report below. Peter Weber

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