American Airlines To Offer Charter Flights From LAX To Cuba

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Taking advantage of loosening travel restrictions to Cuba, American Airlines will begin to offer charter flights from LAX to the Caribbean island nation later this year.

Starting December 12, the carrier will begin to offer charter flights in Boeing 737 airplanes from LAX direct to Havana every Saturday. The flights are being sold by Cuba Travel Services of Cypress and seats will cost from $950 to $1,100 a person, the LA Times reported. Charter flights to Cuba are also available through airports in New York and Miami.

Following a move by the White House earlier this year to ease the U.S.-Cuba embargo, U.S. travelers can book tickets to Cuba by choosing one of 12 government-approved reasons for traveling, including for educational or humanitarian projects. Tourism is still prohibited, as it has been for more than 50 years.

American Airlines said it would like to begin scheduling commercial flights as soon as the two countries can come to an agreement to permit more visitors to make the trip.