SEATTLE, Sept. 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska
Airlines will launch historic new flying to Havana, Cuba on Jan. 5,
2017. The daily nonstop flight from Los Angeles is among the first regularly
scheduled commercial flights to the island country in more than 50
years, and is the only nonstop flight to Cuba from the West Coast.
"This is a historic year for U.S. travelers, who can now fly to
Cuba from the U.S. on scheduled
commercial service for the first time in more than 50 years," said
Andrew Harrison, Alaska's chief commercial officer. "We'd like
to thank the U.S. Department of Transportation for providing Alaska
Airlines the opportunity to operate the only daily, nonstop flight
from the West Coast to Cuba."
The flights were awarded by the DOT in August, and remain
subject to approval by the Cuban aviation authorities.
With the addition of flights to Cuba, customers traveling from Los Angeles can reach 22 destinations on
Alaska Airlines' more than 275 weekly flights, and 84 nonstop
destinations worldwide via Alaska's expansive global partner network.
"We are focused on strengthening our presence in the
Los Angeles area, with daily
service to 25 destinations from four area airports," said Harrison.
"With the addition of nonstop flights to and from two cities in
Costa Rica last fall, and now
Havana, we'll offer up to 87 peak
season weekly departures from Southern
California to Latin
America."
Schedule of new service:
Start
date
|
City
pair
|
Departs
|
Arrives
|
Frequency
|
Jan. 5
|
Los
Angeles-Havana
|
8:50 a.m.
|
4:55 p.m.
|
Daily
|
Jan. 5
|
Havana-Los
Angeles
|
5:55 p.m.
|
8:45 p.m.
|
Daily
|
All times based on local time zones
Customers flying from Seattle
and Anchorage, Alaska will also
enjoy convenient connections to the new route.
Travel to Cuba requires advance
planning. The U.S. government does not currently allow U.S.
citizens or travelers flying on U.S. airlines to visit Cuba strictly for tourism. Travelers must fall
into one of 12 approved categories, including family visits,
educational activities and public performances or exhibitions.
To aid customers interested in visiting Cuba, Alaska
is working with Cuba Travel Services, the leading travel company
serving the destination with more than 17 years of experience.
Customers are encouraged to contact Cuba Travel Services for
assistance securing travel visas, hotel lodging, and ground
transportation and creating itineraries, among other things.
"We are proud to build a new partnership with Alaska Airlines
and excited to contribute in their efforts," said Michael Zuccato, General Manager at Cuba Travel
Services.
Alaska Airlines blog: So you want to go to Cuba: Here's
how
Tickets for the new routes will go on sale today with fares
starting from $229. To purchase
tickets, visit www.alaskaair.com to find great savings, or call
1-800-ALASKAAIR (800-252-7522 or Hearing & Speech Impaired
(TTY): Dial 711 for Relay Services).
Alaska Airlines, together with its regional partners, flies 32
million customers a year to more than 110 cities with an average of
970 daily flights throughout the United
States, Canada,
Costa Rica, Mexico and soon Cuba. With Alaska's global airline partners, customers
can earn and redeem miles to more than 800 destinations worldwide.
Onboard, customers are invited to make the most of their flight
with amenities like power outlets at every seat, streaming
entertainment direct to your device, Wi-Fi and an inspired food and
beverage selection featured on most flights. Alaska Airlines ranked
"Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in
North America" in the J.D. Power
North American Airline Satisfaction Study for nine consecutive
years from 2008 to 2016. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan also ranked
"Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty Rewards
Programs" in the J.D. Power Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program
Satisfaction Report for the last three consecutive years. Alaska
Airlines is a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK). Learn
more on the airline's newsroom, blog, alaskaair.com, @AlaskaAir,
facebook.com/alaskaairlines and
linkedin.com/company/alaska-airlines.
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SOURCE Alaska Airlines