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United Airlines Returns to Havana, Cuba From Houston and Newark

Daniel Ross's image
Daniel Ross
Daniel Ross's image

Daniel Ross

Senior Content Contributor

703 Published Articles 1 Edited Article

Countries Visited: 64U.S. States Visited: 17

Daniel has loved aviation and travel his entire life. He earned a Master of Science in Air Transport Management and has written about travel and aviation in publications like Simple Flying, The Points...
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The first United Airlines flights in almost 3 years have landed in Cuba.

On Monday, November 14, 2022, United Embraer E175s took off from the hubs of Houston (IAH) and Newark (EWR) bound for the Cuban capital of Havana (HAV).

Let’s take a look at the details of United’s return to Cuba.

United Restarts Flights to Cuba After Almost 3 Years

United Airlines touched down on Cuban soil on Monday for the first time since March 28, 2020.

The resumption of United flights to Cuba will be the only nonstop services from Houston and Newark to the Caribbean island. 

Map of United flights from the US to Cuba
Map of United flights from the US to Cuba. Image Credit: Great Circle Mapper

Flights from Houston will be daily, while the schedule for flights from Newark is variable until December 29, 2022, when it also becomes daily.

The schedules for the flights are as follows:

  • Depart Houston (IAH) 10:15 a.m. — Arrive Havana (HAV) 2:30 p.m.
  • Depart Havana (HAV) 3:30 p.m. — Arrive Houston (IAH) 6:15 p.m.

On Saturdays the route will be operated by the faster Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which means the flight times will be slightly different:

  • Depart Houston (IAH) 11:15 a.m. — Arrive Havana (HAV) 3:25 p.m.
  • Depart Havana (HAV) 4:25 p.m. — Arrive Houston (IAH) 6:15 p.m.

And from Newark, the flight times will be the same each day:

  • Depart Newark (EWR) 10:04 a.m. — Arrive Havana (HAV) 2:05 p.m.
  • Depart Havana (HAV) 3:05 p.m. — Arrive Newark (EWR) 6:43 p.m.

Hot Tip: It is completely legal for Americans to travel to Cuba, though there are a few caveats. You’ll need to apply for a visa before your arrival and show that your reason for travel falls into 1 of 12 categories. You can also learn more about how the Biden Administration is working to ease Cuba travel restrictions.

All but 1 of United’s rotations to Cuba will be operated by one of the smallest jets in its fleet — the Embraer E175.

The 70 seats onboard are in a 12/32/26 split between First, Economy Plus, and economy, respectively. The fleet of larger Boeing 737-800 jets that operate the Saturday service from Houston has 16 seats in first class in a 2-2 configuration and a total of 150 seats in economy, 48 of which are Economy Plus.

The cheapest return fares to Havana we’re seeing are from Newark starting at $348, while they’re considerably more expensive from Houston at $518 despite the distance of the flight being around 50% shorter.

Hot Tip: Credit cards are a great way to earn lots of United MileagePlus miles which can save you some serious cash when booking a flight to Cuba or anywhere else in the world.

Final Thoughts

United returning to the Caribbean nation of Cuba is great news for citizens living both in the U.S. and Cuba.

The airline has opened up new travel possibilities as it is providing the only nonstop service between Havana and the U.S. cities of Houston and Newark.

Daniel Ross's image

About Daniel Ross

Daniel has loved aviation and travel his entire life. He earned a Master of Science in Air Transport Management and has written about travel and aviation in publications like Simple Flying, The Points Guy, and more.

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