United Airlines shared some good news in its recent earnings report. It said demand for travel, especially in business class, grew in the second quarter. The airline expects fewer global political and economic issues later this year.
But even with better demand, the airline is making cuts. United will drop about 4% of domestic flights starting in the third quarter of 2025. Many of these flights are during slow times—late at night, early in the morning, or on quiet travel days.
One change is bigger than the rest. United Airlines will halt all the flights to a major city.
The airline told the Department of Transportation that it will cancel all service to Havana, Cuba, beginning this September. United Airlines operates one daily flight from Houston to Havana—its only direct route to Cuba flights.
United Airlines suspends the flights to Cuba for the main 2 reasons:
- Travel demand drops in winter.
- U.S. travel rules to Cuba are getting stricter.
Because of this, there will be no United flights to Cuba this winter. The airline also asked the DOT for permission to bring back the route before summer 2026, if needed.
The U.S. government has tightened rules again. In June, it brought back visa limits for Cuban officials. It also said Americans can only go to Cuba for 12 allowed reasons like family visits or aid work. This reverses changes made by earlier administrations that made Cuba travel easier.
No other major airline offers what United does: direct Cuba flights from outside Florida, giving travelers more flexibility. Without it, travelers will have fewer choices. People must now leave from Florida cities like Miami or Tampa to get to Cuba. American Airlines has the most flights, and both Delta and Southwest run a few each week.
United Airlines plans to continue operating the charter flights from Jacksonville to Guantanamo Bay. However, since this is a restricted route and doesn’t serve Havana, it won’t assist most commercial passengers heading to the Cuban capital.
What can you do now?
- Know that United Airlines suspends Cuba flights this September.
- Check other airlines like American or Southwest for flights from Florida.
- Watch for updates in 2026 in case United brings the route back.