Airlines race to Cuba, overcoming major hurdles
Collecting baggage fees in a country where most U.S. credit cards don't work, for instance.
[...] solutions need to be found rapidly — airlines must start flights within three months of being granted a route by the U.S. government.
The Associated Press got exclusive access, joining American Airlines on a trip to Cuba to access the airports and meet with officials there.
Airlines are racing to figure out how to offer the same streamlined service that is provided out of the U.S. Cuba's airports lack self-serve check-in kiosks.
The terminal currently used by U.S.-bound charter flights has a tiny departure lobby and overflowing baggage belts.
[...] all the workers are government employees, leading airlines to question if they will have a dedicated staff who can be trained in their policies and computer programs.
Andrew Watterson, senior vice president of network and revenue at Southwest Airlines, notes that the unique challenges of U.S. and Cuban regulations, along with the 90-day window to start operations, "leads to a high-pressure situation."
When flying the route on behalf of a charter company, the airlines don't have to worry about selling tickets, dealing with currency or many of the logistical challenges.
[...] engine blocks are popular and, as JetBlue discovered, can be transported only if they never contained any flammable oils or fuel.
"With Cuba, we can't look at what other U.S. carriers have done," says Scott Laurence, senior vice president of airline planning at JetBlue.
[...] the Obama administration has eased rules to the point where travelers are now free to design their own "people-to-people" cultural exchange tours with very little oversight.
The others have all come little by little, says Mayda Molina Martinez, the Cuban government official responsible for relationships with U.S. airlines.
With the start of scheduled service, the U.S. carriers would prefer their own, dedicated staff — s