CheapAir First to Sell Single-Purchase Cuba Flights

Travel booking site CheapAir.com is making a play for the Cuba market, USAToday reports.

The company says it has become the first on-line travel agency to allow U.S. travelers to book flights between the U.S. and Cuba in a single on-line transaction. The option began at 8 a.m. ET Thursday morning, when CheapAir enabled booking for flights between U.S. cities and Havana.

New travel rules enacted by U.S. President Barack Obama have broaden the opportunities for Americans to travel to Cuba under twelve special categories, excluding tourism.

"Since the rule change, we have seen a surge in search volumes for travel to Cuba," CheapAir.com CEO Jeff Klee says in a statement. "Arranging flights to Cuba is a little complicated, but it's the kind of thing we're good at and our technology platform is flexible enough to make it possible. Our team did a great job building it out in just a few weeks' time."

CheapAir's move follows the move of popular search site Kayak.com, which earlier this month began showing -- but not selling -- flight and hotel options for Cuba.

But, as CheapAir's Klee suggests, there are notable catches for those interested in booking travel to Cuba.