Most operators are tiny storefront travel agents in the Miami area with names like Alina's Travel Co. and Gina's Travel Services. Those agents then charter planes from carriers like American Airlines to transport the groups.

About 170,000 authorized travelers made the trip last year, according to the Department of Commerce.

American Airlines dominates many of the routes to Latin America with its hub in Miami. Its run charters to Cuba for more than 15 years, according to spokeswoman Martha Pantin. It now operates 12 to 14 weekly flights from Miami to Havana, Holguin, Santa Clara and Cienfuegos and from Tampa to Havana and Holguin.

JetBlue Airways started flying Cuba charters in September 2011. The first route was Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Havana. Other flights were added. Then at the end of 2013, JetBlue looked to Tampa for more flights between Florida and Cuba. The first was a flight to Havana, then one to Santa Clara.

It's a very small part of the airline's business; just four weekly flights on Airbus A320s with 50 to 80 customers. The planes typically seat 150 passengers. Besides pilots and flight attendants, JetBlue adds charter representatives and a mechanics to each Cuba flight.

"We're doing it because we want to exercise our muscles and understand how you operate into this country. What happens with parts, quarantine, crews," CEO David Barger told The Associated Press last year. "Just understanding what happens, if in fact there's a normalization."

Delta Air Lines, which operated more than 240 charter flights between October 2011 and December 2012, said it has no immediate plans to fly to Cuba. But, spokesman Anthony Black noted that "having served there through our charter operations, the groundwork has been laid for us to possibly serve the market if an opportunity becomes available."

Travel booking site Orbitz quickly jumped into the fray Wednesday, saying that the decision will hopefully pave the way for open travel between Cuba and the U.S. for both country's citizens.

"We look forward to the day - hopefully soon - when all Americans have the opportunity to travel to Cuba," CEO Barney Harford said in a statement. "There are numerous economic, social and cultural benefits that will flow from free and open access and our customers are eager to visit Cuba."

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Scott Mayerowitz can be reached at http://twitter.com/GlobeTrotScott .

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