KEY WEST, Florida Keys — Two major commercial air carriers have begun nonstop seasonal service between Key West and both New York City and Washington D.C.

Water-squirting fire trucks, a red carpet and a man blowing a conch shell greeted passengers stepping off Delta Airlines and U.S. Airways flights Saturday at Key West International Airport.

Delta Airlines is offering direct flights from New York’s LaGuardia Airport Dec. 29, Jan. 5 and each Saturday from March 2 through April 6. The 1,211-mile flight is the longest commercial route ever to serve Key West, Keys airport officials said.

Direct U.S. Airways flights from Washington’s Reagan National Airport are being offered once daily through Jan. 5, and continue each Saturday through April.

Southwest is to begin daily service between New Orleans and Key West on March 9.

By the end of November, Key West International had already passed last year's passenger count of 677,581, according to Peter Horton, director of Monroe County airports. Horton anticipates the passenger count to reach more than 730,000 by Dec. 31.

The airport also achieved point-of-entry status to Cuba from federal officials this year, which permits it to stage flights directly to and from the island nation that lies just 90 miles south of Key West.

Officials at one South Florida-based company, Golden Air Charters, say it has plans to begin charter service from Key West in 2013.

Crystal Symphony

Crystal Cruises is unveiling a new collection of early 2013 “Crystal Getaways”: 5- to 11-day segments that pack a tremendous amount of luxurious value into convenient, shorter itineraries.  Ten voyages aboard the award-winning Crystal Symphony offer shorter versions of published cruises from January through May.  Due to the enormous success of the “Crystal Getaways” launched for fall 2012 Europe sailings, the ultra-luxury line is expanding its offerings to cruises worldwide, including options in Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Canada, Alaska and New England, USA.  Each shorter segment features at least one overnight stay in some of the regions’ most beloved ports, and fares start as low as $1,365 per guest if booked by December 28.

“The ‘Crystal Getaways’ have proven to be a great way to welcome new Crystal cruisers to the luxury nuances, extraordinary service and value of the Crystal vacation,” says Jack Anderson, senior vice president of sales and marketing.   “The new Crystal cruisers were either travelers with busy schedules who couldn’t take longer vacations, travelers who moved up to luxury to celebrate a meaningful occasion, or travelers who wanted to combine Getaways with their own land programs.  What has been gratifying and consistent is the high level of rebooking from these new Crystal converts.  We know that travelers who try a Crystal cruise are strongly inclined to come back for more.”

To date, “Crystal Getaways” for 2013 include:

5-day sailings:

    January 29, $1,725 – Auckland, Tauranga, Napier, Wellington
    March 7, $2,365 – Singapore, Bangkok
    April 24, $1,470 – Seward, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, Vancouver
    May 23, $1,630 – New York City, Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, Halifax

6-day sailings:

    January 5, $1,365 – Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart
    January 11, $1,365 – Hobart, Sydney, Brisbane

7-day sailings:

    March 23, $3,235 – Hong Kong, Xiamen, Shanghai
    April 5, $3,080 – Shanghai, Pusan, Nagasaki, Kōbe

8- and 11-day sailings:

    February 3, (8 days) $2,755 – Wellington, Picton, Christchurch, Dunedin, Sydney
    March 12, (11 days) $5,200 – Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Chan May, Hanoi, Hong Kong

Crystal’s passion for taking care of guests in an inviting environment of extraordinary space, quality and choices has earned the company more “World’s Best” awards than any other cruise line, resort, or hotel in history.  With a host of complimentary amenities, from enlightening Enrichment speakers and fitness classes to pampering pillow menus and specialty restaurant dining, featuring the cuisine of Nobu Matsuhisa and Piero Selvaggio, a Crystal cruise always offers tremendous value in luxury resort vacationing.