Bits: first Cuban five-star opens, 150 free Marriott points, no BA lounge at Stansted

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• Wally1976 says:

  9 Jun9 June 07:08

  OT – can anyone confirm if a current year ISA transfer into Virgin qualifies for the 8000 point bonus? Thanks

• Jovanna says:

  9 Jun9 June 07:57

  Is there any point in paying for Club Europe from Stansted? Apart from the meal and the Tier Points, you can’t be getting much more..?

  • Rob says:

    9 Jun9 June 08:16

    Food is very good on Cityflyer, but they still have free drinks and snacks in Economy of course.

    People pay for CE out of City and that has no lounge and no Fast Track!

    • John says:

      9 Jun9 June 10:55

      And half the time they don’t even eat the meal. 3/5 pax on LCY-AMS a fortnight ago wanted water only!

• Ben says:

  9 Jun9 June 08:05

  That is so weird about the lounge at stanstead. I can’t imagine it would have cost them that much? Why bother selling club there at all?

• Smid says:

  9 Jun9 June 08:30

  If you’re a BA customer in Stansted, there’s a good chance the taxi drive dropped you off at the wrong airport….

  • callum says:

    9 Jun9 June 12:13

    You do realise BA fly from Stansted?

• Isodrac says:

  9 Jun9 June 08:35

  Given the horrific price increase of Cuban hotels over the past couple of years, I genuinely dread to think how expensive the Kempinski will be.

• James says:

  9 Jun9 June 08:39

  Having been there last week and, along with lots of other passengers, was denied access due to overcrowding, this lounge needs to at least double in size.
  I of course then needed to spend money I hadn’t planned for 🙁 Priority Pass just became less valuable to me.

  • Lady London says:

    9 Jun9 June 08:59

    Different lounge would be better. The Escape lounge has lovely staff but surely competition would help?

• SLS says:

  9 Jun9 June 08:59

  Having recently come back from Cuba where we stayed at the Parque Centrale…i can confirm the Kempinski looks beautiful!! A place havana is in much need of (if you’re after a nice hotel as opposed to casa)

  • Graeme says:

    9 Jun9 June 11:44

    Was in the early stages of conversion when I was in Havana and also stayed at the Parque Central, it is a stunning building.

• BlackBerryAddict says:

  9 Jun9 June 10:36

  “If you have been put off from visiting Cuba due to the poor quality of accommodation on offer “. I can kind of understand why you are saying this, but the whole point of going to Cuba is perhaps not stay in luxurious hotels…

  And airberlin still flies to Varadero and Havana as well. We did that a couple of years ago – great use of Avios because of low taxes

  • Rob says:

    9 Jun9 June 10:54

    The US airlines have already cancelled many of their new services to Cuba and the unacceptable standard of accommodation is the main reason being blamed …..

    • Leo says:

      9 Jun9 June 11:09

      Cuba is fantastic and there is plenty of okay accommodation – especially in Varadero etc. if that’s what you are looking for – hotels are a bit ropey in Havana maybe. Do all Americans demand to stay in 5 star hotels? Maybe they won’t/can’t go because of the lack of opportunity to spend their points mountains.

    • Fenny says:

      9 Jun9 June 12:51

      What US and UK travellers deem “unacceptable” is wildly different in my book!

  • Graeme says:

    9 Jun9 June 11:49

    I completely agree, I thought you travel to experience the culture not the hotel room (within reason of course).

    If they are staying away that’s their loss. May save Havana’s old world charm for a bit longer before the onslaught of restaurant and coffee shops chains catering for those that want ‘acceptable standards’ of hotel accommodation…

    • Ro says:

      9 Jun9 June 13:11

      Seems like a lot of people in this game travel to visit hotel rooms rather than culture though.

      i think a lot of US airlines are pulling back flights because they were actually incredibly over zealous when they implemented them. Instead of trying to grow organically they all wanted to outdo each other and wildly overestimated demand.

      • John says:

        9 Jun9 June 19:51

        I think Americans are more put off by the fact that

        1) they can’t exactly go to Cuba on a whim, unless they have a proper reason or are willing to extend the truth a bit when asked by a US government official

        2) US payment cards may or may not work, or at least Americans have the impression that they might not work

        3) Exchanging USD cash costs 10% extra so they have to get euros or Canadian dollars

        Sure, it doesn’t put off everyone, but for Americans it isn’t the same as say going to the Bahamas, “accommodation standards” notwithstanding.

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