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Forums Frequent flyer programs British Airways Executive Club Cuba flights on Iberia using BA 241

  • HornetBrad 42 posts

    Hi all,

    Since the 241 rollout to Iberia, I’ve been searching for flights from Madrid to Havana on the BA site but it doesn’t even recognise Havana as a destination!

    I see lots of availability on the Iberia site – anyone know why it’s not working and how to get it working?

    Thnks as always, Brad.

    meta 1,642 posts

    I think you’ll need to call to book this due to restrictions.

    The real Swiss Tony 859 posts

    Also make sure you’re aware of the visa implications for future travel to the US if you visit Cuba. I mean I thoroughly enjoyed the short time I had in Havana – but you’ll no longer be able to use an ESTA to get into the US.

    Joe G 90 posts

    I booked Iberia flights to Cuba with avios (not using a 241) direct from the BA website earlier this year.

    I had similar issues in that the system did not seem to recognise Havana as an available destination when you typed it in to the search bar however, I hit enter to perform the search anyway and magically the flight I was looking for appeared. Not sure if this is still the case.

    Thanks

    Skywalker 876 posts

    Also make sure you’re aware of the visa implications for future travel to the US if you visit Cuba. I mean I thoroughly enjoyed the short time I had in Havana – but you’ll no longer be able to use an ESTA to get into the US.

    +1 – was just about to comment about this

    BA Flyer IHG Stayer 2,769 posts

    I’m sure there was a thread about this faily recently.

    Only visits to Cuba after 12th January 2021 are exclusionary. That is when Cuba was designated as a ‘state sponsor of terrorism’ by the previous president.

    The real Swiss Tony 859 posts

    And unless the OP has a time machine, his visit will indeed take place after 12th January 2021…..

    Anna 458 posts

    I know a Canadian lady who tells me she travels to Cuba regularly and asks them not to stamp her passport to avoid any issues entering the US! Sounds like a strategy that could backfire badly though.

    BA Flyer IHG Stayer 2,769 posts

    Looks like I accidently deleted part of my post

    What was missing is that if you visited Cuba before that date then there should be no issue getting an ESTA in the future

    But it will be an issue for anyone applying for one if they have or are visiting Cuba since then as they will require a Visa

    Getting a US visa isn’t easy at the moment so you’d be restricting yourself to not going to the US for some time

    That may bother some but it may bother others.

    HornetBrad 42 posts

    Thanks all for your replies.

    I”m aware of the US ESTA situation by visiting Cuba but as I’m unlikely to re-visit the US with the current situation, I’m prepared to apply for a full visa if I did need to visit in the future – I think the opportunity to visit Cuba outweighs this problem.

    I tried @Joe G’s trick of pressing Enter to search but Havana still didn’t come up, so looks like I will have to call them (once BA’s current problems have died down!). I presume there isn’t a way of applying the 241 voucher on the Iberia website?

    What I don’t understand is why it’s just not listed – either they sell (Iberia) flights there or not – it seems like they’re making a value judgement on passengers trying to fly there? There are plenty of ‘questionable’ destinations that they do list, I don’t see why Cuba is any different, and Iberia advertise is without problem.

    marks7389 519 posts

    I know a Canadian lady who tells me she travels to Cuba regularly and asks them not to stamp her passport to avoid any issues entering the US! Sounds like a strategy that could backfire badly though.

    I’ve been a couple of times, the last being 2007. I’m pretty sure it was the norm back then that they stamped a piece of paper you kept with your passport, not the passport itself.

    These days who knows what information US immigration can access though.

    Londonsteve 342 posts

    I’d far rather go to Cuba than retain the right to enter the US on an ESTA anyway. The US has become LaLaLand expensive for a UK visitor, then add 20% tips on top of an already eye watering bill. Would rather visit Norway or Switzerland for the same price, both vastly nicer countries anyway.

    Be aware that Cuba is currently going through a very rough patch and even basics are proving hard to come by. The lack of tourism causing a collapse in hard currency revenues has hit them really hard, on top of the general problems caused by Covid, hurricanes, US sanctions and being ludicrously added to the list of ‘state sponsors of terror’, the devastation of the country’s largest oil depot (causing a shortage of oil for power generation, leading to blackouts). Smiles are currently in short supply and many people are using legal (and illegal) routes to emigrate. From the perspective of a tourist staying in a resort is generally ok, although the selection of food and drink is likely to be less and of poorer quality than a comparable hotel elsewhere, but things are pretty difficult for the independent traveller. Merely holding hard currency doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily be able to buy basics like bottled water, finding anything involves a hunt and may require purchase on the black market. Take plentiful cash and cards (although any affiliated with a US bank or financial organisation, e.g. Amex, won’t work). Money’s complex, you need to pay in hard currency cash in certain situations like private restaurants, in local CUP cash in others, while hard currency stores and boutiques run for tourists will only take bank cards and will charge your account in USD (or a local ‘MLC’ card held by Cubans which needs topping up with hard currency cash or electronic transfers from abroad). Having only cash or a card is a recipe for disaster when visiting Cuba.

    HornetBrad 42 posts

    @LondonSteve – I mostly agree with you about visiting the USA; it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make at the moment.

    Thanks also for the tips about Cuba, we’ve not been before so all very useful. We’re actually planning on doing 3 nights in Havana and 7 nights in Varadero AI. So I’m guessing the AI will be mostly fine, but Havana may be more…interesting, especially for someone like me who is completely cashless (and cardless!) nowadays – will have to dig out the Curve card from a drawer and visit a bank pre-flight, I believe Euros are best to take?

    We’re not planning on going until January 2024 – do you think it will have improved by then?

    Btw, BA have finally come back to me on Twitter with this:
    Hi Brad, I’m sorry but presently the offer is for selected routes only and must be booked via http://ba.com. I have noted that Havana is not bookable on the BA website. If you wish further assistance please contact our sales team on 0344 493 0787 option 2 David B

    So not sure if that means 241 to Havana isn’t available at all, or whether it can only be booked over the phone?

    The real Swiss Tony 859 posts

    I’d far rather go to Cuba than retain the right to enter the US on an ESTA anyway. The US has become LaLaLand expensive for a UK visitor, then add 20% tips on top of an already eye watering bill. Would rather visit Norway or Switzerland for the same price, both vastly nicer countries anyway.

    I completely get your point, but presumably the dollar won’t stay that high for ever and unless you’re retired, you’ve also got a potential career limiting issue here.

    yorkieflyer 264 posts

    I’d far rather go to Cuba than retain the right to enter the US on an ESTA anyway. The US has become LaLaLand expensive for a UK visitor, then add 20% tips on top of an already eye watering bill. Would rather visit Norway or Switzerland for the same price, both vastly nicer countries anyway.

    Be aware that Cuba is currently going through a very rough patch and even basics are proving hard to come by. The lack of tourism causing a collapse in hard currency revenues has hit them really hard, on top of the general problems caused by Covid, hurricanes, US sanctions and being ludicrously added to the list of ‘state sponsors of terror’, the devastation of the country’s largest oil depot (causing a shortage of oil for power generation, leading to blackouts). Smiles are currently in short supply and many people are using legal (and illegal) routes to emigrate. From the perspective of a tourist staying in a resort is generally ok, although the selection of food and drink is likely to be less and of poorer quality than a comparable hotel elsewhere, but things are pretty difficult for the independent traveller. Merely holding hard currency doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily be able to buy basics like bottled water, finding anything involves a hunt and may require purchase on the black market. Take plentiful cash and cards (although any affiliated with a US bank or financial organisation, e.g. Amex, won’t work). Money’s complex, you need to pay in hard currency cash in certain situations like private restaurants, in local CUP cash in others, while hard currency stores and boutiques run for tourists will only take bank cards and will charge your account in USD (or a local ‘MLC’ card held by Cubans which needs topping up with hard currency cash or electronic transfers from abroad). Having only cash or a card is a recipe for disaster when visiting Cuba.

    This is so sad as they are good honest folk if desperately poor even a while ago when we visited.
    Uncle Sam should bow his head in shame

    marks7389 519 posts

    Be aware that Cuba is currently going through a very rough patch and even basics are proving hard to come by.

    It wasn’t great even 15+ years ago. We took toiletries to give away, and our hotel room in Santiago was missing a toilet seat because they could get any….

    Colin MacKinnon 337 posts

    Don’t go. It is now an island of sadness.

    I could write an essay on the corruption that runs to the core. You can only weep when you see what the ordinary citizen has to do to survive. Sorry, this may sound extreme – families send their (young) teenage daughters to the airport when the flights from Canada arrive at Cienfuegos.

    Meanwhile, of course, at the mouth of the bay at Cienfuegos is the remains of a nuclear reactor that was, fortunately, never finished.

    And that is Cuba in a nutshell – fantastic opportunities in terms of infrastructure, but all abandoned. Fantastic relaxed friendly loyal people, but forced to abandon their principles to survive.

    The resorts are interesting. Each hotel, even when part of a chain, has to submit its requirements a year or two in advance to the government. And when it runs out of, say, ginger ale, it cannot get some sent over from the other hotel which has run out of bitter lemon, but has plenty of ginger ale!

    State control at its finest.

    I had a fascinating month there, with a hire car and a Spanish wife. The people are fabulous. But we left with a great feeling of sadness, and no way to see the better future that they deserve.

    ps. You’ll hear a lot about the “US embargo”, so they can’t get anything. And then you mention: well, in the UK, most of the stuff we get comes from Germany or China, or is home produced. I didn’t know there was an embargo with the UK, Germany or China!

    They just seem confused by that – even in private, they are still loyal to the revolution.

    Anna 458 posts

    Increasing numbers of Cuban migrants have been arriving in GCM (similar distance as to Florida), and then been shocked that they’re basically thrown into prison instead of being welcomed with open arms! There’s an agreement with the Cuban government to take them back if they don’t qualify for asylum – I assume being a failed escapee from the regime doesn’t make you popular 😩

    Silver Herring 3 posts

    I had a fascinating month there, with a hire car and a Spanish wife. The people are fabulous. But we left with a great feeling of sadness, and no way to see the better future that they deserve.

    Was the Spaniard not furious?

    Bill 216 posts

    I went in 2016. Did a tour with G Adventures.

    Brilliant trip

    Bervios 43 posts

    It definitely works, don’t be thrown by Havana not appearing on the dropdown. Just type Havana, it will search and bring back results (just tried for 14th Jan as an example and it returns the direct flight MAD-HVA With J availability (42,500k avios and £123)

    jek 136 posts

    We have been in Cuba probably at a time when it was best, the time when Obama visited and the Rolling Stones were giving a concert. You could feel how excited the Cubans were about a better future and there was a (small) boom. However, we also saw how Americans were flooding Cuba and taking advantage of the Cubans at the time, doing shady deals and secretly buying the best small businesses with locals running the front.

    HornetBrad 42 posts

    It definitely works, don’t be thrown by Havana not appearing on the dropdown. Just type Havana, it will search and bring back results (just tried for 14th Jan as an example and it returns the direct flight MAD-HVA With J availability (42,500k avios and £123)

    Thanks but still can’t get it to work – if I just type Havana in, then enter the dates, the only class available is Economy (I presume because it doesn’t refresh based on destination?).

    I then search anyway, but it comes back with Sorry, there’s been a technical error…

    Just to clarify, I’m logged into my BA account on ba.com, then Book a Flight With Avios, Amex 241 voucher ticked.

    Londonsteve 342 posts

    We’re not planning on going until January 2024 – do you think it will have improved by then?

    It will likely be better, for the sole reason that tourism is ramping up and is restarting the flow of hard currency. Better for the typical tourist, but I doubt anything will improve in the meantime for the average Cuban. The governments problems are so broad that any hard currency will soon be absorbed and spent on trying to maintain things at the absolute minimum level, like importing milk powder, fuel and toilet paper. I visited in 2017 which was, relatively, a jolly time. As others have written here, Cubans were full of the joys of spring, excited about the opportunities inherent with a return of US tourists and investment. Sadly, all of that is past history.

    Certain things, like the money situation and availability of basics change quite dynamically, so the situation today is probably not the one you’ll find in January 2024. It’s even possible Cuba will no longer be a Communist one party state by then! In that event you’ll be visiting at a very exciting (if almost certainly very chaotic) time in their history. The Cubans are wonderful people but are incredibly put upon at the moment and are hanging on by their fingernails for survival on a daily basis. This does rather test the patience of even the most good humoured citizen.

    Going to an AI resort in Varadero you’ll be fine, albeit not having a Cuban experience in so much as you could be visiting Dominican Republic, Mexico or other places in the Caribbean. Your days in Havana might be a bit testing but you shouldn’t have problems finding food and drink as well as people to transport you while in central Havana, Vedado or the smarter outskirts like Miramar which have some good places to stay, away from the fumes and noise of central Havana. You’re likely to be confronted with a swarm of ‘jineteros’ in Havana, hustlers in other words. The real problems for independent travellers could start once they leave the Havana and Varadero bubble. If you’ve never been, you might as well go now and see it for yourself, sadly I don’t think you’ll have as much fun as we had in 2017 but we can’t put the clock back. It’s a good value Iberia redemption opportunity and is little served by other global airlines with no direct flights from the UK to Havana, so IB via MAD is a good option to get there.

    Londonsteve 342 posts

    will have to dig out the Curve card from a drawer and visit a bank pre-flight, I believe Euros are best to take?

    Yes, take Euros if you’re travelling from the UK. GBP is also okay but they’ll be more hesitant with accepting/deciding on the exchange rate at a private establishment. The two best currencies are (now again) USD and EUR. For a long time USD was a no-no as banks applied a 10% commission to change them, over and above the usual 3% flat commission applied to other currencies. The exchange rate is altered daily and is set up the Banco Central do Cuba. Cadecas and banks offer the same rates, I believe even the one at the airport offers the same rate but best to err on the side of caution and convert only enough for the journey to your accommodation and for for a cab ride to central Havana the following day. From Miramar this will cost you about 20 Dollars. There is no useable public transport in Havana for a tourist, unless you’re exceptionally sturdy and don’t put a value on your time. The only exception is the open-top tourist bus route which is reliable and can also be used to get from A to B since you have to buy a day ticket, but is inherently limited by following only 1 route, not even the most scenic in my opinion as it doesn’t drive down 5th Avenue and needs to take a detour as it’s too tall to fit in the tunnel under the Rio Almendares. It can be a real frustration having to take cab/private car any distance that’s too far to walk, not least because drivers want to negotiate the rate in advance and won’t even start the engine for less than 10 Dollars, so it’s best to plan your sightseeing such that you’re going to stick to a particular area that day and plan to see everything worth seeing within walking distance.

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