Cuba - Through Panama City?

We visit Havanna for a salsa school a few years ago and we enjoyed the trip a lot, quite an extraordinary place and very friendly people. There are also wonderful small hotels in the old city. At the time we flow directly to Havana from Madrid with Iberia. Iberia has outsourced the service to Air Atlanta Icelandic and the service wasn't the best we've seen (business class for such a long flight). The return flight was, luckily, operated by Iberia itself and it was much better.

Has anyone flown to Havana through Panama City? First to PTY with either Iberia or British Airways, direct or through Miami, and with Copa Airlines from PTY to Havana. both Copa and PTY seem to get good ratings.

What are the options if one would like to visit other islands on the Caribbean on the same trip? We typically fly to St. Maarten (SXM) and take a local flights onwards from there. I wish the US would drop the stupid embargo and this kind of problems wouldn't exist.

Petri

Sorry, can't help you at all with COPA/PTY, but:

We're planning a trip to Cuba later this year, and (from London) trying to work out how to get there, sadly in Y. Currently thinking about IB via MAD (have OW status so could use the lounges, etc) but very unconvinced about the Air Atlanta service, as flights are showing as operated by them both ways. Would love to hear more about the service.

Alternatives are to use miles to fly to somewhere else in Central America or Caribbean, then onwards on local carrier, or AF via Paris (no status but potentially better service). Hmmm.

As mentioned, we did the trip to Havanna with Iberia a few years ago.

The flight from Madrid to Havanna was operated by Air Atlanta Icelandic although all the staff and the plain where in Iberia colours. The plane was rather old 747, there was some padding at the very front of the plane against rattle, the food wasn't up to the Iberia specs. Basicly a "charter-version" of ordinary Iberia flight.

I was already disappointed for the return flight but fortunately it was Iberia's own 747 and their own staff. Although the seats were similar spec the plane was much younger and food was better.

I have no doubts that Air Atlanta Icelandic wouldn't take care of their planes, the staff was friendly and everything was basicly fine but it was a bit too much cost-cutting to our taste. You may not notice the difference in Y that clearly, though.

Air France is also one of our options. However we'd like to visit some other place during the trip and/or earn OneWorld tier points. Cubana flies from Guadeloupe to Havanna but I'm not so sure if I want to fly with them..

Petri