Travel to Cuba
 

I live in Miami/Ft Lauderdale area and always wanted to visit Cuba. I know there are quite a few options to fly out of Mexico or Canada, but the cost is a bit high considering how close it is to where i live. Any advice on how to find the least expensive option to travel to Havana. I noticed, there are quite a few charter flights every day. Is there a way to utilize miles? i have enough with Delta, United and American. Thanks in advance!

Fly from Nassau.

We do have a Cuba forum, perhaps this is best off there?

sergeiLV, welcome to FlyerTalk! For more discussion, I'll move this to the dedicated forum on Cuba. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

No miles used or earned flying to/from the US.

From Nassau.

Any flights, charter or otherwise from Houston or Dallas?

Nope. For charters you'll have to go through MIA.

The only way to go by charter is to join an officially licensed group that has a charitable, artistic, educational, religious, or journalistic purpose.

I went with a group from my Episcopal church, which has an official relationship with the Episcopal diocese of Cuba, and I know people who have gone with groups sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution or the Philadelphia Art Museum or Elderhostel.

If you can't find any such group, you have to go through a third country.

The cheapest international flight into Havana is the daily Cubana one from Cancun, for 248 euro. It's less than an hour on an old Ilyushin or Tupolev.

Or an older Antonov or Yakovlev. Or a newer Tupolev or Ilyushin one if you're lucky. If you're really lucky, a wet-leased Airbus or their Aerocaribbean ATR.

I've flown on their TU204 from SDQ, which is comparable IMO to any contemporary narrowbody. Just less pretty, more utilitarian.

I've seen low international base fares from Europe though which can be cheaper if you add certain things to the fare.

The other way to go to Havana Jose Marti Intl. is to either go via Grand Cayman Island on Cayman Airways if you leave Miami on a Wednesday you'll arrive in transit for an hour & half you then will have to check in at Grand Cayman as you can't check in at Miami to Havana.Just ask one of the crew on board when you leave Miami then they will direct you thru the transit area for check in otherwise you'll have to wait in line with fellow passengers to go thru immigration in Cayman Islands.The flight roundtrip is about $300.00 USD from GCM to HAV.Going thru Nassau can be tricky if you're not aware of a few things first of all when using Nassau to go to Havana just remember one thing if you return to Nassau in transit to go to Miami or the US go thru the Bahamamian Immigration as though you're going to the Bahamas since U.S.Customs/Immigration is at the transit lounge in Nassau so if you're fresh off the plane from Havana they U.S. Officials are going to know you came from Havana.Nassau has a small airport with flights going in out on hourly basis.You're not going thru JFK where you can make up things to the officals.Don't have a Cuba Stamp in your passport that's where they can fine you up to $7,500.00 you don't have to tell them anything if you have missed dates in passport, they will not ask either.The other way is go thru Cancun Q.R.Mexico with daily flights on Cubana or Mexicana yet won't have officials from U.S.at the Cancun Airport.All Cuban contraband will be confiscated in found.

It's not illegal to go to Cuba for a US citizen, however, it is illegal to spend money there.

And CBP has seen my Cuba stamps, without ever fining me. Also, you can go via SDQ and PTY as well.

What happens when you arrive in Havana? They just stamp American passports and let you through? When you return to the foreign gateway and then return to the USA from there (let's say panama or Mexico) don't you have to declare on your form that you were in Cuba? Do they require a journalist or medical card if entering on that basis?