sdizzy777

I am a US citizen, and jumped on a deal for a very cheap flight from PVD-ATL-HAV. I've read up on the people to People DIY thing, I dont foresee that being a problem. Im not flying until Nov, so I have time to sort that out.

What does concern me is a 50min connection in ATL, will this be enough time? I am not checking any bags. Any other tips/feedback from Americans who have traveled there recently is very welcome.




DELTA AIR LINES INC 1263
MAIN CABIN (N)
PROVIDENCE, RI
6:20am
ATLANTA
8:59am
DELTA AIR LINES INC 639
MAIN CABIN (N)
ATLANTA
9:55am
HAVANA, CUBA
11:55am

VidaNaPraia

When are you planning to get your Cuban tourist card? In advance or at the gate?

sdizzy777

Willing to do in advance if it would make the connection work

VidaNaPraia

I have only flown AA, so I can't comment on specifics for Delta (tourist card purchase). I haven't flown through Atlanta, so can't comment on time between Delta flights there, but have had about the same time between AA flights at widely distant gates in Miami and it was OK. Even had time to grab a sandwich to take on board. The airline usually either sells passengers the tourist card at the gate or checks the one the passenger bought online and stamps the boarding pass as ready to fly. (The boarding pass also serves as your proof of health insurance in Cuba, so hang on to it.) I'd check with Delta though.

sdizzy777

It looks like DJT going to tighten restrictions on americans traveling to Cuba.

If this lowers demand, I would think Delta might cancel the flights, I wonder would they just redeposit the points into my account if so? Guess its wait and see for now.

MSPeconomist

I just posted this in OMNI/PR: reinstatement of the tourist travel ban for USA people (citizens? flights?) and I just heard some words like effective today.

As a practical matter, OP should watch the news carefully. My guess is that the tourist card will no longer apply. Maybe we'll be back to the regime of needing a license to travel to Cuba as a journalist or whatever the old exceptions were.

I agree that many of the new flights are likely to be suspended/cancelled, perhaps ASAP as I'm guessing that the new regulations will apply ASAP.

In the meantime, don't make nonrefundable hotel reservations, etc.

VidaNaPraia

There has been plenty of leaked advance info.
Trump is speaking right now. So far, comments have not made clear the state of individual travel.
Tourist cards are not a US thing anyway. It's Cuban government, which Trump does not yet control.
It has been announced already that any changes will take effect in 90 days.
Under the current scheme, travelers still need a license, a general license though, not specific.
Casas particulares are not restricted, nor are paladares. Government run hotels and restaurants would be.

MSPeconomist

Of course there's been speculation, but now it's happened.

Trump used the words "effective immediately" and I didn't hear anything about 90 days.

YMMV.

djjaguar64

To tell you the truth no hard feelings but I am glad Americans will not think of Cuba vacations as the prices for hotels and restaurants will go back down. The anticipation of American tourists jack up prices.

VidaNaPraia

The 90 days (ie the time period by which the new regulations are supposed to be issued) is addressed here:

Announcement today:

June 16, 2017
Department of the Treasury
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
Frequently Asked Questions on President Trump’s Cuba Announcement

1. How will OFAC implement the changes to the Cuba sanctions program announced by the President on June 16, 2017? Are the changes effective immediately?
OFAC will implement the Treasury-specific changes via amendments to its Cuban Assets Control Regulations. The Department of Commerce will implement any necessary changes via amendments to its Export Administration Regulations. OFAC expects to issue its regulatory amendments in the coming months. The announced changes do not take effect until the new regulations are issued.

2. What is individual people-to-people travel, and how does the President’s announcement impact this travel authorization?
Individual people-to-people travel is educational travel that: (i) does not involve academic study pursuant to a degree program; and (ii) does not take place under the auspices of an organization that is subject to U.S. jurisdiction that sponsors such exchanges to promote people-to-people contact. The President instructed Treasury to issue regulations that will end individual people-to-people travel. The announced changes do not take effect until the new regulations are issued.

3. Will group people-to-people travel still be authorized?
Yes. Group people-to-people travel is educational travel not involving academic study pursuant to a degree program that takes place under the auspices of an organization that is subject to U.S. jurisdiction that sponsors such exchanges to promote people-to-people contact. Travelers utilizing this travel authorization must maintain a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities that are intended to enhance contact with the Cuban people, support civil society in Cuba, or promote the Cuban people’s independence from Cuban authorities, and that will result in meaningful interaction between the traveler and individuals in Cuba. An employee, consultant, or agent of the group must accompany each group to ensure that each traveler maintains a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities.

4. How do the changes announced by the President on June 16, 2017 affect individual people-to-people travelers who have already begun making their travel arrangements (such as purchasing flights, hotels, or rental cars)?
The announced changes do not take effect until OFAC issues new regulations. Provided that the traveler has already completed at least one travel-related transaction (such as purchasing a flight or reserving accommodation) prior to the President’s announcement on June 16, 2017, all additional travel-related transactions for that trip, whether the trip occurs before or after OFAC’s new regulations are issued, would also be authorized, provided the travel-related transactions are consistent with OFAC’s regulations as of June 16, 2017.

5. How do the changes announced by the President on June 16, 2017 affect other authorized travelers to Cuba whose travel arrangements may include direct transactions with entities related to the Cuban military, intelligence, or security services that may be implicated by the new Cuba policy?
The announced changes do not take effect until OFAC issues new regulations. Consistent with the Administration’s interest in not negatively impacting Americans for arranging lawful travel to Cuba, any travel-related arrangements that include direct transactions with entities related to the Cuban military, intelligence, or security services that may be implicated by the new Cuba policy will be permitted provided that those travel arrangements were initiated prior to the issuance of the forthcoming regulations.

6. How do the changes announced by the President on June 16, 2017 affect companies subject to U.S. jurisdiction that are already engaged in the Cuban market and that may undertake direct transactions with entities related to the Cuban military, intelligence, or security services that may be implicated by the new Cuba policy?
The announced changes do not take effect until OFAC issues new regulations. Consistent with the Administration’s interest in not negatively impacting American businesses for engaging in lawful commercial opportunities, any Cuba-related commercial engagement that includes direct transactions with entities related to the Cuban military, intelligence, or security services that may be implicated by the new Cuba policy will be permitted provided that those commercial engagements were in place prior to the issuance of the forthcoming regulations.

7. Does the new policy affect how persons subject to U.S jurisdiction may purchase airline tickets for authorized travel to Cuba?
No. The new policy will not change how persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction traveling to Cuba pursuant to the 12 categories of authorized travel may purchase their airline tickets.

8. Can I continue to send authorized remittances to Cuba?
Yes. The announced policy changes will not change the authorizations for sending remittances to Cuba. Additionally, the announced changes include an exception that will allow for transactions incidental to the sending, processing, and receipt of authorized remittances to the extent they would otherwise be restricted by the new policy limiting transactions with certain identified Cuban military, intelligence, or security services. As a result, the restrictions on certain transactions in the new Cuba policy will not limit the ability to send or receive authorized remittances.

9. How does the new policy impact other authorized travel to Cuba by persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction?
The new policy will not result in changes to the other (non-individual people-to-people) authorizations for travel.
Following the issuance of OFAC’s regulatory changes, travel-related transactions with prohibited entities identified by the State Department generally will not be permitted. Guidance will accompany the issuance of the new regulations.

10. How will the new policy impact existing OFAC specific licenses?
The forthcoming regulations will be prospective and thus will not affect existing contracts and licenses.

11. How will U.S. companies know if their Cuban counterpart is affiliated with a prohibited entity or sub-entity in Cuba?
The State Department will be publishing a list of entities with which direct transactions generally will not be permitted. Guidance will accompany the issuance of the new regulations. The announced changes do not take effect until the new regulations are issued.

12. Is authorized travel by cruise ship or passenger vessel to Cuba impacted by the new Cuba policy?
Persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction will still be able to engage in authorized travel to Cuba by cruise ship or passenger vessel.
Following the issuance of OFAC’s regulatory changes, travel-related transactions with prohibited entities identified by the State Department generally will not be permitted. Guidance will accompany the issuance of the new regulations.

VidaNaPraia

Hotels are not allowed as they are controlled partly by the military entity that controls tourism.
Casas particulares are allowed, as payments to private enterprises.

As stated, "guidance" will be given, probably a list of private paladar restaurants and of casas, or one that lists the government restaurants and hotels that are not allowed.

MSPeconomist

The FAQs posted above suggest that under the new rules, GROUP ONLY people to people travel will be allowed, with tour group leaders enforcing attendance requirements for the official activities. Many people, especially those who travel a lot or participate in FT, would not consider these conditions to be acceptable.

VidaNaPraia

Well, those group trips have certainly been more expensive than most independent travel. And they offer a full time schedule of cultural activities. (if you want to call that "enforced"), which is a requirement for most of the 12 criteria currently. Essentially you are paying for their established connections to artists, craftspeople, farmers, etc to visit, which (IMO after more than one trip) are not easy to arrange on a first time independent trip to this particular country, that gives a level of enrichment hard to get otherwise on a single, brief trip. Most recent individual people to people visits (from the itineraries I have seen published) would not have met the OFAC criteria if investigated, so the US government is apparently trying to get rid of the abuses. Plenty of people who fit the FT profile have taken these trips, well before individual trips were possible.

But of course, there are other options for independent travel under the other 11 criteria. A potential traveler should read the definitions of the criteria very closely and consult long time travelers on some of the other Cuba travel forums for specific suggestions and further explanations.

1. Family visits

2. Official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations

3. Journalistic activity

4. Professional research and professional meetings

5. Educational activities This is the people to people that is going away for individual travel under a general license.

6. Religious activities

7. Public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions

8. Support for the Cuban people

9. Humanitarian projects

10. Activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes

11. Exportation, importation, or transmission of information or information materials

12. Certain export transactions that may be considered for authorization under existing regulations and guidelines.

sdizzy777

I got my flights a few weeks ago so seems like I get "Grandfathered in" under the Obama Era Rules.

SJOGuy

JDiver here was the first person I knew to do an official group people-to-people tour to Cuba. I remember him saying that he enjoyed it. (Maybe he would chime in with his thoughts.)

To this I'll say: Listen. Individual travel to Cuba is not all its cracked up to be, and I say this as a pretty intrepid traveler who speaks Spanish well and isn't afraid to make his own arrangements. I've gone on repeat trips as a journalist, done properly and officially under both U.S. and Cuban requirements. I did have some official help, but it fell to me to arrange most of the travel logistics myself. Because these have been work trips, a tour group was out of the question. But there were times I thought "Wouldn't it be nice to have a tour operator taking care of these things for me."