Trump tightens travel options to Cuba
Apr 17, 2019, 2:01 pm
#1
Original Member, Moderator: Hotel Deals and MilesBuzz
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 14,256
Trump tightens travel options to Cuba
The changes will restrict non-family travel to Cuba, which could impact both cruise and air travel that picked up after Obama opened up relations.
https://www.businessinsider.com/trum...to-cuba-2019-4
https://thehill.com/latino/439360-tr...travel-to-cuba
Glad I went 2 months ago but sad I probably won't get to go back anytime soon.
https://www.businessinsider.com/trum...to-cuba-2019-4
https://thehill.com/latino/439360-tr...travel-to-cuba
Glad I went 2 months ago but sad I probably won't get to go back anytime soon.
Apr 20, 2019, 7:20 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,667
Nobody has done anything yet. No details have been announced. The wording of the announcement made is very vague.
No one knows how strictly the family category might be policed or if third country travel will be more carefully looked at.
Paid reservations before any detailed announcement may be honored. Hard to shut down a burgeoning flight and cruise industry overnight.
Go soon if you haven't been yet.
No one knows how strictly the family category might be policed or if third country travel will be more carefully looked at.
Paid reservations before any detailed announcement may be honored. Hard to shut down a burgeoning flight and cruise industry overnight.
Go soon if you haven't been yet.
Apr 20, 2019, 8:13 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Southern California
Programs: AA EXPlat, 2.4MM; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 580
Nobody has done anything yet. No details have been announced. The wording of the announcement made is very vague.
No one knows how strictly the family category might be policed or if third country travel will be more carefully looked at.
Paid reservations before any detailed announcement may be honored. Hard to shut down a burgeoning flight and cruise industry overnight.
Go soon if you haven't been yet.
No one knows how strictly the family category might be policed or if third country travel will be more carefully looked at.
Paid reservations before any detailed announcement may be honored. Hard to shut down a burgeoning flight and cruise industry overnight.
Go soon if you haven't been yet.
Apr 20, 2019, 10:33 am
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,022
I would imagine the cruise and airline industries are lobbying furiously behind the scenes to delay the implementation of this for as long as possible. I've got a trip booked for November to run the marathon in Havana. I hope I get in under the wire.
Apr 20, 2019, 3:43 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Southern California
Programs: AA EXPlat, 2.4MM; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 580
The cruise companies (and Sheraton) are favored by Trump, as they are huge contributors to the Republican party. It will be a hit to the airlines though. And the major suffering will be by the Cuban people, not their government.
Apr 21, 2019, 7:45 am
#6
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,667
“This is a policy which is condemned to be defeated again,” Josefina Vidal, now Cuba’s ambassador to Canada, said in an interview Thursday at the Cuban Embassy in Ottawa. “They want Cuba to surrender. They want Cuba to abandon what Cuba is, to abandon its principles, and to submit Cuba again to the desires of the U.S. But that won’t happen.”
Apr 29, 2019, 2:32 pm
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,022
Still nothing from the Treasury Department on what changes are coming and when they apply. Some in the travel industry are assuming that arrangements already in place will be "grandfathered" when new regulations come out, but no one really knows. How annoying.
Apr 30, 2019, 10:13 am
#8
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Southern California
Programs: AA EXPlat, 2.4MM; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 580
That's the most likely scenario. I would lock in travel now, just in case new regs are adopted, which isn't certain in any case.
May 30, 2019, 9:59 am
#9
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Tampa, FL
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Delta Platinum
Posts: 1,732
We are traveling next week. According to the State Dept, Treasury, and US Embassy in Cuba, there are still twelve categories of authorized travel and no indication of any changes coming.
Jun 4, 2019, 10:42 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA
Posts: 14,711
Just announced https://www.apnews.com/67c721daee8143d4a2e6ee8c401bf215 changes go into affect tomorrow. Eliminates the People to People category.
Jun 4, 2019, 3:23 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Benicia, California, USA
Programs: AA PLT,AS,UA PP,J6,FB,EY,LH,SQ,HH Dmd,Hyatt Glbl,Marriott Plat,IHG Plat,Accor Gold
Posts: 10,820
Thanks for posting this, wrp96.
I've read a few articles on this latest news, but remain unclear on aspects of it. Namely, does it ban "Support for the Cuban People" travel? And is it still allowed for Americans to arrange individual travel (as opposed to group and cruise travel), as long as they fall within that category?
I've read a few articles on this latest news, but remain unclear on aspects of it. Namely, does it ban "Support for the Cuban People" travel? And is it still allowed for Americans to arrange individual travel (as opposed to group and cruise travel), as long as they fall within that category?
Jun 4, 2019, 3:38 pm
#12
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,022
FAQ from the Treasury Department: https://www.treasury.gov/resource-ce...a_faqs_new.pdf
Seems to me that not much will change for most travel. The people-to-people category will phase out with a grandfather clause allowing all previously-booked trips to proceed.
Otherwise, it’s the same “honor system” in which airlines ask you before you board the flight to Cuba if you’re in one of the 12 categories that qualify you for a general license (see link, above). You say yes, and you board the plane. No need to fly through Toronto or Mexico City.
Seems to me that not much will change for most travel. The people-to-people category will phase out with a grandfather clause allowing all previously-booked trips to proceed.
Otherwise, it’s the same “honor system” in which airlines ask you before you board the flight to Cuba if you’re in one of the 12 categories that qualify you for a general license (see link, above). You say yes, and you board the plane. No need to fly through Toronto or Mexico City.
Jun 5, 2019, 9:27 pm
#14
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,022
Effective immediately, no more ex-USA cruise ship calls in Cuba. https://cruiseradio.net/carnival-shi...lings-changed/
Jun 5, 2019, 10:38 pm
#15
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Southern California
Programs: AA EXPlat, 2.4MM; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 580
Effective immediately, no more ex-USA cruise ship calls in Cuba. https://cruiseradio.net/carnival-shi...lings-changed/
