MSPeconomist

Today in Miami Trump a ban on tourist travel to Cuba, effective immediately.

I'm assuming that the new routes that DL fought to get just became unprofitable, at least at the current frequency and aircraft size. BTW, what's the smallest DL aircraft than can fly between ATL and HAV? Can a CRJ do it?

I hope no one gets stranded, although there should be limited number of seats available through Canada or Mexico. DL might not be required to rebook given the circumstances.

IIRC there are a few WestJet flights to/from Cuba, so that might be an easier request than trying to be rebooked by DL onto the AC flights.

There should also be limited capacity on AM through MEX (or maybe some more creative connections), which should be more likely since AM is a SkyTeam member and increasingly close partner of DL.

NOTE: This thread is about practicalities involving the DL Cuba flights.

woodford02A

DL is not going to stop serving Cuba tomorrow, no need for the panic.

This will be a problem for all airlines...it's not just DL that fought. Perhaps some flexibility to serve less than daily or seasonally on these landing rights?

A CRJ-700/900 can make it but I imagine there are complexities with sending a regional carrier down there

The Situation

First off, even with the loosened restrictions, tourism was still not a legally permitted reason to go there. I had a friend go last month for "educational" purposes. A ban on tourism to Cuba is no change in the law. Not really sure you will accomplish anything here other than causing people to panic or get wound up in a political discussion.


Second, it was really dumb of airlines to be tripping over themselves to secure slots to Cuba. Its a novelty to some and sure there will be increased travel, but at the end of the day most people with common sense are apprehensive about travelling to a country that we have not been on the best of terms with for the past half century. They have already reduced service and cuts will continue to be made.

FlyingUnderTheRadar

Many airlines were not flying all of the routes even before today. Drumptf's latest edict will further reduce the loads. Those from the USA that want to go independently will just go through Mexico (or other countries where it is easy). In the mean time DL will probably do as they have done with similar routes, go from daily to 3-4x per week or even 1-2x per week.

MSPeconomist

Interesting. At least some DL connection carriers do serve international routes, such as the Canada transborder flights, but I suppose it's the operating carrier that "owns" the route permission and this probably can't be easily transferred to a regional affiliate (unlike some gates and landing slots such as at HOU that apparently can be given to whatever airline is preferred by the airline that owned the slots, with no pretense of selling them to the highest bidder).

Maybe those DL 717 purchases can be put to good use if the requirement is that the Cuba routes be continued with mainline service.

davetravels

I watched Trump speak, and at first, he said that whatever he was going to do, wouldn't affect travel there, except that we wouldn't be able to use hotels where the money gets funneled to the Cuban government (such as the Sheraton) - but we could still travel there, staying at independent guest houses, and AirBnB type places.

I had to walk away from the TV . . .

What the heck happened?!?!?

ashill

From my reading, the main change is the elimination of the "person to person" category of allowable trips to Cuba. I don't see why that would cause DL to immediately suspend flights. There may well be a reduction in flights and/or capacity, but I would expect it to be through an ordinary schedule change (perhaps with a shorter time horizon than typical), not a sudden leave-customers-stranded stop-flights-tomorrow change.

I don't think Cuba flights were profitable (at least not highly profitable) to begin with; I think all the airlines in the Cuba market see this is a long game, get-the-foot-in-the-door and build the market set of routes, not an immediate cash cow. I'm not sure the President's actions changes the long-term prospects all that much.

MEMLawGuy

DL cancelling routes? Sad!

essexnyc

OP - I would change the title of this thread - tourist travel of US citizens to Cuba has not been permitted since about 1960. What the Obama administration allowed was individual self-planning and self-reporting within the previously-allowable visitation purposes, such as culture and education, without going through tour operators. So I would say "Trump eliminates individually-planned US travel to Cuba."

OHDL1

Wondering if people will still be allowed to self-identify which one of the allowable travel reasons or will we go back to having a specific "license" to travel to Cuba?

Grog

+1 Perfect thread title. ^

hi55us

See ya later.... IBTL

dbuckho

Will be interested to see the details in 90 days. I am planning to travel there in January with with my family. Using an individual tour guide who takes small groups. The hotel thing should not impact his services, as he primarily uses b&b accommodations. But I think the government requires him to use government associated representatives for certain activities. He will have to figure that out, and thinking I should develop some sort of daily expense/compliance app to sell to cuban travelers! Overall more optimistic we will still be able to go than earlier in the week.

I will hold off on booking any flights though as I suspect the two routes my current itinerary is planned around may disappear or reduce -- MIA-CFG on AA and HAV-LAX on AS -- will there be enough demand for the regional routes and then the LAX non-stop after this? While it looks like travel will not be that much harder, I do think the additional complexity of figuring out your approved purpose, avoiding GAESA, and tracking your expenses will deter a significant number of folks.

Maybe shifts more traffic to the cruise industry for those who really want to go, though think DL's core HAV routes would be fine for now.

financialhippie

Good call, thank you for this

RSSrsvp

I totally agree and the title has been updated. ^

RSSrsvp - Moderator

PS, If this thread gets too political you know exactly where it will be heading!