Hi -- my boss is planning a humanitarian trip to Cuba next month (he has applied for the proper permission/documentation with the Treasury Dep't), and I need to research flight options for him.

All the major travel sites (Orbitz, Travelocity, etc.) don't allow searches to/from Cuba, and I've had limited success using some Canadian travel sites in searching flights that originate in Canada or the Caribbean.

Also, I've read online that AA and CO have "charter" flights from MIA and EWR respectively, for those with legal permission to travel between the U.S. and Cuba -- but I haven't found out how to research/book them.

Any advice for searching airfares from non-U.S. cities to Cuba, and/or the AA/CO "charters"?

- Mike :-)

A quick Google search came up with this:

http://www.cubatravelusa.com/

The MIA airport website show arrival/departure info which may help. My guess is you'd have to book it thru AA or authorized TA directly.

This Trip Report should be helpful. Plus, it is a lot of fun to read.

Of course they do, as long as they are not American. For example, you can try Opodo (I've tried a dummy booking from Canada). Or you can make a booking on the Cubana Website

Probably the easiest is to book a flight to Cancun and then fly to Habana from there. Even with permmission it will be a lot easier then flying offically through the USA. A friend who has a had a permit for Cuban travel has done this many times and vowed never to to fly offically through Miami again.

The alternative is to fly to the Carribean such as to the Cayman Islands and then fly a Cuban airline from there. However, your trip will begin before you get to Cuba . If you go that route note that window seats are limited and smoking is restricted except in the cockpit.

I was in Miami a week and a half ago and on the television screens where it listed an American flight to Cuba. I realize it must have been under special circumstances, but I know they fly there.

I thought I recalled that OFAC keeps a list of travel agents specifically authorized exactly to do this kind of business/travel planning.

torstar.ca which is the website for the Toronto Star newspaper...go to the travel section and there you will find a myriad of companies who offer flights and packages to cuba...these leave many times/day.

My church has sponsored several humanitarian trips to Cuba, and they have found that flying through Cancun is the cheapest and the least hassle.

Having flown on Cubana some 15 years ago i would not want to make it a habit.

Another option is to fly from Jamaica. Air Jamaica flies to HAV multiple times a week if not daily. They used to offer some very attractive air+hotel packages.

mike

I've entered under the full-time professional attending a conference/tradeshow exemption. I flew SJU-SDQ-HAV. SJU-SDQ on AA, SDQ-HAV on CU.

As long as you have Treasury Dept. exemption you can call AA or CO and arrange your travels through NYC or MIA. No need to go through another country. With an exemption it's totaly legal to fly directly to Cuba from US.

It's not against the law to travel to Cuba, it's just against the law to spend money there (as per Economic Embargo). With the exemption it's no big deal.

As far as I remember USair flies, from Philly directly to NAS (Bahamas) from where there are good flights to Cuba, almost daily I believe. No need to go all the way to Jamaica or Cancun.

I've heard this before, but I don't understand it. Does this mean that if, for instance, a U.S. citizen flies to Toronto, exchanges a bunch of US $ for Canadian and then uses those Canadian $ to fly to Cuba and spends them there, they are not breaking US law?

(I have no plans to go to Cuba, it's just something I've wondered about.)