Travel to Cuba on Qantas/oneworld

[justin23]

I've been looking at options to get to Cuba on Qantas/One world.
QF has a good deal on premium economy to South America right now and I can get to Lima return from CBR for ~$2600 or economy for as little as ~$1600 for April 2016.
LAN does have flights then to Havana, but they are quite pricey. So will I get better pricing by calling QF or a travel agent to see if I can get them all booked on a multicity booking together? The online engines are hopeless at these kinds of bookings.

Or is there an alternative. The best I've found is flying to Cancun in Mexico also for around $2700 but only in economy which nets 90 less SC's. But the flight to Havana is much cheaper on a non Oneworld airline. Excluding OneWorld the other recommendation is fly via Canada.

Anyone know of other options? I guess I may be able to get to somewhere in the Carribbean on One world also, but doubt it will be cheaper or offer the same value.
I'm trying to beat the inevitable US tourist influx.

 

[Boca68]

Well, having just done the same thing to Cuba. I, several months ago now, tried to do the same thing.

QF/LAN via Santiago to Havana, was just way too expensive. I ended up doing MEL - LAX - MIA - CUN on QF/AA. (return was CUN - DFW -(status run) ORD - JFK - CLT - MIA - LAX - MEL. CUN - HAV was on Interjet. Who I would recommend, cheaper than most and excellent for a LCC.

Every calculation and search I did over 2 to 3 months, worked out significantly cheaper this way. Like you, I was trying to stick with One World as much as possible. I did have the advantage of extra time, so spent 4 days in Miami and a couple of days in Cancun. But it is difficult on OW. But a sale may pop up? I kept checking for one, but nothing significant happened.

P.S. Cuba is worth it. Loved it.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

It I were you, and can get as close to Havana on a QF flight numbered flight, I would do that as you earn the mist QF SC.
$$$$$ it might be, but helps get the most SC.
It's not everyday you will fly down there eh?

 

[justin23]

Well, having just done the same thing to Cuba. I, several months ago now, tried to do the same thing.

QF/LAN via Santiago to Havana, was just way too expensive. I ended up doing MEL - LAX - MIA - CUN on QF/AA. (return was CUN - DFW -(status run) ORD - JFK - CLT - MIA - LAX - MEL. CUN - HAV was on Interjet. Who I would recommend, cheaper than most and excellent for a LCC.

Every calculation and search I did over 2 to 3 months, worked out significantly cheaper this way. Like you, I was trying to stick with One World as much as possible. I did have the advantage of extra time, so spent 4 days in Miami and a couple of days in Cancun. But it is difficult on OW. But a sale may pop up? I kept checking for one, but nothing significant happened.

P.S. Cuba is worth it. Loved it.

Thanks. I should have 4-5 weeks total, of which I'm going to spend ~2 weeks in Cuba. I might look at some options through the USA and or Mexico, Cayman islands, Bahamas, Jamaica etc.

I've found a few trips reports on Mexicana but they are no longer OW.

 

[Boca68]

Thanks. I should have 4-5 weeks total, of which I'm going to spend ~2 weeks in Cuba. I might look at some options through the USA and or Mexico, Cayman islands, Bahamas, Jamaica etc.

I've found a few trips reports on Mexicana but they are no longer OW.

Good Luck!

I will add, we wanted to include the Bahamas also. But flights were infrequent and relatively expensive. (Only 2 direct a day to Havana, 1 x Bahamasair and 1 x Cubana) In the end we dropped it.

As Australianpoochie (love the nick BTW) says, if you want to get to Cuba and maximise your QF Status Credits, via MIA or DFW with QF/AA was also best I found, than with LAN via Santiago. We even looked at going via Lima and Bogota , which was close in $$$, but better in SC. AA has direct flights to CUN from several other different cities also. Look into it!

I'd recommend getting to CUN or MEX, then booking a seperate ticket for the Havana leg, which is what we did.

 

[Dr Ralph]

I used the Caribbean route earlier this year and paid around $2800.

 

[justin23]

I used the Caribbean route earlier this year and paid around $2800.

Yes it looks like if I want to maximise my FF points flying via the Carribbean is good value. Around the same as flying via Cancun in terms of cost, but worth more FF points. Now I just have to find somewhere with a cheap flight to Havana. Cancun seems to be the cheapest though, so a spreadsheet may be in order! It may be a case of an extra $100 earns an extra 60-80 SC.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Don't you mean you want to earn more so QF SC and not so much QFF points, mate?

 

[Dr Ralph]

Yes it looks like if I want to maximise my FF points flying via the Carribbean is good value. Around the same as flying via Cancun in terms of cost, but worth more FF points. Now I just have to find somewhere with a cheap flight to Havana. Cancun seems to be the cheapest though, so a spreadsheet may be in order! It may be a case of an extra $100 earns an extra 60-80 SC.

Sounds about right. Let us know how you get on.

 

[juddles]

I don't have the time this second to do some pricing, but a couple of quick suggestions for the general scenario of Australia to Cuba with desire for QF SC:

1.- Forget trying to arrive in Cuba on a One World Airline.
2.- Fly Jetstar to HNL.
3.- Do HNL to the Carribean on AA in First.
4.- Do the last leg/s Carribean-HAV on a cheap LCC



BTW, how did you find CBR-LIM in PE for $2600?

 

[notzac]

Slightly late to the party, but figured I'd reply seeing as I've done this trip a couple times. Couple options:

• QF/AA as far as PTY, then CM for PTY-HAV (CM are a great airline and they run several flights per day to HAV - helpful in case something goes wrong).
• QF/AA as far as CUN, then 4O for CUN/HAV. Last time I flew via CUN the onwards flight was with MX, who of course don't exist any more.

My preference would be via PTY - it's a fairly easy airport to transit in. Probably not an amazing choice for an overnight stop.

 

[justin23]

Slightly late to the party, but figured I'd reply seeing as I've done this trip a couple times. Couple options:

• QF/AA as far as PTY, then CM for PTY-HAV (CM are a great airline and they run several flights per day to HAV - helpful in case something goes wrong).
• QF/AA as far as CUN, then 4O for CUN/HAV. Last time I flew via CUN the onwards flight was with MX, who of course don't exist any more.

My preference would be via PTY - it's a fairly easy airport to transit in. Probably not an amazing choice for an overnight stop.

These are looking like the best options so far. I've pretty much decided on flying LIM-HAV on Copa via PTY or Avianca via BOG.

I've been to most of Central America and never did get to Panama, mostly to see the canal, so thinking I'll do a 2 night stopover and visit the canal.

Looking at purely Economy airfares, CBR-LIM for $1600 then LIM-HAV for another $900 is not too bad. Via Canada it looks to be $3200 and via Cancun around the $3000 mark. Of course I found the Premium Economy sale which adds around $1k to the CBR-LIM leg.

 

[justin23]

BTW, how did you find CBR-LIM in PE for $2600?

By accident looking at airfares for April on QF and up popped the Premium Economy airfare when I was searching and was cheaper than the Flex Y. I believe its on sale for another week or so into November. I spoke to Qantas and the airfare does not allow a stopover in Lima. Which means I can't add another LAN flight. I have to book it separately (thus looking at non OW flights for the rest). Its some weird rule, but if I add the LAN flight the price goes to $9k!!!

 

[ftm]

You can get to Havana on OW if you go via Europe - Iberian fly direct from MAD. You can combine it all with a BA Premium Economy fare to London, and the last time I did one of those for someone it came out in the $3500 range. Availability depending of course! Works if you would like to combine London or Europe in with the travel plans. A long way to go otherwise!

 

[justin23]

You can get to Havana on OW if you go via Europe - Iberian fly direct from MAD. You can combine it all with a BA Premium Economy fare to London, and the last time I did one of those for someone it came out in the $3500 range. Availability depending of course! Works if you would like to combine London or Europe in with the travel plans. A long way to go otherwise!

Thanks, I did look at this and its a bit longer and not as good a value. This year I went to Jordan and Morocco and in between went to Bulgaria. So it wasn't out of the question to split my 4 weeks between Cuba and 1 or 2 European stops. Though the 36 hrs of flying and airports from Morocco to Canberra wasn't fun!

I've booked the Y+ fare to Lima and put in for upgrades which at 45k each makes for a pretty good value Business class fare. $1300 + 45k points with worst case of Y+ each way