Will our holiday to Cuba be spoilt by Trump’s tantrums?

Simon Calder answers your queries on Cuban travel plans, BA premium economy, and the merits (or otherwise) of Madrid’s Aeropuerto Adolfo Suarez

While relations between the US and Cuba are about as bad as at any time since the 1960s, our correspondent does not expect American military action (Simon Calder)

Q We are due to go to Cuba in March for a holiday. What’s your gut feeling about whether it will be able to go ahead?

‘Leopard Man’

A The year-and-a-bit since President Trump began his second term has generated an unprecedented amount of geopolitical uncertainty for travellers worldwide. From tension across the Middle East to Tui charter planes being turned around because of the US operation in Venezuela, the decisions of the US leader have caused much disruption.

Cuba is far from the mainstream Caribbean destination it was from roughly 1995 to 2020; the depopulation of the island, combined with economic hardship, means few British travellers go there now. I am delighted that you are planning a trip, and I am confident it will go ahead as planned. Tourists like you are desperately needed by the people of Cuba, who have endured decades of austerity.

Yet given the bellicose noises from Donald Trump, I can understand your concerns. He claimed this week: “The Cuban communist regime supports terrorism and destabilises the region through migration and violence ... The United States will act to protect the foreign policy, national security, and national interests of the United States, including by holding the Cuban regime accountable for its malign actions and relationships.”

It is almost 65 years since an American president sanctioned a covert invasion of Cuba: the disastrous Bay of Pigs attack, which is still cited by the government in Havana as a triumph of communism over capitalism. While relations between the US and Cuba are about as bad as at any time since then, I do not envisage American military action.

The tariffs that Mr Trump has imposed on any nation supplying oil to Cuba are intended to tighten the economic noose – as was the designation of the republic as a “state sponsor of terrorism”, which renders anyone travelling to the island ineligible for a US Esta. Instead of getting the online permit, prospective visitors to America must get a full visa.

My view is that the economic warfare will continue. If I am wrong, and Cuba joins the Foreign Office “no-go” list, then anyone with a package holiday booked will be entitled to a full refund. Independent travellers who decide not to go could face losses, though travel insurance may help.

Our reader is already paying thousands to travel in premium economy (BA)

Q We’ve just booked our premium economy tickets to Thailand. I am very disappointed that British Airways wants to charge another £100 per person to book a seat. Really?

Kris L

A I have just made a test booking on the BA route from London Gatwick to Bangkok to check the figures. The fare in “World Traveller Plus”, as British Airways styles its premium economy product, comes to £2,083. That buys you a seat in a cabin configured for 48 people. I then looked at the extra costs for booking specific seats in advance. The price per seat varies from £47 to £62 each way, depending on the exact location. The configuration of the cabin seating is 2-4-2. The higher prices are for the pairs of seats by the windows and those further forward.

If you have just spent a couple of thousand pounds on a flight, I can see it is annoying to be told that choosing a seat will cost an extra £100 or so for the round trip. But from British Airways’ perspective, the airline is simply offering an extra service: inviting you and other passengers to choose specific seats ahead of the journey.

You may well be concerned that you may be unable to sit together unless you pay. I think this is unlikely. British Airways does what it can to ensure people on the same booking travel together, even if they decline to pay. Check-in opens 24 hours before departure. In your position I would set a reminder to go online the moment the window opens. By doing so, I would be reasonably confident of getting two seats together. If I am wrong, not all is lost: at the airport or even on board the aircraft, staff will do what they can to seat passengers together.

Finally, my occasional reminder that travelling in any class fancier than economy causes a surge in the air passenger duty (APD) liability: for London-Bangkok, the rate is £94 in economy but £224 in World Traveller Plus. For future bookings to Asia, you might consider going via Istanbul with a stopover of 24 hours or more, which reduces the APD bill by around £200 – more than enough for a night in a hotel in the city.

A golden eagle flies over Glenveagh National Park in County Donegal (Alamy/PA)

Q I was flying from Pisa to Donegal with a connecting flight at Dublin. The Pisa to Dublin flight was delayed, which caused me to miss the connecting flight to Donegal. I assumed because I’d booked both with the same airline, they’d just put me on the next flight. But staff said that because both legs of the trip weren’t booked as a single journey, there was no obligation to rebook me. I had found it impossible to make a single booking for that journey on the app and website, and so was obliged to book two separate flights. I don’t think this is fair. Any thoughts?

Carl Y

A I agree it seems harsh – but this scenario is entirely in line with airline rules. For full protection, you should buy a journey involving more than one flight as a single transaction. On a trip ticketed from Manchester to New York with a connection in Dublin: if something goes awry with the first leg, the airline is required to get the passenger to their destination as soon as possible. Furthermore, if the delay to the first flight means you arrive at your final destination three hours or more late, you could be entitled to hundreds of pounds in compensation.

In contrast, with two separate bookings, as you found, there is no such obligation to look after or compensate the passenger. The fact that the same airline is operating both flights is legally irrelevant. Sometimes, in my experience, staff will bend the rules in your favour and quietly transfer you to a later flight free of charge. But they are quite within their rights to class you as a “no show” for the second leg and apply the prevailing fare to get you where you need to be.

You are in the doubly unfortunate position of having arrived hours late and being out of pocket. It may be that your travel insurance policy will allow you to claim for the additional fare. Otherwise, all I can suggest is that you vote with your wallet and choose another airline next time.

If queues are the only problem you encounter at Madrid’s airport, you’ve got off lightly (Reuters)

Q Could you elaborate on why you rate Aeropuerto Adolfo Suarez in Madrid as “awful”? I travel through the airport several times a year and find it pleasant enough – certainly better than many others in Europe.

Rob F

A I am glad to hear your experiences of Madrid airport are better than mine. My journeys to, from or via the Spanish capital’s airport have been far from fun. It seems to me that MAD (as the airport is appropriately coded) combines several key drawbacks. Other European hubs may have one or two of them, but Madrid goes for the full house.

Let’s start with access. The Metro connection with central Madrid is complex and awkward. To reach key stations such as Gran Via or Sol requires a minimum of two changes; the corresponding figure for London Heathrow or Paris Orly is zero or one. Madrid has some tricky inter-terminal connections. Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are in one clump at the south of the airport. Terminals 4 and 4S are around 3km northwest and northeast respectively.

While travellers on Iberia and its sister airline British Airways may fondly imagine that T4 and T4S are close together (“S” stands for satellite), they are actually 2km apart – linked, in my experience, with underground shuttles running with irregular timings.

Transferring “landside” from T1/2/3 to T4 is a ludicrously long journey. The Metro is the least bad option – but it is such a distance that between the two airport stations, the train stops at the small town of Barajas. Add signposting that is as haphazard as Munich airport, and anyone in a hurry to make a connection will feel hyper-stressed. Flying into Madrid airport, after landing you face some of Europe’s longest aircraft taxi times to the terminal – on a par with the worst at Amsterdam Schiphol. In my experience, 20 minutes is about average, and half an hour is not unknown.

Any saving graces? Well, Madrid serves dozens of enticing locations, especially in Latin America. And in common with other Spanish airports, the hub has book exchange points “where travellers can contribute to the rotation of different publications and enjoy reading” – a neat non-commercial touch.

Email your question to s@hols.tv or tweet @SimonCalder