Cuba, August 2007 - Flights

As we weren't going to use one of the charter companies, we decided to fly with Virgin Atlantic from Gatwick (LGW) to Havana (HAV). This is a twice weekly service operating on Thursdays and Sundays. We left on a Thursday and return after 17 nights. As it was a long haul flight (just under 9 hours), we decided to travel on Premium Economy.

As part of our Premium Economy service, we were also entitled to a dedicated check-in desk and fast-track through security which saved us a huge amount of time in queues. We also had priority boarding. Full details of the Premium Economy service can be found on the Virgin Atlantic website.

Prior to boarding there was also a good selection of free newspapers and magazines. On-board, we had more space that in economy so as a result, we arrived in Havana much fresher and relaxed than could be expected after a 9 hour flight. The food was very good and there was a regular supply of water or orange juice.

As with most long haul flights, there was a good selection of recent films to keep passengers occupied. En route, we flew over the Bahamas and the clear skies gave some excellent views of the Caribbean island.

As our flight departed Gatwick at 9:45am, we decided to book a hotel close to the airport for the night before we flew. I chose the Hotel Europa which is a few minutes drive from Gatwick on Junction 10a of the M23 and is a hotel I regularly book for clients who want to stay at Gatwick. The rooms rates are usually very good and there is a gym and swimming pool on site. Combined with free transfers to the airport, it was ideal for us. If you get there earlier enough, there is still time to spend the day visiting some of the tourist places nearby including the seaside town of Brighton.