First Americans in Cuba under easier travel rules

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

First Americans in Cuba under easier travel rules
'People-to-people' tourists greeted by hugs, handshakes, welcoming government
By Jeff Franks
updated 8/16/2011 8:09:30 PM ET 2011-08-17T00:09:30

HAVANA — The first group of Americans to tour Cuba under new, more liberal U.S. travel regulations have been greeted by hugs, handshakes and a welcoming Cuban government, according to a trip organizer.

The 30 travelers are pioneers in a new era of "people-to-people" exchanges the Obama administration approved in January to "enhance the free flow of information" to Cubans and over the objections of those who favor a continued hard-line against the communist government.

About 30 to 35 travel groups are believed to have obtained licenses so far under the new regulations, which reinstate rules put in place by President Bill Clinton in 1999, but revoked by his successor, President George W. Bush in 2003.

Varied reactions
The first group of travelers have been to orphanages, medical facilities, art museums, music performances and tobacco farms and have walked the streets of Old Havana, in a first taste of the forbidden fruit that Cuba has been for five decades under the U.S. trade embargo against the country.


Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44168075/ns/travel-destination_travel/

[uppityperson]

1. Good, no more having to get there from other countries.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[formercia]

3. I still wouldn't want a Cuban Visa or Customs stamp in my Passport

TSA would have fun with that.

[jberryhill]

4. When does TSA check stamps in your passport?

[formercia]

5. When you go through Security

That's the first thing they do.

[jberryhill]

6. No

I fly internationally a lot.

TSA does not go through the stamps in your passport if you use it for identification at the security line.

The only thing that TSA does is match the name on the ID page to the boarding pass.

In fact, if before you approach the TSA ID checker, you place the boarding pass into the passport in such a way that it opens to the ID page with both the boarding pass and the ID page oriented and aligned to be readable, they will usually appreciate that it saves the time of fumbling around to read them both.

TSA doesn't give a shit where you've been.

Coming back, and dealing with immigration is another story. They WILL look at the stamps. But TSA has utterly no reason to, and does not do so.

Yes, if you just hand it to them closed with your boarding pass, they will fumble around to get to the ID page, but it's the only page they look at.

The only other people who will look at your passport is the airline boarding agent (whether at the terminal desk or the boarding gate), to determine that (a) you have it, and (b) you have any necessary visa. And that is only because the airline has to drag your ass back if you don't.

Really, there is no reason at all to show a TSA agent a passport, since they are checking ID at a general security line for a variety of flights in the first place. Even if you are flying internationally, you can show them your driver's license for the purpose of matching it to your boarding pass - because that is all they are doing. They don't care if you have a passport or not.

[MADem]

7. Cuba does not issue stamps.

TSA has the ability to know where you've travelled without looking at your passport, though.