Please see below for frequently asked questions about the NextGen Mission to Cuba. To return to the main Cuba Mission page, click here.
The trip is from Wednesday, April 3 – Sunday, April 7, 2024 (this includes travel)
Flight Information:
Each participant is responsible for making their own flight arrangements.
Below are the recommended flights. Please note that it is required to be on the same flight arriving in Havana and departing from Havana.
DEPARTING FLIGHTS:
(This flight has a stop in Miami, Fl)
Philadelphia, PA to Miami, Fl
American Airlines #AA 2184
Departing: Philadelphia, April 3 at 8:20 a.m.
Arriving: Miami, Fl, April 3 at 11:21 a.m.
Miami, Fl to Havana, Cuba – You are required to take this flight
American Airlines #AA 252
Departing: Miami Fl, April 3 at 1:45 p.m.
Arriving: Havana, Cuba at 3:00 p.m.
RETURNING FLIGHTS:
(This flight has a stop in Miami, Fl)
Havana, Cuba to Miami, Fl – You are required to take this flight
American Airlines #AA 253
Departing: Havana, Cuba, April 7 at 4:00 p.m.
Arriving: Miami, Fl at 5:10 p.m.
Miami, Fl to Philadelphia, PA
American Airlines #AA 871
Departing: Miami Fl, April 7 at 7:55 p.m.
Arriving: Philadelphia, PA 10:55 p.m.
Passports must be valid at least six months beyond your return date.
We will be staying at the Grand Aston, the brand new luxury hotel.
Cost (land only):
- $2,999 – Double Occupancy
- $3,100 – Single Subsidy
*This mission is subsidized, thanks to the Kaskey Family Foundation.
This includes:
- Luxury hotel
- Most meals
- All entrance and processing fees
Payment Policy
- Half of the deposit, including a $500 non-refundable payment, is to be paid upon the participant’s registration for the Mission. Payment of this deposit will be required to secure an individual’s place and participation in the Mission.
- A payment of the remaining balance for the Mission’s programming fee is due by January 25, 2024. You will need to fill out a separate form that will be emailed to you to pay the remaining balance.
- Mission participants are strongly encouraged to purchase, at their expense, the level of travel insurance they feel comfortable buying. The travel agent strongly recommends purchasing supplemental travel insurance. Their preferred provider for Cuba is Arch Roamright.
Refund Policy
- On or before January 25, 2024: receive full reimbursement with the exception of the $500 non-refundable deposit made during registration.
- Between January 25, 2024 and February 4, 2024: Amount paid refunded minus $500 cancellation fee.
- On or after February 5, 2024: No refunds
- Cancellations must be submitted in writing by emailing Erica N. Miller at erica.miller@jewishphilly.org and Doreen Bason at dbason@jewishphilly.org
You can pay your remaining balance by clicking here.
Please know that your remaining balance is due by January 25, 2024.
If you are not already a Ben Gurion Society member, upon return, you will be asked to make a meaningful contribution of $1,000 or more to the Jewish Federation’s Annual Campaign during the 2024 calendar year. This gift will help care for those in need, combat antisemitism and global crises, and strengthen Jewish identity. The Ben Gurion Society is a group of dynamic young leaders (22-45) from across the continent who make an impact on the world through their giving. In addition to BGS exclusive events, you will be welcomed at JFRE events as a member.
Please know that we are closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic. Your health and the health of others is our top priority. You must be fully vaccinated to attend this mission. Please visit the CDC website and the U.S. Department of State website for their latest travel policies and alerts.
In the event of cancellation of the mission due to unforeseen circumstances as it relates to COVID-19, fees paid towards registration and prepaid other fees will be refunded to the extent we receive refunds from our vendors and suppliers.
To ensure travel peace of mind, we strongly encourage mission participants to purchase travel insurance. While we will do our best to secure refunds from any vendor who has been paid, we cannot guarantee the amount that will be returned. Please refer to the question below “Is trip insurance required?” for more information.
You can register for the mission by clicking here.
Trip insurance is strongly suggested.
Please consider purchasing coverage in the event that the mission is canceled for unforeseen reasons. The Jewish Federation would only cancel the mission in the event of extraordinary circumstances.
Mission participants are encouraged to purchase the level of travel insurance and insurance for airfare that they feel will comfortably provide them with peace of mind when traveling. The travel agent strongly recommends purchasing supplemental travel insurance. Their preferred provider for Cuba is Arch Roamright (www.roamright.com).
Here are some trip insurance companies that we are aware of:
Allianz Travel Insurance: www.allianztravelinsurance.com
Travelex Insurance: www.travelexinsurance.com
Arch RoamRight: www.roamright.com
Covac Global: www.covacglobal.com
You will receive an email from Doreen Bason (dbason@jewishphilly.org) with a Virtru link, which we require you to use to protect your sensitive and confidential personally identifiable information (PII). The Virtru link will take you to a secure portal for you to provide the following required sensitive information for this mission:
- date of birth
- passport number
- passport issue date
- passport expiration date
- passport photo
You can also provide your global entry or trusted traveler number, if you have one.
Once you open the Virtru link, you will validate your email address. Please ensure that any sensitive information you input and upload are in the “encrypted message” and “files” section that is located beneath the text that says “all text and files below this line will be encrypted.”
There is an unencrypted section, located at the top of the form, where you can add a message to Doreen Bason, explaining that your mission documents are included in the secure section.
We ask that you do not customize any of the security settings. Once you have included all of the necessary information, click “share” to send the information to Doreen Bason.
If you have any questions, please contact Doreen Bason at dbason@jewishphilly.org.
Please see below for an example:
To see the Jewish Federation’s privacy policy, click here.
With the dry season extending through April, expect mostly bright sunny weather and warm to hot days. High temperatures in Havana average a toasty 84°F (29°C) this month, with some days possibly quite a bit hotter. Temperatures in the evening can go down to 68°F.
If you have any questions about NextGen or Ben Gurion Society, please contact Susan Allen, NextGen Director, at sallen@jewishphilly.org or 215.832.0505. If you have any questions about the mission to Cuba, please contact Erica N. Miller, Missions Manager, at erica.miller@jewishphilly.org or 215.832.0629.