DEPARTURE LOUNGE // WINTER 2017 take between two to three hours , so this needs to be factored into your travel plans . The change , which was made for security reasons , applies to all passengers regardless of the airline they are travelling to the Caribbean island with . If you ’ re travelling to Cuba via any other destination , you may still apply for visas at the Cuban Embassy in Pretoria . Speak to your Sure Travel consultant for further details .
Paramount plans to give Disney a run for its money with a new London theme park .
News on the
Go
LONDON TO GET ITS OWN DISNEYLAND Movie studio Paramount Pictures has announced that it will open a new theme park in Dartford , Kent , in 2022 . Called London Paramount , the R56 billion theme park will have around 50 rides based on Paramount films and BBC shows , as well as an accommodation and entertainment hub with hotels , conference centres , exhibition spaces , music and sporting facilities , cinemas , a mall , nightclubs and an indoor water park .
AIRLINES SIDESTEP USA LAPTOP BAN Top Middle Eastern airlines Qatar Airways , Etihad Airways and Emirates Airline have responded to the United States ’ ban on laptops and tablets on US-bound flights by lending passengers laptops / tablets to use in the air . The
catch ? It ’ s currently only for business and premium class passengers . The ban affects only direct flights from 10 airports in the Middle East , North Africa and Turkey . However , at the time of writing there were various reports that the US was planning to implement a similar ban on laptops and tablets on incoming flights from the United Kingdom .
EARN AVIOS FOR LOW COST Low-cost airline Kulula has partnered with Avios , the global travel rewards currency , to enable Avios members to collect three Avios for every R10 spent on Kulula flights . Passengers are able to redeem in increments of 1 000 Avios , equal to R60 in Travelbank credit , which can be used on any flight , including airport taxes .
VISA UPDATES New Cuba visa rule If you are travelling to Cuba via the United States you may no longer apply for a visa at the country ’ s embassy in South Africa . You now have to apply for a Cuban visa at the airline desks in the US , which can
© FRAZAO / ADOBESTOCK
48-hour turnaround for Nigerian visas The Nigeria Immigration Service has introduced a visa-on-arrival system with a 48-hour turnaround time . Visitors can apply online and collect the visa on arrival 48-hours later . The system is new , however , and it may be preferable to apply via the embassy until it is tried and tested .
Visa-free travel to Russia ( almost ) South Africa has signed an agreement with Russia that enables South African travellers to visit Russia visa free , effective 31 March . But before you pack your bags and catch one of Turkish Airlines ’ new flights to Russia ( see opposite page ), check with your Sure Travel consultant that the agreement has been implemented . At the time of writing the deal hadn ’ t been signed off and the South African Department of Home Affairs could not provide a date for when visa-free travel to Russia would begin .
Cuba libre !
© NULL STERN HOTEL
08 // MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE