Venezuela is on the verge of economic collapse and United Airlines has decided enough is enough. Effective July 01, 2017 United is suspending service to Caracas (CCS).
Although corrupt President Nicolás Maduro has promised to prevent any carrier who halts service to Venezuela from ever returning, United has decided that the route is not meeting financial expectations.
Pull up the seat maps for today’s or yesterday’s flight and you’ll see that there is more than enough room for everyone to stretch out. The demand is simply not there (at least on flights into Caracas).
In March I wrote about United’s clever trick to keep crews from long layovers in Caracas. Due to unsafe ground conditions in the Venezuelan capital the daily service from Houston to Caracas makes a stop in Aruba in order to change crews. Perhaps that became a logistical nightmare or perhaps the new overnight departure with additional stop further eroded demand.
> Read More: United’s Clever Trick to Keep Crews Out of Dangerous Venezuela
Whatever the case, the service comes to a close at the end of this month. Check the schedule beyond July 01st and you will see only COPA-operated options. United has already begun reaching out to affected passengers.
CONCLUSION
Bummer, I’ve never been to Venezuela. Sadly, as more carriers pull out and the country drifts toward economic collapse it may be years before the once-vibrant nation is ready for tourism again. I hear it is a beautiful nation and look forward to visiting.
I had the pleasure of visiting its pristine interior (Parque Canaima) to some of its gorgeous beaches like ‘Playa el Agua’ or ‘Cata’, and in said occasions, I took the UA non-stop flight from IAH. It’s a nation truly blessed with natural beauty and abundant resources, yet not with wise people to govern it right! It’s a shame to see what has happened to the once most prosperous nation in South America what has happened to it.
I wonder if the Venezuelan government is holding a bunch of United cash right now, similar to Argentina a few years ago.
I’ve been to Venezuela about 40 times, starting in the late 1990’s and ending around 2010. Yes, it’s a pretty country and there are a lot of wonderful people there. But, with each visit, it became a bit more dangerous to be there. Caracas has long been a high-crime city, but during the Chavez era, crime became more rampant throughout the entire country to the point where there was no ‘safe’ place left. You see stories of the horrid conditions in Venezuela on the news now, but the media imply that this is a recent development. It is not – the difference is that the country has finally reached the destination to which it has been headed for 15 years.
When I traveled there, practically everyone I’d interacted with had been a victim of crime. Some had family members murdered. As was I on one of my visits. The level of crime was so oppressive at this point that you were not free to really go anywhere without making all sorts of logistical “what if?” plans. Even then, you only felt safe in your hotel room or at the airport – beyond security and passport control. It was that bad – and now it is much worse. And, at least when I was there, at least people had food to eat! So it must be 100 times worse now.
Honestly Matthew, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to visit Venezuela now unless they absolutely had to. I’ve read accounts by war correspondents saying that it is more dangerous than many war zones they have worked in. And I believe it. So consider a visit to Columbia instead, which is now safer and more developed than it’s ever been.
Great perspective. Thank you for commenting. I’ve been to Colombia and indeed it has come a long way!
Hi Matthew. Do you have the official version from United? Where can I find it? Thanks
I don’t have the official version. I was passed on this info from a friend at United. But you can see that after 01 July the flight is not in the schedule.
Thanks
OK, I wasn’t murdered on one of my visits! Somehow the two sentences were switched around.
I was in Caracas, in 20o1, as our cruise ship stopped at a Venezuelan port, about 30 miles away. When we took a bus tour of Caracas, I was amazed to see the cultural differences, since there were large billboard signs advertising cigarettes. I believe that such advertising in the USA, ceased in the 1970’s. Also, there was quite a difference among economic classes. There didn’t appear to be any middle class, per se, as we know it. I noticed very wealthy homes, and slum homes up in the hills. We were told some residents in the poorer areas, were actually stealing electricity, by rearranging the electrical lines to their homes. In any event, the people were friendly, and we saw a glass factory, which was very interesting. There was also a huge square where there were a number of statues, including one of Simon Bolivar. At one tourist stop, a large modern SUV pulled up, and a local Venezuelan came out, and greeted me in perfect English. He told me that he had just visited the USA, the week before.
Mathew, thank you for the article. I was born in Venezuela and this breaks my heart. Venezuela was once South America’s richest country and it’s a beautiful place. Venezuela is a country of beautiful landscapes and surprising sights, from the beaches to the mountain tops. There is a lot to explore in all parts of venezuela, from the Angel Falls, Margarita Island, National Park Morrocoy, Los Roques to the Gran Sabana. Unfortunately, today it’s definitely not the best time to visit as the country is going through a crisis. Hopefully in the near future, you will have the opportunity to visit such a beautiful true nature’s paradise!