Noel in another video: “I’m a little worried about visiting Venezuela.” Also Noel: “I’m here now. Might as well fly on an MD-80, 737-200 and A340-600.” Love the videos man! It was pleasure meeting you in KC at the Airliners Collectibles show.
American airlines is super dodgy now because they have the worst customer service in the entire industry, Went to a airport and they had nobody at the airport working for american at all prior to the flight and it was so bad, the delta lady had to go and get ahold of american airlines corporate to send someone to the airport to get my flight sorted out and then check my bag. Then once I got on the plane it was a terrible cramped ride on a Embraer jet and the landing was brutal, co pilot who was a young 20's something blonde girl slammed the jet down on landing so hard that it bounced up 3 times like 40-60 feet off the runway then came up and down 3 more times hurt my back so bad I had to go to a clinic to get checked out thought she fractured something. Came back on another american airlines flight was on a better jet, a CRJ700 with first class seating so I had much better seating and again they came in and did not land that plane well and hurt my back again which was still recovering from the first time. It took like 1 month for my back to stop hurting. American just gave me so issues that it was insane, keep in mind I had not been on a plane since like 2018 at all as I drive and only travel mostly local and even if i drive out of state I drive instead of fly. And american was good last time I used them.
@@AnetaMihaylova-d6f But very experienced in flying places most of us will never go. Most of us would be overwhelmed by all the checks and rechecks and empty airports and empty planes. Such a large plane for a rather short trip to Mexico City.
The reason for "strange" destinations is much more than just a simple "who the friends are". These huge planes fly there with plenty of carrying capacity to engage in smuggling of sanctioned things into Vzla and export gold, etc. In a final pinch, they are also the lifeboats for the "near" higher-ups to flee the country with their full extended families. The higher-ups would use the state petroleum company planes as those would fly more "under the radar"...
Idiotic comment u make ….the reason for the “strange” destination are the USA sanctions …the result are really few country’s allow conviasa to landing .
Probably more down to who will still allow them into the country. Maduro has basically burned Venezuela’s links to any county with a functioning democratic system
Hi Noel - my name is Louise and I suffer with advanced secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and lupus. I’m also partially sighted ~ I either bedbound or wheelchair bound. I live in a rehabilitation centre. ~ I absolutely love your channel and the content you give - some of the places you go to I can only ever dream about but thanks to you I can see some of them - Your channel always make me smile - I haven’t watched your Vlog/video yet. I just thought I’d come and say hello- thank you so much for all your hard work in putting and sharing these vlogs/videos ~ I hope you have a great week ~ sending love and hugs Xxx Xxx
Hi Louise! I've got a great channel that I watch that you should check out, that shows some amazing places and cultures. The channel is "Eli From Russia." She shows some places that I could also only dream of ever traveling to as well. Check it out, I think you'd love it! Please take care of yourself... Hope you're having a good day! ❤ -Amanda
The Caracas-Damascus flight has to be the most unusual. Venezuelan and Syrian passport holders need full visas for each other and the Syrian visa can only be collected at the land border. I'm not sure who could even fly this route outside of diplomatic officials. I know the route is only there as a political gesture, but using an extremely non fuel efficient A340 with no passengers across the world seems like a massive money burner for a country that has its own economic struggles.
@@lukethompson5558 they all went elsewhere before going to conviasa. It was most likely done so that the product lines up with the rest of that customers products (especially for things like seat spares)
I remember back in the day having to book a flight from Tanzania to Uganda and having to do it through a travel agent and pay cash. Also booking a domestic flight in Indonesia having to pay at a local convenience store
Back in the good old 1980s, the original version of this airline, VIASA, was a very popular and high quality airline. I flew with them from London to Caracas via Curaçao on a DC-10 back in the mid-80s and they were brilliant.
Hi Noel, Conviasa recientemente hace menos de un mes, agrego una nueva ruta para China, no recuerdo que ciudad, es la ruta mas larga que tiene la aerolinea y creo que es una de las mas largas del mundo actualmente, los mostradores cierran 2 horas antes porque los equipajes que viajan se someten a muchos chequeos por la guardia nacional, y las operaciones en tierra son mas lentas debido a que en buena parte las bodegas de carga se revisan muchas veces para estibar e incluso para aperturar los compartimentos, se requiere autorizacion previa de los tenientes. Eso sin mencionar que los camiones de combustible para suministrar son algo lentos, 17 litros por segundo y en ocaciones fallan y suministran de a ratos mucho menos que eso, y en este aeropuerto en particular, se tiene que llamar y esperar a los bomberos para poder abordar mientras se suministra el combustible de forma obligatoria. Esa aerolinea opera tambien el Airbus A340-200 (el unico en el mundo hasta donde yo se). Trabajo en ese aeropuerto pero en otra empresa, te veo desde hace mucho tiempo.
@@RoamingHeathen The A346 should be able to make that trip one-stop or maybe even non-stop (considering they always fly it empty), so I guess those stops must be political. ... every international route is political, so yeah I guess.
I flew to Caracas last year with my wife (who is Venezuelan) and child. There is another airline called Plus-Ultra which flies directly from Tenerife (where I live) and its pretty decent all things considered. Strangely enough, I also flew out of Venezuela and went to Mexico, but headed into Cancun for a holiday. Most international routes are basically into Panama and then separate connections from there. You can book the plus-ultra flights online - pretty standard. But we booked the flights to Mexico whilst in Venezuela and used a good travel agent - went to her office, figured everything out, paid and had everything printed off. Given what they have been through, the past 20 years, the travel agents must be a very hardy bunch! Caracas was very dangerous but it has bee improving for over a decade and is a lot safer now. You can now use US dollars everwhere as well which makes life much easier.
That lady corrected you when you said “ventanilla” instead of “ventana” for the window but we use ventanilla in my country too it’s an ok word to use for a plane window .
I’m saw 727s as well. I honestly thought the ones that weren’t mothballed were all freighters or charters. An a340 and a 727 would be quite the avgeek trip, might as well throw in a md80 and 707 haha
Hi Noel... you forgot to mention that Conviassa fly to my home St. Vincent & the Grenadines... You will also note that not only Conviassa but Virgin, Caribbean airlines Jet 2 Air Canada rouge et al also come here so even though we had a bad battering from Beryl do pay us a visit... its a very beautiful place and your family would love it.
It's been a long time since I left Venezuela for good. We are having Presidential elections this week and hoping for a new government. Venezuela is beautiful as are its people. I miss it dearly 😢. Never have flown Conviasa even though I flew often when I lived there. This video brought lots of memories as well as a reality that I know Venezuelans are experiencing. Most of the people Noel encountered are young enough to have never experienced any other form of government than what they live in now so to them it's all normal and have grown accustomed to the tyranny of the government. Thank you Noel for this video. I am looking forward to returning someday and walking myself through those international terminal halls.
The publish date on this video is on point lmao, i know you recorded this few weeks ago but yesterday there's a massive controversy around the election in Venezuela so glad you got out of there before all the bad things happen 🙏
More like "we're everywhere the US can't control/influence us". That's what happens when you borrow from (what used to be) friends and refuse to pay back.
You're a brave soul, Noel! Being as big an avgeek as you are (well, nearly, I don't have an aviation YT channel. Yet.) I found it most interesting that while the A340 uses all four engines for reverse thrust on landing to assist the brakes, the much more massive A380 only uses the 2 inboard engines. Anyway, another fun video, glad you're home safe (given the state of Venezuela's economy, I'd have worried a bit about aircraft maintenance but clearly that wasn't a problem), see you in the next one!
30 years ago, I remember Margarita Island being in the Thomson 'getting married abroad' brochure. How things have changed in Venezuela! Keep up the good work Noel....I can't imagine Alan Whicker making these trips 😂
I had one experience at CCS with the previous state-owned airline Aeropostal, back in 2005, with long delays, strange procedures, endless checks, lost luggage and the likes. I think it's symptomatic for the sad state of affairs in this beautiful country... Great video as usual!
I MUST HAVE LISTENED TO THOSE RR ENGINES SPOOL UP 10 TIMES AWESOME!!! AND THE LANDING WAS BRILLIANT THAT OUTER ENGINE BOUNCING AROUND SO SO SPECIAL! THANKS AGAIN GREAT WORK BEST TO RACH AND THE KIDS! Sorry capslock was on and I couldn't be bothered retyping haha
You always make me chuckle with your 'Is this place dangerous - no it isn't' stuff. You get off a plane, get a cab to the hotel, sleep, get a cab to the airport and fly off.
That new airport is not in Mexico City, it's actually located a solid two hour drive from it....and there's no special road no Heathrow Express sort of train so good luck navigating the traffic in and out of Mexico City. Story of the airport is as follows: Mexico's president, Lopez Obrador, decided to do away with the expansion already underway at Mexico City's airport where 1 billion US dollars had already been invested. He claimed dodgy business dealings had taken place (I'm sure of it) hence his response was to start off from scratch at this new location using a military existing base for it. He, following Cuba's and Venezuela's lead, charged the military with building this airport. He has also invited the military to build the so called Mayan train (also running rather empty with stations far from city centres, challenging booking procedures and limits on baggage which make it rather complicated for international visitors to use). Back on the story, the military has also built the new airport in Tulum and will lo be operating hotels along the Mayan train route. It appears Mexico's army general went to business school before enrolling and took courses on good governance practices......... Anyhow, back to the story. The new airport was pitched to the major carriers for scheduled commercial services which they politely declined. They said it didn't make business sense for them to do so (it appears Lopez Obrador acted on a whim in lieu of gathering feedback from industry experts before he decided to throw 1 billion dollars down the drain). The reaction by Mexico's president was to force carriers to divert all cargo flights to it..... He also needed to show Mexicans how his vision for the airport was coming to fruition so he caed his buddies in Havana and Caracas to ask for flights which they were happy to oblige. And this is the only reason Conviasa flies into Santa Lucia and why Aeromexico was the carrier to bring Noel back home and not, say, United. Mexican carriers were also "invited" to show some love for this gigantic money losing proposition. Last but not the least, Lopez Obrador decided to resurrect Mexicana Airlines, give it to the military to operate and bulge the number of passengers using that airport. Mexican taxpayers are going to be covering the huge deficits resulting from all these projects for a generation of two.
The airport he scrapped wasn't an expansion of the main airport, it was a world class project designed by major international players, was going to be self funded for the most part, was over halfway completed and would have have been a world class airport. Instead he built an airport so undesirable he had to create a government airline to fly from it and decided to restrict slots at the main airport to force airlnes to use it.
@@justahomosapiens1861 sounds like the mess in Montreal with the two airports there. Trudeau - which is full to capacity and a real Mess Mirabel - empty of all but Cargo and Charter flights. Very limited options to get downtown, except an airport bus!
@@Northernmike100 PET is located a stone's throw from downtown Montreal and has been in operation for decades. So while transportation options are limited the situation is not the same. Mirabel was used for charter flights and cargo and is pretty high from downtown, convenient if you live north of Montreal island.
@@justahomosapiens1861 it is quite similar to this situation if your flying into one airport and out of another. It’s a similar situation. Let’s not confuse the meaning of similar with that of exactly the same or even quite similar!
Venezuela looked nice, friendly enough staff, nice looking airline and aeroplane with 4 engines and a bar. I do like a bar on a plane. Devoid of other passengers is always good too! Safe journeys Noel ❤
In 1995 we spent 2 weeks on a backpacking holiday travelling around Venezuela flying Heathrow to Caracas on a VIASA DC-10, then flying internally on Avensa, Servivensa & Aerotuy. Ageing 727-100s, DC-9-51, Cessna Caravan, Dornier 228 & even an amazing old DC-3 with panoramic windows. The Servivensa & Avensa pilots all threw their aircraft around like they were fast jet pilots - I've never experienced flying like it. Several of the aircraft we flew on had crashed within a couple of years of our trip! Our transatlantic flights were pretty much full both ways.
Dear Noel, There is one aspect of a trip to Venezuela that you don't mention. This is the need to obtain a tourist visa and the tedious process of obtaining it. I don't know how you did it, but to visit my Venezuelan fiancée (she is 66, a dentist and we've known each other for 8 years) I have to submit a new request every year supported by several documents ranging from a letter invitation to a medical certificate of good health to banking information to the Venezuelan embassy in Mexico City, wait for an answer, and then hand in my passport which they hold for a few days before giving it back with the visa.
You should do more of these one way on the fly challenges i really enjoyed this and the suspense of where you were going next….. maybe cap how much you spend in a ticket next time to make it even more of a challenge… love the videos noel
I was in Venezuela before the current government came in. The price of a container of milk was 28 Bolivars. I found out that a day laborer makes 28 Bolivars a day.....
El sueldo mínimo / minimum wage has been brutally bad for ages. That set the stage for our current situation there, unfortunately. Beautiful people. Beautiful country. Amazing culture.
The curse of the SSSS. I book almost all my international travel on points and one way, so I get hit with this frequently. The worst is it's usually just one member of our group who gets tagged, but the whole party is delayed. And like you point out, it's not super clandestine and pretty quick to figure out what's going on, so if you were trying to pull something dangerous... Anyway, your call-out is its silliness made me smile.
@ursodermatt8809 no idea what that means but since he got home to the States it seems your feckless and inane comment is off colour and off base kid but hey keep trying. When I grew up in Maracaibo the scene was certainly different.
Have to laugh Noel.how many times you say thank you.Its so British !. You are saying thank you and gracias at the same time lol . Love the vids.Thankyou😊
This was so interesting, thanks for sharing with us Noel. Also, loving the Sun n Fun shirt! Hoping to see you there next year! I was a few days too late for you there this year.
A little trivia about Venezuela. During the 1960's Venezuela always had a contestant in the Miss Universe Competition who either won the contest or was counted as one of the top three finalists. Venezuela has some beautiful women. And Noel you always do a great job making your travel videos! Don't second guess your abilities or worth. You are Number one in my book!!
Sad to see that you chose to not visit Moscow via Conviasa. You'd be pleasantly surprised in how lovely it's here. I'd also treat you for a cup of tea.
Pretty awesome, one way ticket travel, 340-600 to yourself. I've only flown on an A340 once. Pretty rare but i have to say its a nice bird, just like the 747!
Gorgeous plane! BTW, there's a fleet of mostly or all A340-642 aircraft based at Bournemouth UK - ex Virgin Atlantic - now used as freighters by European Cargo Company.
My dear Noel, I inform you that the salary in Venezuela is $3.5 per month, exactly as you read it, $3.5 per month. I am your follower and a lover of commercial aviation. Thank you very much for your channel.
Yeahh I recently travelled and upon return right out of the plane (where nobody outside the airport should be) government officials were very charming to whoever they assumed was a foreigner, asking if they came to oversee the elections. On the immigration line for Venezuelans it was just sour faces opening passports and staring at any visas you may have, and immigration officers asking where you live and your profession (to gauge your wealth and political inclinations, I assume)
I’m very happy for Venezuela as they used to have two International Carriers Avensa & Viasa. It’s good to see them have at least one international airline back as they’ve been without one for over 20 years…even though they go to some interesting destinations over others.
Main reason for this airline international flights is smuggling drugs out f the country and bringing back food and regular very desirable items that can't be exported any more legally to Venezuela due to the country being a supporter of internatinal terrorism and a Bloody Dictatorship with tousand of members of the opposition killed and tortured in their prisons. No wonder Conviasa fly only to countries ruled by antidemocratic rogue governments. During the years of "Democracy", up to the year 2000, there used to be daily flights to Miami, New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Lima, Bogotá, Panama, Santiago de Chile, Madrid, Paris London, Rome, Berlin, and even a few Asian destinations... and the planes didn't leave empty... just to Miami there were 5 daily flights and almost every plane was full of Venezuelans and Americans. Viasa was the main International Airline, and Avensa and Aeropostal flew internally and to a few islans in teh Caribbean... Avensa even had a Direct fly Caracas - Orlando, always full, to serve Venezuelan passengers going to Disneyworld. Venezuela was such a desirable destination in the 70's and 80's, that was one of the only two Concorde destinations to South America... Sao Paulo, Brazil being the other qne... it's a shame how their economy and "way of life" has been destroyed after 26 years of communist dictatorship.
Conviasa started about 2004 by dictator Chavez, never been profitable as is just used for corruption and smuggling. It flew to Madrid and Buenos Aires sometime but they got banned due to poor maintenance or any other negative issue. Now os just a representation of Maduro's regime, useless for most venezuelans because no one fly those crappy routes
i went to Venezuela in 2016 to meet my grandmother! when it was time to head back, the airplane was severely delayed (2 days) i believe and they paid for us to sleep at a Marriott hotel that looks very similar to the one you were in at the beginning!! it's so sad how the economy has become bc of the government
"The clocks on the wall shows who Venezuela keeps on their friends list." This is very well journalism!!! As a journalist Noel you are doing a very good job. This kind of insights are very needed in global politics.
With the mass immigration of the past few years + hyperinflation, basically the people who travel are the ones who do so relatively frequently. I arrived at 5am for my 9am flight and there was already a line lol
Hello! Are you in the Houston area? That’s amazing! I am based here (IAH) and have watched your content for a couple of years at least. I just haven’t watched any as of late due to work being very busy. I love how calm you are in very stressful situations. I work for Atlas Air as a Flight Attendant. We mainly do DOD charters but also fly a number of NFL teams such as the Broncos, Seahawks, Ravens and Jaguars. We fly our clients in the 767 and 747. We have two VIP configured tails to fly the teams in but all of our aircraft are quite old. Most were built in the mid 90s. Some have original interior if you can imagine that. Yikes! We also have two 74s that were Virgin Airplanes once upon a time. We unfortunately, are slowing down as of late, which gives me too much free time. If you have any tips on how to get started doing something with all of this knowledge under my belt on a part time basis and along these lines or maybe as a mentor can point me to some references to get started, please let me know. I am in the Humble/Atascocita area as well. Also, Please also say hello to your family for me as I’ve seen them in some of your vlogs. I hope you are all liking the US. It really is one of the best places to live even with all of our political and economic strife. Not much one can do but get involved in the community and have a good core group of friends. With my career spanning the last 20 years, I’ve been all around the world and you have been to more places than me with few exceptions such as Thule Greenland and Diego Garcia, one thing I’ve always wanted to ask you is, what your absolute top 5 places to visit/ live would be. For me, that list varies greatly but one of my all time favorite places in the U.S. is Sedona AZ. If you haven’t been, I recommend it. It’s such a beautiful spot to visit. Take care and wishing you all the best! A longtime fan, Kirsten Arianejad Kirstensam@icloud.com Humble, TX
Thank you for another great video You finally got home You should do something like that again deciding where you're going to go get to one place and then figure out where you're going to go next and so on😊
Love it, love it, love it. I allways wanted to visit venezuela, but all my friends (also this ones, who went to north korea or somalia) were too afraid. Earlier it was possible to book holiday at that famous island in venezuela, but all gone. I hope i can see venezuela one day in real, it is an amazing country and a big wish to go there:)
If you think inflation is nuts in the US or Europe... it’s absolutely absurd in Venezuela. Their currency is essentially toilet paper (it’s prolly cheaper to use the currency than buy an actual bog roll, as you often put it).
You’d never believe that Venezuela would be easily one of the most richest countries in the world in they historically had solid and reliable leadership.
It's not toilet paper and while the inflation is still high the bolivar is used everyday for small purchases, when i went there last there the rate was about 1 dollar to 37 bolivares.
Love to see A340-600s still flying! They were one of the most fun planes I've been on when I got to fly on them with Lufthansa in the past. Always loved the downstairs bathrooms. Also please stop taking BetterHelp's sponsorships, they're a pretty horrible and evil company and I wish you'd do more research into your sponsors.
A video from Conviasa, the government owned carrier from Venezuela on Venezuela's election day, good timing
How terrible they are.
This videos aged well 😂
Noel in another video: “I’m a little worried about visiting Venezuela.”
Also Noel: “I’m here now. Might as well fly on an MD-80, 737-200 and A340-600.”
Love the videos man! It was pleasure meeting you in KC at the Airliners Collectibles show.
Love this! An empty, dodgy airplane to an empty, new airport. Noel is going places!!
Stuff that other vlogger sharing the same first letters as Stephen Curry could not.
American airlines is super dodgy now because they have the worst customer service in the entire industry, Went to a airport and they had nobody at the airport working for american at all prior to the flight and it was so bad, the delta lady had to go and get ahold of american airlines corporate to send someone to the airport to get my flight sorted out and then check my bag. Then once I got on the plane it was a terrible cramped ride on a Embraer jet and the landing was brutal, co pilot who was a young 20's something blonde girl slammed the jet down on landing so hard that it bounced up 3 times like 40-60 feet off the runway then came up and down 3 more times hurt my back so bad I had to go to a clinic to get checked out thought she fractured something. Came back on another american airlines flight was on a better jet, a CRJ700 with first class seating so I had much better seating and again they came in and did not land that plane well and hurt my back again which was still recovering from the first time. It took like 1 month for my back to stop hurting. American just gave me so issues that it was insane, keep in mind I had not been on a plane since like 2018 at all as I drive and only travel mostly local and even if i drive out of state I drive instead of fly. And american was good last time I used them.
@@pilsplease7561 Fact is the US is quickly becoming a third world country now...
most things are not much better than Brazil.
He's going empty places! 😂
On a dodgy country
booking a flight through a guy on whatsapp? I would've simply given up lmao you are far braver than me
Hahaha was thinking the same thing
He is very brave yes @KKE1978
@@AnetaMihaylova-d6f But very experienced in flying places most of us will never go. Most of us would be overwhelmed by all the checks and rechecks and empty airports and empty planes. Such a large plane for a rather short trip to Mexico City.
The irony of a VIP lounge and business class on a Socialist airline! Truth is stranger than fiction. 😂😂
@@frogmantoad8110Apparently even Cubans has a J Class!
The reason for "strange" destinations is much more than just a simple "who the friends are". These huge planes fly there with plenty of carrying capacity to engage in smuggling of sanctioned things into Vzla and export gold, etc. In a final pinch, they are also the lifeboats for the "near" higher-ups to flee the country with their full extended families. The higher-ups would use the state petroleum company planes as those would fly more "under the radar"...
Idiotic comment u make ….the reason for the “strange” destination are the USA sanctions …the result are really few country’s allow conviasa to landing .
Probably more down to who will still allow them into the country. Maduro has basically burned Venezuela’s links to any county with a functioning democratic system
also Maduro and Chavez used to use a A320 as private jet but painted as commercial. Hope u get it
It's all smuggling. Everyone knows that.
Hi Noel - my name is Louise and I suffer with advanced secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and lupus. I’m also partially sighted ~ I either bedbound or wheelchair bound. I live in a rehabilitation centre. ~ I absolutely love your channel and the content you give - some of the places you go to I can only ever dream about but thanks to you I can see some of them - Your channel always make me smile - I haven’t watched your Vlog/video yet. I just thought I’d come and say hello- thank you so much for all your hard work in putting and sharing these vlogs/videos ~ I hope you have a great week ~ sending love and hugs Xxx Xxx
Hi Louise! I've got a great channel that I watch that you should check out, that shows some amazing places and cultures. The channel is "Eli From Russia." She shows some places that I could also only dream of ever traveling to as well. Check it out, I think you'd love it! Please take care of yourself... Hope you're having a good day! ❤ -Amanda
Thank you & so glad you enjoy them.
Noel you're such a hero. I wish you good health!!
God bless you miss .
The Caracas-Damascus flight has to be the most unusual. Venezuelan and Syrian passport holders need full visas for each other and the Syrian visa can only be collected at the land border. I'm not sure who could even fly this route outside of diplomatic officials. I know the route is only there as a political gesture, but using an extremely non fuel efficient A340 with no passengers across the world seems like a massive money burner for a country that has its own economic struggles.
Oil/fuel is the one thing the country has plenty of
Yeah, "oil"... @@neilrmartin1984
I would really love to know how many passengers that flight averages. Can’t be more than 20-30.
@@neilrmartin1984 Well refined jet fuel, not so much as most of the refineries are long since broken and not functioning.
You have made my point of the arrogance of the average Venezuelan.
The production of oil goes to their heads and they show that they care less.
The a340-600s in their fleet all once were Virgin Atlantic, so I’m guessing they’ve left the bar in from the red tail days
I want to fly on it, like virgin 😢😅
Doesn't he say that in the video?
It’s a shame Virgin yanked their suites out of the plane before selling it. Perhaps they want to keep them exclusive to Virgin?
@@lukethompson5558 they all went elsewhere before going to conviasa. It was most likely done so that the product lines up with the rest of that customers products (especially for things like seat spares)
Than you Nole for visiting my country glad you liked it. Venezuela Libre🟡🔵🔴🙌
Conviasa are only missing Pyongyang and Beijing on their list of destinations : )
They have Bejing!
no les des ideas
😂 😂
@@andreworiez8920 only Guangzhou is the only place they fly to in china
They have Guangzhou already as one of their destinations
When I saw the rioting today I instantly thought, "thank God Noel was out of there by now for this"
I remember back in the day having to book a flight from Tanzania to Uganda and having to do it through a travel agent and pay cash.
Also booking a domestic flight in Indonesia having to pay at a local convenience store
Paying for local flights a a 7/11 is pretty normal in Thailand, but probably most people complete their booking and payment online.
Back in the good old 1980s, the original version of this airline, VIASA, was a very popular and high quality airline. I flew with them from London to Caracas via Curaçao on a DC-10 back in the mid-80s and they were brilliant.
@@nicholasgerken9934 I flew in 1991 from Heathrow to Havana via Caracas,I flew on a DC10..
Hi Noel, Conviasa recientemente hace menos de un mes, agrego una nueva ruta para China, no recuerdo que ciudad, es la ruta mas larga que tiene la aerolinea y creo que es una de las mas largas del mundo actualmente, los mostradores cierran 2 horas antes porque los equipajes que viajan se someten a muchos chequeos por la guardia nacional, y las operaciones en tierra son mas lentas debido a que en buena parte las bodegas de carga se revisan muchas veces para estibar e incluso para aperturar los compartimentos, se requiere autorizacion previa de los tenientes.
Eso sin mencionar que los camiones de combustible para suministrar son algo lentos, 17 litros por segundo y en ocaciones fallan y suministran de a ratos mucho menos que eso, y en este aeropuerto en particular, se tiene que llamar y esperar a los bomberos para poder abordar mientras se suministra el combustible de forma obligatoria.
Esa aerolinea opera tambien el Airbus A340-200 (el unico en el mundo hasta donde yo se). Trabajo en ese aeropuerto pero en otra empresa, te veo desde hace mucho tiempo.
El A340-200 también lo puede encontrar en Oriente Medio en compañías como Mahan Air pero hay muy muy pocos aún en servicio
The flight was CCS-HAV-VKO-CAN. So while it’s ‘direct’, it’s not ‘non-stop’
Amigo yo soy extranjero y si estoy en Caracas como compro un boleto de Conviasa ? Tienen oficina de venta ? Como se paga ? Gracias
A340-600 is a beast compared the A340-200's take-off performance😂
@@RoamingHeathen The A346 should be able to make that trip one-stop or maybe even non-stop (considering they always fly it empty), so I guess those stops must be political.
... every international route is political, so yeah I guess.
I flew to Caracas last year with my wife (who is Venezuelan) and child. There is another airline called Plus-Ultra which flies directly from Tenerife (where I live) and its pretty decent all things considered. Strangely enough, I also flew out of Venezuela and went to Mexico, but headed into Cancun for a holiday. Most international routes are basically into Panama and then separate connections from there.
You can book the plus-ultra flights online - pretty standard. But we booked the flights to Mexico whilst in Venezuela and used a good travel agent - went to her office, figured everything out, paid and had everything printed off. Given what they have been through, the past 20 years, the travel agents must be a very hardy bunch!
Caracas was very dangerous but it has bee improving for over a decade and is a lot safer now. You can now use US dollars everwhere as well which makes life much easier.
Sorry bro but Venezuela ain’t getting better
A latin american airline has to fly to the USA if it is banned from flying the USA that airline is not worth at all.
@@davidr.gonzalez2292 Fuck the United States
That lady corrected you when you said “ventanilla” instead of “ventana” for the window but we use ventanilla in my country too it’s an ok word to use for a plane window .
I don't think she was correcting but clarifying for herself. Venezuelans tend to repeat words they're not sure they understood
09:02 Surprised to see an Aerosucre 727.... I thought they'd have crashed all their fleet by now.
I’m saw 727s as well. I honestly thought the ones that weren’t mothballed were all freighters or charters. An a340 and a 727 would be quite the avgeek trip, might as well throw in a md80 and 707 haha
New owners, apparently they shook up things and now they fly right. Talked to a ground guy on FB recently, they are taking good care of the 3-holers!
@@averdung Ah now that is good to hear.
You can see them regularly in Bogotá
Hi Noel... you forgot to mention that Conviassa fly to my home St. Vincent & the Grenadines... You will also note that not only Conviassa but Virgin, Caribbean airlines Jet 2 Air Canada rouge et al also come here so even though we had a bad battering from Beryl do pay us a visit... its a very beautiful place and your family would love it.
Jet2 are u sure?
@@davidknox5929I think they mean JetBlue which flies JFK-SVD
@@RoamingHeathen 😂
It's been a long time since I left Venezuela for good. We are having Presidential elections this week and hoping for a new government. Venezuela is beautiful as are its people. I miss it dearly 😢. Never have flown Conviasa even though I flew often when I lived there. This video brought lots of memories as well as a reality that I know Venezuelans are experiencing. Most of the people Noel encountered are young enough to have never experienced any other form of government than what they live in now so to them it's all normal and have grown accustomed to the tyranny of the government. Thank you Noel for this video. I am looking forward to returning someday and walking myself through those international terminal halls.
I remember❤😢
The publish date on this video is on point lmao, i know you recorded this few weeks ago but yesterday there's a massive controversy around the election in Venezuela so glad you got out of there before all the bad things happen 🙏
Conviasa rejected slogan: “We’re everywhere you want to flee”
To flee to Moscow, Teheran or Beijing? 😂
More like "we're everywhere the US can't control/influence us". That's what happens when you borrow from (what used to be) friends and refuse to pay back.
@@icanthearyoufooldoesn't apply to Mexico
Including Caracas, you can flee from Damascus to Havana or Moscow also 💀💀💀
@@flopunkt3665the only normal place Conviasa still flies
You're a brave soul, Noel! Being as big an avgeek as you are (well, nearly, I don't have an aviation YT channel. Yet.) I found it most interesting that while the A340 uses all four engines for reverse thrust on landing to assist the brakes, the much more massive A380 only uses the 2 inboard engines. Anyway, another fun video, glad you're home safe (given the state of Venezuela's economy, I'd have worried a bit about aircraft maintenance but clearly that wasn't a problem), see you in the next one!
30 years ago, I remember Margarita Island being in the Thomson 'getting married abroad' brochure. How things have changed in Venezuela!
Keep up the good work Noel....I can't imagine Alan Whicker making these trips 😂
I had one experience at CCS with the previous state-owned airline Aeropostal, back in 2005, with long delays, strange procedures, endless checks, lost luggage and the likes. I think it's symptomatic for the sad state of affairs in this beautiful country... Great video as usual!
Love spending my Sunday morning with Noel🙌🏽
I MUST HAVE LISTENED TO THOSE RR ENGINES SPOOL UP 10 TIMES AWESOME!!! AND THE LANDING WAS BRILLIANT THAT OUTER ENGINE BOUNCING AROUND SO SO SPECIAL! THANKS AGAIN GREAT WORK BEST TO RACH AND THE KIDS! Sorry capslock was on and I couldn't be bothered retyping haha
Haha, they just need Pyongyang also, then it's a full plate.
Tripoli should be add too
Hahaha you smell very bad.
You always make me chuckle with your 'Is this place dangerous - no it isn't' stuff. You get off a plane, get a cab to the hotel, sleep, get a cab to the airport and fly off.
That new airport is not in Mexico City, it's actually located a solid two hour drive from it....and there's no special road no Heathrow Express sort of train so good luck navigating the traffic in and out of Mexico City.
Story of the airport is as follows: Mexico's president, Lopez Obrador, decided to do away with the expansion already underway at Mexico City's airport where 1 billion US dollars had already been invested.
He claimed dodgy business dealings had taken place (I'm sure of it) hence his response was to start off from scratch at this new location using a military existing base for it.
He, following Cuba's and Venezuela's lead, charged the military with building this airport. He has also invited the military to build the so called Mayan train (also running rather empty with stations far from city centres, challenging booking procedures and limits on baggage which make it rather complicated for international visitors to use).
Back on the story, the military has also built the new airport in Tulum and will lo be operating hotels along the Mayan train route.
It appears Mexico's army general went to business school before enrolling and took courses on good governance practices.........
Anyhow, back to the story. The new airport was pitched to the major carriers for scheduled commercial services which they politely declined. They said it didn't make business sense for them to do so (it appears Lopez Obrador acted on a whim in lieu of gathering feedback from industry experts before he decided to throw 1 billion dollars down the drain).
The reaction by Mexico's president was to force carriers to divert all cargo flights to it.....
He also needed to show Mexicans how his vision for the airport was coming to fruition so he caed his buddies in Havana and Caracas to ask for flights which they were happy to oblige.
And this is the only reason Conviasa flies into Santa Lucia and why Aeromexico was the carrier to bring Noel back home and not, say, United. Mexican carriers were also "invited" to show some love for this gigantic money losing proposition.
Last but not the least, Lopez Obrador decided to resurrect Mexicana Airlines, give it to the military to operate and bulge the number of passengers using that airport.
Mexican taxpayers are going to be covering the huge deficits resulting from all these projects for a generation of two.
The airport he scrapped wasn't an expansion of the main airport, it was a world class project designed by major international players, was going to be self funded for the most part, was over halfway completed and would have have been a world class airport. Instead he built an airport so undesirable he had to create a government airline to fly from it and decided to restrict slots at the main airport to force airlnes to use it.
If AMLO's supporters knew English, they would be really pissed off right now.
@@justahomosapiens1861 sounds like the mess in Montreal with the two airports there.
Trudeau - which is full to capacity and a real Mess
Mirabel - empty of all but Cargo and Charter flights. Very limited options to get downtown, except an airport bus!
@@Northernmike100 PET is located a stone's throw from downtown Montreal and has been in operation for decades. So while transportation options are limited the situation is not the same.
Mirabel was used for charter flights and cargo and is pretty high from downtown, convenient if you live north of Montreal island.
@@justahomosapiens1861 it is quite similar to this situation if your flying into one airport and out of another.
It’s a similar situation. Let’s not confuse the meaning of similar with that of exactly the same or even quite similar!
There has to be a correlation between the list of Least Free Countries and the flight destinations of Conviasa
Conviasa only flights to countries in where maduro isnt going to be arrested at first touch
I'm glad you're back home.
Wonderfully honest, practical, and enjoyable review. And you bring us right with you. Great show!
Glad you enjoyed it!
8:42 They use Air Starter Unit (ASU) to help assist the engine start up if the APU is not working.
Wow what a great flight you had Noel , Have watched your videos for years & enjoy them all xx
Now i want to fly to Damascus on one of these
Venezuela looked nice, friendly enough staff, nice looking airline and aeroplane with 4 engines and a bar. I do like a bar on a plane. Devoid of other passengers is always good too! Safe journeys Noel ❤
Thank you yet again,I'm.may not be able to fly as much as you do but atleast we get a chance to see these exciting places you visit 😢
In 1995 we spent 2 weeks on a backpacking holiday travelling around Venezuela flying Heathrow to Caracas on a VIASA DC-10, then flying internally on Avensa, Servivensa & Aerotuy. Ageing 727-100s, DC-9-51, Cessna Caravan, Dornier 228 & even an amazing old DC-3 with panoramic windows. The Servivensa & Avensa pilots all threw their aircraft around like they were fast jet pilots - I've never experienced flying like it. Several of the aircraft we flew on had crashed within a couple of years of our trip! Our transatlantic flights were pretty much full both ways.
Dear Noel, There is one aspect of a trip to Venezuela that you don't mention. This is the need to obtain a tourist visa and the tedious process of obtaining it. I don't know how you did it, but to visit my Venezuelan fiancée (she is 66, a dentist and we've known each other for 8 years) I have to submit a new request every year supported by several documents ranging from a letter invitation to a medical certificate of good health to banking information to the Venezuelan embassy in Mexico City, wait for an answer, and then hand in my passport which they hold for a few days before giving it back with the visa.
Brits don’t need visas
I don’t think UK passport holders need a visa for Venezuela.
Hope the process becomes easier for you some day as well!
n@saaraa7876 He is an American citizen.
@@Fazak38 He can still hold a UK passport.
@ojosazules8828 I know I did what he did UK USA now, never see him pull out a UK passport no more.
You should do more of these one way on the fly challenges i really enjoyed this and the suspense of where you were going next….. maybe cap how much you spend in a ticket next time to make it even more of a challenge… love the videos noel
Always impressed with Noel's Spanish
I was in Venezuela before the current government came in. The price of a container of milk was 28 Bolivars. I found out that a day laborer makes 28 Bolivars a day.....
El sueldo mínimo / minimum wage has been brutally bad for ages. That set the stage for our current situation there, unfortunately.
Beautiful people. Beautiful country. Amazing culture.
@22:40 The camera angle was hilarious 😂 I saw that you were picking your bag up but for a minute it looked like you were judging that guy.
Noel. Love that you go to some unusual destinations, via airlines I’ve never heard about !!
The curse of the SSSS. I book almost all my international travel on points and one way, so I get hit with this frequently. The worst is it's usually just one member of our group who gets tagged, but the whole party is delayed. And like you point out, it's not super clandestine and pretty quick to figure out what's going on, so if you were trying to pull something dangerous... Anyway, your call-out is its silliness made me smile.
i am amazed he was let back in to the USA
@@ursodermatt8809 He has a green card, why wouldn't he be?
@@YukonGhibli
because it is america
@ursodermatt8809 no idea what that means but since he got home to the States it seems your feckless and inane comment is off colour and off base kid but hey keep trying. When I grew up in Maracaibo the scene was certainly different.
Muchos gracias once again Noel! Wow some exotic destinations indeed. Thank u for giving us an insight into Venezuela, loved it!
Have to laugh Noel.how many times you say thank you.Its so British !. You are saying thank you and gracias at the same time lol . Love the vids.Thankyou😊
This was so interesting, thanks for sharing with us Noel. Also, loving the Sun n Fun shirt! Hoping to see you there next year! I was a few days too late for you there this year.
That moment you leaving your room, and always that moment ' do I have everything ?' :-)
A little trivia about Venezuela. During the 1960's Venezuela always had a contestant in the Miss Universe Competition who either won the contest or was counted as one of the top three finalists. Venezuela has some beautiful women. And Noel you always do a great job making your travel videos! Don't second guess your abilities or worth. You are Number one in my book!!
Sad to see that you chose to not visit Moscow via Conviasa. You'd be pleasantly surprised in how lovely it's here. I'd also treat you for a cup of tea.
Not sure he could with his American passport.
@@StephaneCalabrese He flies on his UK passport. As far as I know, Noel's currently a US resident, not a citizen.
@@StephaneCalabrese I just had an American over to visit. Fifty bucks for a visa. Russia welcomes all!
He's a fuckin limey not American!!!@@StephaneCalabrese
We don't want to give you any legitimacy for your illegal and inhumane war in Ukraine.
Nice to see they still have the UK manufactured RR engines - legacy of Virgin Atlantic ownership, I suppose. Another great vlog - many thanks.✈️🌎
A340-600 Is on Of Favorite Air Craft.Great Video And Info
I love you Noel for this lovely video
Pretty awesome, one way ticket travel, 340-600 to yourself. I've only flown on an A340 once. Pretty rare but i have to say its a nice bird, just like the 747!
Gorgeous plane! BTW, there's a fleet of mostly or all A340-642 aircraft based at Bournemouth UK - ex Virgin Atlantic - now used as freighters by European Cargo Company.
My dear Noel, I inform you that the salary in Venezuela is $3.5 per month, exactly as you read it, $3.5 per month. I am your follower and a lover of commercial aviation. Thank you very much for your channel.
You are so lucky that you ended up on an A340-600. Great Video!
Not lucky is normal on that route! Pfff and they have a bunch of that planes
The 600 is just such an elegant aircraft - i used to love watching them coming over london
There's a fleet of mostly or all A340-642 aircraft based at Bournemouth UK - ex Virgin Atlantic - now used as freighters by European Cargo Company.
"gracias"
I had enjoyed a nice experience with Conviasa between Caracas and Canaima in September 2023. The airport staff in Caracas was difficult.
Yeahh I recently travelled and upon return right out of the plane (where nobody outside the airport should be) government officials were very charming to whoever they assumed was a foreigner, asking if they came to oversee the elections. On the immigration line for Venezuelans it was just sour faces opening passports and staring at any visas you may have, and immigration officers asking where you live and your profession (to gauge your wealth and political inclinations, I assume)
I’m very happy for Venezuela as they used to have two International Carriers Avensa & Viasa. It’s good to see them have at least one international airline back as they’ve been without one for over 20 years…even though they go to some interesting destinations over others.
Main reason for this airline international flights is smuggling drugs out f the country and bringing back food and regular very desirable items that can't be exported any more legally to Venezuela due to the country being a supporter of internatinal terrorism and a Bloody Dictatorship with tousand of members of the opposition killed and tortured in their prisons. No wonder Conviasa fly only to countries ruled by antidemocratic rogue governments. During the years of "Democracy", up to the year 2000, there used to be daily flights to Miami, New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Lima, Bogotá, Panama, Santiago de Chile, Madrid, Paris London, Rome, Berlin, and even a few Asian destinations... and the planes didn't leave empty... just to Miami there were 5 daily flights and almost every plane was full of Venezuelans and Americans. Viasa was the main International Airline, and Avensa and Aeropostal flew internally and to a few islans in teh Caribbean... Avensa even had a Direct fly Caracas - Orlando, always full, to serve Venezuelan passengers going to Disneyworld. Venezuela was such a desirable destination in the 70's and 80's, that was one of the only two Concorde destinations to South America... Sao Paulo, Brazil being the other qne... it's a shame how their economy and "way of life" has been destroyed after 26 years of communist dictatorship.
Conviasa started about 2004 by dictator Chavez, never been profitable as is just used for corruption and smuggling. It flew to Madrid and Buenos Aires sometime but they got banned due to poor maintenance or any other negative issue. Now os just a representation of Maduro's regime, useless for most venezuelans because no one fly those crappy routes
Honestly these unique adventures make me curious to try one of these out one day. Thanks as always, Noel!
Amazing adventures you take us on Noel. Love your crazy “book the cheapest tickets and see where you end up” challenge. I might just do that one day.
“Fetched me from the gate and brought me to the lounge” is not what I want to hear in some countries. But it worked out for you.
You should take a Cebu Pacific A339 out of Manila, fantastic climb out.
He actually has a video on that. Search it up for that flight he actually said SQ/TG star Alliance member in Southeast Asia better than Cebu Pacific
i went to Venezuela in 2016 to meet my grandmother! when it was time to head back, the airplane was severely delayed (2 days) i believe and they paid for us to sleep at a Marriott hotel that looks very similar to the one you were in at the beginning!! it's so sad how the economy has become bc of the government
government and sanctions...to be exact. And indeed it is the Marriott, because is the only one there
Mate you left at the right time. Holy hell I'm glad you're somewhere else.
"The clocks on the wall shows who Venezuela keeps on their friends list." This is very well journalism!!! As a journalist Noel you are doing a very good job. This kind of insights are very needed in global politics.
when everyone else on the planet is blocking and putting sanctions on you at least you need some allies and this ones left are always the bad guys
Empty Airplane,Empty Airport,sounds like heaven to me ,cheers Noel👍😉💪
Your content is so thoroughly entertaining. Thank you!!❤
Wow, thank you!
Hello Noel! Yes, a stange air company but is the state of all venezuela! I like de ending phrase "Be kind to one another"! The best to you!
I am curious how full the flights are from Syria and Iran to Valenzuela.
Noel dropping a Venezuela video right when everything is happening is gold 😂😂
8am boarding. Probably do that so folks are on actual time.
With the mass immigration of the past few years + hyperinflation, basically the people who travel are the ones who do so relatively frequently. I arrived at 5am for my 9am flight and there was already a line lol
Flew Viasa in 1991 from London to Habana via Caracas,from what i recall it was a DC10..
Viasa had nothing to do with Conviasa
Holy moly the airline staff is stunning
Great one again. There is something about that plane . Cant explain it . I love the design.
It’s all about what’s under the cabin
Hello! Are you in the Houston area? That’s amazing! I am based here (IAH) and have watched your content for a couple of years at least. I just haven’t watched any as of late due to work being very busy. I love how calm you are in very stressful situations. I work for Atlas Air as a Flight Attendant. We mainly do DOD charters but also fly a number of NFL teams such as the Broncos, Seahawks, Ravens and Jaguars. We fly our clients in the 767 and 747. We have two VIP configured tails to fly the teams in but all of our aircraft are quite old. Most were built in the mid 90s. Some have original interior if you can imagine that. Yikes! We also have two 74s that were Virgin Airplanes once upon a time. We unfortunately, are slowing down as of late, which gives me too much free time. If you have any tips on how to get started doing something with all of this knowledge under my belt on a part time basis and along these lines or maybe as a mentor can point me to some references to get started, please let me know. I am in the Humble/Atascocita area as well. Also, Please also say hello to your family for me as I’ve seen them in some of your vlogs. I hope you are all liking the US. It really is one of the best places to live even with all of our political and economic strife. Not much one can do but get involved in the community and have a good core group of friends. With my career spanning the last 20 years, I’ve been all around the world and you have been to more places than me with few exceptions such as Thule Greenland and Diego Garcia, one thing I’ve always wanted to ask you is, what your absolute top 5 places to visit/ live would be. For me, that list varies greatly but one of my all time favorite places in the U.S. is Sedona AZ. If you haven’t been, I recommend it. It’s such a beautiful spot to visit. Take care and wishing you all the best!
A longtime fan,
Kirsten Arianejad
Kirstensam@icloud.com
Humble, TX
Always high quality content presented in proper English. Great job!
It is superb to see Noel experience edgy and funky airlines like this one in Venezuela.
The CARGO is the main reason they have Tehran and Damascus routes.....
Cargo of what? Drugs? Nothing legal to trade via plane between those
@@XBarajasX how long did it take you to come to that conclusion?
Oh man ! That airline check in assistant .
Bloke from Mansfield pronouncing I-ran like that 😅
@adameaton2648 He’s been “Americanized”. Next thing you know, he’ll be saying “See y’all on the next one!” 🤣
Should have begun with ey up mi duck they fly t eran 😀
Eyeran he even says bucks now too when speaking about prices. Ever since he moved to the states I’ve gone right off his content
@@Chris_Murphy123 The next thing you know, he’ll be saying “elevator”…..how DARE he! 😂🤣
@@Super_Chief tomayoto is deffo on the agenda
Hey friend, you were here in my country, good for that...Greetings from Maracaibo!
Very good video noel
Glad you enjoyed it
By the way Noel, have you and Rach gotten your US citizenship yet?
I just love your videos looking and listening to hints/tips. 38 days to go till my trip
Hi Noel, could you share the contact of the travel agent you booked through? Can't wait to fly Conviasa
I really enjoyed your video!! Keep up they good work 🎉
I would instantly fall in love with the Latina workers there
Thank you for another great video
You finally got home
You should do something like that again deciding where you're going to go
get to one place and then figure out where you're going to go next and so on😊
Yet another great video Noel. I love Sundays now!
Glad you like them!
Love it, love it, love it. I allways wanted to visit venezuela, but all my friends (also this ones, who went to north korea or somalia) were too afraid. Earlier it was possible to book holiday at that famous island in venezuela, but all gone. I hope i can see venezuela one day in real, it is an amazing country and a big wish to go there:)
If you think inflation is nuts in the US or Europe... it’s absolutely absurd in Venezuela. Their currency is essentially toilet paper (it’s prolly cheaper to use the currency than buy an actual bog roll, as you often put it).
You’d never believe that Venezuela would be easily one of the most richest countries in the world in they historically had solid and reliable leadership.
It's not toilet paper and while the inflation is still high the bolivar is used everyday for small purchases, when i went there last there the rate was about 1 dollar to 37 bolivares.
Another great video Noel, lovely to see the A340-600 , very interesting, not everyday you see this ✈️👍
Excellent video Noel 😊 that could be an ex VS A346
You can thanks us for watching, but THANKYOU for uploading
Tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are... Old saying that applies perfectly to Venezuela
I love Venezuela 🇻🇪 so so much! I pray for them 🙏🏽 🇹🇹
Love to see A340-600s still flying! They were one of the most fun planes I've been on when I got to fly on them with Lufthansa in the past. Always loved the downstairs bathrooms.
Also please stop taking BetterHelp's sponsorships, they're a pretty horrible and evil company and I wish you'd do more research into your sponsors.
I think the point of telling you about the extra screening is exactly to discouraging from even trying