Expedia, Orbitz stop selling Venezuela tickets amid turmoil

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Expedia, Orbitz stop selling Venezuela tickets amid turmoil

By JOSHUA GOODMAN
February 7, 2019

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Travel websites like Expedia and Orbitz have quietly stopped selling airline tickets for Venezuela amid recent political turmoil, further isolating the socialist-run country after years of declining flight service.

On Thursday, it was impossible to find on the popular websites any Venezuelan cities in the drop-down list of booking options for hotels and flights to the South American country.

The Bellevue, Washington-based Expedia Group said the company was acting on behalf of travelers’ wellbeing and in accordance with recent travel advice by foreign governments about crime and civil unrest.

“Once governmental advice reaches a certain level of travel concern, we take action to close off destinations on our sites,” spokeswoman Sarah Gavin told The Associated Press. “This ‘stop sell’ will remain in effect until the situation in Venezuela improves and travel advice changes.”

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/7b0b7a62dcdc4d8d869b226186777a51

[GatoGordo]

1. As a formerly frequent traveler to Venezuela, I can give some insight

When purchasing an airline ticket TO Venezuela (or OUT of Venezuela), you must purchase a round trip ticket. The cost of the ticket (unless you are going to Cuba) is approximately the cost you would pay to travel anywhere on any airline... "the going, market rate", this despite the fact that the Chavistas say that THEIR share of the ticket cost is a few dollars. (OF COURSE!)

What is occurring is that airlines sell their "Venezuelan share" of the ticket at the forced Chavismo cost, but make it up on the other end. You cannot purchase a one way "Venezuela" airline ticket, in Venezuela.

Secondly, the profits from flying in/out of Caracas (Maiquetía) are impossible to repatriate in currency that has value, so few airlines even bother to fly there any longer. The bolivar soberano is worthless. The only airlines that DO fly regularly are owned by the enchufados... persons "connected" with Chavismo that use this business monopoly to pad their fat bank accounts in Andorra. And of course, these businesses are paid in dollars or Euros. Not bolivars.

And now that PdVSA is nearly shut down, there is no way to get jet fuel. In a nation sitting atop 300 billion proven gallons of crude oil. With 3 of the largest refineries on the planet.