United Airlines Returns To Venezuela, With Houston To Caracas Flights

As things settle down in Venezuela there should be demand with exPats wanting to return Home to see Family. Fares will probably high initially.

What would the logistics be for United to have a secondary crew onboard in some sort of crew rest area (Sectioned off economy seats). 2-3 rows of 4 FA's and two pilots should suffice.

I believe the FA's and Pilots would get paid even if they aren't working those flights, but maybe it doesn't count against their hours worked since they're just "resting"? And then vice versa on the way back for the crew that operated to Venezuela?

Can't imagine that's more economical than just getting some hotel rooms for the night (or even contractually legal, genuinely don't know) but just for safety and logistics maybe for a couple of months while things continue to stabilize in the country.

It's more complex than just blocking off a few rows of seats. The FAA has defined rest areas (Class 1, Class 2, etc.) that need to be complied with. Additionally, in 737 aircraft where there ARE cabin-based, "compliant" rest areas (usually a curtained off set of seats) there is often disruptions to getting any rest. The seats are usually near a bulkhead, which also means near a lav. Passengers are often not aware a crew is resting and can be quite talkative, or they have even opened the curtains to "see what's back there". Ask me how I know.

A crew depending on getting adequate rest to be "fit for duty" (an FAA-defined legal standard) and able to immediately operate the return flight might have to decline, resulting in cancellations. Additionally, this type of pairing wouldn't pass the scheduling tests (DH in 737 rest area on redeye, followed by working the flight). It would get tagged as fatiguing. It's actually better to have the crew layover for 27 hours in a hotel. It's cheaper for the airline to pay for the rooms (at a negotiated, discounted "crew rate") than to lose the seat ticket revenue by blocking a rest area.

How is jet fuel availability there? Is there any way for airlines to access the cheap subsidized fuel available to locals?

I suspect that this is done as a turn and that the crew doesn't lay over. I was on United IAH-POS last year and the FAs mentioned they did that pairing as a late-night turn (6pm - 7am). CCS pretty similar distance. I think a lot of crews would like the productive paid hours with little time spent on the ground.

There is no need for UAL to turn the crew around so quickly. I am a Venezuelan American and travel often to VEN even before January 2026. When I leave VEN I have to show my US passport. The situation on the ground is safer than most Latin American cities and I travel all over LatAm.

I defined the way I fly not the airlines.

I thought the airlines stopped service because of how dangerous the crime situation was? With stories of gangs stealing baggage from the airport tarmac. How exactly did Trump fix that?

It should make it much easier to deport Venezuelan illegals. Texas has large holding facilities for illegals, and it will be a short drive to a plane in Houston.

You might want to wipe off the orange makeup caked around your lips.

Would a three pilot crew allow for the crew to operate both outbound/inbound sectors as a standard turn without needing to put the crew up in a hotel?

The vacay to Angel Falls is so back! /s

(Nope. Not gonna trust any of this yet.)

"Passengers are often not aware a crew is resting and can be quite talkative,"

This is funny because it is usually the other way around. The flight attendants are very chatty while the passengers are trying to relax/nap/sleep.

A redeye from Houston to Caracas on a 737 sounds like the worst flight in the universe

Things have been improving over the past 3 years or so, nothing to do with any US president.

@LABM, just because nothing bad has happened to you does not mean that "the situation on the ground is safer than most Latin American cities." From the US Department of State Travel Advisories, Venezuela is one of six Latin American countries at Level 3 - Reconsider Travel. Another dozen Latin American countries are better at Level 1 or 2. And then there's Mexico with different levels by state.

This isn't possible on a United 737. If the standard flight and duty time limits are going to be extended by adding a third pilot, the FAA requires certain minimum standards for the inflight rest facility, whether that's a seat or a bunk. The standard domestic recliners in first class on these 737s don't meet the minimum requirements, so the flight and duty time limits cannot be extended.

What they could do, however, is deadhead two pilots in each direction, so two pilots would fly down and immediately deadhead back, while the other two would deadhead down and immediately fly back. The risk in this option, though, is the possibility that the pilots who deadhead down may not be adequately rested to be fit for duty to fly the return.

Yes, I agree any flight in a 737 is a nightmare specially if is over 3 hours
They should use the A321 a little better than any 737 in any of its variants

They stop service because the Maduro did not allow airlines to repatriate the sales done in Venezuela. In other words the Venezuelan government stole all the US Dollars collected by the all the airlines operating to Venezuela,
Caracas was before, Hugo Chavez, the main hub for all the airlines (European and American) operating to South America.