AA Cancels All Flights to Venezuela 15 Mar 2019
#16
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: AA EXP, Hertz Gold Plus, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 338
You're looking at it backwards. Every seat on those flights was often full with people traveling FROM Caracas TO Miami and back--many bringing back the medicine they can't get there, or with an intended future (legal) move to the US. I'm very familiar with the situation as some of those unfortunate souls are my clients.
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,245
since all airfare is 100% proportional to distance and has absolutely nothing to do with supply, demand or market conditions anywhere else in the world.
I guess the Monday morning MIA-CLT flight that costs me 600 bucks one way is exploitative too?
AA isnt a charity. If they can pack a plane at a grand a pop, clearly people are willing and capable of paying for it.
I guess the Monday morning MIA-CLT flight that costs me 600 bucks one way is exploitative too?
AA isnt a charity. If they can pack a plane at a grand a pop, clearly people are willing and capable of paying for it.
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
Antigua and Barbuda; Dominica; Grenada; St. Kitts and Nevis; St. Lucia; and St. Vincent and the Grenadines
#20
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Arizona
Posts: 5,689
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,666
since all airfare is 100% proportional to distance and has absolutely nothing to do with supply, demand or market conditions anywhere else in the world.
I guess the Monday morning MIA-CLT flight that costs me 600 bucks one way is exploitative too?
AA isnt a charity. If they can pack a plane at a grand a pop, clearly people are willing and capable of paying for it.
I guess the Monday morning MIA-CLT flight that costs me 600 bucks one way is exploitative too?
AA isnt a charity. If they can pack a plane at a grand a pop, clearly people are willing and capable of paying for it.
#22
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum
Posts: 1,894
There are several nations where the U.S. has no diplomatic presence and yet see flights and thousands of Americans every month. There are fixed U.S. investments, too - not the kind that can five away on ten minutes notice.
Antigua and Barbuda; Dominica; Grenada; St. Kitts and Nevis; St. Lucia; and St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Antigua and Barbuda; Dominica; Grenada; St. Kitts and Nevis; St. Lucia; and St. Vincent and the Grenadines
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Pittsburgh
Programs: MR/SPG LT Titanium, AA LT PLT, UA SLV, Avis PreferredPlus
Posts: 31,007
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,666
Going into a disaster area and exploiting human desperation by gouging prices is unethical business practice. Keeping fares reasonable/average, would be a middle of the road response and practice, reducing them would be charitable (like they briefly did in the latest Florida hurricane). But "extremely profitable route" sounds probably exploitative.
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
Given what is happening in that country, the humanitarian disaster, crisis and desperation, using the "supply and demand" or market conditions criteria to gouge fares is exploitative. People will sell their house to get the plane ride to get the medicine to save their child. This is not MIA-CLT. Let's say that we should be thankful that AA did not operate the last choppers out of Saigon...
They were taking a bigger risk, so why shouldn't they get higher fares.
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,666
It depends on how much higher fares and how much profit are we talking about. Maybe a little bit more (=slight exploitation) but still providing a valuable service, it won't win them any "hero of the year" awards, but maybe acceptable. More than that, the ethics become more dubious.
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,231
You're looking at it backwards. Every seat on those flights was often full with people traveling FROM Caracas TO Miami and back--many bringing back the medicine they can't get there, or with an intended future (legal) move to the US. I'm very familiar with the situation as some of those unfortunate souls are my clients.
#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,245
Were they selling those tickets ex-VZ in US dollars? Currency has been a huge issue for many companies doing business in VZ, but some have put up with it hoping things would normalize and they could get their cash out eventually, but this situation has just continued to deteriorate. So more and more have just been cutting their losses and leaving.
#29
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: AA EXP, Hertz Gold Plus, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 338
Were they selling those tickets ex-VZ in US dollars? Currency has been a huge issue for many companies doing business in VZ, but some have put up with it hoping things would normalize and they could get their cash out eventually, but this situation has just continued to deteriorate. So more and more have just been cutting their losses and leaving.
#30
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,404
BTW, Venezuela isn't the only country where international companies can't get their revenue or profits out. Russia has had blocked currency and McD copes partly by trying to purchase as much as possible (wheat, for example) from Russian companies.