Hey guys, well this is my very first trip report. I did my best to get everything I could for this so you could enjoy it. This is the first Conviasa Trip Report on A.net. Hope you enjoy it!

Conviasa Flight 2104 PMV-CCS

Intro:

My trip to Margarita started sometime about one and a half week ago. I was about to start my semester break when some friends and I started planning a trip almost "anywhere" since we were very tired from University and Caracas. In the end, I spoke to my uncle and he agreed to lend me his appartment in Margarita. Thankfully, I asked my parents and so did my friends and we were cleared to go to Margarita. So, the thing is that my uncle owns a small airplane (Piper PA-34 Seneca V 220-T), therefore I flew one week prior to my friends with all my family to spend some quality days in the island. As some of you might think, I am an aviation freak, so I asked my uncle if I could do two legs, since all my family doesn't fit inside the small aircraft. Amazingly, he agreed, so we took-off Charallave Airport (SVCS) with my uncle and his pilot in the front, and 4 pax (including me). Then I flew back from PMV to Charallave alone with the pilot to pick up my parents and brothers. The best thing was that I almost landed the aircraft! I did the whole flying after take-off and all the approach until we reached 3 miles out of the runway. Then I passed the controls to the pilot and he just landed the aircraft. (BEST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE!!!)

So, back to the point. 5 days later my friends flew private as well. We all needed to fly back to Caracas after the break, but didn't know how. Some weeks before, we searched for the best fare on PMV-CCS and Conviasa was the winner. They were offering a very nice fare of Bs.120.000 (about US$47) for a one-way ticket. They were also offering transportation from the airport to Caracas, due to all the problems we've been having with the highway that connects Caracas and La Guaira (where the airport is located). If we look closely, that's a really cheap price, so we just didn't think about it. One of my friends did have a problem, since his father didn't let him fly because he was scared of Conviasa's reputation on manteinance problems. I laughed at him... He rathered fly Aserca, who happens to have 45 years-old aircraft. Conviasa has 'newer' equippment and they're flying a lot. Anyhow, we ended buying three tickets on a local travel agency for that amazing fare.

After some days in the island, trip day arrived   . Our scheaduled time for departure was 14.40. We woke up that day at 08.00 so we could do some more stuff in Margarita. My friends and I fell in love with the island. Everythig went perfect for us. Beaches and people were amazing, we went partiing many times, walked around many places, went to this huge mall named Sambil, who happens to be very famous and full of nice stores. We just didn't want to leave. We had spent one of the best times of our lives there!. Anyways, we wanted to buy some presents, go to the beach and do some other stuff before our flight back to Caracas. We ended doing everything we had planned (we also got a bit drunk just to say goodbye to one amazing vacation!).

So, it was about 13.00 and we hadn't had lunch yet. We went to the food court in Sambil and ate like bastards. The thing was that, when we looked at the time, it was 13.35 and we were supposed to be at the airport at 13.50 the latest. That was the moment when we started laughingh at ourselves and raced back to the appartment to get our bags and call a cab to go to the airport. As soon as we got to the appartment we ran up and ran down to make it on time to our flight. Then, Murphy played us bad. The cab was in very bad shape with a very very fat driver. We said "Dude, we must get to the airport in at least 20 minutes. We depend on you, FLY!" I don't know if that was a good thing to do. This guy almost burned the taxi by forcing the engine to it's top. Then on the 'highway' we passed every single car with a crazy-killer style that made me start praying! It was 13.50 and we were not that close. I started laughing because my dad would have killed me if I hadn't made it on time. Anyways, we reached the airport at 14.20, that's 20 minutes before scheaduled departure. We paid the cab and ran to Conviasa's desks. Thankfuly, we made it... One of Conviasa's attendants told us that they had closed the flight at 14.10, but that we were an exception since the aircraft hadn't arrived yet, so we were the LAST three tickets to be taken. Unfortunately, this german guy came running to take our flight and he didn't make it. Seemed like he had to make a connection in CCS perhaps with LH.

At the counter area, there were two lines around the desk. One of them was for passengers going to Maturin, and the other one (only us) going to Caracas. They checked us in very fast and gave us a weird plastic boarding pass, which had to be re-given to them at the gate during boarding time.


Finally, we were in. Fastly, we went inside the terminal and sat there a while. After I checked the flight status I went to shoot some pictures of the terminal area while my friends were fighting with their hang-over! The aircraft arrived around 14.35, so obviously we were to be delayed.




Then, after wayting a while, time was 14.50 and we were about to board.

Conviasa V0 Flight 2014 PMV-CCS
Departure: 14.40
Boeing 737-300 YV-1178C

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Photo © Luis A. Gabaldon

At 15.01, 21 minutes after scheaduled time, they announced boarding and everyone stood up like animals and started making those lines with people trying to cut. It was a bit of a caos until Conviasa announced that people located on rows 11-24 were to board on gate 11 and the rest on gate 10 to load the aircraft by the two exits (front and rear). While I was walking to the aircraft, I had the chance of spotting some aircraft: A LASER DC-9 and a RUTACA B732. Also, in the background, I got to see a Hercules next to the Private terminal. This Hercules belongs to the Venezuelan Air Force. It was being loaded with civilians. I'd dare to say Cubans...






Fastly, we loaded the aircraft by the rear door. Then while I was going through the door, I spoke to one of the crew members, where he replied that all the flights have been totally full. Good sign. The we proceeded and sat on the second to last line. Seats 22A, 22B, 22C.





(Sorry for this bad picture, people was kind of pushing so it came up blurry)

Then, the trip finally started. At 15.11 we pushed back. The captain told us that we would fly at 24.000ft and flight time of 41 minutes. Then we taxied to Runway 9 and at 15.24 we took-off. Take-off was nice and rare. We flew runway-heading for at least 5 minutes (normally there's a fast right turn), having a very nice view of the island passing over Porlamar and Pampatar, and then turned right heading west climbing up to FL240.








Flight was nice. The only thing I didn't feel comfortable with was that the in-cabin temperature was very hot. People were sweating since the air conditioning wasn't working as it was supposed to. Thankfully the flight would only last a few more minutes. As soon as we turned right after take-off, crew started serving drinks and snaks. I must say that service was superb. The crew was good-looking, polite and very well dressed and fast on what they were doing. The snack was perfect for the flight time: A small sandwich with one Venezuelan chocolate called Toronto and a beverage of your choice (No alcohol). The thing I really liked was the presentation. The sandwich and the chocolate came inside a small box modeling a hangar in Conviasa colors with their two type of aircraft on their fleet on each side (B737 & Dash 7). Also, it was nicely combined with the in-cabin colors.






The aircraft was 3-3 configured. Leg-space was very nice, way a lot more than IB 747s!
(Photo)

After the snack service, they picked up all the trash and we started descending at 15.43. It was nice and smooth. Approach procedures started at 15.50, followed by releasing the gear. Approach was nice and slow, since there was some visible traffic approaching CCS. We landed on Runway 10 at 15.59 and taxied to the national terminal. While we were taxiing to the National Terminal, I had the chance to spot some airplanes.






As you can see, Aeropostal is dominant in CCS. Then, we parked next to another Conviasa 737. We parked at gate 14 at 16.04 and ended a very nice flight. Our Conviasa experience was over.




Fastly, we left the airplane looking for some information about the bus that would've taken us to Caracas. Unfortunately, the lady outside the gate replied that the service had been cancelled one week ago, right on the day when the Alternate Highway was opened. We were stuck down in La Guaira.

Meanwhile, we just went to pick up our luggage and for the first time in my life, my bag was the first one to come out. I was kind of happy but worried at the same time, since it would take hours for my parents to pick me up down there at the airport. We ended taking one of the famous Taxi Ford Explorers. The driver asked for Bs.70.000 just to take us up to Caracas, which I consider it a very good price.

We finally arrived to Caracas and went home.

Conclusions.

• Margarita is an amazing place. This is the first time I go there since I was 10 (9 years ago). I found the people very charming, there are several places were you can have plenty of fun (Kamy Beach Club, Sr. Frog's Pub...), everything is kind of close, there are several beaches were you will feel unique (Playa Parguito, Guacuco, Caribe, Zaragoza) and there are world-famous sport beaches like Playa el Yaque, famous for windsurfing.
  
  
• The International Airport (PMV) is being re-built. They're changing the whole terminal adding three jet-bridges, more gates, new equippment and an enchancement of the international terminal.
  
  
• Conviasa impressions:
  - I must say that I was expecting a very bad experience. As a current normal Venezuelan, I am affected by a bias against everything related to the government. Therefore, I was expecting a very cheap and austere service from Conviasa. Not only that, I was also expecting a bad and unpunctual relationship crew-pax wise and old rottin' airplanes. I must admit that I was totally wrong.
  - I will take the freedom to say that Conviasa has a very bright future if we don't relation it directly with the government. Their services are great, their fares are unique, their punctuality is perfect, their aircraft are on top of the bests right now in Venezuela, they have a nice catchy livery and best of all, it's easy to buy their tickets. Crew doesn't look bad. I was expecting ugly people, unpolite and discriminant. They were not. I saw normal and good-looking people working either at the gate and inside the aircraft.
  - I expect Conviasa to start flying to the US and to Europe very soon. They came up with a concept that might revolutionize the Venezuelan market. Perhaps we misunderstood what their purpose was, but I must say that having a good service overall is not trying to kill every other airline in the country.
  - What I would really like to see is some newer aircraft on their fleet, so they can improve their quality and acquire some respect in the international market. If they carry our flag and show some quality around the world, Conviasa... Welcome!
  

Thanks for reading!

Enrique.