Busted Airlines #2: Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela

Theoretically, this series is about Airlines That Went Bust Since 2017.

In reality, it's about Montenegrin banana importers, Turkish truck drivers, false claims about negotiating with Somali pirates(!), Ibiza techno club collabs, the Indian Mafia, and the urgent government rescue of 110,000 sunburned Brits On Tour.

(all of this madness is stuff we stumbled across while updating our tool that tells you carry-on luggage restrictions for every airline in the world).

If there's any airline – or any wild story – we missed, let us know.

Last week we went deep on the hapless Adria Airways. So which busted airline is next – and how did they go bust?

Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela

It's a massive, massive understatement to say a lot has happened in Venezuela since 2017. If you were feeling a bit too optimistic today, feel free to treat yourself to the depressing details.

But right here, right now, we'll keep it light and ask: what the hell is going on with Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela?

Technically, it doesn't even belong in this series. It doesn't appear to be truly 'busted'. Even though "the airline ceased operations on September 24, 2017, after 88 years of service due to its financial position", it was back up and running by August 2018, with thrice-weekly (yes, thrice, it's a great word) services to Havana.

Not only that – the socials are active. And a little sassy?

Here's their Facebook page promoting "Cabin Crews participating in a recurring Aviation Safety course, aiming to refresh knowledge regarding acts of unlawful interference".

Here's their Twitter handle cheerily wishing you a "happy afternoon" before closing – boldly, it must be said – with a Spanish-language quote from the Dalai Lama.

Their Instagram, going all-in on the kitesurfing FOMO. 

OK! A bit weird! But, like, a seemingly functioning airline. Time to book a ticket?

Let's say we're the type of people who take risks. We're booking a flight to Venezuela, aren't we?! 

Yeah, we are. So click 'Advanced', then 'Proceed to www.aeropostal.com (unsafe)' (Editor's note: don't click any of these things. We clicked them so you don't have to).

...time to book a ticket?

Look, Minaal is a travel business. We have booked some flights. Including on some truly awful airline websites (which applies, let's be honest, to most of them).

And we've never seen an airline this committed to not taking our money.

For that reason – and because we're salty we can't access the site to update their stats on CarryOnBagSizes.com – Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela is considered well and truly BUSTED. 

Do you have any idea what's going on here?

The first person who can tell us what's going on with Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela – or who hooks us up with a DELL SonicWALL Network Security Appliance login credentials 👀 – gets a Minaal accessory to mark our gratitude for solving the mystery!