Flying Aviacsa again, please help.

[NewFlyer]

In case you dont remember me, I came here a bit more than a week ago saying I had to take an emergency trip from Monterrey Mexico to Mexico City in an airline called Aviacsa..we flew from Houston to Monterrey in Continental and now for the second time in less thn a month I have to do the same thing all over again!!!

So I am in Monterrey again due to business and I was hoping I didnt get sent to Mexico City again and here we go... I get the call "tickets are all paid, you leave in a few days, aviacsa"

So I have to go to Mexico again in those old 737-200 planes aviacsa uses.. 30 year old planes probably! and come back to Monterrey the same day! (and to make it worst then fly back to houston but thats in continental)

I know Mexicana and I love that airline, its one of my all time favorites but this is freaking me out.. it feels like I am tempting fate, I already tried this the last time and I made it, I came back alive, I had to go to the bathroom in the airport 3 times because my stomach hurt so bad due to the nerves.. I felt like I finaly made it.. now I have to go through the same ordeal all over again.. I feel like now I am just tempting fate.

The last thing on my mind right now is the swine flu, honestly I was in Mexico city when the whole thing was a big deal and it was just BS... the one thing I am scared of is crashing!

Please help.. specialy someone who knows Aviacsa! thanks!

[MathFox]

When I read your post I see three specific stress factors

You don't trust the airline
You feel uncomfortable with the old workhorse plane type
Again it comes at (too) short noticeAll airlines are kept to international safety standards by the national airline authorities; planes are also inspected when abroad. The Mexico Aviation Authorities are competent according to the FAA and have a decent score in the ICAO safety audit. My conclusion is that Aviacsa should be up to international safety standards.

You should know that planes are designed to fly every day for years and years. They need maintenance and inspections, every 3-5 years an airliner is completely taken apart, parts are checked and replaced when needed and they effectively rebuild an "as good as new" plane.
Major difference is that modern jet engines are more fuel efficient, that is the biggest driver in retiring planes.

I don't like last minute plan changes either... and I think that some of your stress comes from the feeling that you're used as a pawn in the "company chess game".

Important for you: you flew them before and you had one of your best flights with them; remember that!

[NewFlyer]

Yeah.. you are right when you mention the fact that I actualy had the smoothest flight I had ever had in my life when I flew back from Mexico to Monterrey.. I was so nervous too because the flight on the way to Mexico wasn't that good, it was a bit bumpy, specialy the takeoff and landing so I expected more of the same and incredibly enough there wasn't one bump in the whole fight..I loved that.. but boy.. do I yearn for that feeling again when the plane is touching down back in Monterrey..

From what you tell me, Aviacsa seems like they are safe enough even though they have old aircraft, right? I am not sure how strict the Mexican regulations are but I know aviacsa has been around for a while now and I've never heard any fatalities in that airline.

One thing I do know about Aviacsa (doing research online) is that they do all their maintenance in house, they have shops in Mexico city and Monterrey and they work on their own planes and even do some (limited) third party work.

I am not sure if that is a good or a bad thing though...

but yea you are spot on.

While I do trust the airline, after all, the service is top notch, free alcoholic drinks etc.... I guess I just feel I am unlucky and that maybe that one flight from Aviacsa that finaly crashes due to poor maintenance or just plain old age of the aircraft. is going to be my flight.

I also completly dislike the fact that yes, I feel like a pawn. they promised me this was the last time so that makes me feel a little bit better. Apparently this was a two time thing and everybody knew this but me... so it wasn't surprising to anyone but me, from what I know, I wasnt told until a few days before because they know I dont like flying much and I guess they didnt wana ruin my week.

at least this time around my girlfriend came with me actualy... and I feel horrible because she knows that when I am in flights I am a bit scared and I ask her to come with me because being with her on the plane makes me feel a bit better (calmer) but at the same time I feel horrible because if what I fear is actualy crashing.. thne inviting her to come along would be like inviting her to die... and I feel like such a selfish person instead of telling her to stay home.

Once we get to Mexico and the business is done I will take her to a nice restaurant and then come back to Monterrey in the latest flight. At least make a good day out of the whole thing.. but man..I just hope I get there and back in the first place.

[MathFox]

From what you tell me, Aviacsa seems like they are safe enough even though they have old aircraft, right? I am not sure how strict the Mexican regulations are but I know aviacsa has been around for a while now and I've never heard any fatalities in that airline.
[...]
While I do trust the airline, after all, the service is top notch, free alcoholic drinks etc.... I guess I just feel I am unlucky and that maybe that one flight from Aviacsa that finaly crashes due to poor maintenance or just plain old age of the aircraft. is going to be my flight.


That would be the first serious accident with one of their own planes. I have been digging around in accident statistics, but could not find any reported accident with their planes. It would make them safer than many US airlines. :)


at least this time around my girlfriend came with me actualy... and I feel horrible because she knows that when I am in flights I am a bit scared and I ask her to come with me because being with her on the plane makes me feel a bit better (calmer) but at the same time I feel horrible because if what I fear is actualy crashing.. thne inviting her to come along would be like inviting her to die... and I feel like such a selfish person instead of telling her to stay home.

Once we get to Mexico and the business is done I will take her to a nice restaurant and then come back to Monterrey in the latest flight. At least make a good day out of the whole thing.. but man..I just hope I get there and back in the first place.
Phobias are not logical; logic is one way to attack them. Getting some good emotions from a flight is another thing that helps; taking your GF out to a restaurant is a brilliant idea!

[NewFlyer]

Thanks Math, you've been great to me, puting up with me and all of this.. GOD willing if I come back in one piece, later this year I will be geting married and will do plenty of flying so I am sure I will be coming here for support more often but I will still be visiting these forums often to see if I can offer support to people like me.

reading up on aviacsa's website it says
" avalada por "Federal Aviation Administration" y la Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil para dar mantenimiento preventivo y correctivo. "

That means their own shop of operations where they fix their own planes is not only DGA aproved (mexican FAA basicaly) but also FAA aproved. I doubt they would like about that and if they do fly a direct flight to Las Vegas and Houston texas then I am sure the airline should be safe.. as you said, I am being ilogical...