Question about the route between Miami and Buenos Aires...

[GreenEyedTraveler]

Hello,

I am a newcomer to this forum. I hope that I am posting this in the appropriate place.

I am not a pilot, or otherwise working in any field related to aviation. My father worked in the aviation field (as an engineer) his entire life. I've been flying (as a passenger) since I was an infant (actually, since I was in-utero :p). What I am, is a traveler. I have no idea how many air-miles I've logged as such - I suspect it is somewhere in the area of 500,000+.

However, I'm a nervous flier. As a mechanical engineer, I understand intellectually how safe it is to fly. That doesn't change my irrational fear of it though.

Having said all of this, I pose a question for all others here:

When flying from Miami to Buenos Aires, do the airlines fly through the "ITCZ"?

My next international destination is Beunos Aires. I have never flown that far South in the world (Caracas is as far South as I've been). My concern, of course, has to do with the Air France disaster. If someone here could be so kind as to tell me what the flight path is from Miami to Buenos Aires, I would appreciate it. Is it primarily over land, once you get to South America?

Thank you.

[Bullethead]

G'day GET,

Basically any time you fly through the tropics and over the equator you're pretty much going to pass through the ITCZ. I have passed through the ITCZ many many times over the last 30 years or so and it can be done quite safely and is done by hundreds of airliners every day and night.

The picture shows the great circle track from Miami to Buenos Aires, which as you say is mostly over land.


http://gc.kls2.com/cgi-bin/gcmap?PATH=kmia-saez

Regards and enjoy BA,
BH.

[GreenEyedTraveler]

Thank you Bullethead.

Since I had not heard of the "ITCZ" until the Air France disaster, I wasn't sure if it was characteristic of the area near the equator that is over the ocean only, or if it also applies to land. Realizing that weather/storm phenomena can differ between land and sea ...

For some reason, I am comforted knowing that the flight path to Buenos Aires is over land. It really doesn't make the odds any 'safer', I realize, but then fears such as mine lack any rationality, I know.

I intend to ask my physician for a prescription for an anti-anxiety medication in advance of this trip. My standard routine is to drink quite a bit of alcohol prior to a long-haul flight, so as to relax myself and sleep for as much of the trip as I can. But I know that's not a healthy behavior. I shall try the meds this time around ...

Cheers and good travels to all - :)

[GreenEyedTraveler]

Another question for the experienced group here -

Having a choice of carriers from Miami to Buenos Aires ...

Which would you choose to fly? Stick with a U.S. airline, or go with a S. American one? I'm flying cattle-class (err, coach I mean).

My last flight from Miami to Caracas, I flew Avenca (sp?). Unfortunately, my experience was not so good. Primarily because my luggage was picked thru and several items were stolen from it, stemming from what I believe was a very rude, insensitive comment that my ex-husband made to the ticket-counter employee ("Hombre! Habla Ingles?") during an inexplicable flight delay situation at Miami International in which the employees of that airline spoke virtually no English and showed favoritism toward S. Americans by letting them on the over-booked flight before U.S. passengers, thereby stranding me and my ex at MIA for about six additional hours. When we finally got to our last destination (Isla de Margarita) we discovered our luggage had been picked thru and several items stolen. All said, aside from getting there safely, the experience was horrible.

However, I don't want to prejudice my next flight to S. America on that. I don't even know if Avenca is still in business. And I don't know if at MIA, they still offer the 'shrink wrap' service for the luggage (since my last international flight out of there was pre-9/11). My ex and I never shrink-wrapped our luggage for the flight to Caracas. To this day, I chuckle about my bewilderment about what that was all about, when I saw other passengers doing it at MIA in advance of their S. American flights.

At any rate ... I've rambled enough.

Thoughts on which is the best carrier to fly from Miami (via Chicago) to Buenos Aires??

Thanks.