Unless it's accounting for no direct flights between Caracas and San Francisco, which would mean either the Caracas person needs to fly to SF connecting in Hous

Unless it's accounting for no direct flights between Caracas and San Francisco, which would mean either the Caracas person needs to fly to SF connecting in Houston, or both go to Houston in a direct flight, meet there and go back. It's the same 4 takeoffs. (Disclaimer, I have no idea if there are direct flights from Caracas to SF, but from Brazil I always need to stop by in a hub)