Originally Posted by KDCAflyer

As someone who works in DC/interacts with Congress on occasion, I have to say that this news coverage is a bit overblown.

The perks aren't that great. Congress uses GSA fares like the rest of the federal government. The main difference is that they have a separate phone desk that is specifically trained to work with Gov fares and travel rules. It does answer more quickly, to be fair, but my friends say that the regular phone number is clueless when it comes to Gov travel, so a separate desk is probably necessary. Executive branch agencies also have their own separate support desks for this reason.

Other perks include the ability to reserve multiple flights on the same day (necessary for when floor vote schedules slip/change). Some members do also utilize airline employee escort for head of line privileges, but this is relatively rare outside of the dumb/arrogant members who don't care about the optics. Some, on the other hand, are so concerned about optics that they have complimentary upgrades to first disabled in their FF profiles.

Other than that, Congress is treated like every other member of the public when flying. I regularly get upgraded over members of Congress, and if they want Admirals Club access, they have to pay for it. They sit in coach on TCON flights like the rest of us, and experience the same delays. It's hardly a luxury experience for people who fly 4-6 times a month on average.

Hating on Congress is a popular sport, but I prefer that it be based in reality, not Fox News headlines.