MSPeconomist

Do congress-critters fly on government fares? If so, their home-DC and vv travel would be on the airline that has the government contract for that route, while other business travel could be on other mandated carriers.

MCO Flyer

It appears you are correct according to TPG (https://thepointsguy.com/2017/01/how...officials-fly/) that Congressmen/woman must use GSA contracted fares if one is offered. Looking at the public contact on their site, WAS-JAC is split up between AA, DL, and UA with UA having the rights to DCA-JAC, DL having the rights to IAD-JAC, and AA having the rights to BWI-JAC. Perhaps Liz Cheney normally flies out of DCA and has UA status but choose IAD for some unknown reason (maybe better flight timing)?

DLASflyer

Basic Economy?

DLASflyer

What makes you say that? She has to connect regardless. On DL it's either ATL, DTW, MSP or SLC. UA options are EWR, ORD, DEN or IAH. Most people would probably take whichever times work best.

MCO Flyer

I’m pretty sure the GSA contracted fares are for Main Cabin, not BE. Plus you probably would have saw her on the “standby” list waiting for a seat-assignment at the gate in this scenario.

zeke3

Maybe she just didn’t request an upgrade.

sydneyracquelle

My understanding is politicians purposely fly coach to avoid the perception that they are above the people they serve. Even if they get a free upgrade perception is reality and everyone has a camera.

MSPeconomist

I've sat next to influential congress-critters in FC, when they were traveling between DC and their home districts. They didn't seem to try to hide their identities or the fact that they were in FC.

MCO Flyer

This isn’t trying to be political in any way but there has actually been bi-partisan legislation written a few times to push a mandate that forces House & Senate members to fly in Y. During the 2014 legislation session, 9 members of Congress (3 Republicans and 6 Democrats) co-sponsored HR4632 (https://trackbill.com/bill/us-congre...f-2014/694119/) introduced by Rep Paul Gosar (R-AZ) that would mandate all congressmen fly in Y. Obviously like 99% of all bills in congress, this bill never saw the floor in the house but some do indeed want to fly in Y.

fastflyer

I would wager that representatives in "safe" districts worry about perceptions less than those in "swing" districts.

The AA mid-con nonstops from DCA are often sprinkled with congressmen. On DCA-MCI I used to sit next to Congressman Cleaver all the time in First. The congressman from the Kansas side of state line (now changed, but was a guy named Kevin Yoder) would often be in coach. AA requires a small copay (they call them e500s) for upgrades, and therefore seats would often fly empty on this segment in First. I know that Yoder must have wanted to sit up front, but I never saw him upgrade to F. Mayor Cleaver (he was the former mayor of KC) was always up front, in a window seat. Nice guy.

I also think the AAngels at the Reagan National Admirals Clubs would offer complimentary upgrades to Congressman, or at least that was a rumor when I used to transit DCA often.

Qwkynuf

My cynical nature suggests to me that it is more likely that some want to *be seen* as wanting to fly in Y. Since I am pretty sure that there is no law requiring them to accept an upgrade or buy up to First, there's not really anything stopping them from doing so.

ATOBTTR

There are also (within Joint Travel Regulations policies) ways around the GSA contract carrier, and I doubt Congressmen/women have much issue working within (or even outside) of the policies to get a preferred carrier, given how many other perks they give themselves (this is not specific to Liz Cheney - we don't even know if she was traveling on a GSA fare here or if this was personal travel and she paid her own way).

I'm sure every route at DCA that has an exemption beyond the DCA Perimeter Rule does so because a politician in that jurisdiction who wanted a nonstop had a hand in working through that exemption.

DCFinanceinFlight

12/19

LAS-JFK DL 371. I boarded late with my companion, while waiting on the jet bridge I thought I recognized someone standing behind us but wasn't sure. Midflight I saw the person I thought I recognized walking around. Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson.

tardyturtle

I once flew MSP-ORD with Eric Cantor aboard. I believe he was minority whip at the time. A police escort greeted him at the gate and held an elevator at the baggage claim level to his waiting police escort for about 15 minutes while he waited for his bags.

Before the flight, one of his staffers handed the GA a piece of paper. What appeared to be a staffer and a security detail were all in the first row of First.

I assumed seating in the first row was for security/privacy reasons but who knows.

Daitheflu84

A couple years ago, I was standing in line next to Rod Stewart, who was waiting to board MSY-LGA I believe. I was waiting for MSY-ATL the next gate over. Pretty cool!