CLASS DISMISSED
How an airline turned the tables on lawmakers with a dose of real travel life
Did Delta Stop VIP Treatment For Congress? It’s Complicated.
Unlike regular Delta customers, members of Congress get to bypass security lines — until now.According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Delta is suspending its “red coat” high-level concierge services and “courtesy escorts” amid the partial government shutdown. Those services allow members of Congress to bypass general TSA lines, among other perks.“Due to the impact on resources from the longstanding government shutdown, Delta will temporarily suspend specialty services to members of Congress flying Delta,” the airline said in a statement. “Next to safety, Delta’s No. 1 priority is taking care of our people and customers, which has become increasingly difficult in the current environment.”The partial government shutdown has led to lengthy airport security wait times and delayed paychecks for federal TSA agents. As a result, employee callouts have increased, and more than 400 workers have quit since the shutdown began.Business Insider reports that the majority of TSA agents earn salaries from $40,000 to $75,000 and many live paycheck-to-paycheck. Several GoFundMe accounts have...
