A woman’s outrage over being bumped out of first class by “woke” American Airlines for a government official turned into delight when the passenger turned out to be Joe Biden and the former president signed a birthday card for her daughter.
Outrage Turns To Delight After Woman Gets Bumped From American Airlines First Class… For Joe Biden
A woman named Elaine Lehman took to X (formerly Twitter) yesterday to complain that she was bumped out of first class on a flight from Minneapolis (MSP) to Philadelphia (PHL) for a “government official.”
Flight AA 2717 to Philadelphia. I’d like to know who the government official is who bumped me out of my first class seat. Our tax dollars hard at work y’all.
It turns out it was her husband who was bumped (or least he moved back to economy class) and the government official was none other than ex-President Joe Biden, who was in Minnesota to attend the funeral of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, who was gunned down with her husband by a crazed lunatic.
Her tune eventually changed:
Update: American Airlines is woke AF but Joe Biden signed my daughter’s birthday card so I guess it’s okay he bumped my husband out of first class.
Lehman later deleted these two tweets and made her account private, but the pictures she posted have been preserved:
Biden was escorted downstairs from the jetbridge onto the apron upon arrival in PHL.
Should AA Have Booted Out Passenger For Biden?
First off, I think it’s great that Biden travelled via commercial jet. Kudos for not flying private, even though I’m sure flying into Wilmington in a Learjet would have been so much easier.
Second, I don’t think it was appropriate to bump a passenger out of first class, even for a former president. I get that this was an Airbus A319 with only eight first class seats and probably sold out when the ticket was booked. But that means you fly coach or fly at a different time…the flight is only 2.5 hours anyway.
I’m reminded of the Sheila Jackson Lee story many years ago, when she mysteriously secured a first class seat after a first class passenger “cancelled” her reservation on the United app (something that passenger vehemently denied doing). I called upgrading elected officials at the expense of confirmed passengers “disgusting,” and my viewpoint on that has not changed. The late Congresswoman from Houston was known for demanding VIP treatment when she flew on United.
> Read More: Congresswoman Poaches First Class Seat, Accuses Victim of Racism
> Read More: United Insists It Did NOT Boot Woman From First Class for Congresswoman
Finally, I quite agree with One Mile At A Time that “often meeting someone humanizes them. We have a lot more in common than we have differences.” Indeed, this story has a happy ending and that picture with Biden or the signed birthday card is a treasure.
It’s actaully a great example of what happens when red and blue sit down and talk. May we see more of this going forward…
CONCLUSION
A passenger was booted out of first class on American Airlines for former President Joe Biden. While I don’t think that even Presidents should be able to bump out confirmed passengers, I appreciate how anger turned into delight in the small A319 first class cabin.
I love reading stories of fully-booked restaurants turning away uber-famous folks who show up and expect to be seated (i.e., expect others to delayed/denied for them). I wish airlines had the same high standards.
Yeah – because attending a funeral of two people gunned down in cold blood by a terrorist is the same thing as going out for a fancy overpriced meal. . . seriously. Did you even think about what you wrote before you wrote it?
David, please stfu. This has to do with transportation home from the funeral.
You STFU. Another MAGA lunatic who sits by ignorantly looking for fake scandals while smiling like a little lemming as her favorite politicians golf at taxpayer expense while the world is burning. So pathetic. Only can hope if you have kids they grow up with a mind of their own.
You seem to think the outrage is because it was Biden. I can’t speak for others, but I believe this is wrong regardless of party. Wrong if Trump was the ex in question. Not everybody’s moral compass reflects a bias toward political parties.
Which makes him “more special” than a person travelling to see a dying father, a breadwinner longing to get home after a long business trip, or any other “regular citizen.” I offered reasonable analogy. You apparently don’t understand how analogies work.
Because he’s a former President of the United States? No matter what your political affiliations that does make him kinda remarkable. There hasn’t been all that many of them.
I, along w/3 others, got bumped years ago by the Obama girls-this was most likely the Secret Service’s doing & I suspect the man holding the glasses on the edge of the top picture may even be one of the agents who would have sat next to him in 1C. I’m sure the pax(s) who were bumped were compensated &/or offered a seat on the next flight, as well.
Talk about a nothing burger that a blog like this should recognize, but I guess you just want the clicks.
I think it’s quite a story how her tone changed from the start of the flight to the end of the flight. That’s the real story here. If only we could all talk more…
Matthew –
I like how you inserted into your story =
“It’s actaully a great example of what happens when red and blue sit down and talk. May we see more of this going forward…”
Because, I and many, many conservatives said the same thing when both Obama and Biden were in office.
They ramrodded everything down the Republicans’ throats with asking for their opinions or point of view – they talked about ‘working together’ but were never interested in doing it. I still remember the Obamacare Bill (although I don’t disagree with many aspects of it now but that’s not the point) and how it was literally pushed thru congress without anyone reading the whole Bill and I believe like on a Friday night when the news cycle dies down.
So now that the republicans are doing the same thing because they have the majority (and long memories) and want to push through their platform – it somehow doesn’t seem right to you?
Look – in a perfect world the two sides should work collaboratively together toward common good and common goals. I feel like politics used to be that way maybe 45 years ago. But the dynamic has changed and I don’t think it’s coming back
How does one sit down with people who people who, as an example, believe gay people should not have the right to marry?
That’s (part of) the point I was trying to make. Thanks Aaron.
I disagree with your take here. Why is it surprising that AA gives the former POTUS preferred treatment. Sure, the bumped passenger may be disappointed and is entitled to whatever comp is mandated for the downgrade depending on ticket purchased.
I never said it was surprising, just that I don’t think it should be the policy, even for the POTUS or ex-POTUS.
The real news is Joe has no clue he went to the funeral and wouldn’t have known what class of seat he was in. Like Reagan at the end, this horrible disease destroyed the man.
What Jill did to the last years of his life is horrible and selfish. And I’m a horrible and selfish person.
And without knowing the entire compensation AA provided, which we don’t, it’s hard to feel sorry for her. I’m thinking it was worth a lot more than a crummy A319 flight and meal on AA.
I don’t think that anyone should ever be bumped for any reason. If I bought a seat, I should have it. We’ve let airlines set the standards, low as they are, for customer service, so this is what we get.
Airlines are only partially in the flying business. Political lobbying is also a major part of their job so they can fleece the taxpayer when their business models fail. That’s why they’ll suck up to politicians.
A former President of the United States attending a funeral that the current President would rather be on a golf course. A former President should be put in First Class and secret service might even require it. This story should never have been written. Matt you are better than this
Absolutely required in this situation.
Wait, so this would be different if Biden was just on vacation? Why does the attendance at a funeral make a difference here?
A real leader wouldn’t not kick a passenger out of first class for his comfort. But, hey, it is Joe Biden……
Would your dear leader ride commercial?