That sounds hard to believe because why won't a congressman just fly private jet?
If this is true, then maybe Russian-style corruption among politicians isn't such a bad thing, because it results, at least in this case, in much less waste.
Private jets are way too expensive for congressman, even with handouts from lobbyists and other shady business.
My point was that in a "normal" (from this side of the world) society, a congressman would be able to steal enough to be able to fly privately easily.
Congressmen "only" (this is a lot for 95% of Americans) make ~$200k. They fly commercial. Except Biden. He took the train.
Are most congresspeople rich enough for that? Private jet flights are very expensive. Being a millionaire won't cut it.
I have been on a plane flying coach with a senator sitting directly behind me.
Why do they do that? Just to show off to their constituents how egalitarian they are? People must be truly dumb if they buy into it.
I think there are congressional rules about such things. I, for one, would be pretty upset at tax money being spent on congressional NetJet hours.
Maybe they don't value the cost of first class. Don't attribute to malice what can be attributed to personal taste.
With how frequently they fly, I imagine that every congress critter has enough status to get free upgrades to first class
That may have been true decades ago. Now, carriers are dropping the prices of first class seats and offering cheaper paid upgrades to coach seats (to get around corporate travel rules against buying specific fare class tickets), that upgrades are harder to come by and way less guaranteed than before.
My thought is some airlines just so it automatically. Helps when your industry needs a bailout.