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mahatmakanejeeves

(57,919 posts) Sat Dec 26, 2020, 12:48 PM Dec 2020

On this day, December 26, 1973, Richard Nixon flew from IAD to LAX on United #55 ...

Flying from IAD to LAX on United #55 with Pat and daughter Tricia, December 26, 1973, fighting Watergate scandal, President Nixon posed with flight crew and shook hands in coach—privately Nixon suspected (correctly) that he had just spent his last Christmas in White House.

Possible that not every passenger in coach on United #55 during flight from IAD to LAX was delighted to be suddenly greeted by the Watergate-beleaguered Nixon, wanting to say hello, December 26, 1973: #RNPLB

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On this day, December 26, 1973, Richard Nixon flew from IAD to LAX on United #55 ... (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Dec 2020 OP

I don't remember this, but if I did, I would not have thought anything of it at the time. LeftInTX Dec 2020 #1

To be fair coach was nice back then dsc Dec 2020 #2

A president flying commercial is the shock... LeftInTX Dec 2020 #3

If I had to guess gratuitous Dec 2020 #4

He was not flying coach. PoindexterOglethorpe Dec 2020 #5

LeftInTX

(25,970 posts)

1. I don't remember this, but if I did, I would not have thought anything of it at the time.

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Sat Dec 26, 2020, 12:52 PM

Dec 2020

When was the last time POTUS flew coach?

dsc

(52,187 posts)

2. To be fair coach was nice back then

Reply to LeftInTX (Reply #1)

Sat Dec 26, 2020, 12:58 PM

Dec 2020

LeftInTX

(25,970 posts)

3. A president flying commercial is the shock...

Reply to dsc (Reply #2)

Sat Dec 26, 2020, 01:03 PM

Dec 2020

After Kennedy, security was really beefed up....

gratuitous

(82,849 posts)

4. If I had to guess

Reply to LeftInTX (Reply #3)

Sat Dec 26, 2020, 01:24 PM

Dec 2020

If Nixon was flying home to the Western White House in California, he might have eschewed using Air Force 1 just to fly home for the Christmas holiday. I hold no brief for Nixon, but it is a fairly recent thing (starting with Reagan) that the President gets the royal treatment everywhere he goes and everything he does. Remember when Jimmy Carter stayed at private citizens' homes? And not the palatial estate of some big-bucks donor, but a regular person's house.

PoindexterOglethorpe

(25,948 posts)

5. He was not flying coach.

Reply to LeftInTX (Reply #1)

Sat Dec 26, 2020, 02:17 PM

Dec 2020

He was in First Class but made a field trip to the back of the plane.

As soon as he announced he was making that trip, United closed off any more bookings for that flight. Both the Secret Service and a lot of airline employees were made a bit crazy by this.

I was a ticket agent, not for United, at DCA at the time.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure he flew back to DC on AF1.

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