How Congress flies
At Washingtons Reagan National Airport, they have their own special parking spacesright up close to the terminalthat they dont even have to pay for. As Bloomberg Televisions Hans Nichols reports, this perk costs the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority $738,760 in foregone revenue. (The best part of this clip, though, is seeing Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky haul ass to get away from Bloombergs cameraman.)
Being a member of Congress also means never having to rush to catch a flight. The airlines allow lawmakers the special privilege of simultaneously booking themselves on multiple flights, so that if they are late or their flight is canceled, theyre guaranteed a spot on the next one. A few years ago, a prominent senator paused in the middle of a conversation with me to bark at an aide, Book me on the 6, 7, and 8 p.m. shuttles!
To members of our fly-in-Tuesday-fly-home-Thursday Congress, these perks are a big deal. Most fly a lot, and many fly first class
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-04-30/the-pampered-world-of-congressional-air-travel#r=rss