Delta Air Lines has announced its intention to temporarily withdraw the special perks it usually offers to members of U.S. Congress amid the ongoing partial government shutdown. The airline has said that this is due to a strain on its resources caused by the political chaos.
The withdrawal of special services
Typically, Delta provides Congress officials with services such as airport escorts, expedited security screenings and VIP treatment for seat reservations and rebooking. However, the services they will now receive will be on par with the airline’s regular passengers, subject to their SkyMiles loyalty status.
“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 told NBC News. “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.”
A government in turmoil
The U.S. federal government shutdown began on Feb. 14 in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following a dispute between the Democrat and Republican parties over federal immigration reform. The standoff between the two parties has led to a funding lapse in the DHS, causing Transport Security Administration (TSA) staff to go without regular pay checks. In response, over 450 TSA officers have quit their jobs, while others have protested by taking unscheduled time off work.
This has triggered significant disruptions in U.S. air travel, with hours-long wait times at airport security and queues that extend as far as the car park outside in some airports.
Ed Bastian, the CEO of Delta Air Lines, criticised the government for using TSA workers as,
“political chits,” branding the situation “ridiculous” and “inexcusable.”
Meanwhile, senators are discussing how best to end the government stalemate. The plan is to fund the DHS to ensure TSA workers no longer have to work without pay, hopefully ending the dispute and the ensuing issues in U.S. airports.
It has not yet been confirmed how long Delta is planning to suspend special services for Congress officials.
Have you ever flown with Delta? What do you think about their decision? Let us know in the comments below!
