Rubio tweets his airline woes
(CNN) – Sen. Marco Rubio’s flight to Washington, D.C. Friday night was not all friendly skies.
But that was before he even took off.
- Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
- Check out the CNN Electoral Map and Calculator and game out your own strategy for November.
The Senator from Florida shared his travel woes via a series of nine posts to Twitter.
“Every American flight I have been on this week has been at least two hours late or cancelled. This one already one hour delayed,” he posted Friday evening.
Shortly after, he posted, “American Air says maintenance problem.Yet suddenly group of new passengers boarding.Holding plane to get connectors on from delayed flight?”
In another post, he added, “Delaying flight for ‘maintenance’ to squeeze connectors from other flight, oldest trick in book. Feel bad for crew.#cmonman#AmericanAirlines.”
The pilots and flight attendants, he said in a separate post, are “top notch.”
But his skepticism towards the airline continued to be evident as he relayed: “Oh guess what? They fixed the plane! Just as the last of the connecting passengers finished boarding. #magic.”
His frustration earned him a sympathetic response from the airline.
“Thanks for your patience, Marco. We hope you have a great flight,” read a post to the official Twitter feed of American Airlines.
The pilots, Rubio said on the social media site, are “two military veterans, lovers of liberty and believers in Constitution.”
His stream of posts ended with what was likely a familiar directive from the cockpit.
“I must now turn [off] my electronic device,” he posted. “I hope tonight's tirade didn't cost me my Executive Platinum status.”
Rubio is no stranger to flight issues. In July, he eventually called into a campaign rally after his plane made what he described as an “emergency landing” when passengers aboard the plane believed they saw smoke.
And that, he said, was his second plane malfunction of the day.
Earlier Friday, a charter plane carrying Ann Romney, GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s wife, was forced to make an emergency landing when what the pilot described as an electrical issue led to smoke in the cabin.
After everyone emerged from that flight safely, one of Romney’s sons himself took to Twitter to point out a light hearted moment between his mother and a Secret Service agent.
Matt Romney tweeted: “Who says USSS doesn't have sense of humor? Upon landing tonight, agent leaned over to my mom and said: ‘so this was the non-smoking flight.’ ”
- CNN’s Gregory Wallace and Steve Brusk contributed to this report
Also see:
- Rubio tweets his airline woes
- Ryan 'very comfortable' as Romney's V.P. candidate
- Litigating Capitol Hill recess in weekly addresses
- Gingrich to Romney: Do to Obama what you did to me
- Biden: Romney tape, demeanor shows he 'does not understand' middle class
From CNN Politics
- 'No legitimate basis' for 2021 DOJ memo on school board threats, House GOP alleges in new report
- 10 Cards Charging 0% Interest Until 2024
- Manhattan DA's office slams House GOP inquiry, says it was motivated by Trump creating 'false expectation' of imminent arrest
- GOP House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman gives Blinken until Monday to turn over Afghanistan document or face subpoena
- Georgia's governor signs ban on certain gender-affirming care for minors
- Blinken says State Department is working to deal with 'unprecedented demand' for passports
Rubio maybe they are part of the 47% and knew you were on board. ha-ha
So he shows his pettiness again.
I spent 5 hours on the tarmac the last time I flew on American (2002) and treated very rudely when we asked about hotel accomendations since we had missed our connecting flight by 4 hours. At 12 o'clock midnight we were invited to sleep on the terminal floor. I made a solemn vow to never set foot on an AMerican Airlines plane again and I haven't. I hope they go out of business.
Typical of an "executive platinum" ... me me me! The airline held the flight to accommodate connecting passengers who would otherwise miss that flight to wherever. Yes, the pilots are playing "by the book" tactics and sometimes that means that a meaningless delay ensues. but if you were one of those delayed passengers rushing off of a flight that is choked by numerous inconsiderate carry-on hoarders and you had a connecting flight to make, wouldn't you appreciate the fact that the next aircraft was held? Mr. Rubio, that is private enterprise at work ... wouldn't you appreciate it? For the sake of some customers who might have no option but trying to stand by for a next-day flight, wouldn't it be prudent for the airline to try to accommodate them? What we don't know is what time this flight was. If it twas the LAST flight with connecting passengers, then we need to commend American Airlines, pilot shenanigans aside. It was the right thing to do. At the very least, the airline could have been honest about delaying the flight to squeeze in connections. However, if the airline refuses to play "by the books" about maintenance, then there is some pause to be considered. How much are they letting go by to abide by "minimum FAA standards" as they have recently declared to follow? That does not instill confidence. Now, if the flight was delayed by maintenance or a faux maintenance, by-the-book issue, then because of the delay they were able to accommodate connecting passengers, why the issue with the passengers Mr. Rubio? Maybe you should have taken a Romney gas guzzling MD80 plane instead.
Well at least it wasn't the "fish flight" I was on on the 6th with Alaska Airlines. Seems I missed baggage check in by nine min. (flight didn't take off for another 45 min. !) so had to re-book the next one out, which I learned via flight crew staff is the nightly run of fresh fish from Anchorage to Seattle. There we all were, crammed in rows 16 – 24 like little sardines and I had the added misfortune of getting a middle seat. Some tried to upgrade to first class...that's when we were told only fish flying first class that evening 😉
Welcome to the world of the 47% your favorite mormon candidate sneers and detest. You Duck.
gee marco, welcome to our world. it's called the free market system, where one does anything legal to maximize profits. what are you, a commie? not sure you are a true citizen, because it sounds like you are actually an anchor baby: your parents were not yet us citizens when you were born here. why not self-deport like your party suggests?
Interesting that his final tweet was to express his concerns about losing his Special Privileged account. Now that's a line the 1% would be proud of. "Isn't there a VIP entrance or something?" Yup, just another GOP Special Person. Of course, this is a guy who supports the idea of less governmental regulation, and it was the GOP who deregulated the airlines. Funny how things come around, isn't it?
Deal with it! Oh, and we're all REALLY impressed with your "Executive Platinum" status! I REALLY hope you didnt lose it too! 🙁
@Ashland Kirk
You people are all going to get cancer being so negative. Why do you even live on Earth? Find Jack.
=============
On the contrary , we are in remision . What almost killed us of cancer was 8 years of GW Bush.
You can't save your ass and your face at the same time . To surrender is to join the winning side !
Yawn.........you don't matter, marco.
Good for the AA Pilots!
Suck it up Rubio, you are no different than any other person
Sounds like the perfect opportunity to summon airline executives for a Senate investigation into overly maintained planes.
I am sure this must have been Obama's fault, just to uPset poor Mr. Rubio. Wait til Rush hears about this pinko outrage.
If AA management can't handle the contracts then they should get out and let another management team do the job. Constantly blaming unions is getting tiresome. Sometimes it's just plain incompetent management that's to blame. Funny how other airline management teams are doing all right. If penguins could fly they wouldn't get on airplanes.
If little Marco was traveling in first class on the taxpayer's dime, we have a problem. The government travel allowance doesn't cover the cost of a first class ticket, so unless little marco is reimbursing Uncle Sam for an upgrade he's abusing his government credit card privileges. Wouldn't be the first time either.
I guess they didn't know what a REALLLLLLLLLLLLLY important man he is. Poor baby, grow up.
The minute I saw the first message, I went, "WHY ARE YOU FLYING AMERICAN?" Don't you watch the news? They're terrible and they're bankrupt. I can understand someone like Rubio wanting to upgrade from Southwest, but for crying out loud, at least spring for United.