Delta Airlines suspends "special Congressional desk" service till shutdown ends

[DFW]

16. I realize that some of them may have urgent «official busness» to attend to

Last edited Tue Mar 24, 2026, 12:12 PM - Edit history (1)

But their seat isn’t going to get there any faster than the rest of the plane, after all.

One time, I was on a commuter flight from Amsterdam to Düsseldorf, and I noticed the guy sitting next to me looked exactly like Walter Scheel, the former President of Germany. I figured, no way, their former president wouldn’t be flying all by himself. But I couldn’t hold back, and I asked him if he was Walter Scheel, and he said yes, that’s me.

I explained that I was from the USA. He asked where. I said originally Virginia, near Washington. He said, oh, sure, I used to travel there every so often when I was still working. « When I was still working?? » The country’s Federal President, instead of saying, « while I was still president, » just puts it as « while I was still working. »

When we landed, we got to German immigration (pre-Schengen), and he presented his passport like anyone else. The German border police waved him through, saying, yes, yes, Herr Präsident, we know who you are. I was right behind him, so he turned to me, and said, take it easy, and see you next time in Washington! The border cops saw my American passport, and said, « you know our president? » I said « of course! » and they said, well then, go on through. Ridiculous, since I could have been a wanted serial killer for all they knew. But it was the easiest border control I ever had.