Delta Demands Government Shutdown End, As Delta One TSA Lines Close

Two or three days ago, Ed Bastian was on CNN with Richard Quest and said the shutdown has had NO EFFECT on Delta.

On the one hand, it's annoying that they only care once the premium experience is impacted... and I have a tiny violin for the small portion of people inconvenienced by losing their premium/priority security lanes

On the other hand, it's also sad that it's these inconvenienced few that might actually have a larger voice/influence with the decision makers, so this might actually "matter".

Oh you watch CNN International too then lol

It is within the power of the party that controls government to pass a continuing resolution.

“Delta demands…” psh.

Go home, Delta; you’re drunk.

Well, if the most premium/business centric US airlines says so then what choice do we have?! Thanks Delta for pointing out the effects of a government shutdown. Without your insight how could we possibly understand the nuances?

100%

Instead, Trump is building his own Versailles while his people starve… let’s see how that works out…

Yeah, domestic-US CNN is compromised; in 2025, they’re more likely to say our ‘Dear Leader’ is the ‘greatest’… psh.

We’re so cooked.

Would bailing out Argentina with another $40,000,000,000 help?

What is this shutdown that people keep talking about?
Is this a US only thing or does it impact all Delta destinations?

It’d need to affect the private-jet class for anything to really happen; like, think less JFK, more Teterboro, friends. In fact, if you work at ATC there… I hear there’s a cold going around… *cough*

While this has an incredibly minimal impact on people actually getting through security, this is a much more effective strategy by the government than the videos they were trying to show at the security lanes. Not sure why it took the party in power a month to figure this one out.

In this case, while I am fairly sure the senators are much more concerned about SNAP benefits ending on 11/1, they also don't like hearing wealthy constituents complain.

A real FAFO for Ed Bastion. How's that "breath of fresh air" from the new administration working out?

Ben and 1990 are clearly afraid that free health care for illegals is being negotiated for with fast access at US security checkpoints.

note that DL said a "CLEAN" CR.

Kirby just said the same thing at the White House with Vance and Duffy.

It was hard to hear him, though, you know, with their...(delicious food!)...in his mouth.

Uh oh, Tim: "Thou doth protest too much, methinks..."

Healthcare for Americans still matters, and is absolutely worth fighting for.

Is President Trump spending Government money?
ps, The answer is no.

Well, Delta mostly flies to/from/within the USA, so I'd say, yeah, for the most part, Delta is affected. Currently, Delta does not operate any 'fifth-freedom' routes on its own. (For instance, they used to fly NRT-HKG, which wouldn't have dealt with USA TSA at all.)

Oof. Turns out that 'air' was just Trump's post-McDonalds burps and farts. Yikes.

Here's a solution. If at a budget impasse, all programs are funded at old rates, and the only thing unfunded is congressional salaries and benefits. And, after the impasse, there is no retroactive pay or benefits. Also, Warren Buffet's deficit proposal.

Nice try. The 'source' of said funds for a new building isn't the issue. It's the unauthorized, illegal demolition and construction. If any other administration did this (think... Obama), you'd've already done another J6...

Or, hear me out, Senators could negotiate in good-faith on the budget...

It's called a continuing resolution. Controlling both houses of Congress, the Republicans have the authority and the ability to unilaterally do what you've suggested.

That's incorrect and you know it "Tim"

"TSA and CBP officers charged with the safety and efficiency of our national airspace"

I get it. All Delta cares about is being "PREMIUM" and thus are crying over the "PREMIUM" TSA lanes being closed.

If SAFETY is actually their concern as stated above, the complete lack of mention of ATC in that sentence clearly makes one think otherwise.

How does a press release/comment like that make it past PR consultants and the C suite?! Embarrassing

Anyone forced to go thru the serf security line should receive 100 sky pesos

Nice try, President is the authorizing and no law requires outside approval. lol

No Jack, they cannot. Cloture, which is the vote to end discussions and move a bill to vote, requires 60 votes. Last I checked, neither party had 60 members. So no, they cannot unilaterally do what they want.

Not tax dollars, and it's not a gift. It's a currency swap. They get $40 billion in USD, we get 40 billion USD worth in pesos.. that they have to swap back with interest. Not a bailout even remotely.

So, Jack's in favor of the so-called 'nuclear' option, eh?

For those unaware, the continuing resolution (CR) is a temporary bill that funds the government when a full budget hasn't been passed. But, since a CR is a type of legislation, it is subject to the legislative filibuster rules in the Senate. And, the 'nuclear' option is the concept of changing the Senate's rules to pass legislation by a simple majority vote, 51 votes, instead of the two-thirds majority typically required. Changing the rules for legislation is seen as a far more radical step than changing the rules for nominations. Senators worry that abolishing the legislative filibuster would lead to a perpetually revolving door of policy changes every time party control shifts, destabilizing government. If they proceed, and they very well may, soon, that'll be the end of the ideals of the Senate being a more 'deliberate' chamber of Congress; who needs compromise or to protect minority views, anyways. And, no need to worry about retaliation, because the 'red' team will always been in power, right? Bi-partisanship and legitimacy are overrated anyway, eh?

What we should do is get rid of the TSA and just let airports provide their own security. But that would entail common sense.

Actually no, it's corporations and investors doing a little back door bribery to ensure agent orange looks out for their interests

If you think any contributor did so for virtuous reasons, you're delusional

Yup, lies like the one Tim was propagating above won't matter much when many folks start to see their healthcare insurance premium renewals on November 1, 2025.

Most people cannot afford to have to pay double; then, they'll finally realize only one party ever cared about them, however imperfect, and that they are indeed fighting for a just cause in protecting those subsidies.

MAGA can attempt to scapegoat immigrants all they want; but at some point, MAGA actually has to govern, not just claim boogeymen are out to get you, while doing nothing (or worse, just grifting.)

Small correction: overcoming the filibuster normally requires 60 votes, not two-thirds (which would be 67 votes).

Johnny gets it.

yeah I went through the delta one check-in at lax on 10/14 and they actually made it super easy. I mean, it wasn’t as nice as the normal screening right after the delta one check-in, but they had someone escort you all the way to the pre-check line upstairs and to the front, so it really wasn’t that bad at all.

100% with you. I'd go as far as to say ATC can easily be private as well.

Nah, that's not the answer (both TSA and/or ATC, needs to remain public); anarcho-libertarianism leads to oligarchic feudalism. Most of us would be far worse off with 'privatizing' everything. See post-Soviet 'Putin's' Russia. (Beware of open windows, btw.)

Ah. Fair. Matt gets it.

Is Delta paying for the Premium TSA line, or freeloading?

I didn't see too many silver-spoon-in-mouth elite travelers being too concerned over mandatory work / no pay for ATCs and TSAs over the past month (not unlike many not caring much about flight attendants continually being marginalized). Ohhh, but now that your special D1 TSA security is impacted, your hair has caught on fire. Get in line, pal, with the rest of us, at least until your elected representatives decide it's time to solve the problem.

Ah ok, thank you, so nothing for me to worry about.
To be fair, by the way this sounds, it is quite puzzling how a country like the US allows one person to just shut down the government based on their own idealogy but I guess other places have their faults too.

This the same Delta that donated a million dollars to the Great Dealmaker?

@George Romey--you are being ridiculous. Have you forgotten how/why TSA was created in the first place? (If you have, here's a hint: 9/11/2001.). We tried private airport security and it didn't end well.

There is still an opportunity cost until it's swap back. Beyond that's it's bad optics that makes you wonder why it's happening because Trump will only do something if he personally benefits. And likely what benefits him is at a cost to us tax payers. History don't lie.

There are many reasons to decry the government shutdown. The closure of elite DeltaOne security lanes is not one of them.

The other day I arrived at Tampa security about 0615 and choose the regular non pre clear line and was through in under 8 minutes. Faster than the Pre Check Pre Clear lines....

They prefer the term ‘gratuity,’ as long as you don’t literally call it a ‘bribe’…

You tell us, Ed (Bastion)

That’s very thoughtful and considerate; yeah, we’re working on our troubles. From an American, sorry about all this noise.

Didn't DL, just like so many companies in the US, embrace Trump and give him money? Isn't the tear down of the White House East Wing partially funded by Corporate America? So sad to hear they now want the shutdown to end.

Yup. Delta is the ‘Marie Antoinette’ of airlines… ‘let them eat Biscoff!’

Have we learned nothing from airline devaluations? SkyPesos? C’mon…

You’re being disingenuous, Petrie. It’s a bailout, regardless of what form it takes, and Bob is absolutely right that we may lose a substantial amount of that value.

Bad deal for Americans. Great deal for Argentina’s current leader. So much for ‘America First’ (which was always a farce to begin with!)

Actually it takes 60 votes to pass a continuing resolution in the Senate. The Republicans do not have 60 votes. They need Democrat support to do so.

Ha, you're right. There's always a more exclusive club 😉 or should that be 🙁

You had me in the first part.

This analysis seems mis-guided. The JFK and LAX Delta One TSA lanes have been closed for weeks, as widely reported on Flyertalk. There is no causation between the TSA lanes closing and Delta's comments, since the lanes were closed weeks ago.

I will not vote Republican again this country is in big trouble By Trump being president

I think Tim Dunn should fly up and volunteer to screen pax at JFK so this travesty doesn’t have to continue.

Oh, the humanity! It’s not like people are going hungry and losing access to food or anything, right?

That’s the (tone deaf) Delta Difference! Throwing a hissy about something that 99.9% of the public - traveling or otherwise - absolutely does not care about.

Way to go, Team D!

And then you want inflation to subside...you people are really ignorant. EDUCATE YOURSELF -> How does printing $$ aide inflation?

This may blow your MAGA mind, but did you know that the ACA, the Affordable Care Act, and Obamacare are all the same thing…. Woah. What?! Magic!

Also, Medicare and Medicaid are government-backed healthcare programs, too, otherwise known as a form of socialism, which actually does help seniors and people in need. No way. We all pay for that?! Nuts.

A few more examples of that ‘dirty’ word: Public schools; public roads; the military. All routed in socialist ideals. What. Wild.

Think about it…government-provided infrastructure financed through taxes, where the government owns and operates the means of production (the freaking roads). So, if you drive, you’re probably a freaking socialist! Uh oh.

No, no… just a public ‘service’… oh, yeah, right, sooo different.

Next, you’ll tell me Jesus was a socialist… hold on a minute… oh my Lord!!

Wait, so Delta is just an opportunist here? Saving money, blaming politics… huh. That’s so unlike them… anyway, off to KSA for those yummy subsidies!

GreyF, you want ‘no security’? Oof. Horrible idea.

BS to Delta worried about inconveniencing rich people while throwing less affluent folks needing health insurance coverage
Way to play to the Oligarchs, Delta!

I agree “Clear” has jumped the shark

Want to buy a bridge?

Wait, the airlines are being inconvenienced by the shutdown and so their are falling in line to demand it’s end? Color me surprised.

DL and the other airlines are not in the business of acting in support of what’s right for those left behind. They are in the business of maximizing return on shareholder investment. 11 million off healthcare and 40 million without food be damned.

The majority party in control of the Senate could pass a rule change with a bare majority vote (or even a tie vote with the President of the Senate J D Vance casting the tie breaker). This rule change would remove the "supermajority" requirement for cloture (i.e. end debate).

_The very second_ this rule change is approved, the majority party in control of the Senate could then bring the resolution _already passed by the majority party in the House_ up for a vote. A bare majority- or a tie-breaking vote from Vance- would immediately end debate/invoke cloture on the resolution.

_The very second_ debate ends, a bare majority or tie-breaker vote from Vance would approve the resolution already passed by the House.

_The very second_ that resolution is passed, unchanged, by the majority party in the Senate, the shutdown would end.

The majority party, which happens to be the same party as the President, have the full, unfettered power to end the shutdown with only a few votes, which would take no more than a few hours considering that the initial vote (the rule change) would eliminate the need for 30 hours of debate. The minority party need not have _any_ input into this process. Certainly the minority party is not "in charge of government," as the Speaker of the House- who is second in the line of succession for the Presidency- stated one day ago.

Here's a thought for the most profitable airline in the world: why not just pay them ahead of time? There is definitely a loophole for that that Delta just doesn't want to pursue in all their government-influencing status.

@1990 - completely agree.

Problem is Ed has not been in DC enough to polish Dear Leader's knob -
Scotty knows well how to do it. He's hoping it will be enough to get sign off on a deal to buy B6.

If Trump keeps his war with Canada going USA will soon need to "bail out Canada", and it will be a lot more than $40 billion.

And I demand that Delta stop using my data to extract even more revenue out of me as my wages stagnate and inflation eats away at what remains of my buying power while Ed and his little friends make millions. Guess we're all going to have to learn to live with disappointment

What puzzles me is why we are trying to prop up Argentina’s economy in the first place? They are not a big trading partner, we don’t have any interaction with their military and their economy has always been lousy. In 2023 their inflation rate was 200%. Yet now we are buying their nearly worthless pesos and importing their beef, undercutting our own cattle ranchers. This seems so un-Trump like. Why are we doing it?

there is one reason this continues and it’s Democrats. we need 60 votes and Republicans passed a clean CR with no cuts, yet Democrat communists demand $1.9 trillion for 90 days. tell them to stop being commies.

It takes two to tango. Not just one party is responsible for this mess. Everyone needs to grow up, be responsible and respectful and do the right things. Get going and take care of the only country and planet we will ever have before it's gone for good. Once it is there's no getting it back.

Loft, the Shutdown is a 99% US only thing related to most all of our entire federal government services deemed “non essential” cease to function… it happens when our legislature (similar to a parliament) does not pass an annual funding bill for the entire governments expenses that year, solely because the two political parities don’t want to compromise with each other on funding for just a few of the many thousands of government programs and responsibilities covered in the huge annual bill. Shutdowns used to never occur, but in the last two decades republicans started to use the tactic of intentionally shutting down the government when they were not in total power to try and force the democrats to compromise on funding disagreements. Well the tables are now reversed, and republicans have total power… so democrats now have only want tool to use to have any power in negotiations… and that is to use the shutdown tactic to try and get republicans to renew some gov health insurance program subsidies for citizens. It’s so completely stupid and we all know it, but the political parties won’t stop doing it when it is their only tool to extract compromise…
Just Be delighted you don’t have to deal with a Government where your essential government paid Air Traffic Comtrollers and government paid Airport check point officers won’t receive their weekly pay checks during a political squabble shutdown due to some complement unrelated funding disagreement...cause that’s how politics goes in the US now. An almost broken “citizen representation” system where only the most extreme citizens are actually represented in our legislature. Moderates simply can’t win reelections here… and we all hope to hell that changes!!
whew, that was a lot… haha sorry yall.

I will agree with Delta's demand when they pay for health care for all Americans that can no longer afford health care because of Trump.

Interesting - ATC in many other countries is private with govt oversight and it seems to work just fine! Same with security being run locally. And the airport charges a fee per passenger. If it’s too high people will choose another airport or drive or take alternate transportation. What’s the problem with that?

Fair is fair.

Seems reasonable. Time to get ‘em all back in the room together and start negotiating.

Wait a minute, only one side seems willing to actually do that; the other side doesn’t mind starving its own people or not paying air traffic controllers, and wants to take away Americans healthcare so they can do more tax cuts for the super-rich and bail out Argentina. Wild.

Oh, nevermind, ‘both sides’…

Show us more about how you don't understand.

Naw, they fighting for Americans healthcare, and it’s a worthy cause.

And, since you think hyperbole is acceptable (calling folks ‘communists’ that aren’t communists), I’m honestly surprised you didn’t just go ahead and call your perceived enemies ‘terrorists’ or ‘pedos’… kinda weak.

Mr. Kirby is a master-class in sycophancy. Mr. Bastian can become a ‘bastion’ of kissing-up, when and if he needs to be. These airline CEOs realize next month (November) is gonna start to get ugly in commercial aviation with air traffic controllers and security agents ‘calling in sick,’ so they’re finally saying something. However, they’ve picked wrong side, yet again, because, partially they don’t want to face Trump’s wrath, but, also, because really they’re apart of the corporate class that is totally fine with a quasi-dictatorship so long as they get their tax cuts and de-regulation. How wrong they are to wish for that. Historically, those industrialists who have united behind fascist strongmen have lost big in the end. Then again, everyone loses in those situations. Hoping we all will come back to our senses.

Kevin, that’s a brilliant idea. I like where your head is at. We don’t actually have a supply or demand problem; it’s a distribution issue, and this administration continues to propagate the lie of ‘false scarcity.’ (Oh, we have no more money for your healthcare… but, we do have unlimited funds for tax cuts for the wealthy and major corporations, can fund ICE brownshirts to roundup anyone ‘darker than a Greek yogurt’, $40 billion for Argentina, and can build a new freaking ‘Versailles’ for our ‘king’ where the East wing of your silly ‘peoples’ house’ used to stand… and Epstein.)

Please enjoy my cynicism: So, Chris, why don’t they do all that? What’s hold them up from basically unilaterally eliminating Congress with rule changes and technicalities? Like, Trump has a ‘green light’ from the Supreme Court to do anything; he’s already got a paramilitary (ICE, federalizing national guards, etc.); and, clearly, the oligarchs and their corporate mercenaries (CEOs) are behind him. What’s the delay? Did he just need to get back from his joy ride in Asia, accepting gifts and dancing. Probably. We travel. We know what it’s like. Ignore everything back home while you’re overseas. Clean-up once you’re back. But, oof, the jetlag. Okay, maybe give it another week.

“Yes the planet got destroyed. But for a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of value for shareholders.”

(Cartoon with the business guy around the campfire in a dystopian future.)

The irony is that those ‘oligarchs’ fly private, anyway. Wanna actually end this shutdown fast? (I hear there’s a ‘cold’ going around ATC at Teterboro… *cough*)

Wait. ...what? The party in power is who is causing the government to be closed? Compromise! The last time the government closed which party was in power?

Brilliant observation, ‘Dunning Kruger’…

Sure, initially it does appear quite simple doesn’t it. Get some volunteers to fill in the gaps.

But, folks like Tim will need a TSA uniform (and some training, unless he’s done it before), also a level-3 security clearance (which takes time to procure), and probably a PhD in behavioral psychology to de-escalate tensions, because, well, all these delays tend to cause frustration.

You know what, I’m just realizing this may be more complicated than we initially imagined.

Do you see what I mean, Dunning... Kruger…

FoulOwl, preach!!

Much of this began with Nixon’s abuses of power, and the lack of true accountability, thereafter (we just relied on ‘norms’ and ‘decency’); which, worsened under Reagan’s uniting of the religious social conservatives and oligarchs for their plans to ultimately undo the New Deal and install a nationalist, ethnocentric, theocracy; folks like Australian Rupert Murdoch advanced this with his global right-wing propaganda networks; the Supreme Court giving 2000 to Bush, then Citizens United and practically gutting the Voting Rights Act, disenfranchising voters and allowing unlimited ‘dark’ money in politics, even from foreign adversaries; finally, completely unregulated social media companies profiting off algorithms that hyper-charge outrage and micro-target disinformation at us all 24/7. That’s part of how we got here.

How we get out is another story. Non-violence. Truth and transparency. Courageous journalism. Every day people saying ‘enough.’ Demanding the essentials for all of us, not just those at the top. Holding those who abused their power accountable, for real this time. That’s the way.

You know, FlyerDon. A few of his Wall St friends messed up, made bad investments in Argentina, and they personally need a bailout. Trump doesn’t do anything for America’s best interests; he does it for himself, and likely gets something back from his friends on Wall St for this ‘favor.’

I’ll say this.. ‘American First’ was always a farce; both now, and the first attempt in the 1930s.

@Bill n DC

Recent experiences at DFW (E) and PIT illustrate this perfectly. Clear lanes sit cordoned off while 3-4 Clear representatives scroll through their phones awaiting the Clear customers' arrival - but never really looking up to see if any have arrived. When the Clear lane does open, they're invariably occupied explaining to agitated families that TSA PreCheck and Clear are, in fact, different products. Lately, I just slip by into the regular TSA PreCheck line and bypass the stupidity in 2-3 minutes.

NYTimes reporting this morning that Trump wants Senate Republicans to 'go nuclear,' end shutdown by changing rules to allow simple majority to pass legislation. So, not only are we testing literal 'nukes' again, we're also going to try one-party rule like they do in the CCP...

(...that's what Xi said.)

so the Democrats are to blame here not the Republicans not Trump like you've been taught and groomed to say. Democrats want to feed illegal aliens that's true so because your loyalty to the party and follow and to the line as you're told and instructed to do. They also tell you to take stupid pills and believe the bullshit that's being spewed by the evil Democrats.

Like, it's really starting to feel as though we allowed a functioning Congress to become the 'State Duma'... a 'rubber stamp' for Trump (as for Putin)... with Republicans acting like the 'United Russia' party, and no effective opposition, so far. (That said, I do applaud those courageous few protesting in St. Petersburg, recently.) Which begs the question, who will be our Navalny? Our Nemtsov? (...probably should not have slow-walked that J6 prosecution, huh, Garland? All that 'process and professionalism' didn't do anything. Our very own Neville Chamberlain.) Anyhoo... pay the ATC, military, get out the food stamps, and get ready for folks to go off the ACA because it's likely not affordable (you know, 'price of eggs' and 'groceries' what got him elected the second time.)

When the "special" people start to feel some inconvenience, maybe that's when we see some progress

harry, I'm in favor of healthcare for Americans, continuing the subsidies that the Republicans purposely failed to renew in the so-called 'BBB' earlier this year.

Those tens of millions of Americans who are about to receive their annual health insurance premium renewals double are going to be pretty upset.

Perhaps, your propogandists will succeed in convincing them, not to blame those who actually did this to them (the Republicans), but rather, to wrongly blame 'brown people.'

My goodness. It's literally 1930s fascist playbook. Like, line by line. Scapegoating the vulnerable. Whipping up your base into a frenzy. Not solving anything, but keeping power.

uldguy, it seems they're gonna change the rules and reduce to simple majority; so, proceed without the Democrats, make tens of millions of Americans healthcare unaffordable, all so that a few oligarchs and major corporations could get tax cuts (then lay everyone off because 'AI' can do their jobs... /s)

Sure Delta, forget the hungry children and sick Americans losing their healthcare, the government shut down should end because your premium passengers are really what matters.

"Let them eat stroopwaffle!" -- Scott 'Marie Antoinette' Kirby, CEO of UAL, at the WH yesterday. It's not just Delta sucking up to Dear Leader; United is, too.

(...that's what Xi said.)

FTW, right there.

Harry, surely you have some critical thinking skills that you could use, right?

Exactly. Republicans and Democrats don't care for you, so therefore your votes don't matter.

The problem I think is that they claim that this is a result of the shutdown and I think they should suggest alternatives. Both the government / TSA and Delta could offer alternatives and together that could solve the situation.