Flunky Flights

Airlines are unhappy about a decline in government travel:

President Donald J. Trump, assisted by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) fronted by tech mogul Elon Musk, has been making strenuous efforts to cut government waste since his inauguration in January. The fact that cutbacks on government travel are having a significant impact on commercial airlines raises questions about the extent to which public spending has been propping them up before now. Southwest Airlines lowered its revenue expectations for the first quarter, also pointing to decreased government travel as well as the impact of California wildfires. On Monday, Delta Air Lines cut its first-quarter profit estimates in half, highlighting a broader softening in domestic travel demand.Despite these issues, airlines report that premium and long-haul international bookings remain strong.

They can live without the extra baggage...