This article was updated on June 19 at 5:29 PM EST with information about the event to open the Barack Obama Presidential Center
Many people imagine celebrities and high-powered politicians opting to fly private when traveling. But that isn’t always the case. Celebrities such as Tobey Maguire and Ben Affleck have been filmed at airports as they go through security.
Now, the 46th U.S. president is among those spotted flying commercial. Joe Biden has shocked travelers with a recent viral video showing the former president boarding an American Airlines flight.
Video Captures Former U.S. President Boarding An American Airlines Flight
Former U.S. President Joe Biden was filmed on the tarmac on June 17, clutching a briefcase and surrounded by Secret Service as he boarded an American Airlines flight. The video was shared on Instagram and Facebook by Nick Touma, a social media influencer who goes by @nicktguy on Instagram and creates “candy art.”
Touma told TheTravel that Biden “boards the plane last and rides in first class,” according to flight attendants.
Touma also shared with TheTravel an image of the former president’s security procession arriving at the airport. The caption on Touma’s Instagram story specified that Biden wasn’t on his flight, however.
Edward Krassenstein, who gained popularity alongside his twin brother Brian for criticizing Trump on X during Trump’s first presidency, also shared the video, writing that Biden is “literally flying commercial … like the rest of us.”
Another person on X added, “And he carries his own bag,” followed by heart-eyes emojis.
The plane’s tail number, N826AW, was visible, indicating that Biden flew from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), according to FlightAware data. Touma also confirmed the route to TheTravel.
The two-and-a-half-hour flight departed just after 5 p.m. EST and arrived just after 6:30 p.m. CDT.
Biden Spotted In Chicago With Obama
Biden’s trip appears to be to visit his former running mate, Barack Obama, as he celebrates the opening of his Presidential Center in Chicago. Biden was spotted on June 18 at the opening of President Barack Obama’s Presidential Center in Jackson Park.
He attended with former First Lady Jill Biden, in addition to former Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff. Several other U.S. presidents and First Ladies were there as well: Bill and Hillary Clinton, George W. and Laura Bush, and Barack Obama and Michelle Obama were also in attendance.
Biden didn’t give a speech; however, he was seen becoming emotional, removing his signature aviator sunglasses and dabbing at his eyes with a tissue. At the end of the opening, Biden had an awkward moment as he was the last on stage, asking, “Where’s my granddaughter?”
The Biden family has had their primary residence in Wilmington, Delaware, since the late 1990s, and the Philadelphia airport is just over a 30-minute drive from the city. So, the American Airlines hub, which the airline holds over a 60% market share in, appears to be the obvious choice for the former president’s trip to Chicago.
Another U.S. traveler filmed Joe and Jill Biden at the Chicago airport on June 18, appearing to be ready to fly out of the Windy City.
Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time Biden has been spotted flying commercial — and it was another American Airlines flight.
Joe Biden Was Previously Spotted On A Commercial Flight
In late February, amid an hour-long ground stop due to foggy weather in Washington, Biden was seen sitting on an American Airlines flight. The hour-long trip was out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to Columbia, South Carolina, for a nighttime event with the South Carolina Democratic Party.
Biden was in a window seat in the third row of the first-class cabin, appearing to converse with his seatmate. The woman sitting in the aisle seat next to him first placed her coffee on their shared armrest before realizing she was sitting next to the former president.
“I feel like I’m about to cry,” the passenger said as they shook hands. They reportedly chatted throughout the flight.
Other passengers seemed to be thrilled to see the former president on their flight as well.
“God bless you, sir,” one passenger told Biden as she walked past him.
Another man shook his hand and said, “Thank you for your service.”
His security was discreetly positioned throughout the aircraft, as he sat with a newspaper in his lap. Even though all former presidents and their spouses are guaranteed lifelong Secret Service protection by law, they are not provided with private travel after leaving office.
But that appears to be of no issue for Biden, who has been a fan of commercial transport for years.
Biden Has Been A Longtime Fan Of Commercial Transport
Before Biden became the 46th president, he was known for years as “Amtrak Joe.” Biden prided himself on being a strong supporter of Amtrak during his time as a senator from Delaware, regularly choosing the hour-and-a-half-long train ride home from Washington.
Biden has taken around 8,000 round trips on that same route, and even left Washington by train on his final day as vice president. And after his presidency, he has still been spotted riding the rails, chatting and posing for selfies with fellow passengers.
In 2010, he wrote a glowing piece for Amtrak’s Arrive magazine titled “Why America Needs Trains.” He talked about his “emotional connection” with the service and its importance amid issues such as climate change.
“But my support for rail travel goes beyond the emotional connection. With delays at our airports and congestion on our roads becoming increasingly ubiquitous, volatile fuel prices, increased environmental awareness, and a need for transportation links between growing communities, rail travel is more important to America than ever before,” Biden wrote.
While Biden is no longer in office and without access to Air Force One, travelers shouldn’t be too surprised to see him aboard a future flight or on an Amtrak train.
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