Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker is an astute observer of US Presidential politics. On Trump’s plan for banning Muslim’s to the US:
“Look, Donald [Trump] is my friend, and we have been friends for a long time. I think it is an exercise only to gain political mileage. Nothing more. This is the opportune time to excite more extremist people so that they could give him their votes.”
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker with Donald and Melania Trump in 1997, via Doha News
My own preferred take on the Trump phenomenon, though, comes from @BoredElonMusk:
The Trump family runs Trump Hotels and their Arabic-language website actively solicits Muslim guests to come to the US and stay at their properties. I ain’t sayin’, I’m just sayin’…
The Trump Hotel operations make clear he’s not only not against Muslims coming to America — right now, today, this very moment — he’s willing and eager to rent them high-priced hotel rooms when they arrive. (The least-expensive room at the Trump Soho, for example, is $395 a night for bookings next week and $310 a night a month for now.)
To clarify matters, I called the Trump Hotel Collection’s central reservation number and asked whether Muslim visitors were welcome. The voice on the other end seemed confused by the question, but eventually told me she was sure Muslim visitors were welcome. I asked her if there was any directive from Trump headquarters to discourage Muslim travelers. She said there wasn’t.
In other words, here’s what’s going on:
In fairness, when Trump owned an airline it was a purely domestic carrier. He tried to bluff his way into buying American Airlines, but lost his shirt in the 1989 Friday the 13th stock market mini-crash. And ultimately lost his airline — and unlike in several of his bankruptcies, he had personally guaranteed some of the financing and took a hit of more than $100 million.
Over the summer the FAA renamed Trump-related navigation points around Palm Beach International Airport. Apparently people were refusing departure instructions to fly “DONLD” “TRMMP” and “UFIRD” — although “IVNKA ONE” remains in place.
When he makes his escape from politics, he can always do it on his Boeing 757.
At View from the Wing we don’t side with any politician. We just call ’em like we see them in travel, miles and points. For instance, we’ve exposed:
- Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee’s Delta Diamond status
- Scandal-plagued former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford’s mileage award ticket that brought down his administration.
- Former Congressman Ron Paul’s past use of government fare tickets which are more upgradable domestically on several airlines.
- Delta’s elite status comps to all the top politicians in Georgia. (“You know you’re unimportant when you just get Delta Platinum.”)
- The ObamaPoints program (though that wasn’t why I predicted an Obama electoral victory). I called out his choice of credit card and skipping the line at Frankline Barbecue.
- Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s credit card debt
- Senator Marco Rubio’s carelessness with credit cards
- Governor Chris Christie’s $1 million in American Express travel spend
Based on your singling out just one party’s politicinas (not counting the current president whom you mentioned with ObamaPoints) you must be a Bernie Sanders’ supporter: from everyone according to his ability, to each according to his need.
F class for everybody does not work, alas.
Ditto for the rest in life.
Once again Gary, you can’t help yourself when it comes to your interjecting you own political bias masked as a travel related item.
I have no interest in what Trump or any of the other GOP candidates are saying at this point, nor frankly do I really care what the DEMs are saying.
We’re months away from the national election and all candidates will continue to say whatever their advisors and financial backers want them to say to make the most important power grab in the world.
Why not stick to what you have managed to do fairly well over the years and focus on important travel insights.
Of course, it’s your blog and you can do and say whatever.
Over the years, many of your travel tips have been beneficial – your political opinions and veiled innuendos have been useless!
Have a good day!
Gold plate?! How tawdry.
Gary,
We don’t visit your site for your political takes. Stick to what you do best.
“At View from the Wing we don’t side with any politician. We just call ’em like we see them in travel, miles and points.”
Yep, “just like you see them”…reporting negatively almost solely only on the side you disagree with. You’d fit in perfectly at MSNBC!
And then of course there’s the Clinton Foundation which enables free private travel around the entire world for the Cl8 tons. All tax fre of course. maybe the greatest travel perk in the history of the world
@fromantananarivo @Gina Ghirmay – read more closely if you think you’ve understood my politics 😉
@Chris – respectfully, from day one I’ve written whatever is on my mind or struck me as interesting/amusing on a given day. I love when folks find that engaging enough to visit, but I write for myself rather than for anyone else.
Just had lunch at Mar a Lago Club – no sign of the Donald
But lunch was fabulous
When I first saw the headline on Facebook I thought , “Yes, he’s doing it for the points!” lol.
The complaints really are funny… Because those of who are on the left know that Gary is not a Democrat. I guess there is something to be said for the bias of the reader…
I’m finding it hilarious that people are assuming Gary is a liberal. (Though I guess he is — in the British sense.) I strongly doubt that he votes Democrat, though it might be that he doesn’t vote Republican either.
Gary is a Conservative who thinks. Google his employer. Sorry, if you’re looking for knee-jerk — go elsewhere.
Donald Trump is a 24k gold plated asshole.
LOL how scared are liberals they feel the need to spew politics in TRAVEL BLOGS, and only one party, of course bernie travels “steerage” so I guess he is “cool” and hillary….well NOBODY wants to mention that liar!! This is TOO Funny TRUMP (or ANY other Republican in 2016!!!) I just hope whomever does get the GOP nod gets Sarah Palin as VP – Liberals HEADS will explode, and maybe we would have one LESS travel blog…..LOL
regardless of party i like that he won’t put his money where his mouth is. I loved this post and couldn’t care less about American election news.
I enjoyed this joke item from Gary.
As Donald Chump himself says “I”m especially happy to have the majority vote of the uneducated, I LOVE the uneducated”. It is these people that don’t look for any details in Chump’s great ideas.
He is the best joke (and embarrassment) that has ever run for president.
BTW: I do not vote Democrat, and kinda hope Bloomberg runs.