Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum flew Mexico City to Madrid and then connected onward to Barcelona for the “IV Cumbre en Defensa de la Democracia.” It was her first trip to Europe as president. She flew coach. On her way back she took Aeromexico flight 38 from Barcelona to Mexico City, again in economy.
The 4th Summit in Defense of Democracy was a gathering of center-left leaders focused on defending democratic institutions, multilateralism, digital governance, and social justice. R
She gets a lot of political mileage out of greeting passengers before the flight, and being photographed in a coach seat.
✈️✨ Antes de abordar su vuelo comercial desde el #AICM rumbo a Barcelona, España, para participar en la IV Cumbre en Defensa de la Democracia, la Presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum se dio un momento para saludar, platicar y tomarse fotos con quienes se le acercaron. pic.twitter.com/Z2ERRieFet
— Morena Querétaro (@MorenaQro_Ofic) April 17, 2026
Sheinbaum posted this image of herself working from her economy seat, and I have to say this strikes me as wasteful and performative.
Camino a Barcelona representando a México en la IV Cumbre en Defensa de la Democracia. pic.twitter.com/x6zjHHt8B5
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) April 17, 2026
Surely the country’s President ought to (1) be well-rested and (2) spend on the space to work effectively. Aeromexico doesn’t offer a first class product. They don’t offer opulence. They offer a perfectly good long haul bed and work surface.
Aeromexico Business Class
Aeromexico Business Class
At least when she flew to the G20 meeting in Rio she had an exit row.
Her predecessor as Mexico’s President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, flew Delta coach (he, too, had an exit row) saying that private jets are for the “neoliberal elite.” He sold the country’s VIP Presidential 787 to Tajikistan, one of the world’s poorest countries.
When Argentina’s Milei flies transatlantic coach there’s at least important symbolism in the austerity, given that country’s fiscal condition. Although there, too, I’d think flying business class would be appropriate.
I did like seeing then-U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron flying easyJet and eating Pringles, though.
You forgot to mention when Nixon flew UA55 from IAD to LAX to show support for the US airline industry and to encourage Americans to conserve.
This is an example of where Gary, like most others, make their mistake. He “thinks” that government officials need to be efficient because they’re doing important work. No, all government is a net drain on society, and there is almost nothing they do that is “important”. She could have slept the entire trip or made the journey sitting on a milk crate, and the impact on her constituents would have been the same.
I’d be more impressed if she either attended said events via teleconferencing or simply sent an underling (via coach) in her place.
Gary, this is just embarrassing. Drink a couple of bourbons and more importantly shut the f((( up.
“ and I have to say this strikes me as wasteful and performative.”
1) you would take the opposite approach if she flew 1st Class on another airline finding it wasted money for a country needing the cash
2). I think all leaders should fly coach. Maybe they might find out what the people want and need.
Geez, @Total, who pissed in your soup?
REAL leaders lead by example- contrary to the grifters and con men serving in our government and businesses.
Wait … you’re complaining about a govt leader acting frugally? Good grief
Must’ve been a slow day. It’s more impressive as a country leader she chose to fly economy; most world leaders wouldn’t do that even if they didn’t have a dedicated transport. You strike me as the type who would complain if she flew in business or first class; so saying her photo was “wasteful and performative” makes you look like a hypocrite.
“You forgot to mention when Nixon flew UA55 from IAD to LAX to show support for the US airline industry and to encourage Americans to conserve”.
Was that before or after Nixon lied to the American public by telling them that HE WAS NOT A CROOK.
Good for her. She walks the walk and talks the talk.
@Mike P — Anarchy and chaos is still not the answer.
@1990…Another classic strawman. You need to look up the word “Anarchy.”
“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
Isn’t this the same blog that writes these corny tomes against socialism every time Bernie Sanders flies business class? I don’t care which side you come down on the issue of the airline class a socialist should fly. But my man, you have zero intellectual consistency.
Mexico is not such an important country. The US President cannot do this because there are more security concerns and economic implications if he were harmed.
As far as business travel in economy class, I have done it before. I have flown over an ocean, arrived in the morning and went to work that same morning.
Not everyone needs the same amount of space to be productive
Gary maybe she can do the work after a trip in Y.
Maybe she’s just tougher than you are. ( or me for that matter )
@Mike P — So, how is life as a ‘sovereign citizen’ these days?
She flew over on AC?
Given how bad AC is, I m not surprised she didnt fly them back 🙂
@Kevin – I have no doubt she’s tougher than I am. I still think she’d be *more productive* in J.
@Dave – I wrote criticizing then-Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen for flying coach. She should have been flying up front for productivity. I don’t think Bernie Sanders has the same execution responsibility. But I still argue there’s nothing wrong with flying up front. There’s just something wrong with socialism. My criticism isn’t of Sanders or AOC when they fly private! Read what I actually write.
What?
This article took an unexpected turn when you declared the president flying coach “inefficient” and “performative”.
Did you smoke more than you’re used to on yesterday’s holiday? Is this some poorly executed satire? Just high school level internet troll rage baiting?
I can agree posting oneself is performative, but that’s just the nature of social media and you could write 1,000 articles an hour on politicians being performative on social media. But criticizing the president for choosing the cheapest option and equating it to inefficiency?
Extrapolating your logic to the extreme, she should’ve stuck to the private jet for “efficiency”. Or better yet, she should’ve taken a private yacht with all the heads of state so they could continue business.
Stick to reporting on aviation here and hold your childish op-eds for Facebook or… meh… you probably use truth social.
@1990 – Hey Mike P. is ‘travelling’ not driving…
@Mike P: So you can stay stuff like ‘all government is a net drain on society, and there is almost nothing they do that is “important”’ and yet with a straight face claim that you’re not advocating for anarchy?
I think your expression about not knowing what that word means applies to you more than you will ever be willing to admit.
Why has no one brought up security? How does the president of any country get security in coach (or business class for that matter)?
@Jack Meehoff — Not sure about any of that, but just glad you’re here. Will you visit San Diego anytime soon? I hear they like to ‘jack it’ there.
I applaud her.
Gary: 1. If she chooses to set an example of saving Mexico some money, why not?
2. If you do not like what she did, so what? We really do NOT care what you think.
When it comes to commercial flying, politicians are criticized for flying in premium cabins as “wasting taxpayer money”, even if they’re using their own money or earned upgrades, and they’re criticized for their choice being performative if they travel in economy, even if they’re following policies they didn’t establish. It’s a no-win situation and so they’re obliged to decide whether their political bases care and, if so, which they care more about.