Former President George W. Bush says “I miss some things about being President. I miss having a shower on an airplane.” (HT: @tarheeljason)
There are some things that are unique about Air Force One.
- Electronic countermeasures and the ability to jam enemy radar
- Flares hidden in the wings
- A fuselage that can withstand a nuclear blast on the ground
- A gym
But a shower just isn’t one of those unique things.
Etihad’s Airbus A380 has a private shower for passengers in ‘The Residence’ and a shower for passengers in the First Apartments. You can book First Apartments using American AAdvantage miles. I have several bookings for when the New York JFK – Abu Dhabi flight starts operating with an A380. They fly London – Abu Dhabi and Sydney – Abu Dhabi with the plane as well.
Emirates’ Airbus A380 has two onboard showers for first class passengers.
The former President should have set his sights earning frequent flyer miles upon leaving office.
In fairness, it’s become much easier to secure Emirates first class awards since then. Emirates has since become a partner of Alaska Airlines, and a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards. The Etihad A380 was only introduced last year and the American partnership only shortly before President Obama was re-elected.
Surely, though, a Commander-in-Chief should be strategery enough to start accumulating Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints (even one that got us into the quagmire in Iraq and who ushered in the TSA) because not only could he have transferred those points to Japan Airlines to fly Emirates those points transfer to Alaska and to American as well so that he could have run the gamut of ‘shower in the sky’ options.
I’d like to think that a President of the US, or, indeed, a leader of any Western country would not be bothering with any of this because a) he or she is paid enough not to need to and b) is too busy on important matters to be figuring out how to game petty systems.
Surely showers would be standard on a private plane? Is he really flying commercial?
Given that he’s written a couple of books, owned a baseball team and is a gazillionaire from his oil interests I’m going to take a wild guess he can just pay cash for the ticket. He’ll be fine.
Agreed with NB wholeheartedly.
@tk actually they are very much not standard (though they exist)
@NB the point is he’s an ex-President. And while he gets paid for speeches he doesn’t have that much all that important to do…
Presidents are not private jet wealthy.
His father flew commercial (Continental out of Houston).
President Carter flies commercial (often Delta)
Slick Bill greases fundraising friends to avoid flying commercial. But you can bet he never pays for a private flight.
I wonder if ex presidents are allowed to fly non-US airlines?
“Strategery”… Love it!
@tk
I’ve never seen a shower on a private jet smaller than a BBJ (converted 737.) This size aircraft is the smallest of the truly “big league” aircraft. Call it the 1%-er bizjet if you will. 99% of the biz jets don’t have them.
Mike: You wrote “is a gazillionaire from his oil interests.” George W Bush’s oil company did not make much money. He made most of his money from the sweetheart deal in buying the Texas Rangers from a family friend. He then made millions when the team was later sold.
How does someone as stupid as George W. Bush get into Harvard Bus. School? He was a horrible student at Yale. After graduating from Yale, at one pt George W. worked in the sporting goods department at Sears in Houston!
Dan & TK: The Gulfstream 650 can be ordered with a shower.
i knew it! he was in the shower while flying over the katrina-ravaged area.