The next time you’re booking a flight — especially to Asia — be thankful that you’re not footing the bill to travel with President Barack Obama. Because it doesn’t come cheap.
The Washington Post has an interesting analysis what it cost to get on the charter flight for Obama’s trip back in November, and what it really should cost. Originally estimated to be $60,000 to send one reporter along, the Washington Post received a bill for $89,000.
It all comes down to a numbers game. In short, the more members of the media that tag along, the cheaper it gets.
Keep in mind, the analysis shows they could have booked flights on their own for anywhere between a low of $9,000 and a high of $14,000. Talk about a government markup.
From the Washington Post:
“There’s one more question that remains unanswered. The White House figured that 51 people would cost $60,000 apiece, about $3 million in total cost. But for 40 passengers, the cost was $89,000 — a total cost of $3.5 million. That’s not a trivial increase. So far, it hasn’t been explained.”
On the plus side, unlike Secretary of State John Kerry, you won’t have any travel delays due to mechanical breakdowns.
