On December 26, 1973, President Richard Nixon, his family, staff, and Secret Service detail flew United Airlines flight 55 from Washington Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport. In doing so, President Nixon became the ONLY sitting President to fly a public commercially scheduled flight. The event was kept secret until the presidential party arrived for their flight. It was reported that not even the pilot knew until half an hour before departure. No passengers were bumped from their seats to accommodate the presidential party.
During the flight, President Nixon walked the aisles of the DC-10 aircraft, meeting and talking with other passengers. By foregoing the use of Air Force One, he intended to draw attention to the energy crisis and demonstrate his confidence in the commercial airlines industry.
The President’s party used 13 first class one‐way tickets at $217.64 each and 12 coach seats at $167.64 each. The total cost was $4,841, which, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator, is about $34,033.70 today.
The presidential party returned to Washington in January by flying on a military aircraft from Palm Springs, CA to Andrews AFB, MD, via a refueling stop at Tinker AFB, OK.
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