'Do you know who I am'? County exec complains after missing DNC flight for Chick-fil-A run
A county executive in New York asked, "Do you know who I am?" after being too late to board his flight for the Democratic National Convention due to a detour to grab some Chick-fil-A food, according to a report.
The Times Union reported on Wednesday that Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy, "who is seeking to be next CEO of Albany airport, name-dropped as he tried to pressure airline employees to let him on jet."
"McCoy invoked his job title — and what he cast as his office’s authority over the airport’s operations — when he missed a Monday flight to Chicago," the report states. "It took place as he tried to pressure American Airlines employees to reopen the jet’s door so he and Michael McLaughlin, his deputy county executive, could get on board."
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According to the report, "McCoy and McLaughlin were traveling to the Democratic National Convention, where President Joe Biden spoke very late on Monday, more than two hours after Harris had briefly addressed the crowd. Mary Rozak, a spokeswoman for McCoy, said she 'can’t speak to what happened or didn’t happen at the airport' but noted that 'no county funds are being used for the trip to the convention.'"
It continues:
"The county executive also invoked his position earlier that day when seeking another favor at the airport: His office requested that the Airport Authority issue a special pass to his driver, Anthony J. Salerno, so that he could accompany McCoy through the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint and to the gate."
According to the local report, the executive arrived early at the gate but left to get Chick-fil-A. When he returned, it was too late.
"The man who witnessed the exchange at the gate said that McCoy and McLaughlin had arrived there before the flight began boarding but left to eat at the Chick-fil-A restaurant near the TSA checkpoint. He said by the time they returned it was too late for them to board, and the door of the plane had been closed," according to the report. "'The plane was oversold and he tried to use the name of a lady that worked at the front desk for American, and they just said 'no' because I believe American oversold the flight and had no room for him anyway,' the man said. 'But that was the American Airlines’ agent who said that to him … (that) you shouldn’t have gone and gotten (food), you would have made your flight.'"
Do you know who I am? Albany County Exec Dan McCoy invoked his job title after missing boarding for flight to Chicago for DNC. But it didn't work. https://t.co/lyxCs2EZHZ via @TimesUnion
— Brendan Lyons (@Brendan_LyonsTU) August 21, 2024