If everyone is fleeing the United States after the recent elections, it surely wasn’t evident on my flight to Paris. The economy cabin couldn’t have been even half full. I had an entire middle section to myself, although I’m not sure I got any additional sleep because of it.
I was a little surprised that Customs and Border Protection did an outbound check of selected passengers on the jetway when we boarded in Phoenix. I wasn’t selected, but based on the questions I heard, it seemed like they were looking for currency violations. I guess I should be pleased that the administration is deploying additional border personnel in Arizona, but I’m not sure our border with France is the highest priority. Besides, anyone moving funds for nefarious purposes nowadays is more easily using bitcoin or hawala than suitcases of hundred-dollar bills.
Once airborne, the flight was uneventful but relatively quick. We pushed back from the gate in Phoenix about eight minutes late but arrived at Charles de Gaulle a half hour early in morning fog. The security line moved smoothly, and so did passport control. I arrived at the airport lounge before they took away the scrambled eggs and bacon, giving me some energy and optimism for the remainder of the journey.
