New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has changed her stance and agreed to reimburse the city for nearly $30,000 that she spent on first-class flights. Cantrell, a Democrat, had refused to repay the city, saying that her luxury flights on trips to France and Switzerland were for legitimate city business.
She initially claimed that the flight upgrades were necessary to protect herself from COVID-19 and that she had some travel safety concerns as a black woman. New Orleans’s top legal officer, City Attorney Donesia Turner, issued a memorandum on Sept. 27, clearly stating that Cantrell is an employee of the city and therefore needs to follow the city’s travel policies.
“Employees are required to purchase the lowest airfare available,” states the city policy (pdf) cited in Turner’s memo. “Employees who choose an upgrade from coach, economy or business class flights are solely responsible for the difference.” Following Turner’s ruling, Gilbert Montaño, the city’s chief administrative officer, said he would enforce the travel policy and have Cantrell pay for her flight upgrades.