Delta Fundraises For The DOT Secretary’s Son-In-Law — The Optics Are Brutal [Roundup]

News and notes from around the interweb:

• Delta hosted a fundraiser for DOT Secretary Sean Duffy’s son-in-law who is running for Congress.

  What possible reason could Delta have for financially backing the 25 year old Wisconsin Republican primary candidate…? Oh, wait. His dad is their regulator That looks like an obvious (albeit legal) payoff, right?

  Duffy, who has been in the midst of trying to execute an ambitious overhaul of the country’s antiquated and complicated air traffic control system, also was slated to be the “special guest” at a Dec. 3 fundraiser for Alfonso, 25, whose background is in the construction industry. That event was hosted by Delta Air Lines PAC as well as numerous BGR Group lobbyists, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by POLITICO.

• Say you don’t want interchange regulation without saying you don’t want interchange regulation. This month Trump backed Durbin-Marshall swipe fee rules, and Visa clearly wants to get into his good graces.
  

  Statement from Visa: pic.twitter.com/2Bcv8e36BE

  — VisaNews (@VisaNews) January 28, 2026

• Whoa.
  

  Jan 19, 2026… 9 AM local, right over Col de la Tourmente. Tradewind Pilatus PC-12 coming in HOT on final, buzzing so low you feel the roar. Phone owner walked away fine lol.
  St. Barts never gets old. pic.twitter.com/8VnbSiqM6X

  — Fahad Naim (@Fahadnaimb) January 28, 2026

• A claim that over half of existing Bilt cardmembers have already converted to the new card “which is a little higher than they anticipated.”
• This was similar to my experience as well, flying Southwest on both Tuesday and Wednesday (the first and second days of assigned seating). Both flights were at least a third empty, but passengers couldn’t get their bags in overhead bins near their own seats.
  

  If you wonder what the new boarding process looks like at @SouthwestAir here is a video from today’s flight. They turned their passengers into baggage handlers passing each others luggage up to the front so that people can deplane. pic.twitter.com/fYliTJSXbh

  — Lainey Wooldridge (@MissesLDub) January 28, 2026

• This is true.
  

  in 2001 after the attempted “shoe bomber” Richard Reid failed to ignite his explosives on plane and was subdued by other passengers there were still three hours left on the flight to Miami and they screened Legally Blonde https://t.co/5629JTy6KB

  — Miles Klee (@youwouldntpost) January 30, 2026

• Cathay Pacific first class buggies at Hong Kong and Heathrow and premium Chinese wines.

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