Free airline upgrades are one of modern life’s small joys. Carriers typically give out complimentary seat changes to passengers with airline status or as compensation for a bad experience, not if they’re the Mayor of New York. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is scrutinizing seat upgrades that Eric Adams received from Turkish Airlines on several trips over the past nine years. The probe is part of a broader corruption investigation involving the unpopular mayor and the Turkish government.
Adams has frequently taken flights to and from Turkey on Turkish Airlines since 2015, according to the New York Times. This was back when the retired NYPD captain was Brooklyn Borough President, but already held ambitions of becoming mayor. Adams claimed that many of these trips were for official business to foster economic ties between the Big Apple and Istanbul. In 2017, Adams told the Daily Sabah, “Turkish Airlines is my way of flying.” The Daily Sabah is a newspaper fond of the authoritarian rule of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The exact value of the seat upgrades has yet to be determined. Still, the price difference for just one seat between economy and business class on an intercontinental flight can easily be over $2,000 or more. The upgrades and other lavish outings are believed to have continued through his mayoral campaign in 2021. The mayor’s lawyer told the Times:
“As borough president, the mayor consistently disclosed his official travel to Turkey, did not receive any improper upgrades and did nothing inappropriate in exchange for an upgrade. Speculation is not evidence. We look forward to a just and timely conclusion to this investigation.”
What’s the harm in taking gifts from foreign governments? Shortly after being elected mayor, Adams was accused of pressuring the city into approving the Turkish Consulate’s new gleaming tulip-shaped skyscraper across the street from the United Nations, despite fire safety concerns.
Now, Turkish Airlines boasts that it flies to more destinations than any other airline on the planet and has genuinely tried to boost its presence in the United States. The carrier has run TV ads during the Super Bowl and got several American celebrities to sign endorsement deals, but Eric Adams isn’t one of them. Turkey’s sovereign wealth fund owns a 49.1 percent stake in the airline.