Denver International Airport employees question CEO about $19,000 business class flights; "Creates a rift"
A photo from Denver International Airport in Colorado in December 2024
AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images
At a quarterly "Town Hall" meeting Monday for Denver International Airport workers, one asked "about the media story that ran recently on travel." The anonymous employee asked about the "ethical decision to spend quite a bit on an international business class ticket." According to the meeting moderator, "The comment was, 'It creates a rift in the sentiment between front line and senior leadership.'"
Earlier this month, a CBS News Investigation reported on the trip Washington took to the three day conference with eight members of his executive staff.
The overall cost of the trip for the nine execs to attend the three day conference was about $165,000, or an average of about $18,000 for flights, conference costs, hotels and meals.
Washington and all of his subordinates flew either business class or first class both to and from Madrid, with one ticket costing $19,194.21 and another coming in at just under $16,000. Two other roundtrip fares were about $12,000. And the other five ranged from $9,000 to $11,000.
Responding to the employee question Monday, Washington said, "I think the conference was worthwhile. It was a great investment in our folks." He explained the high cost of tickets, saying "All of the travel requests should be done at the same time. In this case they were not. Some travel requests came in a little later."
Washington explained to employees, "In this case some prices went up at the wrong time when we were reserving those tickets."
Robert Laney, a travel consultant who specializes in seat upgrades for international flights, said the airport should simply have waited a bit longer to buy tickets as prices would have come down.
"You would have hit a day where United would have come down to earth and you would have seen eight (thousand), nine (thousand) at some point in time," said Laney.
He said he was in "shock, disbelief" that Denver International Airport paid so much for business class seats to Spain.
Records and receipts obtained during the CBS News investigation showed most of the tickets for the airport execs were purchased several months in advance -- none were last minute purchases.
The money used to buy the tickets on United were derived from Denver International Airport revenues from concessions, car rentals and other airport user fees.
Washington told the airport employees "We are reviewing our (travel) policy. There are some revisions we could make to that policy."
An airport spokesperson said there are no specific policy changes to share yet, as the airport is looking at their entire policy that allowed the pricey travel, from travel requests to booking to reimbursements.
"But," said Washington, "I stand by the professional development opportunity as an investment in our people that will pay off in the long run."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Scroggins Law Group Launches Guide to Help U.S. Citizens Understand the Divorce Process
New online resource breaks down legal procedures and child custody issues for individuals navigating divorce nationwide. Frisco, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - July 27, 2025) - Scroggins Law Group, a North Texas-based family law firm, has released a new online guide to help individuals across the United States in understanding the divorce process. The guide provides a step-by-step overview of key elements in divorce proceedings, including filing requirements, child custody considerations, and property division. Scroggins Law Group Launches Guide to Help U.S. Citizens Understand the Divorce Process To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: The resource aims to support individuals at different stages of a divorce by presenting legal procedures in clear, accessible language. While grounded in Texas law, the guide outlines the typical stages of a divorce-from filing the petition to the final decree-in a format that may also assist readers from other jurisdictions seeking general information. The firm, composed of top-notch divorce lawyers and child custody lawyers, said the guide responds to a frequent concern among those dealing with family law issues: the lack of understandable, reliable legal information. Many people entering the divorce process often feel overwhelmed or unsure of their next steps. Scroggins Law Group created the guide to help reduce confusion and provide clarity on what to expect. The firm said by offering this structured and straightforward resource, the team hopes to ease some of the uncertainty people experience when beginning a divorce. It's part of the firm's ongoing effort to make the legal process more transparent for those going through a major life change. The publication covers a range of financial and parenting issues that commonly emerge during divorce proceedings. Topics include temporary orders, discovery, mediation, and trial preparation. The guide also focuses on critical concerns such as child custody arrangements and the division of community property, offering readers a better understanding of how these matters are typically handled under Texas family law. Scroggins Law Group noted that this release represents a business milestone in its wider mission to support individuals during family transitions. Many clients start their divorce journey with limited knowledge of legal procedures. The guide is meant to serve as a foundation for more informed decision-making. Led by attorney Mark L. Scroggins, who is board-certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, the firm provides legal services across Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Allen, Fort Worth, and other surrounding cities. The team has more than 100 years of combined experience handling divorce and custody matters, including litigation, mediation, and enforcement of court orders. This new publication builds on Scroggins Law Group's ongoing role as a legal advocate for individuals facing both contested and uncontested divorces. The firm's website offers further information on its services and provides free access to the new guide. About Scroggins Law Group Scroggins Law Group, PLLC, is a full-service family law firm based in North Texas. The firm handles a range of family law cases, including divorce, custody, child support, mediation, and high net worth separations. Led by board-certified divorce lawyer Mark L. Scroggins, the practice is known for delivering focused legal representation tailored to the needs of each case. Serving communities such as Dallas, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, and Fort Worth, the firm's team of divorce lawyers and child custody lawyers brings decades of combined experience to resolving complex family law issues. Scroggins Law Group remains committed to offering accessible and practical support for individuals navigating divorce and custody matters. Contact Info:Name: Mark ScrogginsEmail: mark@ Scroggins Law GroupPhone: 972-754-4380Website: To view the source version of this press release, please visit Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
AT&T Shares Have Sunk Despite a Subscriber Surge. Time to Buy the Dip?
Key Points AT&T continues to see strong subscriber additions. However, investors were disappointed that the company did not raise guidance. 10 stocks we like better than AT&T › AT&T (NYSE: T) has quietly been a great-performing stock over the past couple of years, but it has pulled back after the company failed to raise its guidance when it reported its second quarter results. Investors were expecting a hike after rival Verizon Communications did so a couple of days earlier. Let's look at AT&T's results to see if the pullback is a buying opportunity. Strong subscriber growth When it comes to wireless subscriber growth, AT&T has taken advantage of a Verizon price hike earlier this year to gain customers. In the second quarter, it added 479,000 retail postpaid subscribers, including 401,000 retail postpaid phone additions. It did lose 34,000 prepaid subscribers, but that is generally viewed as a less important segment than subscribers who get a monthly bill. Overall mobility-segment revenue increased 6.7% to $21.8 billion. Mobility service revenue rose 3.5% to $16.9 billion, while equipment sales surged 18.8% to $5 billion. Postpaid phone average revenue per subscriber (ARPU) edged up 1.1% to $57.04. Turning to broadband, AT&T added 243,000 fiber subscribers and 203,000 internet air subscribers. The company lost 93,000 non-fiber subscribers as they continued to switch to faster options. Broadband ARPU climbed by 7.5% to $71.16, while fiber ARPU rose by 6.2% to $73.26. Total consumer broadband revenue was up 5.8% to $3.5 billion. Fiber will be a big focus for the company, with it looking to ramp up its investment to a pace of 4 million new locations per year. It just surpassed 30 million fiber locations and is looking to double that number by 2030, including through assets it has agreed to acquire, its Gigapower joint venture with BlackRock, and agreements it has with other commercial open-access providers. The investment in fiber will be helped by new tax provisions in the "One Big, Beautiful Bill" that allow some assets to immediately be fully depreciated in the year they go into use. On the downside, AT&T's business wireline segment saw a 9.3% decrease in revenue to $4.3 billion. The segment flipped from an operating profit of $102 million in the second quarter of last year to a loss of $201 million this year. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) for the segment fell 11.3% to $1.3 billion. Total revenue rose by 3.5% to $30.8 billion, while adjusted earnings per share (EPS) jumped by 5.8% to $0.54. The results surpassed Wall Street expectations for adjusted EPS of $0.52 on revenue of $30.8 billion. AT&T generated $9.8 billion in operating cash flow, and free cash flow of $4.4 billion. It paid out just over $2 billion in dividends, good for a coverage ratio of 2.2 times. The company has held its quarterly dividend of $0.28 steady since May 2022, and the stock currently has about a 4% forward dividend yield. Looking ahead, the company largely kept its guidance intact, which was disappointing after Verizon raised its full-year EPS outlook. AT&T is looking for its mobility service revenue to grow by 3% or better, with adjusted EPS of between $1.97 to $2.07, which would be down from the $2.26 it produced in 2024. It forecast free cash flow to be in the low to mid $16 billion range. Metric Prior Guidance New Guidance Mobility service revenue growth The higher end of 2% to 3% 3% or better Adjusted EPS $1.97 to $2.07 $1.97 to $2.07 Adjusted EBITDA 3% or better 3% or better Free cash flow $16 billion-plus In the low to mid $16 billion range Source: AT&T Further out, AT&T expects to spend between $23 billion to $24 billion a year on capital expenditures (capex) in both 2026 and 2027. It projects that its free cash flow will be more than $18 billion in 2026 and more than $19 billion in 2027. Should investors buy the dip? AT&T has been taking it to Verizon in subscriber additions, offering more-aggressive deals on smartphones and keeping prices lower than its rivals, while committing to strong network reliability. Its overall second-quarter results were solid; however, investors were clearly looking for the company to raise EPS guidance after Verizon increased its forecast and with the tax benefits it will see from the One Big, Beautiful Bill. But these tax benefits will eventually hit the bottom line, and the company is looking to take advantage of the bill to more aggressively grow its fiber network. That's a smart move given that Verizon is set to greatly expand its fiber network when it completes its acquisition of Frontier Communications next year. Also, 2026 could be the year of the bundle for wireless companies, and AT&T is looking to ramp up its fiber network to compete against what should become a stronger Verizon. Even with the stock's pullback, AT&T still trades at a large premium to Verizon. It has a forward price-to-earnings multiple (P/E) of about 13.5 based on 2025 earnings estimates, versus a forward P/E of 9 for Verizon. Until recently, Verizon historically had the higher multiple. Given the valuation gap, its higher yield (about 6%), and Verizon's impending Frontier acquisition, I prefer it over AT&T. Nonetheless, I think both can be strong long-term investments, and both should benefit from the One Big, Beautiful Bill. Should you invest $1,000 in AT&T right now? Before you buy stock in AT&T, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and AT&T wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $636,628!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,063,471!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,041% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 183% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 21, 2025 Geoffrey Seiler has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Verizon Communications. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. AT&T Shares Have Sunk Despite a Subscriber Surge. Time to Buy the Dip? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
You Can Try Google's New 'Vibe Coding' App For Free Right Now
Google has been working to improve its AI coding capabilities alongside other AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. Many believe that AI can improve coding workflows, and it has proven time and time again that it can make the job more efficient and easier. Some have even taken to 'vibe coding,' which is the act of basically letting AI do all of the work and then just ensuring it works before you implement it. Vibe coding, many argue, is the lazy way out. Others have seen it as a way to open up the world of coding to people who might otherwise struggle to put out the code they're trying to make. And Google has been leaning into this a bit already, with the debut of Jules, an AI coding agent, earlier this year. But now Google is looking to go a step further. Instead of just helping you improve on your own code, as Jules is designed to do, a new agent called Opal will help you dive deep into vibe coding. And if you're interested in trying it, then you can sign up for Google Labs and try out Opal for yourself today for free. An AI Agent Designed To Build Apps With Natural Language Google says that Opal is designed to build, edit, and share mini-AP apps using natural language. This means you should be able to tell the AI exactly what you want -- by saying something like "make an app to order breakfast" -- and then it will spit out a project that you can tweak and change fairly effortlessly. Opal also makes it easy to share your apps, allowing you to package them and show them off with minimal effort. Of course, vibe coding is a novel idea that could open the door for new coding opportunities. But it could also turn out really poorly if you don't know what you're doing. While vibe coding has garnered a lot of praise and interest, it also has its risks. Recently, a venture capitalist shared details about an ongoing project he'd been working on using Replit, an AI designed to help with vibe coding. Despite putting hours of work into the project, the AI deleted his entire database simply because it "panicked." Despite these downsides, it's hard to argue with how easy vibe coding makes projects, and having more accessible apps like Opal will only lead to more improvements across the board. You just have to decide if the ease of use is worth it, or if you're one of the many who believe innovations like this could make it easier for AI to overtake humanity. Read the original article on BGR.
