An aide to Zohran Mamdani is under fire after resurfaced social media posts revealed him fuming over being denied elite airport lounge access and high-end airline privileges — drawing accusations of hypocrisy from critics who say his complaints clash with the mayor’s socialist image.
Mathis E. Roy Vigne, an advance staffer for the self-described democratic socialist mayor, erupted in a series of years-old posts on X complaining about business-class seating, packed flights, and being forced to travel alongside “ordinary” passengers, according to screenshots uncovered by the Washington Free Beacon.
In a December 2019 post, Vigne lashed out at American Airlines after allegedly being denied access to its exclusive Flagship Lounge at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and redirected instead to the Admirals Club.
“After reviewing your webpage and remembering they told me that I did qualify for access to the Flagship lounge, I stay frustrated and still feel disrespected by your staff for, again, no reason,” Vigne wrote, adding that the lounge had been a key reason he chose the airline.

“Maybe it’s bc they did not like my face; idk. This lounge was a reason for me to choose @AmericanAir over your competitors… Why should I fly American ever again?”
The self-described “aviation enthusiast” also vented at Air France in April 2020 after being bumped from business class to economy, writing that he was “disgusted” and “outraged” and demanding the airline “fix this.”
Months later, he again blasted the airline for allegedly mistreating him when he tried to claim “two complimentary checked bags” tied to his “Blue Silver Status,” complaining that an agent had been “rude” to him.
Online critics seized on the posts, labeling Vigne a “champagne socialist” and mocking what they described as entitlement inconsistent with left-wing rhetoric about class struggle and equality.
“I hope the right people with the airlines see this and put him on a do not fly list,” one user wrote. “These people are so unhappy they b—ch about everything. The lounge isn’t up to his standards? Sorry he has to join the rest of us.”
Vigne is also listed as a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, a group that frequently criticizes corporate privilege and economic inequality — fueling further backlash over what critics see as luxury grievances dressed up as consumer rights.
A spokesperson for Mamdani did not immediately respond to requests for comment.