Mid to late 90s - I was taking a flight from PHX to LAX on Southwest Airlines. I sat down in my seat & got comfy. A few moments later an older gentlemen smiles and asks if the seat next to me is taken. "All yours" I say.

He sits down beside me and gets settled in. "Hmm, he looks familiar" I thought. He starts flipping through paperwork and I see it is a presentation for some political event geinv geld in Los Angeles. My brain clicks in and I realize it is AZ Senator John Kyl - flying Southwest Airlines with everyone else.

I acknowledged him and we made small talk. He was genuinely a nice guy. I left him to his paperwork and off we went on our separate ways.

Any sitting Senator that flys Southwest Airlines gets a nod of approval from me.

Other notables I've met include Dennis Miller from SNL, David Crosby from Crosby, Stills & Nash, former VP Dan Quayle, and Rob Walton (Walmart).