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An aide to New York City’s mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing scrutiny after a string of entitled social media outbursts aimed at airline employees has been revealed.
Mathis Roy Vigne, a staffer responsible for publicity and events for Mamdani, allegedly used his X account over several years to publicly berate airline employees and customer service teams over issues ranging from lounge access to in-flight beverage service. The Washington Free Beacon reported that his posts repeatedly targeted multiple international carriers.
One of the earliest incidents dates back to December 2019, when Vigne complained about being denied entry to an American Airlines lounge after traveling in Business Class to Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) through New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). He directed his frustration at the airline’s social media staff after being turned away from the Flagship® lounge inside Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). The posts suggested he felt personally slighted by the denial and questioned why he should ever fly the airline again.
n April 2020, Vigne lashed out again, this time claiming he was downgraded from Business Class to Economy Class on an Air France flight. He described himself as disgusted with the airline’s customer service and demanded the issue be fixed. Later that year, he posted additional complaints while also highlighting his elite travel status (accusing a check-in agent of being rude and unhelpful).
In another widely shared post, Vigne criticized SWISS, alleging that the airline failed to complete beverage service onboard. He claimed some passengers were left with dry throats because service began too late. He also complained that flight attendants required tray tables to be stowed without collecting trash (framing it as a poor first impression).
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vigne’s grievances expanded beyond service complaints into health-related criticism. In December 2020, he attacked Aer Lingus for operating only one daily flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG), despite the airline citing COVID restrictions. Unsatisfied with the response, he demanded wellness kits with sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer.
In 2021, he called out Qatar Airways after alleging a nearby passenger was allowed to fly without properly wearing a mask. He also criticized SWISS boarding procedures, claiming they were not boarding passengers front to back.
He also complained about conditions at Paris Orly Airport (ORY) and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) (citing crowding, mask usage, and a lack of hand sanitizer in boarding areas).
Vigne graduated from Columbia University in New York City in May 2024 and has worked on multiple Democratic campaigns (including Mamdani’s mayoral run and Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign). His LinkedIn profile highlights his political experience and he has been photographed alongside Mamdani and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He interned for her in 2025.
Anthony’s Take: The resurfaced posts have drawn attention not only because of their tone toward frontline airline staff, but also because of Vigne’s role in the administration of one of the nation’s most high-profile progressive mayors. His words are quite elitist with a focus on lounges and premium cabins.
(Featured Image Credit: ChatGPT and Facebook.)
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1 comment
This Vigne comes across as a truly exceptional level jerk. The only one of his plethora of gripes that seems justified is the involuntary downgrade. Mandami would do well to jettison him, both from a PR catastrophe standpoint and to rid himself of a whiny prima donna. This Jon Levine character comes across as a self-righteous swine here as well, so he may want to ditch the smug trite bandwagon vibe.