At the March 21 Southlake City Council meeting, council voted to amend the city’s travel policy to allow elected officials to fly business class instead of coach when traveling on official visits to the city’s sister cities, which are Tome City, Japan, and Wuzhong District, China.

Mayor Laura Hill said that since council duties take time away from members’ businesses causing them to lose vacation time and profit, she feels the change is valid.

“Having now traveled to China, I don’t think it’s reasonable that we’re making that trip flying in coach,” Hill said.

Council Member Randy Williamson said it is normal for businesses to pay for business class.

“When we take these trips to represent our city we still have to run our businesses, and anybody who has sat on the type of that flight in coach knows it is virtually impossible to try and do work,” he said. “This is a standard practice in corporate America on transoceanic flights.”

However, Council Member Gary Fawks disagreed.

“My experience is different form Randy’s,” he said. “I’ve traveled to China as often as six times a year. I never worked for a company who would pay for business class. A trip flying coach is $1,420, but business is $6,111.”

Hill said the council is invited to a sister city about once every two years for business.

“These trips are invitations from another government for [city] officials to visit,” she said. “We are not on vacation.”