Thrifty governor charms Californians in coach

Talk about flying solo.

Passengers did a double take on Southwest Flight 896 from Sacramento to Burbank on Thursday when they saw California Gov. Jerry Brown sitting among them - sans entourage - on his first trip to Los Angeles since being sworn in last month.

The Democratic governor was in budget-cutting mode, sitting in an economy seat after he opted not to pay the $16 extra for Southwest's "business select" seating. That's not all: Sources say Brown also relishes taking the airline's senior discount.

Brown traveled without the accoutrements that Californians have come to expect from the executive who runs the world's eighth-largest economy: He had no press aides, no security and even lacked the company of his chief adviser, wife Anne Gust Brown.

"The people of California are good company," Brown told The Chronicle, after spending the flight in lively conversation with Department of Corrections employee Tianne Rios, who sat nearby.

"You're the governor, aren't you?" she asked as an introduction when she took a seat in the third row. "Nice to meet you. I work for you."

He appeared relaxed and in a good mood, and passengers heading down the aisles to see their governor seemed happy to have him along for the ride.

J.J. Jelincic, a board member of CalPERS, the state's public employee retirement fund, sat behind Brown and also chatted with him. He said the governor's low-cost travel "seems terribly appropriate these days."

Rhino Records Senior Vice President Mark Pinkus was delighted to be sitting two seats behind the shirt-sleeved governor. "It's saving us money, and it's 'of the people' of California," said Pinkus, who oversees the catalog and recordings of the Grateful Dead.

"I voted for him," Pinkus said, "and I've got faith we're going to come out of this mess."