WASHINGTON, D.C.: Crowds gathered at American Airlines' Terminal D of the Reagan National Airport when they received news that former President Joe Biden was among the passengers.

Despite the fog-induced delay, eager passengers, incoming and outgoing, began milling near the gate to catch a glimpse of the president or shake his hand.

Joe Biden, who has rarely appeared in public since leaving office last year, was sitting at an airport waiting for a delayed flight to Columbia, South Carolina, where he was scheduled to attend an evening event with the South Carolina Democratic Party.

Other passengers quietly stared and whispered, surprised that a former president was dealing with the same travel delays as everyone else, even though he was surrounded by security officers.

For Biden, this may not have been unusual. When he was a senator, he was known as "Amtrak Joe" because he often took the train home to Delaware instead of living full-time in Washington. Even after leaving the presidency, he has been seen traveling by train, taking selfies, and talking with passengers.

On February 27, the atmosphere was similar. Biden sat in the third row of the small first-class section of a commuter plane. He boarded early with his security team, who were seated throughout the aircraft.

As passengers walked by, some greeted him warmly. One woman said, "God bless you, sir." A man shook his hand and thanked him for his service.

The woman assigned to the seat next to him placed her coffee on the shared armrest, put her bag in the overhead bin, and then realized she was sitting beside the country's 46th president.

Biden gently held her cup to keep it steady and greeted her. She became emotional and said she felt like crying. They talked and shook hands, chatting during the flight.

By law, former presidents and their spouses receive lifelong Secret Service protection. However, they are not guaranteed the special private travel arrangements they had while in office.