Prince William and his wife, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, are no strangers to flying commercial, often shunning private jets or government VIP airplanes for far more cost-effective, regularly scheduled passenger flights.
You would have thought, however, that given William’s status in the British Royal Family as the heir to the throne, he – along with Kate and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis – would, at the very least, be traveling in First Class.
Not so, claims former flight attendant and Love Island: All Stars contestant, Helena Ford, who spilled the beans during a chat at the villa with her fellow Islanders during an episode of the latest season filmed in South Africa.
A former crew member for British Airways (which just so happens to be William and Kate’s favorite airline), Helena revealed the secret to how taxpayers pick up the tab for their international jaunts.
“They can’t fly the highest cabin. So, if there’s a First [Class], they have to fly in Business,” Helena divulged.
“Essentially, they can’t take First Class, and if there’s no First Class, they’d have to sit in Traveller Plus (Premium Economy),” Helena added.
Helena says the Royal couple had been passengers on one of her jet-setting trips abroad, and, given that the airplane did have a First Class cabin, William and Kate were relegated to Business Class.
Thankfully, Helena had nothing bad to say about the couple, describing them as being “really nice.”
It’s not, however, completely true to say that the Prince and Princess of Wales never get to fly in First Class. In 2022, for example, they were snapped in a First Class cabin of a British Airways plane as they flew to Boston for the Earthshot Prize Awards.
Now, it could be that on this occasion, First Class was the only premium seat type available on the plane at that time they were booked, or that when space allows, British Airways takes it upon itself to upgrade members of the Royal Family for free, to afford them more privacy, even if they booked a Business Class ticket.
There’s little chance that you’ll find William and Kate traveling down the back in Economy on a British Airways, but the pair aren’t unaccustomed to flying in Economy seats on budget carriers, including Ryanair.
Occasionally, the couple also use the RAF’s Voyager Airbus A330 VIP aircraft for official overseas engagements, but Royal commentators believe William and Kate are very mindful of not appearing to look like they are wasting taxpayer money.
