Princess Catherine and Prince William reportedly face unusual restrictions when travelling on commercial flights, including a rule about which cabin they can use.
Helena Ford, a former British Airways flight attendant and former Love Island contestant, discussed royal travel arrangements on the Private Parts podcast.
Speaking to Hello!, she said the Prince and Princess of Wales are not permitted to travel in the highest cabin available on commercial flights.
According to Ford, when a flight offers First Class, the couple would travel in Business Class instead. If First Class is unavailable, she said they would use Traveller Plus.
Ford recalled working on a flight carrying William and Catherine, saying they were seated in Business Class because the aircraft also had a First Class cabin.
She added that the Business Class section was occupied by security personnel dressed as ordinary passengers.
The arrangement illustrates how security can be incorporated into commercial travel without being immediately obvious to other passengers. Ford also claimed that members of the royal family sometimes travel under fake names.
Royal Travel Arrangements
Ford said British Airways is reportedly the royals’ preferred airline, although she did not know why they were restricted from using the highest cabin.
Separate travel has also reportedly been considered for senior members of the royal family because travelling on different aircraft could reduce the risk of multiple senior royals being affected by the same incident.
However, William, Catherine and their children have travelled together in recent years because using two aircraft for every journey would not be considered economical or cost-effective.
A royal spokesman said in 2014 that there was no official rule requiring senior royals to travel separately, adding that the Queen had the final say.
The reported arrangements show that royal commercial travel involves considerations beyond ordinary passenger seating, combining cabin restrictions, security planning and logistical decisions.
Sources: Hello!, Private Parts podcast, Royal Observer
