Kate Middleton surprises travellers by flying home in commercial plane

Every well-known celebrity or public figure travels in private jets on their overseas trips, so the same must be true for royalty, right?  Well, not quite.

As passengers on a British Airways flight from Rotterdam, Netherlands to London found out - sometimes, royalty can go commercial too.

On Monday evening (Oct 10),  the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, shocked passengers when she walked into a commercial plane at the end of her first official trip without Prince William.

The 34-year-old mother of Prince George and Princess Charlotte was dressed in a pale blue skirt suit by French designer Catherine Walker.

According to International Business Times, Middleton was with her bodyguards and kept a low profile during the 50-minute flight. She also spoke to a member of the flight crew before taking her seat near the front of the plane.

Several travellers on the same flight immediately whipped out their phones to take pictures of the rare sight.

A passenger on the flight said he had "never seen so many iPhones pop up at once" after passengers rushed to take photos, Daily Mail reported.

One Twitter user posted a photo along with a comment that said she looked like an air stewardess.

Coincidentally, Middleton's mother, Carole Middleton, was formerly a flight attendant for British Airways, British media reported.

This is not the first time the royal family is travelling via commercial plane. According to People online, the royal couple flew a long-haul British Airways commercial flight from Los Angeles to London in 2011. In 2014, the Prince was also seen seated in economy class on a US domestic flight from Memphis to Dallas.

Talk about a royal family with real class.

stephluo@sph.com.sg