Prince William, Kate Middleton Spotted Getting off $80 per Seat Budget Flight Amid Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Vacation Backlash

As controversy continues to swirl surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s frequent use of private jets, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis – were spotted taking a budget airline while headed to Scotland.

According to The Sun, the family of five were spotted aboard a FlyBe plane, an airline for which seats cost just $80, for an 8:45 a.m. flight from Norwich International Airport to Aberdeen Airport to pay a visit to the Queen and Prince Philip at Balmoral.

You can see photos of the royals as well, as a video of them once they were off the plane via The Sun by clicking here.

Passengers aboard the flight, many of whom were unaware that the Cambridges were sitting among them, said the family sat towards the front of the plane with Middleton’s mother, Carole Middleton, and their children’s nanny, Maria Borrallo, accompanying them. Once the plane landed, they were escorted off and onto the tarmac, where two black Range Rovers were waiting for them.

“The family were sat right at the front. I fly this route all the time and we were none the wiser. No-one knew they were on the flight,” one passenger told the outlet. “Later on I realised that Kate’s mother was sat a few rows in front of me.”

“Earlier in the flight, I’d had the feeling that someone had come on the plane that I’d recognised – but I thought it was just a footballer,” another passenger aboard the 40-seat plane said. “We landed, and people then saw two black Range Rovers on the tarmac. Suddenly, Will, Kate, and the kids all got up, and left.”

The family trip via an economy airline with commoners comes in stark contrast to the recent luxury-style trips the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have embarked on in recent weeks. In just an 11-day time span, the couple, along with their 3-month-old son Archie, boarded a private jet four separate times, something that has sparked plenty of backlash given Harry’s tendency to speak out against climate change and environmental issues.

Some have defended their private jet use, which is estimated to emit seven times more emissions per person than commercial flights, stating that it is a necessity due to their publicity, which makes them a security risk. Royal author Robert Jobson, however, contradicted those claims.

“There was a lot of nonsense spoken earlier in the week about how Prince Harry and Meghan Markle needed to fly in private jets because of security concerns. But the Royal Family have been using cheap airlines for years, Princess Diana would do it frequently,” he said, according to the Daily Mail. “William and Kate flying on a budget airline proves you can do it, there was no trouble on the flight, and if there was they have their protection officers….A lot of people are claiming the royals are costing too much at the moment, and William is putting his money where his mouth is by going budget.”

Responding to the travel methods, Kensington Palace stated, “we do not comment on what they do with their private time as a family.”