Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are back in Australia for the first time since 2018, but this time, the focus is not on a royal tour…it’s on how they got there.
Harry And Meghan Flew Qantas Business Class To Australia…There’s A Reason They Didn’t Fly First
Several outlets have noted that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle flew business class on a Qantas commercial flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Melbourne (MEL) this week, a notable change from their 2018 trip, when they traveled on a private jet. Fox News was flummoxed as to why the couple did not fly first class with a skeptical headline, “Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ditch first class seats, experts question if move was a ‘strategy.’”
Um no, unless the strategy was to fly nonstop to the first engagement…
That framing misses an important detail.
Qantas Aircraft Shift From A380 To 787
Qantas is phasing out the Airbus A380 on its Los Angeles to Melbourne route, the only Qantas aircraft with a dedicated first class cabin. Instead, the airline now uses the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner five days per week and the A380 twice per week. On October 25, 2026, the A380 will be dropped altogether and only the 789-9 will operate that route.
That aircraft does not have a first class cabin…there was no first class to book.
So while headlines suggest the couple “downgraded” or made a conscious choice to skip first class, the reality is much simpler: business class was the highest available cabin on that flight…it probably did not make sense to wait a several days for the A380 based on their busy schedule in Australia. In fact, their flight departed on Sunday, April 12, 2026…had they waited for the A380, they would have had to connect in Sydney or wait until Thursday, April 16 (the A380 operates on Thursdays and Saturdays).
The couple apparently discreetly boarded and slept through most of the flight, with many passengers not realizing it was them until QF94 landed in Melbourne.
This trip was also different in nature.
When Harry and Meghan last visited Australia in 2018, the trip was an official royal tour, with tightly controlled travel arrangements. This time, they flew commercially, in a private capacity.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be in Australia for the next several days.
Business Class Is Still A Premium Product
It’s also worth noting that Qantas business class on the 787-9 is hardly a horrible ride…I had to chuckle that the “mainstream media” is lauding them for “trading royal luxury for what appears to be a more low-key entrance.”
Travelling on a commercial flight I feel was a very good move on their part as they continue to be seen as part of the people rather than in some privileged position and that will get noticed by the Australian press too.
While it lacks the exclusivity of first class, it still offers a lie-flat bed and a premium longhaul experience. For a roughly 15-hour flight to Australia, that’s more than sufficient for most travelers…
The bigger takeaway here is not that Harry and Meghan chose to fly business class, but that the narrative around that choice is being oversimplified.
CONCLUSION
Harry and Meghan did fly business class to Australia, but not necessarily because they passed on first class.
On the Qantas 787-9 operating the Los Angeles to Melbourne route, first class simply is not an option. Sometimes the explanation is not about strategy, optics, or cost. It’s about the aircraft…
image: @royalsussex / Instagram
Friends, *most* business class is plenty fine enough. Lie-flat, better meal, etc.
Reminds me of the scene in The Crown, where Prince Charles is depicted flying BA in business class to Hong Kong while PM Blair is in First on what appeared to be the 747.
Anyway, hope the family had a nice time Down-Under.
I vividly remember that scene too! Too bad there’s not one more season of The Crown with all the drama from the last decade, including ex-Prince Andrew.
I, too, really enjoyed the series. I wish Peter Morgan were willing to continue The Crown beyond season 6. Maybe, after more ‘distance’ he or someone else will do something similar.
Speaking of aviation-related dramatic series… have you seen ‘Love Story,’ yet? (Wow. Just wow. Really well done. Excellent depictions of NYC in the 90s, too.) In the finale, they sorta get into the ‘spatial disorientation’ that JFK, Jr. likely experienced while piloting his Piper Saratoga over the Atlantic at night. (The series was on FX; I watched it via Disney+ using my Amex Platinum digital entertainment credit, naturally.)
During the time if that scene in 1997, BA had loe flat seats for first but not business class, right?
Charles wrote: “It took me some time to realise that this was not first class (!) although it puzzled me as to why the seat seemed so uncomfortable.” And other dignitaries were “ensconced in First Class immediately below us. Such is the end of Empire, I sighed to myself.”
He took The Royal Britannia home (last voyage for the royal yacht), so flew only one-way. Bah!
I’m sympathetic towards the couple. It takes some thick skin to endure the criticism and scrutiny they face. Even if it’s simply their choice of flight.
They weee damned if they did, damned if they didn’t. Had they taken a flight that did have first class, FOX would have dinged them fornthat as well.
Compared to the constant shite they fling at the Royal Family they left?
That’s so weird that Fox News is misleading their readers. I wouldn’t expect that from them.
Zing!
Certainly today, there are reasons for news outlets to hype, outright mislead (if not lie), or sorta mislead. There’s a website that likes to run a “Costco to Close All Stores in a Week” headline a week before Easter. But, before that, and even today, general-topic reporters aren’t very smart people, in my experience. Everytime they deal with a topic I know a bit about, they get key elements wrong.
Eh, it’s all ‘hype’ until it actually happens. Currently, there are still 13 Costco locations in Ohio. Ironically, Costco is in Australia, too. 15 locations (2 more than Ohio!) Supposedly, a US-based membership works there, too. See, This comes to mind, we’re learning things on here. Together. Aww.
Absolutely zero sympathy for these two narcissistic grifters. They made the Queen’s final years detestable, and just didn’t care.
The stress of the Montecitos abdicating combined with the shame of Andrew’s shady shenanigans probably took a year off QE2’s life.
I do feel bad for him. He was raised by an ego-centric woman and an emotionless father whose marriage was a farce. He knew he was a “spare.” He wanted to revolt, but realized he had no money or ability to pay for anything, including protection. He’s maybe 4/10 on my compassion scale.
I’d bump that up a little higher, like a 6 or 7…
He did serve in military and was attending a ceremony in Canberra. I think his heart is in the right place.
He was fine until he met Queen Narcissa.
If he loves her, and clearly he does, who are we to judge?
What’s the difference between a “dedicated first class cabin” and simply a first class cabin?
A ribbon cutting ceremony.