12:15 PM ET UPDATE: Speculation as to what flights Prince Harry would choose for the historic coronation of his father in London have now been fully answered: he flew American Airlines for the outbound and is now flying British Airways home to Los Angeles.
The Duke of Sussex just departed London Heathrow onboard British Airways flight BA269 at 3:45 PM local time and will touch down in Los Angeles at 7:14 PM, about 20 minutes behind schedule due to strong headwinds, arriving in the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
Paparazzi hoping to catch him in the immigration arrivals hall will likely be disappointed; in past trips, he has been whisked from the aircraft directly into a car waiting for him on the tarmac.
Harry was in London for just over 24 hours and proceeded directly from the coronation service of King Charles III in Westminster Abbey to London Heathrow Airport.
10:00 AM ET UPDATE: Speculation as to what flights Prince Harry would choose for the historic coronation of his father in London have been partially answered: he chose American Airlines for the outbound.
On Thursday May 5, 2023, the Duke of Sussex flew AA136, an American Airlines 777-300ER which was scheduled to depart Los Angeles at 4:15 pm and arrive into London at 10:50 am. The flight actually LAX left at 4:32 pm, arriving at 11:23 am into LHR.
Prince Harry will shortly be returning to Los Angeles, with the bets on either BA269, which departs at 3:45 pm or on AA135, which departs at 5:00 pm. Both flights offer first class (with first class seats still for sale on the 5:00 pm AA flight). I’m guessing he is on British Airways, which will get allow him to get back to California before 7:00 pm, where his son is celebrating his fourth birthday today.
Prince Harry is a man after my own heart. He lives in California and has a beautiful wife and two young children. He travels quite a bit, but seeks to properly balance his professional responsibilities with his family life. That has created a delicate situation when it comes to attending the coronation of his father, King Charles III, in London on Saturday. With time limited, which flights will Prince Harry be taking to London and back for the coronation?
Prince Harry Will Fly To London For Only 24 Hours To Attend Coronation: Which Flights Will He Choose?
On Saturday, the United Kingdom will hold its first coronation ceremony in 70 years when King Charles III and The Queen Consort are enthroned in Westminster Abbey. Royals from the houses of Europe and the Middle East will be in attendance and First Lady Jill Biden will lead the US delegation. Prince Harry, the King’s youngest son, will be in attendance as well, though without his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, or his two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The British press has widely reported that Prince Harry will only be on the ground in London for 24 hours this week. That is because the coronation falls on his son Archie’s fourth birthday. Therefore, the plan is for Harry to fly to London on Thursday, arriving Friday, then leaving Saturday afternoon directly after the ceremony so that he can make it home to Montecito, California in time for an evening birthday celebration for his son.
When I attended the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee last year, I also skedaddled to Heathrow Airport the moment it was over to take a late afternoon flight to Los Angeles so that I could have dinner with my family. It’s nice to see I am not the only one what wants to have my cake and eat it too (attend important functions, even if they are thousands of miles away, but still be home for dinner).
Harry has chosen American Airlines for his last couple trips (it is not clear why), but looking at his options on Thursday we see 12 nonstop choices, with departure times ranging from 12:45 pm to 11:20 pm:
If was betting, I suspect Harry will take the late 11:20 pm American Airlines flight, which gives him the entire day with his family before jetting over to London. The 6:00 pm arrival also helps him minimize awkward encounters with his increasingly estranged family members. Maybe, though, he will take the 8:55 pm British Airways flight just so he has a back-up in case it goes mechanical. If flying first class, it will be AA136 at 4:15 pm, since that is the only first class option.
After the coronation, which will run from 11:00 am to approximately 12:00 pm local time, Harry has number of realistic choices to get back to California:
I’m betting he probably booked multiple flights, just in case, but it seems to me that the British Airways flight at 3:45pm would position his best to make it home for the tail end of Archie’s birthday party. If he landed on time at 6:55 pm, he could theoretically make it Santa Barbara before 9:00 pm to sing happy birthday.
CONCLUSION
Prince Harry is heading from California to London this week for a whirlwind 24-hour trip. Unless he flies private, which is typically does not do on a flight of this length, you can expect to catch him on one of the flights above.
As an aside, I will not be traveling to London this week. I certainly thought about it, but I was gone last week and so I will be watching from a distance. With Charles approaching 75 years old, I figure I will have another chance to attend a coronation in my lifetime when William takes the throne.
> Read More:
- Prince Harry Flies American Airlines First Class To London…In Sweats?
- Harry Chose American Airlines First Class Over British Airways
- Prince Harry Quickly Earning Elite Status With American Airlines
- Harry And Meghan Return To LAX, Reportedly On British Airways
image of Harry and Charles by Chris Allerton via @clarencehouse / Instagram
Who cares about this puppet?
LOL
Funny you are an avid traveler but didn’t think to check which LAX LON flights offer not business but First class. Only one airline does: American. Hmm. Wonder if that’s why he usually flies America Airlines when he slums it by flying commercial.
British Airways does too…
He flew American round trip.
sing happy birthday at a 4 year old’s birthday party at 9pm???
Sure, why not? My kids stay up late on special occasions.
Mine do too occasionally, but they don’t have parties that late. When is the last time you got an invite for a 4 year old’s birthday part that ended at 9pm?
AA134 and BA269? Both seem to have F seats blocked.
Admittedly not up on the royal family—RIP Diana—but what to make of all of the Post, Sky News, Page Six, and Daily Mail rumors?
1) Kate Middleton blocked Meghan Markle from attending coronation: ‘Sit at the back’
2) Royal family has ‘no interest’ in talking to Prince Harry at Charles’ coronation
3) King Charles ‘paralyzed by fear’ over Meghan, Harry as he risks ‘humiliation’: expert
4) Brits ‘rejoicing’ Meghan Markle won’t attend King Charles’ coronation
Markle and Harry, 38, reportedly inked a $100 million deal with the streaming giant for their six-episode show, while “Spare” became the fastest selling nonfiction book of all time.
“This guy’s done immense damage to the royal family and makes a fortune out of doing it,” Sophie Elsworth said of Harry. So shame on him, but hopefully he behaves himself at the coronation.”
—fair or unfair?
I would say letting a guy that wishes he were a tampon be king has done more damage to the royal family than Harry could ever do
my fav royal family quote
“In the event that I am reincarnated, I would like to return as a deadly virus, to contribute something to solving overpopulation.” –Prince Philip, 1988, to Deutsche Press-Agentur
Can I seriously ask why anyone cares about the “Royal family”? What, they were privileged enough to be born with a silver spoon in their mouths and are generally useless people. Where the same people typically demonize those who earned their wealth for being the “x%”. I’m just curious why anyone would care.
Authority, tradition, pomp & circumstance, among many other reasons, I suppose. Also perhaps that they own one-sixth of the world. Not edited for Charles but you get the idea:
The world’s primary feudal landowner is Queen Elizabeth II. She is Queen of 32 countries, head of a Commonwealth of 54 countries in which a quarter of the world’s population lives, and legal owner of about 6.6 billion acres of land, one-sixth of the earth’s land surface.
The Queen owns Australia and technically owns the land of any commonwealth she reigns over, which includes Australia and Canada, along with several Caribbean islands. The Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Plus Solomon Islands, Papa New Guinea, or Tuvalu, New Zealand, and the entire U.K.
The closest to her on that front is King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who owns a mere 547 million acres.
Well, tons of people in the US (and in many other countries) are born with silver spoons in their mouths, and are generally useless. Including many in Hollywood and US politics.
Agreed, but we hold far fewer ceremonies in their honor. Also, they are far more easily ignored. But you aren’t wrong.
Where else are fans of the royal family getting info like this?
The book features frequent references to the royal penis and readers are told that not only is it circumcised but also it was suffering from frostbite during his brother William’s 2011 wedding to Kate Middleton. Harry, who flew to the wedding directly from the North Pole where he had been on a charity trek, recalls: “Pa [Prince Charles] was very interested and sympathetic about the discomfort of my frostnipped ears and cheeks, and it was an effort not to overshare and tell him also about my equally tender penis.”
Later in the book, Harry says a friend advises him to put a fancy skincare cream on it to help it heal (“My mum used that on her lips. You want me to put that on my todger?” he apparently replied) before visiting a doctor on Harley Street for advice after Googling “partial penectomies.” A few years later, when he went on an expedition to the South Pole, Harry’s friend “hired a seamstress to make me a bespoke cock cushion” to ensure his royal appendage didn’t suffer again. According to Harry, it was a superb garment. “Square, supportive, it was sewn from pieces of the softest fleece and… Enough said.”
https://variety.com/2023/politics/global/10-juiciest-revelations-from-price-harry-memoir-spare-1235483553
I will just have to accept there are some things I will never know. How they have fans, and why this was written, is beyond my comprehension.
I was def a fan of Diana (I was a teenager bawling my eyes out watching her funeral lol) so I do understand the love for Harry and William–certainly not the rest of the murderous/treasonous fools. But neither heir or spare has impressed unfortunately. Too much like their father(s), I suppose.
No one is able to choose into what family they are born. So I cannot judge them for that. But they can choose how they live their life, including the ability to use their position to better the lives of others. Yeah, they have made some mistakes growing up, we all do. But for the most part, I don’t see much in the way of negative actions or activities on their part. No crime, addiction issues, or superiority complex (unlike some U.S. politicians or Hollywood types). Does Harry have some issues? Based on his interviews and books, yes. I am curious how much of his victim mentality was a seed planted in his mind and nurtured by his wife. As a father, I would not be surprised if Charles believes this to be true, and for that reason, will always leave the door open for him, because as a father, he loves his son.
Only guy in the world who gets a pass for wearing a Nazi uniform at a party.
Bad person in my opinion to consider “a man after my own heart”. You’re a much better person and family man than this guy.
Once again, South Park had it right.
Literally nobody cares. And if that rich woman spouting woke nonsense comes along, we care even less.
Shouldn’t a travel blog focus on the potential strike this weekend at Heathrow?
@nate nate, I’m more interested in the Royal Family.
Is First Class a must, or he’s fine in say business class on United or Virgin Atlantic
Another day.. another strike lately. What happened now lol
That was for Nate but anyway to your point about class of service, I would imagine the last row of economy is also acceptable to align with environmental concerns alone.. Greta is watching.
Oh the trauma of being the Duke and Duchess of Montecito. My guess is the Duke will fly private, because that is what the self-important types like him do, and because it’s all about Archie (as Harry turns for the photographers that will surely be along). And then the environmental warrior will be rested enough to lecture the rest of us to fly less and save the world. Yes, a great role model…
“A man after my own heart”??? Please… He would have stayed longer if it would have benefited him and provided him with content for his next book or Netflix series. Who cares who and when he’s flying? This article was something I’d expect to read in People Magazine and not a travel blog.
Haha, this is about right. I laughed reading your whole post.
To be fair, we all have our celebrity crushes and fans. I literally had framed photos of young James Franco all over my desk at work a decade ago lol
A bunch of people should book those flights and create a disturbance to cause a diversion to Bangor or Gander. Prince Harry might even thank them in his head.
Harry may wish to spend the day with his family…… I don’t think the family wants to spend a day (or even 5 minutes) with him, and don’t blame them after what he has done. Will be interesting to see if he gets front row seating, or is somewhere in the middle of the back, and attending the Buckingham Palace balcony “wave” would be awkward. Thank goodness Nutmeg is not coming – as my guess is she was not invited.
Love Derek’s idea of a lengthy flight diversion !…. how about a strike at Heathrow causing his flight to detour to say Moscow !.
I’d choose Polaris over all of those!
Crazy there are that many nonstop options. Shockingly, even with that much capacity, the loads still look pretty for for UA for the most part. I thought the second flight was going to struggle at first but now I tend to think it will stick around. I don’t check loads for any other airline but assume it’s a similar trend across the board.
While the loads seem decent, the yields might be a different story. A few of my co-workers who live in London flew out to LA for the weekend to come to a company event (on their own dime) and they got a round trip on Virgin for $350 USD. I couldn’t believe it, no way they are making money on that. Hopefully UA has better yields than that!
Good point. Does seem like a lot. Is this the normal schedule or heavier than normal
“I figure I will have another chance to attend a coronation in my lifetime when William takes the throne.”
Assuming the RF (as an institution) will still exist as it currently does by then…
Hasn’t Harry shown a preference in the past for flying on American? Though as you said, for the return, BA might be more convenient time wise.
He should take Flagship First and connect in JFK. His family is going to be around for the rest of his life, but the Soho lounge won’t stay as nice as it is now for much longer.
Just what every 4 year old wants. To stay awake until 9pm so Daddy can sing happy birthday.
Why not just have the birthday party on the Sunday so it can be at a normal time and everyone can attend? It’s not like a 4-year-old knows what date it is today.
First of all, I think this blog is terrific. I check it daily and almost always learn something from Matthew or my fellow posters. That said, I think it is always a bad idea to speculate on the specific travel plans of public people. It adds nothing to our shared interest of air travel and while it may be fun for some, absolutely nothing good can come from it.
Prince Harry flew on AA136 LAX-LHR 4:15 pm – 10:50 am which arrived on May 5th at 11:23 am, 33 minutes late.
Which flight might he leave on? The media is saying he’ll leave 2 hours after the coronation. AA135 leaves at 5 pm. BA269 leaving at 3:45 pm fits the 2 hour report better. I am leaning towards AA135 at 5 pm.
I do appreciate your interest in the royal family, but as a fellow royal fan I must advise that your protocol is really painful. My dear departed grandmother was a stickler for this and would be rolling in her grave if she read your piece.
You do not refer to a Duchess using their name and a definite article. Nor do you use her maiden name. It is not “Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex” but rather “Meghan, Duchess of Sussex” (and definitely not “Duchess Meghan of Sussex”). Her husband is “Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex” or just “Prince Harry”, or just the “Duke of Sussex”, but not “Prince Harry, THE Duke of Sussex”.
Similarly, when using the titles of Prince and Princess, there are no last names to be used but rather the title. It is not “Princess Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor”, but rather “Princess Lilibet of Sussex”. The exception is when the Prince or Princess has a title related to a principality (as opposed to deriving that as a subsidiary title). So it would not be “Prince William of Wales”, but rather “(HRH) William, Prince of Wales” or simply “(HRH) The Prince William”. Similarly, his wife would not be referred to as “Princess Catherine” but always as “(HRH) Catherine, Princess of Wales”, Their children however are “Prince George of Wales”, etc.. as their titles derive from the parents rather than ex-officio via the principality.
Very helpful comment, Sean. Greatly appreciated..and I’m going back and editing now.
(though the “Mountbatten-Windsor” and “Markle” part was for SEO 😉 )
Who cares, they are all clowns.
“Prince Harry is a man after my own heart. He lives in California and has a beautiful wife and two young children. He travels quite a bit, but seeks to properly balance his professional responsibilities with his family life.” The Duke and Duchess of Montecito – what a joke. Meghan makes their life all about her, and Harry kowtows; the kids are merely tools to pull in photographers. As for “professional responsibilities”, those involve lecturing the lower classes about traveling less to save the world, while he and the witch use private jets for the most part. Amazing that there are any groupies, but where else than California. LOL…
Harry has chosen American Airlines for his last couple trips (it is not clear why), but looking at his options on Thursday we see 12 nonstop choices, with departure times ranging from 12:45 pm to 11:20
So he can earned Avios & Tier points on his Oneworld BA Executive Club Gold status
Does his BA Premier status was taken away, that he would need a Gold?
The poor boy, whose daddy cut him off after a rumored £6 million gift. The same poor boy who moved into a huge mansion in Santa Barbara and then embarked upon a multi million dollar “respect our privacy” tour of countless interviews and tell all books. What a twat. Britain, we beg you, please take him back!
No, no, no. He’s all yours now, please just keep him!
You are a good travel blogger but, I don’t believe a British citizen, …What gives you the right to have strong opinions on the Royal Family ? Stick to your knitting, lad.
I explain my rationale here–
https://liveandletsfly.com/coronation-king-charles/
I understand if you disagree, but hopefully, you can understand my point of view.
Now that the Spare has returned can you please keep him in at least until the justice system deals with his history of drug use and deports him?
Thank you from the UK.
Thanks Matt for the post. I assume nobody was tied down & forced to read it so not sure what all the whingeing is about. Got it that it was AA 136 4/5//BA269 6/5 but what were his seat assignments for those two flights. Assumed F class but not confirmed. That’s the yea I would like to see spilled.
We don’t have confirmation of the class he flew – I’ve combed social media for it – surely there must be some selfies floating around.