This Is Why Celebrities Fly Coach

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are seen flying out of Los Angeles International Airport in June with their children (left to right) Pax, Maddox, Vivienne, Shiloh and Zahara Jolie-Pitt. (Photo: Vantage News/IPx)

We’ve all suffered through chatty, smelly, and armrest-hogging neighbors.

We’ve battled for overhead space, straddled strangers to get to the middle seat, and flown six hours without any movies. Yes. We know all too well what the average person suffers through when they fly economy, fantasizing all the while about the luxuries of first class.

That’s why Angelina Jolie-Pitt and Brad Pitt made headline news when they were snapped boarding an Air France plane with their brood on June 6. They, too, were seated in coach. The people were fascinated. Sure, the family was only flying from Paris to Nice, but the novelty of Hollywood’s royal family spending around 81 minutes just like everyone else was not lost on anyone.

Related: The New Airline Seat That Turns Economy Into Premium

It’s intriguing to imagine celebrities slumming it with the common folk in economy, let alone flying commercial. Can they really be just like us?

“Traveling economy is sometimes necessary for various reasons: cutting back, first class is sold out, or a flight simply doesn’t have first class,” explains Tracie Hovey, the CEO of Ovation PR and Advertising who regularly helps celebrity clients book their travel plans. (The Jolie-Pitts have not given their reason, but economy is the only class offered on Air France’s website for flights from Paris to Nice). “But it can also be a choice celebrities make because they are really just like everyone else.”

The Jolie-Pitts were probably headed to their 1,200-acre French property in Provence, Château Miraval, which is covered in vineyards and even has its own moat. Clearly, they are not like everyone else, and could have chartered a private plane.

“It makes them seem much more relatable,” says Hovey, of the impact such choices have on the public perception of a star. A decision to pass up traveling first class might actually improve a celebrity’s image — after all, “being relatable is an important part of your likability.”

Sometimes even royals, like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their son, George, fly economy. Not often… but sometimes. (Photo: AP)

The Duke of Cambridge made headlines last year when he was spotted flying coach after a pal’s wedding. While Prince William has never had issues in the likability department, there’s hardly a more effective way to bring a royal down to earth than by catching him in a window seat. “I am still amazed #PrinceWilliam flies COACH,” tweeted the TV reporter who first saw him, and subsequently shared the photo on Twitter. “That’s pretty humble/awesome. Who knew?”

Related: Worth the Splurge? An Airline by Airline Guide to Premium Economy

Then there’s Amy Adams. The Oscar-nominated actress took her penchant for being enchanting an octave higher when she quietly swapped her first-class ticket with a uniformed soldier in coach. “Just saw actress Amy Adams do something incredibly classy,” tweeted passenger and ESPN host Jemele Hill, who caught the star’s clandestine and sweet gesture. “She gave her 1st class seat to an American soldier. I’m an even bigger fan now.”

While the incognito factor is lost when a celebrity steps beyond the curtains, not every A-lister seems to mind. Nicholas Cage lets fans take selfies with him, and Chris O’Donnell cares more about being a dad. “I used to put a cap on, and sunglasses, but now I just run down the aisle chasing the kids,” the star of NCIS: Los Angeles and father of five has said. “Going first class with a crowd like ours, you’re taking over two full rows. It’s almost the same cost as flying private.”

Related: When to Buy the Cheapest Airline Tickets

And in these days of industry belt-tightening, being cost-conscious can help a celebrity make even more money in the long run.

Can celebrities ever really be like us? Here’s Jennifer Lopez at LAX, looking nothing like we do when we travel. (Photo: AP)

“More celebrities are flying economy, because client budgets are low,” says Ben Oduro, a celebrity booker and agent at International Talent Agency (ITA). “Not everybody wants to book a talent if they are so costly. I’ve had celebrity clients get dropped from jobs because they would only fly first class.”

With more and more airlines pulling tickets or upping the charges on third-party sites, cheaper seats are harder to come by. “If a client can book someone who will fly economy, compared to someone who wants to fly first class,” says Oduro, “sometimes — depending on who the star is — they will rather save money and go the cheaper route.”

Whatever the reason, the next time you see Jessica Alba seated next to you in coach, you’ll know that you might have more in common than you thought.

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