As it is the Royal Air Force it seems the Royal family have priority.

Easy answer. Charles was deputising for the Queen, who is HEAD OF STATE. The Prime Minister is HEAD OF GOVERNMENT, appointed by HEAD OF STATE.

Looking at the interior of said B757, who would choose the crappy airline interior Voyager!!

I don't think it was the FO that gifted Charles the Voyager for this flight. That is what you meant, right?

'Mrs May Airlines'...? 'FlyMayBe', shurely?

Charles should live by the green credentials he preaches to anyone who will listen, and go round Europe by train.

Maybe Chas is banned from those? previous and all that? :-)

You can't win on this site; people kick off at PMs/Royals for using RAF as their personal taxi service and then do likewise when they save money by using chartered civilian services!

"..he should go by train". Right, wearing a suit from oxfam too, I suppose? It's hard to see what that would achieve beyond making our country look shambling and disorganised in the eyes of the world

Charles is on state business. The Daily Fail journos can stick themselves up their own backsides. May is not one of us, was one of us, never will be one of us and the likes of her and the others politicians, both left and right side, have messed things up so badly the armed forces of the UK have got stiffed. Remember that. Rant over and all I will say on the matter.

How about a compromise.....

May had her way with the Voyager and gave Charlie & Cammy a lift. Dumped them off somewhere in Europe....Eindhoven will do....and then May with Voyager continue to Saudi Arabia

Then May can collect Charlie & Cammy on the way back

Job done.....easy peasy with a little hindsight ;)

Or b) they do what they did after consultation with all relevant parties and produce a solution that all, including the bean counters who would have had to shell out for contract air, are happy with. Or we can all sit here in hindsight and give a dozen options that would have bedn 'better'...

There is an article in today's Times about when HRH went to the US in 2007 to accept an environmental leadership award with Al Gore. In view of the nature of the occasion he decided it would be better to travel on a scheduled flight with his entourage of 14. Apparently he complained that he found the first class seats "incredibly uncomfortable".

What he would have thought if he had flown steerage with the plebs can only be imagined!

Might look better than those bloody awful double breasted things he seems so fond of. No doubt had a dozen made in Savile Row 30 years ago and hasn't noticed that he looks like an estate agent from the 80s in them!

Has 32 (The Royal) Sqdn disbanded? Surely a '146 would have been better suited for a short haul European tour leaving the PM the use of the Voyager.

That is too logical for this government.

Royal Family not entitled to abated cost travel on 32(TR) Sqn aircraft.

Ascoteer - am I reading your post correctly - the Royal family not entitled to fly in "The Royal" Squadron aircraft, or am I missing something?or

They're entitled, they just have to pay 'full cost', which is astronomical. All to do with Department For Transport grants to the Royal Travel Office.

aah, OK. Thanks

Love the idea that you think the royals pay any attention to cost when drawing up their travel plans.