Prince William joins girlfriend in coach

LONDON, March 29 (UPI) -- Prince William, heir to the British throne, reportedly flew coach to Switzerland with his girlfriend, giving up first-class seats to her parents.

Other travelers on the flight to Geneva this month told The Daily Mail the prince and Kate Middleton were in economy while Michael and Carole Middleton were upgraded to the front of the plane.

William had joined the Middletons for a spring skiing trip, substituting it for a planned trip to Klosters with friends for Easter, a source told the newspaper.

Kate Middleton and the prince met while they were students at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, becoming friends before they became romantically involved. They broke up in 2007 but reconciled soon after.

"It was a big step to be invited into the family fold and shows how serious he and Kate have become," the source said. "They are very happy together and Kate loves the fact that now he's in the RAF, she sees much more of him."