CASH-CONSCIOUS David Cameron flew out to meet President Barack Obama last night on a regular BA flight - astonishing other passengers.
For the first time on a major official visit, the Premier turned down chartering his own plane to make the two-day trip to Washington DC.
And he even spurned First Class tickets to travel in the far cheaper Business Class. The move saved £200,000 in costs, Downing Street officials said.
Passengers were aghast when Mr Cameron and his team of officials boarded the plane to Dulles airport and took seats beside them.
In the past, PMs travelling on long overseas trips have always chartered a Boeing 747 or 767 - at a cost of £300,000 - or used RAF jets.
It is Mr Cameron's latest attempt to lead from the front on sweeping spending cuts across government to pay off Britain's crippling £155billion deficit.
But flying commercial meant meetings in the US capital had to be arranged around the British Airways flight timetable.
And his money-saving drives are a security headache for his police bodyguards. Appearing in public more often may encourage terrorists to launch a chance attack on him, they have argued.
The move was also met with surprise by American officials, where President Obama travels everywhere on Air Force One - his own 2,000 sq ft Boeing 747.
A No10 source said: "When we are asking the country to tighten their belts as much as we are it's very hard to justify hiring big jets to swan around the world.
"It may make his travel a little harder, but the PM believes it's up to him to set an example."
