Being a record-breaking, Grammy winning superstar is no excuse to throw money away, as Madonna proved when she decided to fly economy class from London to Lisbon earlier this week. Fans were shocked by the picture evidence, with many questioning why she didn't just use a private jet.

Madonna at the Billboard Women in Music AwardsMadonna at the Billboard Women in Music Awards

For the 59-year-old 'Vogue' singer, jetting all over the world is as normal as catching a bus - and indeed she caught the air equivalent of a bus when she decided on an economy seat for her flight to Portugal on Tuesday (October 31st 2017).

She looked just like any other passenger in a large coat, casual pants and Adidas sneakers, with her hair down and a make-up free face. She was on her phone when a fellow passenger did a double take and snapped the singer in her seat. 

A first class ticket does indeed seem a waste for such a brief flight (London to Lisbon usually being less than three hours), but Air Portugal did at least make sure she had a seat with extra leg room. She had apparently been in London to see her 17-year-old son Rocco Ritchie, whose father is Madonna's ex-husband Guy Ritchie, and went to Lisbon to see her adopted 12-year-old son David Banda who recently entered the Benfica football team youth academy.

Madonna has been flying a lot between her home in the US, the UK and Portgual, so economy flights are only, well... economic. She had been staying in hotels before she bought an 18th century property in Sintra, Lisbon to spend time in while with David. 

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'David recently spent a week at Benfica and his prodigious talents impressed everyone,' a source told MailOnline earlier this year. 'Madonna is determined to give her kids every opportunity in life and this one is too good to pass up. She and the family will be moving to Portugal in time for the new school year in September.'