Tom Cruise’s promotional duties for Valkyrie will never end. The man has been promoting his comeback role nearly non-stop for months, and the latest tour has taken him and his girls to Japan. But shock of all shocks, Tom Cruise and his girls flew… gasp… commercial! First-class, commercial flight. As opposed to Tom’s normal mode of transport, the wings of Xenu. No, just kidding! He normally flies one of his own planes, like his tricked-out Gulfstream or the jet he bought Katie. Australia’s Daily Telegraph has more:

What would make Tom Cruise take his family on a red eye commercial flight, albeit first class, from New York to Tokyo, when he usually flies himself to cities worldwide?

Perhaps the global financial crisis has even hit the kings of Hollywood.

Cruise flies his own Gulfstream and owns two other planes, and last year bought his wife, Katie Holmes, a jet.

But to promote his new film Valkyrie in Tokyo, which hits the screens on March 20, Tom, Katie and their daughter Suri touched down at Narita International Airport on a commercial flight.

[From Australian Daily Telegraph]

Shocking. Even though everyone is pinching pennies these days, I doubt Tom Cruise has many financial worries. Before he went crazy (circa 2005), Tom had accumulated $400 million, by some estimates (probably more). It’s much more likely that Tom wanted to get some extra publicity by arriving and walking Toyko’s Narita airport terminal like a normal person.

If extra publicity was his intention, it sort of worked. Tom, Katie and Suri were “mobbed” by crazed Japanese fans. According to ITN, Tom “shook hands, signed dozens of autographs and posed for pictures with his Japanese fans while Holmes walked with baby Suri in her arms. Tom told reporters, “We’re gonna hang out. We’re gonna see some sights, you know, and we want to eat great sushi that they have here, and just looking forward to seeing some friends.” Japan’s always loved Tom, and he’s showing the love right back.

Here’s Tom and Katie Holmes leaving Il Sole restaurant in Los Angeles on February 28th. Images thanks to WENN.com.