Aussie politicians are called out for shocking Qantas act – as Anthony Albanese’s minister is drawn into saga with shock admission

The scandal surrounding politicians’ Qantas upgrades has been exacerbated by claims that taxpayers are being defrauded of tens of millions of dollars a year because rules on taking the cheapest flights available are repeatedly broken.

Qantas’ biggest rival, Virgin Australia, claimed in an impressive submission to the government’s Aviation White Paper that it gets just 23 percent of the government’s $250 million annual spend on flights, despite being up to 30 percent cheaper.

The furor started just over a week ago when claims emerged that Anthony Albanians secured 22 economy upgrades on Qantas flights by personally requesting them from the airline’s then CEO, Mr Joyce – which the Prime Minister has categorically denied.

This claim was made in Joe Aston’s book The Chairman’s Lounge – The Inside about how Qantas sold us out, and led to Mr Albanese being dubbed ‘upgrade Albo’.

In its contribution to the White Paper, which sets the course for the aviation industry over the next quarter of a century, Virgin also said work flights by politicians, their staff and civil servants should not be eligible for Qantas ‘status credits’.

Status credits allow frequent flyers to access benefits such as upgrades and are another possible reason to fly Qantas rather than cheaper rivals such as Virgin.

While the Coalition did nothing to change the system that favored Qantas while in power from 2013 to 2022, it is now demanding that the cheapest fares rule be followed.

Politicians from all sides regularly receive free Qantas upgrades and many are members of the exclusive Chairman’s Lounge, but Opposition Leader Peter Dutton claimed the difference is that Mr Albanese personally contacted Mr Joyce for upgrades.

The Coalition’s transport spokeswoman, Bridget McKenzie, said “the Prime Minister just wants to protect his favorite, dominant airline.”

“Labour has ensured that the government’s contracted travel provider has consistently favored Qantas,” she told the newspaper Sun Herald.

But Ms McKenzie herself became caught up in the public anger over Qantas’ upgrades, first denying she had benefited from them and later admitting she had.

The senator said a review of travel rules by the Ministry of Finance was not necessary.

“They just need to ensure that the government travel provider offers officials the lowest practical fare the first time, rather than offering Qantas as standard,” she said.

Ms McKenzie told the ABC on Friday that “it was wrong of me to be so emphatic” in her initial claim that she had never received a Qantas upgrade.

“I probably don’t believe that I should subject other people to standards that I don’t want to subject myself to.”

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms McKenzie for further comment.

In Virgin’s submission to the White Paper, which was submitted last In January, the report said the government had overspent tens of millions of dollars on flights by failing to book the cheapest flight available.

“These spending patterns serve to solidify Qantas’ dominance and deny Virgin Australia a real opportunity to attract government and business passengers,” the submission said.

“The ubiquity of the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge membership among influential Australians, including politicians, also sheds light on these decisions.”

Although his book has sparked anger against the Prime Minister over his apparently cozy relationship with Qantas, and in particular its former CEO Mr Joyce, Aston told Daily Mail Australia it is ‘not a hit on Anthony Albanese’.

Aston insisted he was ‘not trying to get a scalp’, but reiterated that Mr Albanese had ‘a direct line to Alan Joyce’.

But the blows for the federal government continued on Sunday when Education Minister Jason Clare admitted he requested a free flight upgrade from Qantas during a personal trip to Singapore in 2019.

Qantas’ biggest rival (plane pictured), Virgin Australia, claimed it gets just 23 percent of the government’s $250 million annual spend on flights, despite being up to 30 percent cheaper

Education Minister Jason Clare admitted on Sunday that he requested a free flight upgrade from Qantas during a personal trip to Singapore in 2019

He said he asked for it after he had a melanoma cut out of his leg.

“That was a personal journey, and that was a situation where I had just come out of hospital,” he told Sky News.

‘I had surgery on my leg and yes, I asked for an upgrade and was assisted by Qantas.’

When asked who he contacted, Mr Clare said he remembered ‘picking up the phone and asking for some help’ but that he ‘can’t remember all the details’.

He said it was ‘probably’ a government relations officer at Qantas.

“I don’t want to mislead you, but I certainly asked for it just to help me after the operation,” Mr. Clare said.

He was on his way to meet his family, who were already abroad at the time.