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Australian politicians are almost always opting to fly with Qantas on taxpayer-funded trips, despite <br> <br> Virgin offering cheaper tickets.<br> <br> <br> <br> Federal MPs flew with the national carrier for 80 <br> <br> per cent of work trips last year despite it not always being the cheapest route, according to travel <br> <br> data provided to the government.<br> <br> <br> <br> While politicians and their staffers are required to book the cheapest <br> <br> flight, it also has to be the most efficient, with Qantas offering the most routes <br> <br> between major cities.<br> <br> <br> <br> MPs are banned from accruing frequent flyer <br> <br> points on taxpayer-funded trips like ordinary Aussies can, but they can can receive lifetime status credits, which allows access <br> <br> to airport lounges and flight upgrades.<br> <br> <br> <br> 'How else can one explain the extraordinary dominance of Qantas in securing bookings by parliamentarians and their staff?' Myriam Robin wrote in an opinion piece for the Australian Financial Review.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> 'There's nothing like accruing status credits on someone else's <br> <br> dime.'<br> <br> <br> <br> Transport Minister Catherine King has since <br> <br> committed to a review of flight bookings by government officials which will be conducted by the Department of Finance this year,<br> <br> despite there being just two months left of 2024.<br> <br> <br> <br> Politicians' preference for Qantas may also be put down to the airline's exclusive invite-only 'Chairman's Lounge'.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Australian politicians are almost always opting to fly with Qantas on taxpayer-funded <br> <br> trips, despite Virgin offering cheaper tickets. (pictured is Anthony Albanese, <br> <br> with former Qantas boss Alan Joyce, and fiancee Jodie Haydon)<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Read More<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> EXCLUSIVE<br> <br> <br> <br> The Flying Kanga-RORT - why you're footing the bill <br> <br> as airlines wine and dine pollies in VIP club<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Daily Mail Australia in August revealed that <br> <br> nearly every single federal politician in the country has accepted free membership of the club.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Qantas and the Albanese government have both denied <br> <br> the airline enjoys any disproportionate level of influence over <br> <br> the country's political classes.<br> <br> <br> <br> A Daily Mail Australia audit of the members' interest registers - in both the House of Representatives <br> <br> and the Senate - revealed almost 93 per cent of the nation's <br> <br> leaders have been 'gifted' membership to the lavish, all-inclusive lounge.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> The high profile ranks of government giftees include Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as well as every member of his 22-person Cabinet, his seven-person Outer Ministry and all 12 assistant <br> <br> ministers.<br> <br> <br> <br> While most politicians declared their Qantas' privileges <br> <br> as a 'gift', Labor MP Marion Scrymgour listed her membership as her 'Chairman Lounge entitlement'.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Daily Mail Australia in August revealed that nearly every <br> <br> single federal politician in the country has accepted free membership of Qantas' <br> <br> exclusive Chairman's Lounge.<br> <br> <br> <br> And it's not just politicians on the take, with more than 60 MPs <br> <br> - including Marles, Chalmers, King, Bill Shorten, Zali Steggall and Tanya <br> <br> Plibersek - disclosing their spouses have also been granted <br> <br> unfettered, independent access to Qantas' luxurious members only lounge.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Often touted as 'the most exclusive club in the country', <br> <br> membership to the Chairman's Lounge has long been veiled in secrecy.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Even the entrances to each of the country's six opulent VIP clubs - in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and <br> <br> Perth airports - are suitably discreet.<br> <br> <br> <br> Though, once inside, the designer lounges are immediately more ostentatious, with free à la carte fine dining, table service, a decadent selection of wines and Champagne and a discreet army of dedicated lounge attendants.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Membership to the club is 'priceless' - it cannot be bought for any amount of money nor obtained via any amount of <br> <br> frequent flyers points.<br> <br> <br> <br> Instead, each member is hand-picked and approved by the company's chief executive and <br> <br> chairman.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Qantas<br> <br> <br> <br> My webpage ... ดอกไม้ไว้อาลัย ต่างประเทศ - http://Digitalmaine.net/mediawiki3/index.php?title=User:RicardoFoss422