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Australian politicians are almost always opting <br> <br> 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 per cent of work trips last year despite it not always being the <br> <br> cheapest route, according to travel data provided to the government.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> While politicians and their staffers are required to book the cheapest flight, it also has to be the most efficient, with Qantas offering the <br> <br> most routes between major cities.<br> <br> <br> <br> MPs are banned from accruing frequent flyer points on taxpayer-funded <br> <br> trips like ordinary Aussies can, but they <br> <br> can can receive lifetime status credits, which allows access to airport lounges <br> <br> and flight upgrades.<br> <br> <br> <br> 'How else can one explain the extraordinary dominance <br> <br> 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> <b>'There's nothing like accruing status credits on someone else's dime.'</b><br> <br> <br> <br> Transport Minister Catherine King has since committed to a review of <br> <br> flight bookings by government officials which will be conducted by the Department of Finance this <br> <br> year, despite there being just two months left of 2024.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Politicians' preference for Qantas may also be put down to the airline's <br> <br> exclusive invite-only 'Chairman's Lounge'.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Australian politicians are almost always opting to fly <br> <br> with Qantas on taxpayer-funded trips, despite Virgin offering cheaper <br> <br> tickets. (pictured is Anthony Albanese, with former <br> <br> 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> <u><i>The Flying Kanga-RORT - why you're footing the bill as <br> <br> airlines wine and dine pollies in VIP club</i></u><br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Daily Mail Australia in August revealed that nearly every single <br> <br> 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 the airline <br> <br> enjoys any disproportionate level of influence over the country's political classes.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> A Daily Mail Australia audit of the members' interest registers - in both the House <br> <br> of Representatives and the Senate - revealed almost 93 per cent of the nation's leaders <br> <br> have been 'gifted' membership to the lavish, all-inclusive <br> <br> lounge.<br> <br> <br> <br> The high profile ranks of government giftees include Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as well as every member <br> <br> of his 22-person Cabinet, his seven-person Outer Ministry and <br> <br> all 12 assistant ministers.<br> <br> <br> <br> While most politicians declared their Qantas' privileges <br> <br> as a 'gift', Labor MP Marion Scrymgour listed her membership <br> <br> as her 'Chairman Lounge entitlement'.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Daily Mail Australia in August revealed that nearly every single federal politician in the country has accepted free membership of <br> <br> Qantas' exclusive Chairman's Lounge.<br> <br> <br> <br> And it's not just politicians on the take, with more than 60 MPs - including Marles,<br> <br> Chalmers, King, Bill Shorten, Zali Steggall <br> <br> and Tanya Plibersek - disclosing their spouses have also been granted unfettered, independent access to <br> <br> Qantas' luxurious members only lounge.<br> <br> <br> <br> Often touted as 'the most exclusive club in the country', membership to the Chairman's <br> <br> Lounge has long been veiled in secrecy.<br> <br> <br> <br> Even the entrances to each of the country's six opulent VIP clubs - in Sydney,<br> <br> Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth airports - are <br> <br> suitably discreet.<br> <br> <br> <br> Though, once inside, the designer lounges are immediately <br> <br> more ostentatious, with free à la carte fine <br> <br> 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 frequent <br> <br> flyers points.<br> <br> <br> <br> <b><u>Instead, each member is hand-picked and approved by <br> <br> the company's chief executive and chairman.</u></b><br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Qantas<br> <br> <br> <br> Here is my blog post ... <a href="https://flexhaja.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=free&wr_id=289018">ช่อดอกไม้แบบหรูหรา</a>