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Australian politicians are almost always opting to fly with Qantas on taxpayer-funded trips, despite Virgin offering cheaper tickets.<br> <br> <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 cheapest route, according <br> <br> to travel data provided to the government.<br> <br> <br> <br> While politicians and their staffers are required to book the cheapest flight, it also has <br> <br> to be the most efficient, with Qantas offering the most routes between major cities.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> MPs are banned from accruing frequent flyer points on taxpayer-funded trips like ordinary <br> <br> Aussies can, but they can can receive lifetime status credits, which allows <br> <br> access to airport lounges and flight upgrades.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> 'How else can one explain the extraordinary dominance of Qantas in securing bookings <br> <br> by parliamentarians and their staff?' Myriam Robin wrote in an opinion piece for the Australian Financial <br> <br> Review.<br> <br> <br> <br> 'There's nothing like accruing status credits on someone else's dime.'<br> <br> <br> <br> Transport Minister Catherine King has since committed to a review of flight bookings by government officials which will be conducted by the Department of Finance this year, despite there being <br> <br> just two months left of 2024.<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 with Qantas <br> <br> on taxpayer-funded trips, despite Virgin offering cheaper tickets.<br> <br> (pictured is Anthony Albanese, with former Qantas boss Alan Joyce, and fiancee Jodie <br> <br> 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 as airlines wine and dine pollies in VIP club<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Daily Mail Australia in August revealed that nearly every single federal politician in the <br> <br> country has accepted free membership of the club.<br> <br> <br> <br> Qantas and the Albanese government have both denied the airline enjoys any disproportionate level <br> <br> of influence over the country's political classes.<br> <br> <br> <br> A Daily Mail Australia audit of the members' interest registers - in both the <br> <br> House of Representatives and the Senate - revealed almost 93 per cent of the nation's 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 <br> <br> every member of his 22-person Cabinet, his seven-person Outer Ministry and all 12 assistant ministers.<br> <br> <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 <br> <br> every single federal politician in the country has accepted free membership of Qantas' exclusive Chairman's <br> <br> Lounge.<br> <br> <br> <br> And it's not just politicians on the take, with more than 60 <br> <br> MPs - including Marles, Chalmers, King, Bill Shorten, Zali Steggall and Tanya Plibersek - disclosing their spouses have also been granted unfettered, <br> <br> independent access to Qantas' luxurious members only lounge.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Often touted as 'the most exclusive club in the <br> <br> country', 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 - <br> <br> 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 <br> <br> ostentatious, with free à la carte fine dining, table service,<br> <br> a decadent selection of wines and Champagne and a <br> <br> 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 flyers points.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Instead, each member is hand-picked and approved by the company's chief executive and chairman.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Qantas<br> <br> <br> <br> My homepage; ดอกไม้จัดเซอร์ไพรส์คนพิเศษ - http://www.old.xn--90asjdo3A.xn--p1ai/user/TarenMoench60/