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Australian politicians are almost always opting to fly with Qantas on taxpayer-funded trips,<br> <br> despite Virgin offering cheaper tickets.<br> <br> <br> <br> Federal MPs flew with the national carrier for 80 per cent of work trips last year <br> <br> 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> MPs are banned from accruing frequent flyer points on taxpayer-funded trips like ordinary Aussies can, but they can can receive lifetime status credits, which allows access to airport <br> <br> lounges and flight upgrades.<br> <br> <br> <br> 'How else can one explain the extraordinary dominance of Qantas in securing <br> <br> bookings by parliamentarians and their staff?' Myriam Robin wrote in an opinion piece <br> <br> for the Australian Financial 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 <br> <br> officials which will be conducted by the Department of Finance this year, despite there <br> <br> 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 trips, <br> <br> despite Virgin offering cheaper tickets. (pictured is Anthony Albanese, with <br> <br> 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 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 country has accepted free membership of the club.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Qantas and the Albanese government have both denied the airline enjoys any <br> <br> 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 <br> <br> House of Representatives and the Senate - revealed almost 93 per cent of the nation's <br> <br> leaders 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 of <br> <br> 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 as her 'Chairman Lounge entitlement'.<br> <br> <br> <br> <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 <br> <br> free membership of 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, Chalmers,<br> <br> King, Bill Shorten, Zali Steggall and Tanya Plibersek - disclosing their spouses have <br> <br> also been granted unfettered, independent access to Qantas' luxurious members <br> <br> only lounge.<br> <br> <br> <br> Often touted as 'the most exclusive club in the 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 - in Sydney, <br> <br> Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth airports - <br> <br> 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, <br> <br> 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 <br> <br> 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 <br> <br> company's chief executive and chairman.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Qantas<br> <br> <br> <br> Also visit my blog - ดอกไม้งานศพ <br> <br> - http://Fumankong1.cc/home.php?mod=space&uid=615922