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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 despite it not always being the cheapest <br> <br> route, according to travel data provided to <br> <br> the government.<br> <br> <br> <br> While politicians and their staffers are required to book the cheapest flight, <br> <br> it also has to be the most efficient, with Qantas offering the most routes between major <br> <br> cities.<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 <br> <br> allows access to airport lounges and flight upgrades.<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 <br> <br> in an opinion piece for the Australian Financial Review.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <u><b>'There's nothing like accruing status credits on someone else's dime.'</b></u><br> <br> <br> <br> Transport Minister Catherine King has since committed to <br> <br> a review of flight bookings by government officials <br> <br> which will be conducted by the Department of Finance this <br> <br> year, despite there being just two months <br> <br> 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> <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> <br> <br> (pictured is Anthony Albanese, with former Qantas boss Alan Joyce, and <br> <br> 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> <b>The Flying Kanga-RORT - why you're footing the bill <br> <br> as airlines wine and dine pollies in VIP club</b><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 <br> <br> the club.<br> <br> <br> <br> Qantas and the Albanese government have both denied the airline enjoys any disproportionate level of influence <br> <br> 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 <br> <br> per cent of the nation's leaders have been 'gifted' membership to the lavish, all-inclusive lounge.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> The high profile ranks of government giftees include Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as well <br> <br> as 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 as a 'gift', Labor MP <br> <br> 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 single federal politician in the country has accepted free membership <br> <br> 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 - <br> <br> disclosing their spouses have also been granted 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', 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 suitably discreet.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Though, once inside, the designer lounges are immediately more ostentatious, with free <br> <br> à la carte fine dining, table service, a decadent selection of wines and Champagne and a <br> <br> discreet army of dedicated lounge attendants.<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> <br> <br> <i><u>Instead, each member is hand-picked and approved by <br> <br> the company's chief executive and chairman.</u></i><br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Qantas<br> <br> <br> <br> Also visit my webpage ... <a href="http://jade-crack.com/home.php?mod=space&uid=1352162">พวงหรีดดอกไม้สดแสดงความเสียใจ</a>