Health Minister Mark Butler has claimed receiving flight upgrades at the airport is commonplace amid ongoing fallout from the escalating Qantas scandal. The controversy has engulfed both sides of politics following allegations Prime Minister Anthony Albanese solicited flight upgrades from former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce. There has been increasing concern about the airline’s lobbying as federal politicians have called on parliament to surrender their VIP Qantas perks .
In an interview on Sky News' Sunday Agenda, Labor’s Health minister explained he “didn’t ask anyone” for his business class upgrade, declared in July of 2023. Mr Butler was travelling on a personal trip to Melbourne for a colleague’s 50th birthday and had paid for his economy class ticket when he was “simply” upgraded. “To the best of my recollection, I was in Melbourne for a colleague's 50th birthday on the weekend – obviously I'd paid for my flight,” he said.
“I'd booked myself and to the best of my recollection, I simply sort of got to the airport and they had upgraded me.” Mr Butler claimed the airlines regularly promote economy class ticket holders to “shift the load in their airline”. “If they have a spare business class seat, generally they'll upgrade an economy class passenger up to that.
” He stressed that he did not request the upgrade from anyone at Qantas, nor did he engage with the airline in any way to secure a better seat. “I didn't ask anyone for it. I simply arriv.
