It's no secret Australia's political elite love Qantas - and this could be the real reason why MPs flew with Qantas 80 per cent of the time They can accrue lifetime status credits READ MORE: Qantas change to impact millions of Australian travellers By Eliza Mcphee For Daily Mail Australia Published: 05:05, 25 October 2024 | Updated: 05:05, 25 October 2024 e-mail View comments Australian politicians are almost always opting to fly with Qantas on taxpayer-funded trips, despite Virgin offering cheaper tickets. 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 to travel data provided to the government. While politicians and their staffers are required to book the cheapest flight, it also has to be the most efficient, with Qantas offering the most routes between major cities.
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 lounges and flight upgrades. 'How else can one explain the extraordinary dominance of Qantas in securing bookings by parliamentarians and their staff?' Myriam Robin wrote in an opinion piece for the Australian Financial Review. 'There's nothing like accruing status credits on someone else's dime.
' Transport Minister Catherine King has since committed to a review of flight bookings by government officials which will be conducted by the Depa.
