Australian PM Albanese defends free Qantas flight upgrades

SYDNEY - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is under pressure to explain his relationship with Qantas Airways after allegations he received more than a dozen free flight upgrades, soliciting at least some of them directly from the airline's ex-boss Alan Joyce.

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In his past parliamentary portfolios as transport minister and opposition transport spokesman, and sometimes on private trips, Mr Albanese accepted gifts worth tens of thousands of dollars from Qantas, according to a new book by former Australian Financial Review columnist Joe Aston.

In some cases, Mr Albanese did not specify in his parliamentary declarations whether he was upgraded to first or business class, making it impossible to determine the precise value of the benefit, Mr Aston wrote.

Mr Aston cited Qantas insiders as saying Mr Albanese would communicate about his personal travel directly with Mr Joyce, the former Qantas chief executive who stepped down prematurely in 2023 after a series of corporate missteps.