Australian Prime Minister Albanese has been accused of seeking upgrades from the Qantas boss

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been accused of soliciting free personal flight upgrades from the former CEO of national carrier Qantas.

A new book by Australian journalist Joe Aston claims Albanese made several calls to ex-CEO Alan Joyce and received upgrades on 22 flights made between 2009 and 2019.

At a news conference on Tuesday, Albanese declined to answer whether he had previously spoken to Joyce about personal upgrades, but said he followed the rules and said he was “completely transparent” with all his disclosures.

Albanese, who previously served as transport minister, also criticized Aston, saying he was “trying to sell a book”.

In his book, titled The Chairman’s Lounge: The Inside Story of How Qantas Sold Us Out, Aston – a former opposition party worker – quotes Qantas insiders as saying Albanians would talk to Joyce about his personal travel plans, according to media reports .

It is not unheard of for Australian politicians to receive free flight upgrades, although they are required to declare such gifts, according to Reuters.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Albanese declined to answer whether he had personally spoken to Joyce about upgrades, but said he did recall two conversations with Joyce about flights that did not involve personal travel. He also added that some upgrades were paid for by the Labor Party.

“In my time in public life I have acted with integrity, I have acted in a manner that is entirely appropriate and I have stated in accordance with the rules,” he said.

Australia’s shadow transport minister, Senator Bridget McKenzie, has called for an investigation into the alleged flight upgrade requests.

“There are serious questions that only Mr Joyce and the Prime Minister can answer,” she said.

The accusation comes as Albanians struggle with low approval ratings and such Australians are in the middle of a housing crisis.

Last year, the Albanian government faced accusations that it had blocked Qatar Airways’ request to increase the number of flights to Australia, a move that benefited Qantas.

Qantas, Australia’s national airline, has had its fair share of scandals in recent years.

Joyce was CEO for 15 years and led the company through the 2008 global financial crisis, the Covid pandemic and record fuel prices.

By the time he stepped down in 2023, however, Qantas was facing growing public anger over its high fares, massive delays and cancellations and its treatment of workers.