Australia PM Albanese denies asking Qantas chief for flight upgrades

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's office said on Wednesday he had "not ever" called the chief executive of airline Qantas seeking flight upgrades, denying an allegation aired in a book that has brewed into a political storm over integrity.

The controversy over the flight upgrades comes as Albanese struggles with low voter approval ratings amid higher living costs.

It was alleged by author Joe Aston in the book about Qantas, "The Chairman's Lounge", that Albanese solicited upgrades directly from former Qantas (QAN.AX) CEO Alan Joyce while he was a member of parliament but before he became prime minister. In an ABC television interview on Monday, Aston said Albanese had called Joyce to ask for upgrades.

Australian politicians getting free upgrades on flights is widespread and many are offered membership to luxury lounges, disclosures made to parliament show, though they are obliged to declare such gifts.

"The prime minister did not ever call Alan Joyce seeking an upgrade," Albanese's office said in a statement on Wednesday.

"All travel has been appropriately declared and is a matter of public record."

(Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney, Editing by Angus MacSwan)

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