Aussie politician Jacqui Lambie cops six-month Qantas ban for calling CEO “a poof”

Qantas has slapped Jacqui Lambie with a six-month ban for abusing staff and referring to the airline’s CEO as a “poof”.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald‘s CBD column, the Tasmanian Senator had previously had her access to the airline’s Chairman’s Club lounges, which the airline usually opens to all sitting MPs and senators, after failing to “see eye to eye” with staff members.
However, it was Lambie’s reaction that escalated the lounge suspension into one covering all of the national carrier’s services.
On March 25, Lambie reportedly blew up at front desk staff manning the Chairman’s Lounge in Melbourne, making references to “pussy power” and telling staff “your CEO is a poof”.
“It was the end of a long week in Canberra. I’d backed into a car that morning, got a speeding ticket on the way to work, and my flight home was delayed,” Lambie told SMH.
“It was a bad day for me. But it was worse for the poor Qantas staff who had to stand and take my rant. It was totally uncalled for and totally unacceptable behaviour on my part.
“I have apologised to the staff for my actions, and I’d like to do so again.
“I’ll take whatever punishment Qantas throws at me. I’ve done the crime and I’ll do the time, because that’s what I deserve.”
Virgin Australia has gained a customer out of the commotion, with the senator now having to rely on its services in and out of her home state of Tasmania.
Travel Weekly has reached out to Qantas for comment.
Qantas adds a whopping seven new routes, puts Dreamliners on domestic
It looks like Lambie’s six-month ban will stop her from enjoying the spoils of Qantas’ spate of new domestic routes, with the airline launching seven new routes linking major capital cities.
The new routes – Townsville to Adelaide/Melbourne/Sydney, Adelaide to Cairns/Hobart, Sydney-Uluru and Perth-Gold Coast – provide direct connections and reduce travel time for customers.
They bring the total number of routes Qantas and Jetstar have added since the start of the pandemic to 45.
Five of the routes will be operated by Embraer E190 regional jets as part of QantasLink’s partnership with Alliance Airlines.
Passengers will also see more widebody aircraft with Business Suites on flights between the East Coast capital cities into Perth and Darwin.
Usually used for long haul international flights including Perth-London, the airline’s 236-seat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will begin operating up to nine Sydney to Perth flights per week.
Widebody Qantas Airbus A330-200 aircraft, which serviced international routes into Asia, will operate on more flights into Darwin from Sydney and Brisbane, and also into Perth from Sydney and Melbourne.
The additional flying will see Qantas’ capacity exceed 100 per cent of pre-COVID levels in the coming months and the Group’s market share around 70 per cent.
Frequent flyers encouraged to redeem unclaimed travel perks
The national carrier is encouraging frequent flyers to cash in their points, revealing that 100,000 points club members have unclaimed travel benefits like lounge passes, hotel discounts and bonus points waiting to be used.
Qantas launched Points Club in March 2020 to reward members who earn lots of Qantas Points through ‘frequent buying’ on the ground, like doing their weekly Woolworths shop, using their credit card or paying an energy bill.
‘Points Club’ is accessed by earning 150,000 Qantas Points, while the exclusive ‘Points Club Plus’, which offers richer member benefits, has a higher annual threshold of 350,000 Qantas Points.
A recent audit identified that although eligible frequent flyers had been notified that they qualified for Points Club, a large number had not taken advantage of the program’s perks including Qantas Club memberships and lounge passes, car hire upgrades, bonus points on hotel bookings and discount wine.
Passengers get starry eyes over lunar eclipse
A 14-year-old high school student, a crown prosecutor, an amateur photographer and a 90-year-old former Qantas flight attendant were among the 180 passengers on board QF1250, the Qantas supermoon scenic charter flight that took to the skies above Sydney to view a rare double phenomenon of a supermoon and full lunar eclipse.
The Dreamliner departed from Sydney Airport at 7:30pm on Wednesday nightand climbed to a cruising altitude of more than 40,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean away from city lights for the three-hour tour.
As the aircraft began its specially designed flight path in preparation for the celestial show, passengers enjoyed “supermoon cakes” and cosmic cocktails, while CSIRO astronomer Dr Vanessa Moss provided expert insights into the science behind supermoons and lunar eclipses.
The pilots dimmed the cabin lights as the moon crossed into the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow, and passengers experienced totality for 14 minutes and 30 seconds.
Featured image source: Facebook/Senator Jacqui Lambie
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
alan joyce Chairman's Club lounge domestic travel dreamliners Jacqui Lambie Lunar Eclipse new route qantas six-month ban tasmaniaLatest News

WATCH: The Travel Weekly Wrap | 14 February 2025
Feel like your story should have got a run in our new video wrap? We'll be the judge of that, thanks.

Entire Travel Soirée puts the spotlight on niche travel
Niche travel is one of the hot topics at the moment, so we couldn't pass up the chance to learn more with Entire.

Happy Valentines! Jetstar launches 8 hour flash sale
Chocolate is nice, but a trip away is a lot better! You'll be in your partner's good books for months.

Chick-In, now open! KFC launches its own airline
We wonder if they are going to have a detailed plan, or, if they are just going to...WING IT!!

Travelport introduces Finnair NDC content and servicing solutions
The national carrier of the happiest country on earth knows a thing or two about NDC, just ask the team at Travelport.

Turkish Airlines confirms daily flights between Sydney-Istanbul
Ok Melbourne, you may have got in first, but Sydney is set to be the lead gateway between the two cities. Score: 1-1.

CATO opens nominations for International Women’s Day lunch ticket giveaway
With one of the Queens of last year's Olympic Games already announced, we know it's going to be one hell of a day!

Boutique luxury hotel opens in Redfern’s Wunderlich Lane
Looking at the rooftop pool, this hotel looks like its situated deep in a Thai forest rather than the concrete jungle.

Croatia Airlines unveils new and restored routes to Milan, Prague, Madrid, Bucharest and Hamburg
When routes were scrapped early in the pandemic, no one would have thought it would be five years until they returned!

Salamander Voyages launches slow sailing itinerary in Türkiye
Okay everyone, time to sing - 'We are sailing, we are sailing, we are sailing...slowly...'

EXCLUSIVE: Emirates’ Captain Emily Sidoti on why gender disparity in aviation comes down to education
Emily is challenging stereotypes and inspiring a younger generation of women to earn their stripes.

Tura Turizm joins World Travel & Trade Council to promote tourism in Türkiye
Should we wind up on a famil in Türkiye, we're making sure to get on one of the famed hot air balloons tours!

Can you guess the world’s top spa destination?
If they ever need anyone to come and try the facilities for them, we are free most weekdays and weekends.

Qatar Airways wins big at Cellars in the Sky Awards
They say you feel the effect of alcohol faster in the sky... Only one way to find out.

Klook hosts inaugural Partner Awards with Tourism Australia’s Pip Harrison as special guest
As Pip said, when people come to Australia they do so for the experiences not their hotel's sheet thread count.

APT Travel Group launches early release of 2026 Canada and Alaska Holidays
For anyone with clients craving an icy getaway, APT is serving up some steals right now.

Film, photography and so much more to explore this year in Berlin
Often known for its grungy aesthetics, or perhaps a currywurst stall, there's so much more on offer this year in Berlin.

TravelManagers welcomes two new directors to HOTA Board
We wish Narendra and Judith the best of luck in trying to remember the rest of the Boards' names.

Tauck celebrates 100 years of hosting travellers around the globe
Tauck would only ever celebrate its 100th birthday in pure style - and Italy is just that!

Travelglobe unveils exclusive food tour with MasterChef’s Kirsten Tibballs
Fancy brushing up on your skills making delicious chocolate and pastry-based treats? Meet us on this tour!

Fiji Airways to bring South Australians closer to paradise with third weekly flight from Adelaide in April
South Australians might say they're already in Paradise, but how can they be sure without checking Fiji out?

Bookings for Vanuatu surge with Aussies ready to support earthquake-struck tourism hotspot
In times like those Vanuatu is surfacing from, the tourism dollar goes a long way and Aussies aren't holding back.

Bullo River Station shares its first ever sustainability report
If you would like to be inspired to be a little more green, then check out what Bullo River Station is up to.

‘Fortune favours the bold’: luxury brand leader Anna Burgdorf departs Flight Centre after 6 years
Time for a pop quiz - who first came up with above quote? Was it A) Virgil B) Shakespeare or C) Aristotle?

Cruise Guru unveils Channel Nine show featuring Ponant, Viking, NCL and more
A little offended that we weren't invited on as the 'Cruise Guru' ourselves, but we'll be tuning in regardless.

Explore Worldwide gives agents a chance to win an exclusive Sri Lanka famil
It's like finding a ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! And the prize is even better than unlimited sweets.

Heathrow Airport to upgrade operations as part of multi-billion-pound cash injection
We're usually a bit scared of injections, however a 'cash injection' is one we would welcome with both arms (literally).

Club Med announces Manveer Ramdhian as new MICE manager in Pacific
Rest-assured, being a MICE manager has nothing to do with our furry little friends.

Sydney Airport welcomes daily flights from Hong Kong Airlines
To top it all off, it looks like the representatives scored a cracker of a day for the celebratory photo!

Collette’s Karen Deveson on what Aussies really want from luxury
For Aussies, we're a little bit more laid back when it comes to luxury. No gold-plated cars for us, thanks!

Intrepid Travel partners with Helloworld Travel for exclusive food tour with Luke Nguyen
Vietnamese is one of our favourite cuisines, so we're headed to the Bánh mì shop for lunch in celebration.

Quark Expeditions opens its Antarctic 2026/27 season
You'd have to be Quarking mad to not have a trip like this on your bucket list.

Federal government to purchase REX Airlines if no buyers arise, Albanese says
News that is sure to ruffle some feathers in the offices of competing airlines this morning, but we're all for it!

Topdeck discounts select 2025-26 trips with up to $1,000 off
Knowing my Gen Z sister, that $1,000 saved would be headed straight to the shopping fund.

Windstar Cruises unveils ‘Basil + Bamboo’ on Star Seeker yacht
Don't worry, we're talking about a restaurant here, not the materials used to build the stunning yacht.

Captain Cook Cruises celebrates 55 years of excellence on the water in the habour city
With a view like Sydney Harbour as your office this would be a hard job to leave.