Joe Aston has done us a real service with his revelations (“MPs defend flight upgrades as mud hits the propeller in Albanese saga”, October 31). The evil of freebies from Qantas, or from anyone else, is that it opens up the potential for corruption.

Upgrades and freebies are subject to the understanding that recipients of this largesse will assist Qantas when it needs help, especially in strangling the competition, and they will go easy when the airline is in trouble.