Former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce set for decades of luxury with Qantas

The former chief executive is still profiting from Qantas a year after he left the organisation amid mounting criticism.

Former Qantas boss Alan Joyce can claim up to $2m in free first-class flights under a generous scheme given to former executives.

Mr Joyce and a nominated beneficiary will be allowed to take four long-haul and 12 shorter domestic trips without being charged each year, with an estimated value of $100,000 per year.

In total, the former chief executive will receive up to $2m in benefits until 2046. As part of this he will be eligible for flights to his native Dublin, the cost of which is upwards of $9000 for one first-class return trip from Sydney.

The perks are given to all retired Qantas executives and their nominated beneficiaries, allowing them to fly for free for as many years as they have been working for the airline. In Mr Joyce’s case, he will fly free with the airline until he is 80.

The perk will help offset some of the losses Mr Joyce suffered when he left the airline.

Qantas’ 2024 financial remuneration report published on the ASX in September showed Mr Joyce departed the airline with more than $18m in base pay and bonuses, even after $9m was stripped from his entitlements in 2023.

Former Qantas boss Alan Joyce is set to walk away with $18m despite facing a senate inquiry. Picture: NewsWire/Aaron Francis

Under the same scheme, former head of Qantas’ loyalty program Olivia Wirth has also been granted access to the perk, having spent 14 years with the airline before leaving earlier this year.

Mr Joyce was with Qantas for 23 years after joining the airline in 2000 before being forced to resign in 2023.

In a statement to NewsCorp, Qantas confirmed Mr Joyce’s generous benefits, although highlighting it is not uncommon for others in the sector to receive similar perks.

The Qantas spokesman also said that all staff from the chief executive to the cabin crew were eligible for these benefits, although failed to specify whether the scheme was as generous for non-executive staff.

Having led Qantas as chief executive for 15 years, Mr Joyce stepped down following mounting criticism over cancelled flights, lost luggage, accusations of exploiting customers and $2.7bn in Covid subsidies that the airline refused to pay back.

Two months after his resignation, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission launched a Federal Court action over the airline advertising tickets for flights that were already cancelled.

Mr Joyce faced mounting criticism before he stepped down. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

On Tuesday, the case was settled with Qantas ordered by the Federal Court to pay $100m in penalties for misleading consumers.

“This is a substantial penalty, which sets a strong signal to all businesses, big or small, that they will face serious consequences if they mislead their customers,” ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.

These penalties come in addition to the $20m the airline paid on May 5, 2024 to consumers who purchased already cancelled flights.

“Up to about 880,000 consumers were affected by Qantas’ conduct. People had made plans and may have spent money on other related purchases, relying on the fact that the flight would depart as advertised. And the delay in notifying them of the cancellation may have made it more stressful and costly to make alternative arrangements,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb concluded.

Originally published as Former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce set for decades of luxury with Qantas