Rivals puts Virgin’s veteran queue idea back in the rack

Virgin’s move to give priority boarding to veterans has been rejected by Qantas and the Australian Defence Association.

Veteran’s Affairs Minister Darren Chester in Canberra.

Virgin’s move to give priority boarding to veterans and ­acknowledge them on flights has been rejected by Qantas and the Australia Defence Association, as “over the top like Americans do”.

Virgin Australia chief executive John Borghetti today said veterans would be able to present their new veterans’ card and lapel pin, announced by the government nine days ago, to go to the front of the queue and receive recognition on board.

Scott Morrison and Defence Industry Minister Steven Ciobo applauded the idea, with the latter calling on Qantas to follow suit, while Veterans’ Affairs Minister Darren Chester pointed out some veterans would rather stay under the radar.

ADA executive director Neil James echoed Mr Chester’s concerns and cautioned there was a “fine line” between embarrassing people and thanking them for their service.

“There’s a fine line between acknowledging veterans and going over the top like Americans do. If you spoke to most serving personnel and veterans, they’d probably prefer to see a return to the service discount that used to exist up until the early 1980s,” Mr James said.

“By all means thank people but it’s the practical assistance that needs to come first. Don’t overdo the thanks because it’s not the Australian way. A genuine proper thank you is better than an effusive hollow one.”

Qantas spokesman Andrew McGinnes said the national airliner had “utmost respect for current and former defence force personnel”, who were honoured throughout the year including through special announcements on Anzac Day and Remembrance Day, but the airline dismissed calls from Mr Ciobo to adopt ­Virgin’s approach.

“We’re conscious that we carry a lot of exceptional people every day, including veterans, police, paramedics, nurses, firefighters and others, and so we find it difficult to single out a particular group as part of the boarding process,” Mr McGinnes said.

The Australian also understands there are security concerns over having veterans publicly identify themselves.

Government sources said the priority boarding idea was initiated by Virgin and had not been raised by veterans’ groups.

The government will work with Virgin and veterans’ groups to finetune the proposal after announcing the Australian veterans’ card and lapel pin to more easily recognise their “unique contribution”. “As we consult with the ex-service organisations, we’ll get a better idea of what exactly they would like to see in that regard,” Mr Chester told the ABC.

“Australians by nature tend to keep their light under a bushel. Some veterans would be quite happy to get on the plane without anyone knowing they are there.”

Mr Ciobo urged businesses “across the board” to reinforce respect for veterans through initi­atives such as those being flagged by Virgin, which he labelled a “trailblazer”.

“It’s tremendous they come on board and that they honour and salute the service of men and women who have served our ­nation in uniform, putting themselves in harm’s way,” Mr Ciobo told Sky News.

Opposition veterans’ affairs spokeswoman Amanda Rishworth said Labor would support commitments that delivered “tangible benefits” and would consult with veterans to determine whether this was the kind of recognition they wanted.

“When it comes to the Prime Minister’s veterans’ card, there are still questions to be answered, including how the scheme will be administered, which businesses will participate, what businesses will be offering and how this differs from current concessions and other benefits,” she said.

The Virgin initiative caps off a week in which the Coalition unveiled the veterans’ card and announced a $500 million upgrade to the Australian War Memorial.