The Chairman's Lounge

The inside story of how Qantas sold us out

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The Chairman's Lounge

By: Joe Aston

Narrated by: Joe Aston

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About this listen

Shortlisted for the the 2025 Walkley Book Award
Winner of the 2025 ABIA Awards, General Nonfiction Book of the Year
Shortlisted for the 2025 Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year
Shortlisted for 2025 Australian Political Book of the Year

From the must-read journalist on how power, money and influence work in this country, the full story of how one of the nation’s favourite brands brought itself to ground.

Before Covid, both Qantas and its CEO Alan Joyce were flying high, the darlings of customers, staff and investors. After Covid hit, only money mattered – in particular, the company’s share price and extraordinary executive bonuses. Illegally redundant workers, unethical flight credits, abysmal customer service, antique aircraft: these became Qantas’ new brand.

How did things go so badly wrong? Why were customers at the end of the queue? And how did an increasingly autocratic Joyce constantly get his own way, with the Qantas board and with both Liberal and Labor governments, which handed over billions in subsidies and protected lucrative flight routes from foreign competition? For the first time, The Chairman’s Lounge tells the full story of how one company banked the nation’s loyalty and then cashed in on it.

In his celebrated column Rear Window for the Australian Financial Review, Joe Aston’s reporting of the ethical failings of Qantas spurred the early retirement of its CEO and the resignation of its chairman. With fresh interviews and revelations, written in Aston’s trademark swashbuckling style, The Chairman’s Lounge is the definitive account of how Qantas was brought to ground and who did it. It is a parable of our times.

‘A masterclass in investigative journalism … A scathing, unflinching takedown of greed, delusion and a shameless abuse of power, both jaw-dropping and brilliantly incisive’
Adele Ferguson

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Critic Reviews

'Riveting' (Leigh Sales )

‘A masterclass in investigative journalism and a gripping, must read. Aston's blistering exposé of Qantas is a scathing, unflinching takedown of greed, delusion and a shameless abuse of power, both jaw-dropping and brilliantly incisive.’ (Adele Ferguson)

‘A cracking read … Joe Aston is a once-in-a-generation adornment to business journalism with fearless resolve, razor sharp intellect and remarkable writing skills.’ (Hedley Thomas)

‘Helmets are required for this book, the zingers never stop.’ (Kate McClymont)

'A remarkable corporate tale of how an attempt to turn a crisis into an opportunity backfired spectacularly ... perfect airport reading.' (Financial Times)

Most relevant

Given the quasi-sacred status of the national carrier in the national psyche, and the squirrel grip it holds on the national travel dollar, every Australian should read this book. Everyone with a non-self managed super account, and many with a self-managed one, are shareholders in this schemozzle.

The prose is crisp, clear, and dispassionate in its dissection of the subject matter. There’s precious little of Mr Aston’s trademark sarcasm. He doesn’t need it. The facts speak for themselves and are no laughing matter. His narration’s pretty good too.