Education Minister Jason Clare has admitted he solicited and received a free flight upgrade from Qantas for personal travel overseas in 2019.

Mr Clare said he made the request after recently having surgery to remove a melanoma.

"Good pick-up, that was a personal trip," Mr Clare told Sky News.

"That was a situation where I had just got out of hospital, I had surgery on my leg and, yep, I asked for an upgrade and I was assisted by Qantas."

Mr Clare said he remembered "picking up the phone" and "probably" speaking with a government relations official.

The education minister declared the flight from Sydney to Singapore in his register of interests in 2019 as required.

On Friday, Mr Clare responded "I don't know" when asked if it was ministers or office staff making requests to Qantas, and said he would have to check his records to know what upgrades he had received in the past decade.

"The bottom line is where it happens, declare it, fill out a form, make sure that the whole world can see about it," he said on Sunrise.

However, alongside disclosure requirements, the ministerial code of ethics also requires that ministers not "seek or encourage any form or gift in their personal capacity".

Mr Clare's admission comes following days of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese facing intense questioning over a claim that he contacted former Qantas boss Alan Joyce to request free upgrades while he held the transport portfolio.

Mr Albanese has flatly denied ever soliciting a free upgrade from anyone at Qantas.

But it has triggered a wave of late disclosures and admissions from politicians who have combed over their own flight records and found previously undisclosed perks they received.

Late last week Opposition Leader Peter Dutton conceded he was incorrect when he said he had not asked to use mining magnate Gina Rinehart's personal jet to make it to an event.

All federal members of parliament are offered access to the exclusive Qantas Chairman's Lounge, including associated perks such as priority booking, a special customer service hotline and occasional flight upgrades.

The federal government has been called on to establish a broader inquiry into politicians' travel perks as the fallout continues.

This weekend the federal government announced major relief for university graduates with HECS debts in an attempt to reset debate ahead of the return of parliament on Monday.