"Across the board at Nine, there is a new travel policy," the source said. "No more first or business class for Liz Hayes and Tara Brown.
"No more business class for any Nine talent on any international trips, only premium economy from now on for everyone including executives.
"These are budgets cuts never seen before at Nine with 60 Minutes and news.
"Talent, especially 60 Minutes stars and crew, are NOT happy and they have been very vocal in the Nine corridors."
With their tongue firmly in their cheek, the source added: "Poor loves … First World problems!"
The budget cuts revelation comes on the same day as Nine boss Hugh Marks addressed the drop in advertising revenue following the advertiser boycott of radio shock jock Alan Jones, when he said that Prime Minister Scott Morrison should “shove a sock” down the throat of New Zealand’s Prime minister Jacinda Ardern.
Nine has also been in the news this week for welcoming back with open arms Karl Stefanovic after he was unceremoniously sacked from the very same show while on honeymoon with his second wife Jasmine Yarbrough a year earlier. The former cash cow is rumoured to have agreed to a pay cut of $1 million.
While Georgie Gardner was sent packing with immediate effect, Marks has been pumping Karl's tyres.
“If I looked at Karl now, he’s ready for the game again," he told The Daily Telegraph.
"He’s fired up and really up for the challenge. And whatever you say, he’s a brilliant performer in that format."