SYDNEY-MELBOURNE EVERY HALF-HOUR WITH QANTAS CITYFLYER

Qantas today announced a new express service on its busiest route, Sydney-Melbourne, offering flights every 30 minutes - on the hour and half-hour - from Monday to Friday, from July.

Qantas Executive General Manager Marketing, Denis Adams, said the new Qantas CityFlyer service would offer customers more seats and more flights on the route than any other airline.

"We are also providing a range of dedicated services on the ground to streamline the airport process for business travellers on this route," Mr Adams said.

These include:

· Priority Sydney-Melbourne departure gates - a dedicated area nearest to airport security screening and the Qantas Club lounge

· Dedicated baggage carousel

· One-stop dedicated check-in (for customers without baggage) and customer service desk at the departure gates

· Stand-alone, easy-to-read information screens.

"Recognising the emphasis our business customers place on punctuality, we are investing in a range of initiatives to minimise the impact of delays caused by factors such as weather and peak hour airport congestion.

"The goal is to build in contingencies - by dedicating more aircraft specifically to this route and increasing aircraft turnaround times - to further improve punctuality," he said.

"Sydney-Melbourne is our most important business route and we aim to get business travellers flying between these cities in the air and on the ground more efficiently than ever before," Mr Adams said.

He added that Qantas CityFlyer offered both Business Class and Economy Class, with the inflight entertainment and meal and snack services offered on all Qantas flights.

Mr Adams said Qantas would also introduce two additional services in July aimed at saving time for the business traveller:

· Qantas Drive, a new chauffeur service offered to and from major airports around Australia. The service can be booked at the same time flight bookings are made or at domestic Qantas Clubs, and Qantas Frequent Flyers can earn frequent flyer points when they use the service.

· An enhanced Qantas Valet service at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane airports, introducing progressively a range of services such as car maintenance, dry cleaning and grocery products. Valet customers will be able to request these services when they drop off their car at the airport.