Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

On Qantas' flight status page on its website, Monday 1 July 2013's QF9 from Melbourne to Dubai and London Heathrow is shown as delayed from its usual departure of 1525 hours to 0730 on Tuesday 2 July, meaning an arrival at LHR at about 2145 on Tuesday night local time if it manages to get away from MEL at the suggested time.

Tomorrow morning's flight has been altered to be QF009D - 'D' for delayed presumably - and is departing from gate 9, the same gate into which QF10 from LHR is due 10 minutes early to pull into at 0505 on Tuesday 2 July.

This looks like an A380 has become unserviceable. A two hour 25 minute turnaround for an A380 is achievable in theory but in practice may turn out to be tight, given that this arriving flight would normally sit in Melbourne until the 0915 QF93 departure to LAX, allowing four hours for attention by QF personnel.

How many have had to be accommodated in MEL hotels tonight? Was QF able to find sufficient rooms at the three acceptable airport hotels (Parkroyal, Mantra and Holiday Inn)? I assume that MEL based passengers were given taxi vouchers to get home and come in again (very early, say 0430) in the morning.

Does anyone know exactly what went wrong? QF has 12 A380s: they are tightly rostered.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

As a side issue, if the QF computer can take a total of 50 minutes in flying time when flights are this late (compare tomorrow's temporary timetable for Tuesday's late departure with the normal one), why can't QF do this everyday?

Airline timetables are lazy. They make more than sufficient allowance for usual wind conditions, the time spent on the apron waiting for clearance from ATC and the time spent on approach to the destination.

 

[moa999]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

less chance of delay at airports at certain times.
pushing the efficient fuel envelope... you can fly faster but it costs a lot more.
even winds on a given day versus the standard timetable set 6mths out

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

Upon further checking, tomorrow's QF93 from MEL to LAX (due out at 0915 hours) is being formed by the QF94 arrival, normally due at 0820 but which fortunately is running an hour early. So that QF A380 will have a hoped for 115 minute turnaround.

My guess is that both the LHR and LAX departures ex MEL will be late away tomorrow morning even on the already amended 0730 time for QF9.

In turn, it is highly likely that either QF2 or QF10 will be late departing LHR on Tuesday 2 July.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

That's not ridiculously short for a turn-around, EK do similar daily and it's not a new fleet type either. No point in creating a panic!

 

[TheInsider]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

VH-OQB, some issue with the APU from what my sources tell me.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

VH-OQB, some issue with the APU from what my sources tell me.

Thank you TheInsider.

The cost of such delays must be significant: finding a new flight crew and pilots (assuming that those who signed at at 1400 or so on Monday were unavailable), any hotel accommodation, having to reorder catering (for a different time slot of departure and arrival in DXB: the DXB - LHR sector may be OK due to a fair bit of notice for the catering contractor) and the knock-on delays at LHR for the A380's next assignment to MEL or SYD.

 

[markis10]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

Does anyone know exactly what went wrong? QF has 12 A380s: they are tightly rostered.

Tightly rostered??? Qantas normally have a spare aircraft sitting in Sydney, its crewing that is more of a constraint at times than aircraft. FWIW I don't believe local passengers get taxi vouchers.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

QF10 arrived MEL at 0528, 13" late, not the 0505 predicted last night. Monday's QF9 still has not departed. The Qantas web site has just changed to show it departing MEL at 0810, not the formerly predicted 0730, for a LHR forecast arrival of 2045, which seems rather optimistic givebn that this would be a significant gain on the normal timetable's elapsed hours of travel.

QF94 arrived MEL at 0734, 46" early, not 0720 as predicted last night. It forms the 0915 LAX (QF93).

 

[TheInsider]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

Tightly rostered??? Qantas normally have a spare aircraft sitting in Sydney, its crewing that is more of a constraint at times than aircraft. FWIW I don't believe local passengers get taxi vouchers.

Anyone would either receive taxi vouchers or a hotel for the night.

 

[markis10]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

Anyone would either receive taxi vouchers or a hotel for the night.

Thats good service, on a number of occasions when BNE closed due to storms I was told nothing other than rebooking was on offer as a local with an international flight, having spent a few hours in the QP I was not in a fit state to drive!

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

QF9 got away from the gate at MEL at 0812 but QF has revised the flight's LHR predicted arrival time to 2110 local time on Tuesday 2 July. This would be 15 hours 40 minutes late compared with the deficit of 16 hours 37 minutes upon departure from MEL. Let's see what ATC at Dubai and LHR can achieve, along with how fast the turnaround at DXB (in and out) is.

 

[blackcat20]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

Anyone would either receive taxi vouchers or a hotel for the night.

First class passengers were put in the Hilton for the night; not sure about everyone else.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

blackcat20, thank you. That hotel has been known as the Parkroyal for at least a couple of years now.

Even at severely discounted airline rates, that would cost QF at least A$100 a night per room I would expect. I hope that J and Y class passengers who came on connecting flights (and there would be a few: LST and HBA are two obvious markets, as are ADL and MQL) are not too bleary eyed today. In time, perhaps one or two may see this thread and tell us what happened in their cases.

 

[blackcat20]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

blackcat20, thank you. That hotel has been known as the Parkroyal for at least a couple of years now.

Even at severely discounted airline rates, that would cost QF at least A$100 a night per room I would expect. I hope that J and Y class passengers who came on connecting flights (and there would be a few: LST and HBA are two obvious markets, as are ADL and MQL) are not too bleary eyed today. In time, perhaps one or two may see this thread and tell us what happened in their cases.

I was told Hilton so I assumed it would be one of the two in the city. I'm aware that the one at the airport is no longer a Hilton.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

If true, Hilton South Wharf would be more likely as it is far newer than the 1973 era Hilton near the Fitzroy Gardens. The first one is also closer to MEL (airport) although the time difference might not be that great (depending on time of day: at 0430 for an 0500 checkin, there's little traffic of any consequence on any road in Melbourne, but leave it until 0615 and the tollways start carrying many tradies' utilities.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

QF(D ('D' for 'delayed') arrived in DXB a few minutes ago at 1555 local, 16 and a half hours late, so it managed to pick up 17 minutes on the flight from MEL.

 

[serfty]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

If true, Hilton South Wharf would be more likely as it is far newer than the 1973 era Hilton near the Fitzroy Gardens. The first one is also closer to MEL (airport) although the time difference might not be that great (depending on time of day: at 0430 for an 0500 checkin, there's little traffic of any consequence on any road in Melbourne, but leave it until 0615 and the tollways start carrying many tradies' utilities.

Thanks for the updates on QF9.

I would have assumed the Parkroyal as well. Anyhoo the HSW is well known in these parts with plenty of experience.
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ton-south-wharf-discussion-reviews-37328.html
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....m-club/has-hsw-gone-downhill-elite-48672.html
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....anding-service-hotp-hsw-incredible-50712.html

 

[blackcat20]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

Thanks for the updates on QF9.

I would have assumed the Parkroyal as well. Anyhoo the HSW is well known in these parts with plenty of experience.
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ton-south-wharf-discussion-reviews-37328.html
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....m-club/has-hsw-gone-downhill-elite-48672.html
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....anding-service-hotp-hsw-incredible-50712.html

I got the info second hand from someone on the flight, may have got a little lost in translation, but at least I know they weren't sent home

 

[JohnK]

Re: QF9 MEL - DXB - LHR delayed 16 hours

I do not think expecting taxi vouchers home and back again to airport would be unreasonable considering those sort of delays.