Additional QF SIN-LHR QF331/QF332 August

[docjames]

Looks like QF have snuck in additional A380 capacity SYD-SIN-LHR-SIN-SYD in August

QF 331 ex-SYD 30/7 and ex-SIN 1/8
QF332 ex-LHR 2/8

Same again 20-21-22/8

Ex-syd late evening, ex-sin 0230hrs (!). Ouch.

 

[AIRwin]

Additional to 6 and 16 August?

QF81 - A380 on Saturdays from Jul 15

When I searched for flights to make a booking this weekend, I noticed that an A380 is scheduled to operate QF81 on Saturdays and QF82 on Sundays from 15 July until 28 October - "subject to government and regulatory approval"

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[BNEFlyer]

Looks like QF have snuck in additional A380 capacity SYD-SIN-LHR-SIN-SYD in August

QF 331 ex-SYD 30/7 and ex-SIN 1/8
QF332 ex-LHR 2/8

Same again 20-21-22/8

Ex-syd late evening, ex-sin 0230hrs (!). Ouch.

Are these not the charter flights of that religious group who regularly charter QF?

 

[1022]

Nothing is showing as bookable on those dates, so must be some sort of charter. Though I would have thought charters would have a four digit flight number. I wonder if they'll be lumped with the A380 in the old config. (Assuming this is indeed operated by an A380)

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

If you take a look at flight aware or flight radar, and type in the range of QF3xx series of flights, its their once off ones.
Ie, some of them are where the planes are JQ planes, but they are flying on behalf of QFi.

 

[Himeno]

If you take a look at flight aware or flight radar, and type in the range of QF3xx series of flights, its their once off ones.
Ie, some of them are where the planes are JQ planes, but they are flying on behalf of QFi.

The QF200-399 range has normally been used for international codeshares to/from AU which would otherwise be in the QF1-199 range if QF operated.
Most of them are operated by JQ, others have been OZ and LN codeshares.

In the past, they've normally operated charters in the QF6xx_ range along with cargo and positioning flights.

It looks like QF may have changed how they block out flight numbers when international flying resumed. A lot of the codeshares that they used to have as QF3xx now have 5xx_ numbers.

 

[evanb]

Comment in GDS indicate "CHARTER FLIGHT".

FWIW, QF 31 is an old SYD-SIN-LHR flight number.

 

[jb747]

FWIW, QF 31 is an old SYD-SIN-LHR flight number.

Not that old.....

 

[evanb]

Not that old.....

2012ish?

 

[SYD]

2012ish?

That’s when QF31/32 was rebadged QF1/2.

QF31/32 SYD-SIN-LHR to become QF1/2 from March 2012

Not sure if this is old news but whilst searching for some award flights next year SYD-SIN QF1 on A380 kept appearing. Initially thought it was a system error with '3' not appearing infront of '1'. Looking at QF weekly timetable it seems as of 24 March 2012, Current QF31/32 SYD-SIN-LHR route...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[Rangalad]

Not that old.....

QF31 also used to be:
SYD/MEL/SIN (late 80s)
SYD/SIN/KUL (early/mid 90s)

 

[offshore171]

Something to do with the soccer perhaps.

The timing would work for eliminated teams and officials returning to Europe?

 

[jpp42]

How do charters work in terms of slots at LHR? Is there a special allocation from which they can buy a one-time-use slot? Seems odd that for charters they wouldn't choose another London-area airport, but I guess they are limited in places with A380 capability.

 

[evanb]

How do charters work in terms of slots at LHR? Is there a special allocation from which they can buy a one-time-use slot? Seems odd that for charters they wouldn't choose another London-area airport, but I guess they are limited in places with A380 capability.

There are a few ways how they can do it. For an existing carrier one can fly there and take a "sanction" from ACL which may include a penalty of a few thousand quid. However, that is taking the piss and if they suspect as much you may get a stiffer sanction.

There is a formal application process for ad hoc charters and they are usually granted subject to availability. There are a few ad hoc slots open all over the place (although concentrated at specific times), but they are subject to cancelation at short notice due to weather and demand. Notably, this flight was scheduled for arrival into LHR at 11:35am. This is during (11am to noon) one of the slowest one hour arrival blocks at LHR. If there was some weather around they probably had a back-up plan to operate to STN, but it would have been significantly easier for all concerned to use LHR given QF's existing operation there.

Edit: LHR, LGW and STN are all A380 capable. A LHR charter wouldn't get preference due to A380.

 

[Himeno]

How do charters work in terms of slots at LHR? Is there a special allocation from which they can buy a one-time-use slot? Seems odd that for charters they wouldn't choose another London-area airport, but I guess they are limited in places with A380 capability.

Give that QF has 4 slots at LHR and is only using 2 of them, I don't see a problem. They just have to tell BA that they are using their slot that day and BA can't lease it for the date in question.

 

[Quickstatus]

In the past IIRC, they have not taken booking for one of the regular flights on the day of charter and ran the charter instead of the regular flight.

 

[evanb]

Give that QF has 4 slots at LHR and is only using 2 of them, I don't see a problem. They just have to tell BA that they are using their slot that day and BA can't lease it for the date in question.

Simply doesn't work like that. QF will have a lease agreement with BA which won't be significantly different from a lease you'd have on an apartment. The tenant (i.e., BA) will have exclusive rights to the property (i.e., the slots) for a fixed time period and the landlord can't just call you up and say I want you out for the day so I can sleep and cook and shower in the apartment ...

Slot allocations and the trading of them work over a season schedule, two seasons of 6 months over a 12 month period. Leases or transfers usually occur before the start of the season and are effective for the whole season. It would be an awfully coughbersome thing to transfer a single slot pair for ad hoc uses.

 

[BNEFlyer]

Something to do with the soccer perhaps.

The timing would work for eliminated teams and officials returning to Europe?

It's been reported before that it's an Exclusive Brethren charter.

 

[encryptededdy]

That’s when QF31/32 was rebadged QF1/2.

QF31/32 SYD-SIN-LHR to become QF1/2 from March 2012

Not sure if this is old news but whilst searching for some award flights next year SYD-SIN QF1 on A380 kept appearing. Initially thought it was a system error with '3' not appearing infront of '1'. Looking at QF weekly timetable it seems as of 24 March 2012, Current QF31/32 SYD-SIN-LHR route...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

Off topic but I wonder if Project Sunrise will take over the QF1/2 flight numbers once it's running. Maybe QF 31/32 will come back.

 

[SYD]

Off topic but I wonder if Project Sunrise will take over the QF1/2 flight numbers once it's running. Maybe QF 31/32 will come back.

I would expect so - at least the QF1/2 bit.