Does this happen often? [Luck of draw due to IRROPS?]

[mannej]

You've stated it yourself. VA ops have the overall bigger picture hence they felt it was appropriate to delay your flight.
You weren't privy to the reasons as to why, but it isn't their job to make the reasons public...

 

[ash.1111]

Are you sure the aircraft just didn't lose its takeoff slot? That's managed by ATC as far as I know.

 

[Aus ATC]

Speculating here - while an aircraft can "lose it's take off slot" - applies for arrivals into SYD, BNE and PER - the airlines are able to reschedule within their slot allocations - so they could simply shuffle everyone back. But perhaps the flights pushed to the back of the queue are less critical from the perspective of the next operation for that aircraft or crew.

 

[simongr]

I'm with the OP on this one. I personally think it is fairer to delay everyone by 30 mins than have one group delayed by an hour and other groups be on time. I see this frequently during irrops. I wonder whether there are performance measures on different teams that drive this behaviour. Are people measured on the number of delayed flights or the total amount of delay across the network.

I think we are too complacent (or maybe even complicit) when it comes to delays. I think we accept them too readily and easily.

 

[oz_mark]

I'm with the OP on this one. I personally think it is fairer to delay everyone by 30 mins than have one group delayed by an hour and other groups be on time. I see this frequently during irrops.

It sounds easy, but I guess it you need to look at the passengers, the aircraft, the crew, and where they all need to be. If one aircraft gets behind for whatever reason, why impact all the other aircraft?

 

[simongr]

Because the delay to one group might be substantial. I can generally cope with a 30 minute delay as I factor that into my travel. I wouldn't cope well with a 90 min delay.

 

[oz_mark]

Because the delay to one group might be substantial. I can generally cope with a 30 minute delay as I factor that into my travel. I wouldn't cope well with a 90 min delay.

My own view is that trying to inconvenience as few people as possible is a good goal. What you are suggesting is to push problems with one aircraft right across the network. Far better, in my view, to isolate the issue as far as possible and impact as few people as possible.

 

[Jama]

Once you choose to impact more than one aircraft your pretty much choosing to upset as many people as you possibly can. This will impact traffic in the airport, lounges etc. not to mention that every flight connected with each aircraft you choose to involve will also be affected as a domino effect.

And if its in the evening and curfews kick in then instead of accommodation one plane load of people it could end up being more. This would be a ridiculously unnecessary cost and major unnecessary delays for more people than needed to be impacted.

More than once I have changed to an earlier flight and then ended up flying later than my original flight due to delays on the flight I have moved to. These things happen. It wouldn't make me happier to see other people inconvenienced as well

 

[Fruitcake]

I'm with the OP on this one. I personally think it is fairer to delay everyone by 30 mins than have one group delayed by an hour and other groups be on time.

The air traffic control system is a lot bigger than half a dozen flights from MEL-SYD on one foggy morning. "Fairness" is getting the nationwide network back to time as quickly as possible.

For all we know after the delay on the ground (which was probably dictated by the 'ground delay program' so that they didn't burn fuel doing laps on the way to SYD whilst awaiting their landing slot to open) the OP's aircraft might have then departed SYD on time, flying a sector it wasn't originally scheduled to do. The other MEL-SYD flight that got away from MEL on time might have collected a group of pax in SYD that were two hours late because their inbound aircraft ended up diverted to CBR.

 

[docjames]

When you switch to an "earlier" flight, only for the "earlier" flight to be delayed to after the "later" flight, that's known as the "JohnK Syndrome".


;-)

 

[opusman]

When you switch to an "earlier" flight, only for the "earlier" flight to be delayed to after the "later" flight, that's known as the "JohnK Syndrome".

Only if, when you finally take off, the person in front of you immediately reclines their seat fully.
And it helps if the only food on board is curry

 

[mel-world]

Only if, when you finally take off, the person in front of you immediately reclines their seat fully.
And it helps if the only food on board is curry

Not sure what this has to do with the thread but an interesting range of opinions expressed in the posts that preceded it. It appears that I just happened to be on a flight that was inconvenienced for the benefit of the many that followed. Maybe I will learn a lesson if I see the VA airport manager (I suspect) come to the gate and look at the passenger manifest before the flight was almost immediately delayed an hour.

 

[JohnK]

Okay, I take the point several of you have raised but I do think we are all becoming far too complacent in accepting second rate service with little of no accountability as it is increasingly difficult to have anyone accept responsibility.

Unfortunately those with the collective mentality always win.

I hate delays but I accept them as I cannot do anything about them.

My train this morning was delayed by ~15 minutes which means I got to work ~15 minutes later and had to stay in the office ~15 minutes later. I did leave home on time and was waiting at ~9:30am for the train but I got home ~15 minutes later. Now note during this delay at least 2 other train services terminated at Roma Street and went back towards Bowen Hills via the loop.

Translink apologises for any inconvenience caused but unfortunately I cannot get the ~15 minutes back I lost from my life this morning.

Why strive for greatness when mediocrity will suffice?