FT VA "AGM" Get together, Sat 23rd Aug. 2014

[QF WP]

I'm having to leave the airport no later than 5:15, given an evening function to which my wife is going.

Would be great to meet you eastwest101.

 

[samh004]

Just to muddy the waters, if you're not sold on lunch but don't want to be inside the airport ALL DAY, there's an event running nearby with static RAAF displays and free shuttle buses (from the international terminal), http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ts/aviation-careers-expo-2014-23-a-62433.html

 

[QF WP]

Pre-AGM lunch underway, steaks ordered and beer being drunk:

 

[eastwest101]

Hi QF WP, VA have cancelled my SYD-BNE-TSV flights so will miss you this afternoon, apologies.

 

[QF WP]

Sorry to hear that eastwest101. Was a small group by comparison to other years and I was the second to leave. Believe it wrapped up at ~ 7:45 with last member gwilli1 leaving on a flight home - but Bundy Bear was the last to leave overall (last night)

 

[penegal]

Sorry we missed you eastwest101 - Would have been nice to put another face to a name.

Sorry to hear that eastwest101. Was a small group by comparison to other years and I was the second to leave. Believe it wrapped up at ~ 7:45 with last member gwilli1 leaving on a flight home - but Bundy Bear was the last to leave overall (last night)

kiwia1 (kiwi) was delayed about 3.5 hours on Saturday night, so took the prize from gwilli1. Most of us left around 7:30/7:45 I think, so the poor chap was on his own.

I was delayed 5 hours on last night out of OOL, so left Queensland after Bundy, although I wasn't planning on being the last to leave the Sunshine state.

 

[eastwest101]

Sorry we missed you eastwest101 - Would have been nice to put another face to a name.




kiwia1 (kiwi) was delayed about 3.5 hours on Saturday night, so took the prize from gwilli1. Most of us left around 7:30/7:45 I think, so the poor chap was on his own.

I was delayed 5 hours on last night out of OOL, so left Queensland after Bundy, although I wasn't planning on being the last to leave the Sunshine state.

I was put on the direct VA SYD-TSV flight leaving SYD at 10am Sunday so ended up being approx. 20 hours late. I already had family in SYD so stayed overnight with them, rather than try to launch into full DWKWIA mode at the VA lounge. :shock: Just had a look at the VA Source and was wondering what happened to VA on Saturday 23rd and Sun 24th? Was JohnK booked on a heap of VA flights or something?

 

[penegal]

There is some speculation... Rumours seem to indicate that the new EBA for cabin crew may have caused some of the 150 UPAs they had on Sunday. (That's a lot of hangovers? )

But in the case of my delays it was 2x 737-800s going tech in the same port (OOL). Given the size of OOL this meant 4x cancelled services and some re-accommodation of pax and delays as new aircraft were rotated through (from SYD). The crew on my service were over their normal hours, but within the "emergency" extra hours (12 per shift).

BNE had a different issue (not enough crew on the ground to crew the planes they had).

 

[eastwest101]

The crew on my service were over their normal hours, but within the "emergency" extra hours (12 per shift).

BNE had a different issue (not enough crew on the ground to crew the planes they had).

That's my understanding as well from sources close to VA, shortage appears to be more cabin crew rather than pilots. Maybe they are waiting for the upcoming QF layoffs and do some recruitment then (rather than start training now?).