Likelihood of QF8 having a scenic stopover in Nouméa.

[docjames]

Well they're diverting to AKL for Sat's flight.

DFW-AKL-BNE-SYD. Arrival in SYD is estimated at 4:40 late.



I think we may have a new contender for the old "1-oh-late" moniker!

QF Late it is.

 

[Danger]

QF Late it is.

Haha. Very good. Perhaps the 8 in the flight number should have been a dead giveaway right from go.

 

[el_rooto]

Lounge dragons in BNE were not amused when I called it QF Late.

Although the woman at duty free in sydney commented to me "This flight is always late"

 

[docjames]

Lounge dragons in BNE were not amused when I called it QF Late.

"

Lounge dragons are rarely amused by anything.

 

[NM]

Lounge dragons in BNE were not amused when I called it QF Late.

Although the woman at duty free in sydney commented to me "This flight is always late"

I have taken QF8 twice and neither time has it been any more than 10-15 mins late arriving into SYD. So "always" may be a little exaggerated.

 

[pauly7]

Crew change? Getting an entire 747 through two metal detectors? I don't know.

Two metal detectors!! AKL must have upsized

 

[serfty]

I "Little Bird" has told me that sales were so high for end of Oz School holidays that transpacific flights were "full to the gills" and the AKL stopover may have been planned with all seats being sold.

The only remaining Question is of the "chicken or the egg" variety:

• Was the stop planned in AKL since they were not going to make it due to weather conditions, so fill it up with PAX anyway, or
• Sales were so good that lets fill it up with PAX and plan a stop in AKL.

Which came first?

 

[docjames]

I "Little Bird" has told me that sales were so high for end of Oz School holidays that transpacific flights were "full to the gills" and the AKL stopover may have been planned with all seats being sold.

The only remaining Question is of the "chicken or the egg" variety:

• Was the stop planned in AKL since they were not going to make it due to weather conditions, so fill it up with PAX anyway, or
• Sales were so good that lets fill it up with PAX and plan a stop in AKL.

Which came first?

And why AKL and not NOU (as per previous unscheduled stops). Or NAN for that matter.

 

[serfty]

And why AKL and not NOU (as per previous unscheduled stops). Or NAN for that matter.

NAN is no good as PAX find it difficult to get contiguous sleep with a 8 hour flight then a 7 hour one.

They did NOU the day before AKL got the gig - maybe they were testing things. I did not see the loadings for the flight that landed in NOU so maybe that was indeed unplanned. The AKL refuel was sold out (all fare buckets 0) an FT report indicated no spare seats around.

 

[docjames]

NAN is no good as PAX find it difficult to get contiguous sleep with a 8 hour flight then a 7 hour one.

They did NOU the day before AKL got the gig - maybe they were testing things. I did not see the loadings for the flight that landed in NOU so maybe that was indeed unplanned. The AKL refuel was sold out (all fare buckets 0) and an FT report indicated no spare seats around.

I would have thought as an airline you'd go for the most economic rather than allowing pax to sleep! The only thing I can think of is if a "spare" crew were positioned in AKL to operate AKL-BNE-SYD (easier than positioning them in NAN or forcing DFW-departing crew to do the lot).

And of course, "sold out" doesnt mean "no (physical) seats left on the aircraft" - do you have a link to the FT thread?

What's the flight time split if going via NOU?

I'd also propose they're trying AKL as if the aircraft goes U/S on the ground, there are a few more options for pax management.

 

[serfty]

It was one unconfirmed report on FT. (via AKL is about 560 miles further than via NOU.)

FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Dallas to Brisbane flight diverts again

I guess we'll simply have to take Qantas' word for it.

 

[el_rooto]

I had a chat to the CSM and also a look around, there were no free physical seats on the plane.

 

[docjames]

Fair enough, guess we'll never know which way around the decision was taken.

 

[Danger]

AN-Diamond, a member on Flyertalk, just posted the following:

"Just as an update - I am now flying QF12 back from LAX, got a phone call yesterday morning saying they were offloading PAX from the DFW flight."

​

Apparently QF is now taking steps to avoid a diversion!

(Confirmed: QF to add SYD-DFW but drop SYD-SFO - Page 21 - FlyerTalk Forums)

 

[markis10]

QF Late was via NAN yesterday and landed 14 hours late.

 

[awilcockson]

QF Late was via NAN yesterday and landed 14 hours late.

Apparently the crew ran out of hours and they had to ferry a new crew from Sydney. Wonder if they let the pax off the plane in NAN?

Flying QF8 in 4 weeks, can't wait

 

[markis10]

They must have had a lot of D stickers to issue, they ran a service as QF14 for the domestic leg:

Flight No. From To Scheduled Status Current Status
QF14 [TD="class: from"]Brisbane[/TD]
[TD="class: to"]Sydney[/TD]
[TD="class: scheduled"] Departure 07:15 (Sun)
Arrival 08:50 (Sun)
[/TD]
[TD="class: current"] DepartureTerminal:
Gate: 81 07:43 (Sun) Departed ArrivalTerminal: T1
Gate: 24 09:11 (Sun) Landed
[/TD]

 

[sat]

Just back from QF8 that had the stopover in NAN. The fog in QLD forced the plane to turn back. Nouméa was also covered in fog so we had to back track further to NAN. Arrived at NAN 7am local time and departed at 5pm.

After we landed the plane sat near the gate for 3 hours. The plane was refuled and Qantas contacted CASA for an exemption for the crew to continue after refueiling. This was knocked back so we had to wait onboard some other flights departed so the airport and ground staff were ready for 300pax to enter the terminal. Then we had 7 hours in the terminal in the depature area until a new crew arrived on a DJ flight and had the plane ready. All the pax got food vouchers for use at the airport. It would of been better if we could of left the airport as it was tough on everyone to sit around in the terminal for 7 hours after being on the plane for the 15 hours flight time plus 3 hours sitting on the tarmac. Captain Black stuck around and seemed to speak personally with nearly everyone from the flight and answer everyones questions. The plane go to BNE at 7:30pm Sunday night and everyone going on to other QF flights were put up in a hotel overnight for flights the next morning. It ended up taking me an extra 24 hours to get home because of the delay.

I think QF did a good job under the circumstances. As I said before the only thing to change would be to let the pax leave the terminal and putting them in a hotel at NAN would have been the best option.

 

[Mal]

Casa exemption or Qantas crew union exemption?

 

[sat]

The crew I spoke to said CASA.