Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Himeno, I thought the same. The key may be the third last heading on this page ('Compliance...'):

Night flights | Noise | Heathrow

 

[Melburnian1]

Because QF129 was late on Monday 14 December, QF130 from PVG to SYD will be arriving at 1059 rather than 0945 on Tuesday 16 December. In turn, this will delay the 1115 QF81 to SIN to what QF suggests will be departure at 'high noon.'

61 minutes is very, very close to absolute minimum turnaround time for an A330, especially when one considers the arriving and departing pilots' 'paperwork' (iPad tasks) that occupies them in their seats onboard, the time that passenger alighting and boarding takes punctuated by the need in between to clean the aircraft carpets and seats and attend to the seat pockets, caterers having to unload and load trollies of delightful food, drinks and other necessities and the sheer time that it takes men using scissor lifts to unload and load baggage, freight and mail containers.

61 minutes probably assumes that there are no Johnny-come-latelys who decline to board until the absolute last minute or worse are nowhere to be found with QF then having to decide whether to commence unaloding any checked in luggage from the hold.

The delayed QF2 from LHR and DXB noted above is arriving in SYD at 0925 on 15 December. In theory this gives sufficient time for the 1130 departure of QF11, but QF suggests that the latter (to LAX) will not depart today until 1330 hours. Likely LAX arrival is 105 minutes behind time at 0810.

 

[Quickstatus]

QF93 estimated 50, then 70 min late in departure.
Some talk about aerobridge, engineers on board...
However boarding has commenced at 1200...

 

[Melburnian1]

Quickstatus was accurate as QF93 departed MEL at 1216 on 15 December.

QF11, the 'sister' flight from SYD to LAX was noted above as suffering a forecast delay to 1330 in its departure. This turned out to be a severe underestimate with blocks off at 1528 and arrival expected at 0935, three hours and 10 minutes behind time.

The predicted as delayed QF81 from SYD to SIN also fared worse than expected, with departure at 1233 today and arrival likely 90 minutes late at 1800 tonight, losing a bit of further time en route.

The QFi flights that originate in BNE appear to have a good punctuality record in the main. However today QF97 from BNE to HKG, scheduled out at 1050 did not depart until 1227 and therefore is predicted to arrive HKG at 1859, 69 minutes behind time. QF98 returning will be delayed in its departure by 75 minutes to 2030 this evening but on Wednesday 16 December BNE arrival should be an even hour late at 0710.

 

[Quickstatus]

Quickstatus was accurate as QF93 departed MEL at 1216 on 15 December.
.

Only because we were on it. Actually the doors closed at 1232 and pushback shortly after that. Doors opened at 0740 LAX

In luggage collection carousels at 0755
In T4 AA Flagship lounge at 0925.

Those red express connection passes did not really make any positive difference as the rate limiting steps was luggage collection.

 

[whatmeworry]

Someone thought QF93 was fuel dumping yesterday.

https://www.reddit.com/r/melbourne/comments/3wxc8q/qantas_a380_flying_very_low_east_over_the_city/

 

[OATEK]

The storm is playing havoc over Sydney this morning. The pax on QF418 are doing a tour of NSW. They nearly reach SYD, but were turned away and sent to CBR. They will probably be 4hrs+ late when they eventually get back to SYD.



Lots of diversions and delays for all airlines.

 

[Dmac6345]

The storm is playing havoc over Sydney this morning. The pax on QF418 are doing a tour of NSW. They nearly reach SYD, but were turned away and sent to CBR. They will probably be 4hrs+ late when they eventually get back to SYD.

View attachment 60143

Lots of diversions and delays for all airlines.

Still on this aircraft, sitting on the Tarmac at Canberra waiting for 2 fuel trucks.
Longest flight to Sydney from Melbourne ever (3 hours) without actually getting there.
Crew have been great. Pilot said over the PA "I have even tried to sell my body to get fuel more quickly, which may have resulted in further delay". Very amusing.
Worst thing is, it is now past lunch time and it's beer o'clock (none loaded).

 

[OATEK]

Still on this aircraft, sitting on the Tarmac at Canberra waiting for 2 fuel trucks.
Longest flight to Sydney from Melbourne ever (3 hours) without actually getting there.
Crew have been great. Pilot said over the PA "I have even tried to sell my body to get fuel more quickly, which may have resulted in further delay". Very amusing.
Worst thing is, it is now past lunch time and it's beer o'clock (none loaded).

Aargh - we all feel for you Dmac6345, all those hours in an airplane and no beer!!!

 

[Dmac6345]

Aargh - we all feel for you Dmac6345, all those hours in an airplane and no beer!!!

You forgot the part about being stuck in Canberra as well.
Just an update on this. Nobody is allowed off the plane because we are parked in a "restricted security area' and there are not enough ground security staff to guide us in. Also, the terminal is full of passengers already.
Not sure how long pretzels will keep me full for. Also forgot to add, I was due for lunch at Rockpool today. At 1300 :-|

 

[Melburnian1]

Naturally, there are many other delays with the SYD weather being so 'interesting.' Some international delays include:

QF143 from SYD to AKL departed at about 12 noon, two hours late while the later QF145 is forecast to be 75 minutes late on the same route; QF129 fo PVG departed about 55 mionutes late at 1145 on 16 December; QF81 was almost two hours late departing for SIN at 1305 hours; QF11 to AXhas been delayed from 1130 to at least 1345 hours in departing; QF63 will be 130 minutes late leaving if it departs at 1345 as www.sydneyairport.com.au claims; QF19 to MNL has been delayed at least an hour and 50 minutes to supposedly depart at 1415; QF27 to SCL is suggested as 130 minutes late in departing for SCL at 1500 this afternoon.

The QF website's flight status is playing up and I have not looked these flights up on FR24 to obain more accurate (in the latter case, take off not push back) times, so apologies if they are a little inaccurate.

With other international airlines also delayed and aircraft presumably occupying gates for lengthy, untimetabled periods, one problem may be a lack of available gates at Sydney's international terminal. I have only once been bussed in SYD from memory - perhaps other AFFers have had to use buses to and from the international terminal a bit more?

 

[moa999]

SEcond set of storms now impacting SYD. Will last longer this set.

 

[Dmac6345]

You forgot the part about being stuck in Canberra as well.
Just an update on this. Nobody is allowed off the plane because we are parked in a "restricted security area' and there are not enough ground security staff to guide us in. Also, the terminal is full of passengers already.
Not sure how long pretzels will keep me full for. Also forgot to add, I was due for lunch at Rockpool today. At 1300 :-|

Ok, another update.
Still sitting on the Tarmac at Canberra. I have now been sitting in my seat for almost 7 hours. (Halfway to LA).
To add insult to injury, there is a storm that has just hit Camberra and it's hailing.
there has been some fuel added to the aircraft, but not enough. Only water, juice and pretzels offered, but supplies are now low. Ready to go back to Melbourne and call it a day.

 

[jpk]

Ok, another update.
Still sitting on the Tarmac at Canberra. I have now been sitting in my seat for almost 7 hours. (Halfway to LA).
To add insult to injury, there is a storm that has just hit Camberra and it's hailing.
there has been some fuel added to the aircraft, but not enough. Only water, juice and pretzels offered, but supplies are now low. Ready to go back to Melbourne and call it a day.

At SYD J lounge now, it has been a slightly chaotic afternoon but most people are good natured about it. Not much anyone can do really.
Reading your experience makes me feel heaps better - at least we have beer!

It's a shame you can't get off now and go straight home, currently even when you get to SYD it might be a while before you get a flight back home.

 

[Himeno]

You forgot the part about being stuck in Canberra as well.

Canberra may be a hole, but it's better then Sydney.

 

[Melburnian1]

Here is a sample of what is occurring this evening (Wednesday 16 December) post the storms (and Cronulla alleged tornado):

Southbound from SYD to MEL, QF cancelled QF427, QF429, QF431 and QF439. respectively, these were the 1100, 1130, 1200 and 1400 hours departures. (Just for good luck, JQ also canclled one of its flights southbound during that time band).

QF443, the 1500 from SYD to MEL took off at 1806 and is about to arrive at 1917 hours, two hours and 42 minutes behind time (B738 VH-VZM). QF445, the 1530 hours flight (B738 VH-XZN) is closely following and should arrive at 1919, two hours and 14 minutes late. QF437, the very badly delayed 1330 hours ex the NSW capital is next and should be at a MEL gate at 1921, four hours and 16 minutes late, with VH-VXO, another ubiquitous B738 undertaking the task. QF455, the 1730 ex SYD is less late and with A332 VH-EBP doing the honours is forecast to arrive at 1946, "only" 41 minutes late.

QF449, the 1630 hours departure is behind it and due to arrive in the Victorian capital where the weather is sunny and very warm at 1951 hours, an hour and 46 late (VH-EBV, another A332). QF469 is the next southbound from SYD to MEL, the scheduled 1615 hours departure which isnow likely to arrive at 1957, two hours and seven minutes late, with B738 VH-XZL the aircraft.

So in this microcosm it is 'hit and miss' as to which time flight gets one to a destination first on a more heavily trafficked route. As always I assume that AFFers 'with status' get looked after and (subject to luggage being able to be moved) get placed on the 'first available.'

QF1554, the 1930 hours CBR to BNE (B717 VH-YQS) took off at 2142 and should arrive at 2154 AEST in lieu of 2015 hours, a significant delay.

Some flights however have not been affected. QF549, the 1725 hours BNE to SYD is expected to be only four minutes late arriving at 1804 (B738 VH-VXT). Conversely QF580, the 1120 from PER to SYD that was probably nowhere near the SYD storms today did not take off until 1227 WST and in the shape of A332 VH-EBE is expected to be 64 minutes late when it shortly puls up in SYD at 1934 hours.

While today's weather was an extreme case according to the BOM, the value of a properly built and competently operated high speed rail network between BNE/OOL/SYD/CBR/ ABX/ MEL and other stations would be shown. It would not be perfect but overseas shows how much more reliable it is (and also how much market share it would take from airlines: varying according to distance and time, but on a route like SYD - MEL it would become dominant).

 

[Melburnian1]

QFi flights today (16 December) did not escape the storms, except for the earlier departures (at least so far as pulling out of SYD) such as the 0955 QF23 from SYD to BKK, although it departed only 24 minutes late at 1019 yet is due in BKK 85 minutes late at 1700, losing time en route.

QF117, the 1315 hours SYD to HKG took off at 1618 and with VH-QPA, the class leader of the A333s is now due in HKG two and a quarter hours late at 2155 hours. The earlier QF127 took off at 1426 rather than 1135 and hence is due into HKG at 2045 hours, exactly three hours late.

While not in SYD, QF35, the 1220 hours MEL to SIN took off at 1602 and will reach the SIN gate at a forecast 1958 hours instead of 1725 (A330 VH-QPE). QF41, the 1400 hours SYD to CGK took off at 1725 this afternoon and should be in Indonesia's major centre at 1958 instead of 1735 hours. A332 VH-EBJ is the plane.

The 1225 SYD to MNL departed at 1456 and should arrive at 200 hours in lieu of the timetabled 1730 hours. By comparison QF129, the 1050 from SYD to PVG was able to be off blocks "just" 82 minutes late at 1212 and is epxcted to arrive 80 minutes late at 1950 hours this evening.

QF1, the 1645 high profile flight to DXB and LHR departed at 1802 and should be in the Middle Eastern commercial centre at 0110 hours, only 20 minutes late. The relatively lengthy timetabled stay and slow (revised) timetable on the second leg mean that an ontime LHR arrival (or an early one) is possible.

The 1130 QF11, an A388, departed at 1402 from SYD for LAX where it should arrive at 0830 hours, two hours and five minutes late. QF7 on the longhaul to DFW departed SYD 73 minutes late this afternoon at 1618 hours and is due in Texas at 1346 hours, just 11 minutes late.

In the westbound direction, QF63, the 1135 Jumbo from SYD to JNB departed at 1411, two hours and 36 minutes behind time with arrival slated for 1945 hours, three hours on 10 minutes late, so unlike the eastbound QF7, QF63 will lose further time.

The increasingly popular QF27 departed at 1538 instead of the timetabled 1250 so it should be in its South American destination at 1430, three hours and 10 minutes late.

QF143 from SYD to AKL departed at 1157 in lieu of 1000 and arrived at 1728, losing time on its trip as that is two hours and 18 minutes late. QF145 on the same route left at 1359, an hour and 29 late with arrival at 2003 instead of 1740 hours.

The separate lengthy delay to codehared with QF CI51 is in the CI delays/ cancellations thread.

Inevitably tomorrow morning and afternoon (Thursday 17 December) there will be quite a few late QFi arrivals, but this cannot be helped.

 

[Melburnian1]

Unrelated to today's SYD storms, QF10 yesterday (Tuesday 15 December) departed LHR 105 minutes late at 1350 hours (quite unusual: this flight most often gets away on time or extremely close to it) and even with the slowed timetable was still an hour 22 minutes late arriving DXB at 0037 on Wednesday 16 December. Departure from there was at 0303 hours (123 minutes late) so tonight's MEL arrival is predicted as 2317, 117 minutes late. QF9, the 2325 hours back to DXB and LHR will be a minimum of an hour and 25 minutes late in its departure but again the (northern winter) schedule often appears to be bettered. A388 VH-OQC is the aircraft.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF767, the 200 on 16 December from BNE to PER took off at 2153 hours and will arrive at 0049 on Thursday 17, 84 minutes late. A332 VH-EBK is the conveyance.

 

[Melburnian1]

The 16 December Sydney storms continue to affect flights. QF20 from MNL is not arriving in SYD until 0859 on Thursday 17, therefore delaying QF23 to BKK (which should be A333 VH-QPD) from 0955 to an amended 1020 hours departure.

QF81 from SYD to SIN is expected to depart an hour late at 1215 this afternoon with arrival similarly behind time.

The Wednesday QF28 from SCL to SYD has been delayed from 1335 to a predicted 1715 departure, with arrival of this B744 indicated as 2050 hours tonight rather than 1745. I am not sure if this will delay the 1905 hours departure from SYD to YVR, QF75.