Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Thank you Flyerqf and Quickstatus for clearing up the QF73/74/63 situation. Given the need to count back two days for SFO departures arriving in Oz tomorrow morning, it can become confusing when one is cancelled.

On Monday 28 March, QF2452, the 0605 BNE to MOV is cancelled, as is QF2450, the closely following scheduled 0720 hours departure. The 0805 BNE down to SYD, QF805 is also not running.

QF804, the 0720 hours MEL to CBR is also cancelled.

QF2164, the 0830 SYD - PQQ should depart 45 minutes late at 0015. QF1555, the 1130 SYD - ADL is quite badly delayed with it expected to push back almost two hours late at 1325.

 

[milehighclub]

QF63 was delayed due to technical reasons. The aircraft operating the QF73 was subbed to operate the QF63 and then the QF73 was cancelled.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Easter Monday (28 March 2016), QF2046, the 1510 hours mid afternoon from SYD to DBO departed 53 minutes late at 1603 with arrival at 1657, 37 minutes behind time.

Earlier, QF63 departed 36 minutes late at 1226 from SYD with predicted arrival in JNB at 1740 being half an hour late. The A388-operated QF11 departed SYD 65 minutes late at 1155 but is suggested as making up much of that time enroute with LAX arrival predicted as same day (Monday 28) at 0655 hours, 25 minutes late.

While QF127, the much longer established of the two SYD - HKG flights run by QF departed 40 minutes late at 1145, arrival should also only be 25 minutes late at 1745, presumably subject to no unseemly delays on approach. HKG seems to be an efficient airport in terms of dealing with the 'traffic' offering.

In contrast. while the MEL - HKG QF29 was similarly late departing Oz - 44 minutes tardy at 1204 - it is still forecast to be 40 minutes late at 1840 arriving. The difference might be in taxiing times.

QF457, which had an unusual timing for a QF SYD to MEL flight - 1650 hours - was cancelled as later QF1585, the 1840 SYD to CBR also was.

QF549, the 1725 hours BNE to SYD has been changed to depart at 1805 AEST.

QF1585, an 1815 hours from SYD down to HBA is expected to depart almost two hours late at 2000 this evening.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Sunday 27 March 2215 hours A388-operated QF94 from LAX to MEL has been altered to depart at a projected 1430 hours on Monday 28 March. Arrival in MEL is estimated at 2350 hours on Tuesday 29 March rather than the usual 0800, almost 16 hours late.

Did the crew run out of allowable hours after the aircraft became defective?

The Tuesday 29 March QF93 is expected to be delayed from 1015 to a super early morning (and horrible time to leave) Wednesday 30 March departure of 0150 hours ex MEL for a forecast Tuesday 29 March arrival in LAX at 2150 hours in the mid to verging on late evening. Advice from passengers as to whether they receive a hotel room for the day and early evening would be good.

QF94 ex LAX at the scheduled time of 2215 hours on Tuesday 29 will almost certainly be delayed as it cannot turn around in 25 minutes: an hour and 40 minutes is about the best I have observed in the past year, and that is a very good effort by all concerned if it occurs.

This is one of those 'rolling delays' situations that AFF member JohnPhelan discussed months ago. While his comments were in relation to the B744s they are just as relevant to the almost identical fleet size of the QF A388s.

 

[Quickstatus]

While QF93 very late arrival will require some hotel rooms for some misconnected passengers, all is not lost

Assuming that passengers will connect via their OW partner AA, there are AA flights from midnight to:

SEA, MIA, MEX, ANC, ORD, PHL, LIM, DFW, CLT, GDL. Some destinations have 2 flights before 5 am.
As luck would have it, the AA30 Redeye to JFK on the excellent A321 which operates on Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat at a few minutes before midnight should be available (if seats are available) for those heading east.

A major hub like LAX is a 24 hours operation. Pity that Australia's major hub SYD is curfew constrained.

 

[smit0847]

The Sunday 27 March 2215 hours A388-operated QF94 from LAX to MEL has been altered to depart at a projected 1430 hours on Monday 28 March. Arrival in MEL is estimated at 2350 hours on Tuesday 29 March rather than the usual 0800, almost 16 hours late.

Did the crew run out of allowable hours after the aircraft became defective?

The Tuesday 29 March QF93 is expected to be delayed from 1015 to a super early morning (and horrible time to leave) Wednesday 30 March departure of 0150 hours ex MEL for a forecast Tuesday 29 March arrival in LAX at 2150 hours in the mid to verging on late evening. Advice from passengers as to whether they receive a hotel room for the day and early evening would be good.

QF94 ex LAX at the scheduled time of 2215 hours on Tuesday 29 will almost certainly be delayed as it cannot turn around in 25 minutes: an hour and 40 minutes is about the best I have observed in the past year, and that is a very good effort by all concerned if it occurs.

This is one of those 'rolling delays' situations that AFF member JohnPhelan discussed months ago. While his comments were in relation to the B744s they are just as relevant to the almost identical fleet size of the QF A388s.

QF94 must be the most frequently delayed flight of any in the QF network.

 

[Quickstatus]

QF94 must be the most frequently delayed flight of any in the QF network.

I think in terms of A380 operations the QF9 is the most as risk of delays. This may be a tad unfair though as QF9 is a 2 sector flight while QF94 is a one sector flight.
and QF94 is less affected by delays to the incoming A380s - QF11, QF93, while the on-time performance of QF9 depends absolutely on the on time arrival of QF10.

 

[milehighclub]

The QF94 might be operated by the inbound QF11 meaning it can leave on time. Most of the time the A380s in LAX swap directions to get aircraft through Sydney (11 becomes 94 and the 93 becomes 12).
A late QF12 will have less impact on outbound flights as it can be used on either the QF7 or QF1 without a delay. A late QF94 will impact the QF93 again.

 

[Flyerqf]

OEJ is positioning back from SFO empty, following the cancellation of Sunday's QF74.
This is probably due to cabin crew requirements to operate a revenue flight.

 

[Quickstatus]

OEJ is positioning back from SFO empty, following the cancellation of Sunday's QF74.
This is probably due to cabin crew requirements to operate a revenue flight.

Can you elaborate please?

isnt there a crew in SFO stranded due to the cancellation of QF73 from the weekend.

 

[Flyerqf]

Can you elaborate please?

isnt there a crew in SFO stranded due to the cancellation of QF73 from the weekend.

Yes there would be but with two flights operating yesterday (Sunday's and Monday's QF73) they would have had to wait another 24 hours for crew to operate the 2nd flight back to SYD. Quickest way to get back on schedule is to position empty back to SYD. The aircraft will then turn straight around and operate today's QF17 to LAX.

 

[Quickstatus]

Yes there would be but with two flights operating yesterday (Sunday's and Monday's QF73) they would have had to wait another 24 hours for crew to operate the 2nd flight back to SYD. Quickest way to get back on schedule is to position empty back to SYD. The aircraft will then turn straight around and operate today's QF17 to LAX.

QF73 and 73D operated on 28/3. I get it now.

 

[docjames]

Can I make a suggestion?

This thread would be better if the listings of delays were clearer:..eg.


1/4/16
QF 9 MEL-DXB - LHR
Scheduled 2155 - 0430 - 1315
Performance 2347 (act) - 0543 (pred) - 1355 (pred)


QF 11 SYD-LAX
Scheduled 1315 - 1015
Performance 1355 (act) - 1020 (act)

Followed by commentary below. Then we can look through the listings a little easier to find flights that may be of relevance to us.

 

[Quickstatus]

Yes that's would make it easier but Melburnian1 's prose makes the reading interesting.

In his defence he does put a lot of voluntary work into this and similar threads and it's quite a popular. Its an open thread and anyone can contribute in their preferred format.

I would actually find it interesting if people can post their "coal face" experiences with delays and cancellations and the information / assistance provided by the airline/airport and what intelligent workarounds passengers employed to get themselves onwards.

 

[docjames]

Yes that's would make it easier but Melburnian1 's prose makes the reading interesting.

In his defence he does put a lot of voluntary work into this and similar threads and it's quite a popular. Its an open thread and anyone can contribute in their preferred format.

I would actually find it interesting if people can post their "coal face" experiences with delays and cancellations and the information / assistance provided by the airline/airport and what intelligent workarounds passengers employed to get themselves onwards.

Not criticizing, but offering constructive improvements. The commentary is fine, but if separated from the "hard" data, then easier to scan (and potentially pick up / contribute to interesting stats).

 

[Quickstatus]

I apologise if my post appeared to infer you were criticising which of course you were not.

 

[JohnK]

At least 3 SYD-CBR cancellations today. Weather?

 

[Melburnian1]

The Sunday 27 March 2215 hours A388-operated QF94 from LAX to MEL has been altered to depart at a projected 1430 hours on Monday 28 March. Arrival in MEL is estimated at 2350 hours on Tuesday 29 March rather than the usual 0800, almost 16 hours late. The Tuesday 29 March QF93 is expected to be delayed from 1015 to a super early morning (and horrible time to leave) Wednesday 30 March departure of 0150 hours ex MEL for a forecast Tuesday 29 March arrival in LAX at 2150 hours in the mid to verging on late evening. Advice from passengers as to whether they receive a hotel room for the day and early evening would be good.

QF94 ex LAX at the scheduled time of 2215 hours on Tuesday 29 will almost certainly be delayed as it cannot turn around in 25 minutes: an hour and 40 minutes is about the best I have observed in the past year, and that is a very good effort by all concerned if it occurs.

The delayed Sunday 27 March QF94 did not depart LAX until 1548 hours mid afternoon on Monday 28, so will not arrive in MEL until a forecast 0100 hours on Wednesday 30 March instead of 0800 today (Tuesday 29), so it is 17 hours late.

The A388 is expected to then depart as QF93 at the even worse time of 0300 - a feat normally reserved for EK in Melbourne - on Wednesday 29 for a Tuesday 28 March late night 2300 hours LAX arrival. In turn, the Tuesday 29 March QF12 from LAX to SYD, normally timetabled at this time of year to depart at 2250 is overoptimistically forecast by QF to depart at 0025 hours on Wednesday 29 March. Realistically this will be 0040 or later if the aircraft arrives in LAX ex MEL at 2300 hours. The QF website predicts an on time 0810 hours arrival in SYD, again perhaps a tad unrealistic but time will tell.

Thank you also to milehighclub for pointing out that QF A388s usually swap in LAX so that aircraft ex MEL can end up in QF's SYD hub. Great information for travellers to have as on occasion the QF website may not be updated as to which flight back to Australia will be delayed if there is significant late running to LAX ex SYD or MEL. As an aside the QF B744s BNE - LAX - BNE are often on time despite having to undertake the 'tag flights' to and from a not infrequently weather-affected JFK.

 

[Melburnian1]

Can I make a suggestion?

This thread would be better if the listings of delays were clearer:..eg.
1/4/16
QF 9 MEL-DXB - LHR
Scheduled 2155 - 0430 - 1315
Performance 2347 (act) - 0543 (pred) - 1355 (pred)


QF 11 SYD-LAX
Scheduled 1315 - 1015
Performance 1355 (act) - 1020 (act)

Followed by commentary below. Then we can look through the listings a little easier to find flights that may be of relevance to us.

docjames, thank you for the constructive suggestion.

I try to minimise space usage by being as brief as possible. This can make one's eyes suffer, although I avoid too much information in each paragraph. Adopting your suggestion would be good if it did not take up so much space given that there can often be multiple flights on which to report. I also endeavour to submit occasional daily 'updates' to avoid commencing a new post.

It is pleasing that so many AFF members and casual viewers read these cancellation and delay threads. My aim is to give travellers a 'feel' for which airlines have a bad record with which flights, although in fairness each day is a new leaf. Some delays are not the fault of airlines in the first instance - no airline or its staff are God and so cannot control the weather - but even with these delays, some airlines handle the pressure better than others. Conversely, many delays are the fault of airlines: travellers ought to expect that equipment is maintained properly and schedules allow adequate turnarounds as MEL_Traveller reminds AFF readers.

Input from travellers affected by cancellations and delays is always welcome. It can be 'gold' for potential passengers to know which airlines treat delayed passengers well and which ones do not. There is a huge variation and it is always useful to have updated experiences, as nothing beats a 'man on the spot', using 'man' in its original sense (as in 'mankind') to mean both sexes.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Wednesday 30 March, the 0650 hours early riser SYD down to CBR is not operating.