Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Quickstatus]

My last 5 flights QF-PG-AK-D7 and now QF over 11 days have experienced delays.

That should be an impossible statistic to achieve. Equilibrium restored.

JohnK, Sounds like the unprotected delayed flights you took did not leave you misconnected?. And you survived D7

 

[Melburnian1]

The 1525 hours MEL - CBR, QF818, a Sunday afternoon flight beloved of Federal politicians when the Parliament is about to sit, took off on Sunday 9 October at 1729 with arrival suggested as 1814 instead of 1630. VH-VXN is the B738.

The 1530 hours MEL - SYD, QF444, took off at 1748 and so should arrive at about 1856, 121 minutes late. VH-XZC is the B738.

Shwoing the random nature of delays - one can be 'lucky' and be two hours late, or 'unlucky' and more than four hours late - the 1300 hours MEL - SYD (QF434) is behind QF444, with 434 taking off at 1755 for a likely at gate in SYD arrival time of 1910, an extraordinary 285 minutes late.

QF446 (1600 hours MEL - SYD) was airborne at 1612 with a 121 minute late arrival also predicted (1926 hours) - VH-VZL is the B738.

Delays are occurring in the opposite direction as well, with QF447 (1600 hours SYD to MEL) taking off at 1701: arrival is expected at 1838, 63 minutes tardy. VH-VXL is the conveyance.

 

[JohnK]

JohnK, Sounds like the unprotected delayed flights you took did not leave you misconnected?. And you survived D7

Survived but now 2 itineraries coming up with 3K. Free carriage of golf clubs?

 

[Melburnian1]

The delays are continuing into the evening of Sunday 9 October with QF454, the 1730 hours from MEL to SYD running about 45 minutes late and the following QF452, the 1700 hours departure about 66 minutes late.

Southbound, QF815, the 1500 hours from CBR down to MEL took off at 1826 so it should arrive at 1927, three hours and 17 minutes (197 minutes) late. Aurcraft is B738 VH-VZY.

Apart from perhaps the Singapore Airlines cargo plane tail strike at 1150 hours this morning, so far it does not seem that MEL has been 'closed' to air traffic at any time today despite high winds - but delays have increased during the day. Many delays seem to be occurring on the ground with much lengthier than timetabled turnarounds, so AFFer suze2000's succinct but interesting observations about luggage not being promptly unloaded - and then not in order of arrival of flight X versus flight Y - may have a fair bit to do with this.

Nothing beats a reporter on the spot so thanks to suze2000!

Rain is now starting to arrive at MEL (and elsewhere in greater Melbourne) from the west, as at 1845 hours, just to cap off an 'interesting' day.

These sorts of climatically challenging days must be trying for staff in airlines' operations departments who despite the wonders of software probably still have to make many calls to crew who are positioned incorrectly and so on.

 

[suze2000]

It looks like the wind has finally dropped a little. Hopefully the mess at MEL can be sorted out before curfews start to affect flights.

Hubby's bags finally rolled out about 3hrs after he landed. We were a little miffed that a couple of later-landing flights were unloaded first, but once the unloading started, it did progress fairly smartly. Hubby then drove us home with the assistance of the wind (ie, pretty darn fast), there's a lot of debris on the roads - take care out there Melburnians!

 

[jb747]

With the ATIS saying things like this....I'd pretty much prefer to be on the ground.

INFO O. SIGWX: EXPECT SEV TURB IN CIRCUIT AREA. WINDSHEAR ESCAPE CONDUCTED BY EMBRAER & 7 3 7. SIGMET VICTOR 0 1 & PAPA 0 1 VALID.

 

[Quickstatus]

With the ATIS saying things like this....I'd pretty much prefer to be on the ground.

INFO O. SIGWX: EXPECT SEV TURB IN CIRCUIT AREA. WINDSHEAR ESCAPE CONDUCTED BY EMBRAER & 7 3 7. SIGMET VICTOR 0 1 & PAPA 0 1 VALID.

What does "Windshear escape" mean?. Is this a practiced manouvre?

the pic below show airport activity. The routes are quite uneven- is this a consequence of the weather?

 

[g-lock]

Got bumped to QF408 MEL-SYD departing at 0700 tomorrow.

 

[jb747]

What does "Windshear escape" mean?.

It means that the aircraft warning systems have detected an actual level of shear that is approaching the aircraft's performance capability. It's measured inertially, so the aircraft has to be actually within the shear (as opposed to a prediction system). The response is full power, rotation to the pitch limit, and pray. It's a nice way of saying 'danger ahead'.

If I was on the ground, getting ready to depart, and heard this....then I would delay, and not go until the conditions had changed. Airborne I would not be prepared to fly the approach and would either hold or divert.

 

[Melburnian1]

Got bumped to QF408 MEL-SYD departing at 0700 tomorrow.

g-lock, perhaps you drive to the airport and are a Melburnian, but irrespective, were you offered either accommodation and/or taxi vouchers due to this compulsory overnight stopover in MEL?

 

[JohnK]

QF548 further delayed to 9:10pm from original 7:05pm.

No other notification from Qantas. Not happy.

P.S. All flights to MEL delayed but some only 30 minutes. Flight to DRW on time and 2 flights to PER will depart around same time The 2 flights to ADL relatively unscathed while both BNE flights delayed by over 1 hour and over 2 hours.

Race to make last Airtrain of the night.

 

[jb747]

What does "Windshear escape" mean?. Is this a practiced manouvre?

Windshear, TCAS and terrain warnings are three things that come up randomly in many sim exercises. Any of them can kill you in very short order if you are not fast enough in following them.

This is the sort of day when 20,000 hour pilots are happy to stay on the ground...and passengers with zero hours are the only ones who want to go anywhere.

On a scale of seriousness, a reactive windshear warning is close to the top.

the pic below show airport activity. The routes are quite uneven- is this a consequence of the weather?

If they are flying ATC headings then perhaps...but SIDs and STARs are normally FMC driven, so they achieve actual tracks very accurately. I expect it's so windy that it's blowing the FR pixels around.

 

[knasty]

It means that the aircraft warning systems have detected an actual level of shear that is approaching the aircraft's performance capability. It's measured inertially, so the aircraft has to be actually within the shear (as opposed to a prediction system). The response is full power, rotation to the pitch limit, and pray. It's a nice way of saying 'danger ahead'.

Sounds like 'vomit comet' in my language. Still, rather be throwing up in the back than battling mother nature up the front.

 

[Melburnian1]

Cancellations in the evening of Sunday 9 October 2016 include QF632, the 1810 hours MEL to BNE; QF460 and QF462 (1830 and 1900 MEL - SYD); QF2289 (1910 hours MEL - LST) and QF1609 (the 1930 MEL - HBA).

Some JQ flights have also been cancelled, including (originally) the last of the evening from MEL to HBA but that flight (JQ713) has changed (again) to show a projected 100 minute late, 2115 hours, departure.

While those of us who reside in MEL could get home if an airline instead offers a flight on Monday 10 October, the out-of-towners may in a few cases have to camp at the airport overnight if not provided with accommodation.

We'd like to hear about individual travellers' tales as to what you were, or were not, given or offered.

There must also be pilots and cabin crew who suddenly find themselves not where their roster or they thought they would be.

 

[Bundy Bear]

I was expecting Melburnian1 to have a busy day.

Qantas Club and most of the terminal was a zoo, I was lucky to find a seat in the Qantas Club as there were lots standing around or just sitting on the floor.

dy.

The 1510 hours MEL to BNE, QF624, took off at 1710, with arrival forecast for 1815, an hour and 55 minutes late. Aeroplane is VH-VXD, another B738.

QF624 was supposedly waiting for 3 missing passengers, they never turned up and we left the gate around 4:40 and didn't take off until after 5:00pm with a landing into Brisbane at 5:55pm.

 

[jb747]

Unconfirmed discussion about a Singair flight that has apparently had a tail strike on departure...and continued. TBC.

 

[Quickstatus]

Unconfirmed discussion about a Singair flight that has apparently had a tail strike on departure...and continued. TBC.

Yes i posted that in the SQ D&C but have not been able to corroborate the story.

Seems to be an SQCargo
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....delays-cancellations-68031-5.html#post1524669

 

[jb747]

The point to take on board is that windshear is dangerous at both ends of the flight!

 

[Melburnian1]

QF456, the 1715 hours MEL to SYD was airborne at 2030; instead of 1840, it should arrive 187 minutes late at 2147. B738 VH-VZY is the 'craft.

QF458, the 1800 hours is not far behind, yet QF490, the 2000 hours northbound on Australia's busiest air route took off at 2025 so is more or less on time. Further evidence of what a lottery a flight booking on a sector with a high frequency can be when there are operational problems. There would be no way for passengers to predict this hours in advance, and transferring flights - if there was a seat to be had - is impractical once one has checked in luggage even if the airline policies and staff were willing to allow a traveller to switch flights.

The 1900 hours SYD to MEL, QF465 was in the sky at 2021 so should arrive at around 2140 tonight, 65 minutes behind time with B738 VH-XZC.

 

[Quickstatus]

YMML ATIS
INFO W. RWY 27 FOR ARR, RWY 34 FOR DEPS N E, RWY 27 FOR ALL OTHER DEPS. CLD: FEW045. SIGWX: SIGMET VICTOR 0 3 VALID. DAMP. WX: VCSH.


Both runways in use. Maybe this will clear any backlog