Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[jb747]

Could he have sat in the Red lounge upstairs (which have seatbelts)

No. The seat belts are for turbulence, not take off and landing.

You MUST be EPs qualified to use any of the cabin crew jump seats. If you use a coughpit jump seat you CANNOT leave the coughpit.

 

[Flyerqf]

If you use a coughpit jump seat you CANNOT leave the coughpit.

Why is that? What is the jump seat used for ordinarily?

 

[Melburnian1]

Why is that? What is the jump seat used for ordinarily?

My first guess was the rule prohibiting the coughpit door being opened, as a security measure, but how then would the flight crew receive meals and drinks?

Or it so you can't go to your baggage in flight and pull out some dangerous implement that's not been detected by security, or so that you can't appropriate a knife from the galley for illegal purposes?

 

[Melburnian1]

As noted above in post 4472, on Sunday 1 January QF12 (B744) was late into LAX ex JFK, arriving at 2259, 124 minutes late.

In contravention of the more recent usual practice, QF12 (A388) to SYD was not held, departing 'Hollyweed' (as some wags changed the famous white sign to recently) at 2237, only seven minutes late. However QF94 to MEL was held, departing at 2301, 56 minutes late with Tuesday 3 January arrival forecast for 0920, 20 minutes behind schedule. QF16 to BNE is expected to commence an hour late at 0020 on Monday 2, with Tuesday 3 arrival suggested as 55 minutes late at 0800, so unlike QF94 it is not expected to pick up much time on a gate-to-gate basis.

 

[jb747]

Why is that? What is the jump seat used for ordinarily?

The jump seats (there are three in an A380) are used by the SOs and any check personnel.

As to why the rules work the way they do...who can say. Post 9/11 things changed, and mostly not for the better. Anyone carried in the coughpit must have an ASIC (i.e. be staff), they can't be carried in all countries, and they can't leave. As we have a toilet within the coughpit area, this isn't an issue. In the last 7 years, I can only recall one person riding in it, an he was a company pilot on leave.

As we are unlikely to want anyone who isn't crew within the coughpit over a long period it pretty much means nobody but pilots will be offered the seat.

 

[ermen]

The jump seats (there are three in an A380) are used by the SOs and any check personnel.

As to why the rules work the way they do...who can say. Post 9/11 things changed, and mostly not for the better. Anyone carried in the coughpit must have an ASIC (i.e. be staff), they can't be carried in all countries, and they can't leave. As we have a toilet within the coughpit area, this isn't an issue. In the last 7 years, I can only recall one person riding in it, an he was a company pilot on leave.

As we are unlikely to want anyone who isn't crew within the coughpit over a long period it pretty much means nobody but pilots will be offered the seat.

but pilots are allowed to leave the coughpit? sounds like a silly rule to me...

 

[Flyerqf]

In contravention of the more recent usual practice, QF12 (A388) to SYD was not held,

Probably enough seats on QF18 departing at 0130, so no need to hold QF12.

QF16 looks to be losing time enroute to BNE.

 

[Melburnian1]

One of the BOM radars is not functioning but there must have been a mammoth storm dumping many millimetres of rain on BNE from about 2000 local time tonight. QF558, the 2030 hours SYD - BNE took off at 2048 but after incurring holding patterns to Stanthorpe's east and then above the Lamington National Park, arrival of B738 Vh-VXT is expected at about 2141, 41 late.

QF978, the 1955 hours BNE - TSV (VH-VXU) was airborne at 2055; arrival is predicted for 2242, 52 minutes tardy.

 

[katiebell]

It seems that there are more cancelled flights and major delays since QFi started flying via DXB and stopped going via the far east. Is this impression supported by the records (or the knowledge of those who have been monitoring this for longer than me)?

 

[Quickstatus]

Unsure but QF in the past had more aircraft and more seats plying the OZ-Europe routes and not just LHR. (Compared to now with only two departure cities and LHR as the sole "European" destination.

With Brexit , it may come to pass that the Red Roo no longer flies to Europe which will be sad.

So it's difficult to say without records.

I don't get the impression that there are more delays and cancellations or that when these happen they are more severe now that the transit point is DXB.
Perhaps with advent of social media and forums such as this we hear of it and sooner.

 

[Flyerqf]

It seems that there are more cancelled flights and major delays since QFi started flying via DXB and stopped going via the far east. Is this impression supported by the records (or the knowledge of those who have been monitoring this for longer than me)?

It's a combination of factors
1. Heavier utilisation of fleet means faster turnaround times, less slack for when delays occur
2. Longer flight (DXB v SIN) means small delays often become overnight delays due to crew hours
3. SIN had multiple flights per day to OZ (on QF metal) to all Australian cities so could get people back faster in the event of a delay

 

[Melburnian1]

So it's difficult to say without records.

I don't get the impression that there are more delays and cancellations or that when these happen they are more severe now that the transit point is DXB.
Perhaps with advent of social media and forums such as this we hear of it and sooner.

I agree, but looking into the future, if QF1 and QF2 are the only QF 'own metal' flights through DXB, when one of those fails in the Middle East it may be as or more troublesome than the failure of VH-OQF at DXB with the defective fuel sensor on QF2 in the last few days, because there will not be another QF pair of flights (the 9/10) routed through DXB.

However the rotations today, despite allowing a few hours in LHR for QF1 to become QF10 and QF9 to become QF2 are tighter than in the past when QF flew through BKK/HKG/SIN and not just DXB. Tighter turnarounds are great for aircraft utilisation and probably for shareholders but not optimal for passengers as there is less time for repairs in LHR.

 

[jb747]

but pilots are allowed to leave the coughpit? sounds like a silly rule to me...

Most of the rules that were knee jerks after 9/11 are silly. But that's how it is.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF129 on Monday 2 January was punctual almost to the minute from SYD to PVG, but the return overnight (QF130 - A333 VH-QPF) is not, being forecast into the Australian mainland harbour capital at about 1115 on 3 January, 90 minutes behind.

At this stage it is forming QF81 to SIN, the 1115 hours that should instead depart SYD at 1230. Lion City arrival is predicted as 1720 hours, 50 minutes late.

The QF website's prediction of 12 hours or so ago that QF94 would only be 20 minutes late into MEL on 3 January was a little incorrect, with arrival likely at about 0943, 43 late for aircraft VH-OQB. QF93 back to LAX may be slightly delayed in departing on Tuesday 3.

 

[whatmeworry]

It's a combination of factors
1. Heavier utilisation of fleet means faster turnaround times, less slack for when delays occur
2. Longer flight (DXB v SIN) means small delays often become overnight delays due to crew hours
3. SIN had multiple flights per day to OZ (on QF metal) to all Australian cities so could get people back faster in the event of a delay

Would it make sense for QF to move DXB flights back to SIN? Or is the QF/EK agreement too lucrative?

 

[nlagalle]

Would it make sense for QF to move DXB flights back to SIN? Or is the QF/EK agreement too lucrative?

Makes no sense with the network they have with EK. Not to mention bookings are well over what they had at SIN..

 

[Quickstatus]

Would it make sense for QF to move DXB flights back to SIN? Or is the QF/EK agreement too lucrative?

Then how are they going to provide the connections to Europe?

 

[moa999]

Then how are they going to provide the connections to Europe?

Exactly. 50+ one stop destinations via codeshare versus I think 4

 

[Melburnian1]

Instead of departing at 1230 on Tuesday 3 January as QF had suggested, QF81 from SYD to SIN (A333 VH-QPF) was on its way at 1331 hours, 136 minutes tardy. Arrival should be at 1820, 110 minutes behind schedule.

QF15 from BNE to LAX is sometimes punctual despite the difficulty of the QF15-11-12-16 schedules that are pretty tight from BNE to LAX, JFK and back again. However on Tuesday 3, this 1110 hours scheduled B744 flight has been delayed in departing until an expected 1435 AEST (1535 AEDT) with estimated arrival at 0840 in lieu of 0600 in LAX. From a brief glance it appears that the next sector, QF11 (B744) from LAX to JFK is still operating. Very occasionally, when QF15 is badly late, QF has cancelled the transcontinental USA return working and presumably transferred passengers to AA flights, and probably the same for the freight in the belly.

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on 3 January, QF442 (1500 hours MEL - SYD, A332 VH-EBN) took off at 1602. It should arrive at 1709, 44 minutes tardy.