Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[ctrunfree]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

ctrunfree, yours is a reasonable expectation.

Watch your mailbox for a couple of weeks, then if necessary complain in writing (not email) to the airlines' customer (sic) advocate, whose address can be found on all the major domestic airlines' websites:

Level 18
363 George Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000

This is a relatively new 'office' and not well known among airline passengers. It is essential that you are able to demonstrate to the 'customer advocate' that you have done your best to have the airline resolve your perceived problem.

Thanks for the tip - Melbournian1 - will do.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

16th March makes 1 month and 5 days.

16 March - it was over 5 weeks ago!

Apologies.

Note to self: Don't visit AFF at work, it leads to poor quality posting!

 

[ctrunfree]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Apologies.

Note to self: Don't visit AFF at work, it leads to poor quality posting!

No worries!

 

[Flyerqf]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

flyerqf, as a matter of interest, our esteemed answerer of all questions in AFF's 'Ask the pilot' section, jb747, suggested recently that QF lacked a spare A380. However he must have been referring to how one of the 12 is often out for planned maintenance, as the roster requires six between MEl or SYD and LHR return, four on the two LAX routes and one (five days a week if I recall) SYD to HKG or v.v.

My understanding is that when they don't have an A380 in heavy maintenance, which they do not at the moment, then they have a spare, as all line maintenance can be done in the downtime (2 days) of SYD - HKG (which is operated by B744 2 days per week). I could be wrong though.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

This report of an alleged problem with last night's (21 April 2014) QF30 from HKG to MEL necessitating a return to HKG:

Qantas flight to Melbourne forced to turn back to Hong Kong

contrasts with The QANTAS Source |, which states:

QANTAS A330-300 VH-QPJ Melbourne Technical Issue.

April 22, 2014

QANTAS A330-300 VH-QPJ encountered a technical issue at Melbourne this morning after arriving as QF30 from Hong Kong.

----------------------

Are they both correct because each is referring to a different A330 of QF, or is one 'source' mistaken? (I am assuming that VH-QPJ was the A330 that did not depart HKG on Friday 18 April).

Strangely, the QF website indicates that Monday night's QF30 is delayed until Friday 25 April when it will supposedly depart HKG at 2130 for a Saturday 26 April arrival in MEL at 0845.

 

[Flyerqf]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

This report of an alleged problem with last night's (21 April 2014) QF30 from HKG to MEL necessitating a return to HKG:

Qantas flight to Melbourne forced to turn back to Hong Kong

contrasts with The QANTAS Source |, which states:

QANTAS A330-300 VH-QPJ Melbourne Technical Issue.

April 22, 2014

QANTAS A330-300 VH-QPJ encountered a technical issue at Melbourne this morning after arriving as QF30 from Hong Kong.

----------------------

Are they both correct because each is referring to a different A330 of QF, or is one 'source' mistaken? (I am assuming that VH-QPJ was the A330 that did not depart HKG on Friday 18 April).

Strangely, the QF website indicates that Monday night's QF30 is delayed until Friday 25 April when it will supposedly depart HKG at 2130 for a Saturday 26 April arrival in MEL at 0845.

QPJ is still in HKG, so I would say The Qantas Source is incorrect.

 

[Flyerqf]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

A domestic config A332 will operate today's QF41 Sydney to Jakarta, due to QPJ still being out of service at HKG since Monday.

Not sure if this has ever happened previously - a domestic config operating an international service.

 

[mannej]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

A domestic config A332 will operate today's QF41 Sydney to Jakarta, due to QPJ still being out of service at HKG since Monday.

Not sure if this has ever happened previously - a domestic config operating an international service.

Yes it has - a number of times on the PER-SIN vv. run.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

If QF was looking to substitute a domestic configuration A330 due to the circumstances Flyerqf outlined, it had two choices today that are timetabled to depart SYD within 95 minutes of each other: QF19 to MNL (due out at 1210) and QF41 to CGK (due out at 1345).

The MNL run appears to have better median passenger loadings than CGK for QF, although I do not know average yield per seat.

Perhaps AFFer A330 driver can fill us in as to whether that sort of a factor has any bearing on decisions to 'sub' one route compared with another when a plane fails or is in planned or unplanned maintenance longer than initially thought.

mannej, unfortunately PER - SIN is an example of a route from which QF has (like all PER international routes) pulled out from. So that alone should release an A330 or two for other flights. mannej, is utilisation of the A330 domestic and international fleet high or are there normally one or two spares in each category (bearing in mind that 'planned maintenance' may always need one 'spare').

Would those booked in J receive any compensation from QF for the downgrade in aircraft configuration or is it simply from QF's point of view 'bad luck' for such passengers bearing in mind that most airlines do not guarantee a particular aircraft type (let alone, increasingly, carriage of you or me on the same day on which one books)?

 

[Flyerqf]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

If QF was looking to substitute a domestic configuration A330 due to the circumstances Flyerqf outlined, it had two choices today that are timetabled to depart SYD within 95 minutes of each other: QF19 to MNL (due out at 1210) and QF41 to CGK (due out at 1345).

The MNL run appears to have better median passenger loadings than CGK for QF, although I do not know average yield per seat.

Perhaps AFFer A330 driver can fill us in as to whether that sort of a factor has any bearing on decisions to 'sub' one route compared with another when a plane fails or is in planned or unplanned maintenance longer than initially thought.

mannej, unfortunately PER - SIN is an example of a route from which QF has (like all PER international routes) pulled out from. So that alone should release an A330 or two for other flights. mannej, is utilisation of the A330 domestic and international fleet high or are there normally one or two spares in each category (bearing in mind that 'planned maintenance' may always need one 'spare').

Would those booked in J receive any compensation from QF for the downgrade in aircraft type or is it simply from QF's point of view 'bad luck' for such passengers bearing in mind that most airlines do not guarantee a particular aircraft type (let alone, increasingly, carriage of you or me on the same day on which one books)?

EBR is the aircraft operating QF41 (ex Jetstar aircraft).

Strange thing is that they have 4 international config operating on domestic today (QPF, EBG, EBI & EBL).

 

[Flyerqf]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Yes it has - a number of times on the PER-SIN vv. run.

in some ways that is understandable. The Perth flight to Singapore is roughly same flight time as Perth to Sydney.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Would those booked in J receive any compensation from QF for the downgrade in aircraft configuration or is it simply from QF's point of view 'bad luck' for such passengers bearing in mind that most airlines do not guarantee a particular aircraft type (let alone, increasingly, carriage of you or me on the same day on which one books)?

passengers would be entitled to compensation. this is a clear substitution of service.... international flights are sky beds.

it is true most airlines do not guarantee an aircraft type, but it must deliver a certain standard of product.

as for the 'most airlines not guaranteeing carriage on the day of travel' that has been around in ticket contracts since time immemorial. however most airlines will accommodate you on another airline.

perhaps red roo can explain why, but qantas seems to promote in their customer charter that qantas will accommodate passengers on subsequent qantas services. not place them automatically on other airlines.

 

[docjames]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

passengers would be entitled to compensation. this is a clear substitution of service.... international flights are sky beds.

it is true most airlines do not guarantee an aircraft type, but it must deliver a certain standard of product.

as for the 'most airlines not guaranteeing carriage on the day of travel' that has been around in ticket contracts since time immemorial. however most airlines will accommodate you on another airline.

perhaps red roo can explain why, but qantas seems to promote in their customer charter that qantas will accommodate passengers on subsequent qantas services. not place them automatically on other airlines.

Because its cheaper for them to keep the pax on their own a/c.

They will often re-accommodate high status pax and/or F/J pax on other carriers but this is subject to seat availability hence it cannot be "guaranteed" (and often will need to be "forcefully" requested).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Because its cheaper for them to keep the pax on their own a/c.

They will often re-accommodate high status pax and/or F/J pax on other carriers but this is subject to seat availability hence it cannot be "guaranteed" (and often will need to be "forcefully" requested).

one of the things that detracts me from flying qantas is their customer charter which says they won't protect me on another carrier if they possible can.

other airlines give me that security. so the 1 in 100 time they might need to pay for me to fly someone else they lose the other 99 of my flights.

seems like a false economy possibly?

 

[docjames]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Wasn't defending it, just describing the rationale.......

 

[Flyerqf]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF 30 delayed service from Monday is now due to depart Sunday evening and arrive into Melbourne on Tuesday morning, 6 days late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Following a lengthy delay in DXB from an 0842 arrival on Sunday 27 April (only 22 minutes late) ex LHR, QF10 spent more than 40 hours in 'the sandpit', finally departing at 0115 today for what the QF website suggests is a 1950 retimetabled arrival tonight (while Melbourne Airport's website claims it is due in at 1805.)

Were all passengers accommodated on Monday night in hotels in DXB? If you were on board, were the transfers between plane and hotel handled efficiently?

QF 744 VH-OJM had to substitute for the usual A380 yesterday (28 April) on QF11 (and presumably the return QF12 to SYD ex LAX) but both LHR flights ex MEL and SYD today got away close to time, which is quite creditable given that QF also has had problems with another A380 at HKG - see The QANTAS Source |

These A380s are quite intensively used and hence operate many long rotations to LHR via DHB as well as MEL and SYD to and from LAX and SYD - HKG v.v., but there have been a string of recent in service failures, so are these planes starting to need a bit more maintenance, or is it simply coincidence that there have been quite a few problems of late? As noted above, on one recent day, three of the 12 A380s were inoperable. For any transport operator (air, rail, coach, ferries, trucks) to have 25 per cent of the fleet out of operation for unplanned maintenance is high.

 

[N860CR]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

I know people currently on QF10. It was a very long night in Dubai airport with a lot of goes then stops. They were connecting to SYD and were issued boarding passes on an afternoon domestic flight before another delay prior to departure from DXB overnight. It doesn't look likely to make the 1950 arrival and they'll likely face another night before getting home.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

N860CR, from the position of the delayed QF10D (VH-OQE) on Flightradar24.com - Live flight tracker! (which is not showing all the usual displays), it looks like the flight will pull up on blocks at 2005 or after (and there's also a fair number of southbounds ex SYD to compete with.)

Luggage can take half an hour or slightly longer, so that means 'out the door' at 2040 if no customs or quarantine check is required, too late to check in luggage for the 2100 hours QF flight to SYD. Without checked luggage, one might make it, but that assumes empty seats on the northbound doesmtic (highly likely on a Tuesday night) and possession of a boarding pass.

It is intruiging when QF has a nonstop QF2 daily from DXB to SYD that there would ever be connecting passengers for SYD on board QF10.

 

[N860CR]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Yeah looks like no chance.

QF2 was exceptionally full as it was. Apparently they accommodated some passengers onto the flights however couldn't do them all.