Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Himeno]

Not a major delay, but currently sitting on QF29 to HKG this morning. The 747 was taxiing out before it had to get rolled back due to one of the doors near me not being able to be armed. Engineers came on board fiddled around for about 15mins and it now seems to be working. 25min delay, no biggie!

Time to retire this queen!

In Nov 2014, I was in LHR on VH-OQB when we had to go back to a gate a few minutes after pushback because one of the cargo door sensors would not show the locked door as being locked. Should they retire OQB then? That's no different to what happened for VH-OJS this morning.

 

[Quickstatus]

Nooo dont retire the 747!!

You would find that the A380 also has its share of technical issues (if not more)

 

[Awesom Andy]

In terms of staff conditions, benefits, and leaves, it is common in SIN for company policies to be more generous than the regulations set down by the government. It would not be accurate or helpful to discuss such unless you have the actual SQ contract and/or HR policy. There are also other things in SIN that we wouldn't normally comprehend - e.g. If I got very sick after working for 6 months, and spent a couple of months in a hospital, I would still receive full pay.

 

[Melburnian1]

The delayed Monday 27 March QF7 arrived DFW at about 2000, with the returning QF8 commencing pushback at 2226 hours, 86 minutes late. Wednesday 29 arrival is projected as 70 minutes late at 0715 hours.

Unusually, because it is normally quite punctual, QF1 on Tuesday 28 March departed SYD 90 minutes late at 1820 hours. DXB arrival is suggested as 0145 hours, 80 minutes late. If the stop at DXB can be cut down and it gets a good run from there to LHR, this flight can sometimes pick up further time so it may well only be 35 or 40 late arriving in the UK's capital.

QF35 from MEL to SIN on Tuesday 28, the 1245 hours (new time) departed at a much delayed 1514, so arrival is predicted as 125 minutes late at 2000.

AFF member gapmatt's (see above) QF29 today departed half an hour late at 1150 but should be 20 minutes or so early arriving in HKG, presumably due to favourable winds.

 

[Blackbird]

Looks like QF1 just taxiing at 2040.

 

[Melburnian1]

Looks like QF1 just taxiing at 2040.

Blackbird, many thanks. QF1 may have had to return to the SYD terminal, as I had noted it above departing at 1820. QF now suggests it departed at 2037 although I could not see it on FR24. DXB arrival is predicted on Wednesday 29 as 0335 instead of 0025, so a back-of-the-envelope estimate for LHR arrival would be somewhere around 0915 to 1000. All being well, this should not delay the Wednesday 29 March QF10 ex LHR as it is not timetabled to commence pushback until 1330 hours.

AFF member milehighclub, if you read this, could you please fill us in on the nature of the delay? 'Engineering?'

 

[Melburnian1]

On Wednesday 29 March, QF1514 (B717 VH-YQS, the 830 hours CBR - SYD that did not take off until 0929) should arrive at about 1004, 39 minutes late.

Also a B717, VH-NXJ on the early start 0600 hours BNE down to ADL QF1599, the 0600, was airborne at 0659. Arrival is delayed from the scheduled 0915 hours to 0958.

Like its competitor NZ845, QF162 is badly delayed from the Windy City this morning with this 0625 hours departure from WLG not taking off until 0947. Arrival of B738 VH-ZQC should be at 1056, 166 minutes late.

MKY airport remains closed due to Cyclone Debbie.

 

[Melburnian1]

Another delay for QF7 from SYD to DFW, the scheduled 1330 hours, with it expected to commence pushback at 1800 hours. Same day arrival should be at 1630, 210 minutes tardy, but all being well, not sufficiently late to adversely affect the retuirning QF8 on Wednesday.

Quite unusual for QF7 to be delayed twice in a week as both on a standalone basis and compared with the LAX flights from SYD and MEL QF11/QF93. 'the 7' (to use the delightful style adopted by one AFF aviator contributor) has a generally good timekeeping record.

 

[milehighclub]

AFF member milehighclub, if you read this, could you please fill us in on the nature of the delay? 'Engineering?'

I can't see the reason for the delay but the aircraft did not push back and return to the terminal.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Wednesday 29 March, the 1650 hours second QF flight of the day from SYD to SIN, QF5 (A332 VH-EBN) did not get into the sky until 1824. Arrival is suggated as 50 minutes late at 2305 SIN time late this evening.

 

[map]

Another delay for QF7 from SYD to DFW, the scheduled 1330 hours, with it expected to commence pushback at 1800 hours. Same day arrival should be at 1630, 210 minutes tardy, but all being well, not sufficiently late to adversely affect the retuirning QF8 on Wednesday.

Quite unusual for QF7 to be delayed twice in a week as both on a standalone basis and compared with the LAX flights from SYD and MEL QF11/QF93. 'the 7' (to use the delightful style adopted by one AFF aviator contributor) has a generally good timekeeping record.

My wife and I are passengers on today's now cancelled QF7. Reason was major engineering work required (emergency brakes?). Waiting in QF business lounge for information onour hotel and food/beverage arrangements...

No idea how they are going to get us over there tomorrow!

 

[Pushka]

QF 701 delayed by an hour tonight but time keeps being delayed. Curfew in Adelaide so hope this is the last delay. Time keeps changing.

 

[Melburnian1]

My wife and I are passengers on today's now cancelled QF7. Reason was major engineering work required (emergency brakes?). Waiting in QF business lounge for information onour hotel and food/beverage arrangements...

No idea how they are going to get us over there tomorrow!

map, thank you for the terrific on-the-spot report.

Good news is that the QF website suggests that the delayed QF7 will depart at 1000 on Thursday 30 March with same day DFW arrival at 0835. If true, you should be 19 and a half hours or so late arriving in the USA.

Please let us know through AFF what Sydney Airport or CBD hotel you are put in, whether you receive any other compensation (monetary or QFF points), the efficiency of any transfers provided, what time you have to be on the (bus?) back in the morning and so on.

One problem with the DFW eastbound flight is that if there's a problem with it, all the SYD - LAX (or SFO) flights will normally have long departed: it isn't like one intermediate stop flights to Europe that are essentially departing at various times including the late evening, limited only by the SYD curfew.

The QF website is still maintaining what must be the fiction that QF8 will depart from DFW at 2100 hours on Wednesday 29 (today.)

On Tuesday 28 March, the 2100 hours DFW - SYD departed at 2244; Thursday 30 March arrival is predicted for 0750 hours, 105 minutes later than the timetabled 0605. While there is no publicly showing gate number in SYD for the overnight delayed QF7, it is possible that the reason it can depart not far short of a day late at 1000 on Thursday morning is that it may be formed by this arriving, somewhat delayed QF8.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF 701 delayed by an hour tonight but time keeps being delayed. Curfew in Adelaide so hope this is the last delay. Time keeps changing.

pushka, while things can change especially with B738s being such a large percentage of QF's (and VA's) fleets, at this stage it looks like your QF701 (the 2035 hours MEL - ADL on Wednesday 29 March) is departing at a claimed 2125 due to being formed by the arriving QF793 (B738 VH-VXR), the 1915 hours SYD down to MEL that took off at 1940. However this incoming flight is taking a bit of a dogleg to MEL and looks to have been slowed down by ATC. FR24 suggests it will not land until 2101 which will mean it pulls in to the terminal at roughly 2106, so I cannot see you departing much before 2140.

One assumes that another aircraft has become defective, or had to be used on another flight as QF like all transport operators tries not to have flights formed by arrivals due in after the scheduled departure of the flight on which you are on.

You still have some leeway before the ADL curfew kicks in but they wouldn't want to muck around.

UPDATE: QF701 was the above aircraft; it took off at 2145 with expected arrival at 2227 hours, 62 minutes tardy.

QF172, the 1900 hours scheduled arrival in MEL from windy Wellington has been cancelled.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Thursday 30 March, QF1572 and QF6204, both timetabled to depart SYD at 1000 for HTI have been cancelled.

The latter may have been an empty working to collect passengers who have been unable to leave since Cyclone Debbie hit.

I have not seen any photos as to how HTI airport fared but that island was hit by extremely strong winds.

 

[Pushka]

Spot on Melburnian1.

 

[mannej]

On Thursday 30 March, QF1572 and QF6204, both timetabled to depart SYD at 1000 for HTI have been cancelled.

The latter may have been an empty working to collect passengers who have been unable to leave since Cyclone Debbie hit.

I have not seen any photos as to how HTI airport fared but that island was hit by extremely strong winds.

All flights to HTI have been cancelled for an extended period (I.e June) as the airport and surrounds have been damaged extensively.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Thursday 30 March, the PVG down to SYD redeye QF130 should arrive at about 1003, 33 minutes behind schedule. Aircraft is A333 VH-QPF.

The QF website has updated the status of the Wednesday 29 March QF8. It is now shown as departing DFW at 1030 local time on Thursday 30 March, 13 and a half hours late, with SYD arrival estimated as 1845 hours on Friday 31 March in lieu of the timetabled 0605 hours.

At this stage, none of the three Friday SYD programmed A388 QF departures are showing as delayed. As of Thursday at 0630 hours, VH-OQF was not in use but may be back into service soon.

 

[Melburnian1]

All flights to HTI have been cancelled for an extended period (I.e June) as the airport and surrounds have been damaged extensively.

mannej, I am not doubting you because it appears flights today have been cancelled and what you suggest is entirely logical. However News Corp, is featuring a Hamilton Island Resort Facebook page quote that claims flights are operating normally and buttresses that with suggestions of 'additional flights' to clear teh backlog

Cyclone Debbie latest: Thousands stranded on Hamilton Island, Daydream Island

Looking at the Facebook page for Hamilton island, it suggests '12 flights':

https://www.facebook.com/hamiltonisland/

On Thursday 30 March, QF42, the overnight ex CGK has been delayed by a holding pattern into SYD and hence should arrive at around 0746, 36 minutes late with A332 VH-EBQ.

B717 VH-YQW is operating as what is presumably an empty working from SYD to MEL (QF6202) with arrival probable at 0750 hours or so.

 

[map]

QF7 update (cancelled on 29 March 2017).

After boarding the aircraft for an ontime departure (scheduled 1:30pm) yesterday, we disembarked and waited for updates as staff didn't know how long the engineering work would take. Around 7:30pm we were advised as 7:30pm that the service had been cancellled and to wait for announcements. About 8pm we all lined up at the lounge entry and collected cab charges (for those with somewhere to stay in Sydney) and the bus(es) to the accommodation for those without. There were no announcements about the rescheduled flight for today (Thurs 30 March) with 10am departure unless individually asking Qantas staff - which caused a fair deal of concern by passengers wondering what the plan was!

The accommodation was the Mercure at Newcastle. Yes, Newcastle. Qantas' plan for 400+ passengers at that point in the evening was to bus us 2 hours north with a 5am (estimate) return bus the next morning. Staff claimed this was the closest accommodation available given a number of earlier cancelled flights to NZ. The accommodation included a $50 food/drink voucher. We were flying business class but there didn't seem to be any differentiation or alternative option.

Upon hearing this news, we urgently rang around and found some friends in Newtown who graciously let us crash at their place for the night. With that option looking far more attractive than a Newcastle trip, we collected our cab charges and enquired about meal allowance. At first we were told no meal allowance if staying with friends. I explained we didn't expect our friends to feed us for a Qantas delay after 9pm when we would arrive and was eventually told to get a receipt for anything and there would be a process to claim.

Currently at the line for the check-in counters which as you can imagine is fairly congested!