Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[jb747]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF6001, which may be a 'ferry' (empty transfer) is operating this evening from SYD to MEL with A380 VH-OQB, and is estimated to arrive in the southern capital at about 1925.

The QF website still shows QF9 to DXB and LHR departing tonight as per its (retimed) schedule of 1935. Why is the A380 being transferred?

Inexplicably the Flightradar24.com - Live flight tracker! website is now showing it tracking northwest towards Moorebank so is it a training flight and not actually headed to MEL?

Sydney to MNL, is not Sydney to Melbourne.

No such thing as training flights in an A380 either, that's what the sim is for.

 

[serfty]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

36D is worse than that as it is identified as an aisle seat however entry can be only be made from the other side of the cabin as there is a full length partition that takes up pretty much the space between the seats thus blocking access to the aisle and hemmed in by the 2 passengers to your right... And yes a tad tired lol

I saw a picture of that (airliners.net) I think. A family I knew (two adults one child) took those seats and said they were great because of the fact that there was no aisle access from the D seat.

Courtesy stoopidsteve:

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF35, the 0945 from MEL to SIN has been badly late two days in a row. This is unusual.

Yesterday (Monday 5 April 2014) it departed MEL at 1221, arriving SIN 127 minutes late at 1807.

Today it was far worse affected, not departing MEL until 1539, even later than the QF website's proclamation of a 1500 off blocks. It is due at SIN at 2130, which in turn will delay QF36 from its normal 2105 departure to what QF suggests is a rather optimistic 2225 ex the Boring City. Vh-EBL is the operating craft.

 

[Mattg]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF35, the 0945 from MEL to SIN has been badly late two days in a row. This is unusual.

Yesterday (Monday 5 April 2014) it departed MEL at 1221, arriving SIN 127 minutes late at 1807.

Today it was far worse affected, not departing MEL until 1539, even later than the QF website's proclamation of a 1500 off blocks. It is due at SIN at 2130, which in turn will delay QF36 from its normal 2105 departure to what QF suggests is a rather optimistic 2225 ex the Boring City. Vh-EBL is the operating craft.

I'd say that today's delay probably had something to do with the fact that MEL was shut down temporarily this morning...

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Mattg, wasn't the delay today for QF35 a bit too long to be ascribed to that reason? If I recall, after the VN incident of about 1120, MEL was back operating (albeit with many flights running late) by prior to 1300.

 

[mannej]

General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF35, the 0945 from MEL to SIN has been badly late two days in a row. This is unusual.

Yesterday (Monday 5 April 2014) it departed MEL at 1221, arriving SIN 127 minutes late at 1807.

Today it was far worse affected, not departing MEL until 1539, even later than the QF website's proclamation of a 1500 off blocks. It is due at SIN at 2130, which in turn will delay QF36 from its normal 2105 departure to what QF suggests is a rather optimistic 2225 ex the Boring City. Vh-EBL is the operating craft.

How about you check the other delays ex-MEL today.

I can tell you this wasn't the only flight delayed today.

Mattg, wasn't the delay today for QF35 a bit too long to be ascribed to that reason? If I recall, after the VN incident of about 1120, MEL was back operating (albeit with many flights running late) by prior to 1300.

Where did EBL come in from today?

 

[Mattg]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Where did EBL come in from today?

Interestingly, she arrived from PER as QF762 after 1pm. Perhaps in this case there is more to it.

 

[mannej]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Interestingly, she arrived from PER as QF762 after 1pm. Perhaps in this case there is more to it.

There was a 330 that went tech in the network recently, couple that with the delays today is probably why the SIN was delayed.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

mannej, thank you: VH-EBL arrived from PER on QF762 at 1344 (11 minutes early), but that doesn't answer the question: why wasn't there an operating A330 ready for QF35 at say 0830 this morning for the timetabled 0945 departure?

Did another A330 (an internationally configured one) fail this morning?

UPDATE: And thank you again mannej, you beat me by one minute posting an answer to Mattg. Snappy work.

 

[RickyT84]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF6001, which may be a 'ferry' (empty transfer) is operating this evening from SYD to MEL with A380 VH-OQB, and is estimated to arrive in the southern capital at about 1925.

The QF website still shows QF9 to DXB and LHR departing tonight as per its (retimed) schedule of 1935. Why is the A380 being transferred?

Inexplicably the Flightradar24.com - Live flight tracker! website is now showing it tracking northwest towards Moorebank so is it a training flight and not actually headed to MEL?

VH-OQB positioned to Manila (MNL) Sunday afternoon for scheduled maintenance with Lufthansa Technik.

 

[RickyT84]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

There was a 330 that went tech in the network recently, couple that with the delays today is probably why the SIN was delayed.

VH-QPE was the offender. I went tech in HKG which required QF to ferry B744 VH-OJL from SYD to operate the return QF 98 to BNE.

 

[Flyerqf]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

mannej, thank you: VH-EBL arrived from PER on QF762 at 1344 (11 minutes early), but that doesn't answer the question: why wasn't there an operating A330 ready for QF35 at say 0830 this morning for the timetabled 0945 departure?

Did another A330 (an internationally configured one) fail this morning?

UPDATE: And thank you again mannej, you beat me by one minute posting an answer to Mattg. Snappy work.

QPC went tech at Melbourne yesterday but is backin service today. QPE was the aircraft that went tech in HKG.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

grrrr

today's QF29 and return QF30 heavily delayed (QF 30 due to arrive Sunday morning 0320 into MEL, some 20 hours late).

it's all good and well people saying 'these things happen'... but services ex HKG seem to be in for a rough time.

delayed service due to mechanical.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Since MEL_Traveller's post, QF29 has become even more delayed with its 0935 departure today put back untilo 0700 tomorrow (Saturday 10 May 2014). This means fronting at MEL at around 0400 -0530 at the latest for the early morning departure. Tonight's QF30 is however still shown as 20 and a half hours late, being retimed to arrive MEL at the uncomfortably early 0430 on Sunday morning 11 May.

As MEL_Traveller comments, it is difficult for those of us who are not LAMEs or similar to know whether the string of in service failures is simply coincidence (bad luck) or whether it points to a malaise, or the aircraft getting older and requiring even more maintenance attention than they are receiving with the various mandated 'checks.'

Not good though when flights are delayed by up to six days - granted, that delay was what the statisticians call an 'outlier' - or even 20 hours as above. Lesiure travellers without time constraints (the retirees brigade is one example) won't always be too fussed (they may score a 'free' hotel night) but I feel for the business travellers who have been away and who want to say 'hi' to their wife or husband and children.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

It's also difficult for those of us who are not LAMEs or similar to know whether the string of in service failures is simply coincidence (bad luck) or whether it points to a malaise, or the aircraft getting older and requiring even more maintenance attention than they are receiving with the various mandated 'checks.'

Not good though when flights are delayed by up to six days - granted, that delay was what the statisticians call an 'outlier' - or even 20 hours as above. Lesiure travellers without time constraints (the retirees brigade is one example) won't always be too fussed (they may score a 'free' hotel night) but I feel for the business travellers who have been away and who want to say 'hi' to their wife or husband and children.

well yes... but I take to task the difference in passengers.

if anything business travellers require the least sympathy.

they have chosen to be away. and they are equipped to deal with delays.

the 'retiree brigade' as you call them does not necessarily have the same international roaming phone or status to help fix things when there are problems.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Saturday 10 May 2014's QF11, the 1300 from SYD to LAX, is delayed nine hours tonight to 2200 as QF1 did not depart from LHR until 1045 yesterday, 13 hours and 20 minutes late, having turned around quickly in London according to The QANTAS Source | It is due to arrive SYD at 1815 this evening. The aircraft is VH-OQJ: it should be in LAX by 1630 on Saturday, with plenty of time to form QF12 back to SYD at 2205.

While any transport operator (air or surface) that budgets prudently will expect some things to go wrong (at a cost to the entity) each month or year, the number of times that this is occurring with QF's A380 or A330 fleet just might be starting to cause a little concern in Coward Street. Nonetheless, perhaps it's just 'bad luck' as I suggested above.

 

[A330 driver]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

VH-QPE was the offender. I went tech in HKG which required QF to ferry B744 VH-OJL from SYD to operate the return QF 98 to BNE.

Almost, QPE went tech in BNE and a 744 was ferried empty to BNE and then operated to HKG as the delayed QF98. Anybody on this forum on that service? I'm told the pilots spent 3-4 hours walking around the terminal and lounges keeping everybody up to date.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

3-4 hours is impressive. Dedication to a job.

 

[bass_ke]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

That wouldn't of been you doing the walking and talking would it A330 driver?

If you've the time it'd be great to see your opinions in the ask the pilot thread!

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Although Tuesday is domestically not the busiest weekday, QF409 is delayed this morning half an hour to an estimated departure time of 0730, QF411 11 minutes to 0741 and QF415 19 minutes to 0819.

Is this due to reduced air traffic control staffing or are there a few fog patches causing delays?