Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[FlyboyAl]

Just spoke to Qantas and tonights (feb 19) QF94 is a confirmed departure out of LAX for 10:00 hrs on Feb 20. So I get an extra nite here, and another in Melbourne as I arrive too late to connect to an Adelaide flight.
Interestingly, I have to arrange my own accomodation, and send the paper work to "customer cares" - they did not offer to sort it out.
No big deal as, for once, it fits in plans to catch up with someone tonite for drinks.

Update.
No accomodation at mel airport on the tues nite, as my wife was trying to arrange it. So I've now put it onto QF to sort it out.

UPDATE UPDATE
Qantas won't help on accommodation - I get $200 to sort myself out, plus "out of pocket" expenses. OK, so I can handle this, but what would happen to someone new coming to Australia, and having to overnight in Mel due to this delay? How would they know where to go??
Oh well, off to more beers and some web surfing on last minute dot com

 

[milehighclub]

QF7 had to divert to Houston (unsure of reason). Crew have run out of hours, so the QF8 will be delayed, while the Captain and First Officer fly to Houston to bring the aircraft to DFW. They will then have to have their rest period, and it will leave on the 20th at 10am

 

[Rourke]

At LAX J check-in the explanation to bewildered pax hopeful of travel to MEL was "bird strike". They are being put up for the night then bussed back at 7am. Seems many did not receive any notice

 

[FlyboyAl]

I got a notification via the qantas app about noon. I DID NOT get any text message to ask me to call or check in. The app simply said the flight had been changed and there was a "CHAT NOW" button which I tried tonite, only to find that the girl on the other end could only do booking enquiries and was unable to help with accommodation. If it wasn't for TripIt sending me a message, I would not have known.
If I had gone to the airport to check in tonight, Qantas would have had to sort my accomodation for me, rather than me doing it.
Oh well, back to the bar!

 

[Melburnian1]

As the B744s age, they are suffering quite a few problems as previously documented in these pages.

On Tuesday 20 February, QF63 is expected to depart SYD at 1315 hours, 100 minutes late with JNB arrival an hour behind at 1735. This will delay QF64 at least a little.

FlyboyAl's TripIt notice was accurate as the overnight delayed QF94 is arriving in MEL on Tuesday 20 at 2100 hours.

Opposite number QF93 departed the Victorian capital at 1147, 32 late with projected arrival in movie city at 0707, also 32 minutes behind schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on 20 February, QF7 from SYD to DFW is expected to depart an hour late at 1540 with arrival same day 45 late.

SYD -LAX QF11 is worse with a 150 minute tardy, 1400 hours departure expected.

 

[Quickstatus]

QF7 had to divert to Houston (unsure of reason). Crew have run out of hours, so the QF8 will be delayed, while the Captain and First Officer fly to Houston to bring the aircraft to DFW. They will then have to have their rest period, and it will leave on the 20th at 10am

Fog,rain and gusty winds from SE to 45kmh. I believe. DFW has North South runways. Weather was calmer at IAH and presumably less delays there.

 

[Quickstatus]

QF7 had to divert to Houston (unsure of reason). Crew have run out of hours, so the QF8 will be delayed, while the Captain and First Officer fly to Houston to bring the aircraft to DFW. They will then have to have their rest period, and it will leave on the 20th at 10am

Fog,rain and gusty winds from SE to 45kmh. I believe. Maybe exceeded landing crosswind limitation. DFW has North South runways. Weather was calmer at IAH and less delays

An Aviator familiar with Q7/8 may be able to answer this:

After every flight like this, there is a mandated rest period. Prior to operating QF8, how many hours before commencement of duty is the mandated rest period complete?. ( The 2 flight crew which went to IAH to pickup QF7 only departed IAH after midnight. I understand they had to get on a flight to IAH, go through all the preflight stuff before departing,

 

[jb747]

45 kph is 22 knots, which isn't any particular problem. Looks like it was the vis and low cloud, which would have meant that you'd need to carry an alternate all the way to destination. If you can't do that, then you'll have to divert.

Rest periods vary with what you've done before, and what you're planned to be doing. The ones who went to Houston to get the aircraft would not necessarily have been the same ones who eventually flew it out of DFW. Actually, my guess is that they'd send the crew who were due to fly that night on the 8 to IAH to get the aircraft, and then they'd use the crew who were due to take the next day's flight for the sector to Sydney (i.e. bring them forward by a day).

 

[Quickstatus]

@jb747 :
All the way to destination = 1 or more attempts to land, toga, then to alternate? .

What would happen to the out of position 7 crew?
Commence rest in Houston?. When would they fly out to DFW?

Would a cabin crew be necessary for the IAH-DFW sector?

 

[Melburnian1]

On Wednesday 21 February, the MEL to LAX QF93 is suggested as arriving at 0725 hours, 50 minutes late.

 

[jb747]

@jb747 :
All the way to destination = 1 or more attempts to land, toga, then to alternate? .

It's calculated a bit differently on various aircraft, but you would need to have all of the fuel necessary to legally go to the alternate right down to the end of the landing roll.

What would happen to the out of position 7 crew?

Most likely just stay on the aircraft and pax to Dallas.

Would a cabin crew be necessary for the IAH-DFW sector?

If you had passengers, you'd need cabin crew.

 

[FlyboyAl]

hmm... google shows QF93 as enroute and FR24 shows "unknown"
Expertflyer shows:
MEL ESTIMATED TIME OF DEPARTURE 1100 ☨1
DELAYED 5.45HR DUE MAINT REQ ETD 1700 - OK 1443
TO REBOOK TO ALT QF/OA

Expertflyer is now showing QF94 with a similar message with overnight 11 hour delay.

On the delayed QF94, the captain explained to the few of us who were on board, that the delay was due to a bird strike out of Dubai which, after arrival at melbourne was found to be worse than expected, and they had to replace a blade on one of the engines. Hence, late of of MEL, then late out of LAX.

 

[serfty]

On the delayed QF94, the captain explained to the few of us who were on board, that the delay was due to a bird strike out of Dubai which, after arrival at melbourne was found to be worse than expected, and they had to replace a blade on one of the engines. Hence, late of of MEL, then late out of LAX.

As can be found above, the normal schedule was to turn around the inbound QF10 back to DXB as QF9 and the inbound QF94 back to LAX as QF93.

However, with the bird strike they delayed QF9 to the next day and used the inbound QF94 aircraft for that, assigning the bird-struck aircraft to QF93.

 

[eminere]

The 2115 QF118 HKG-SYD service on 20 Feb did not depart HKG until 0855 today, 21 Feb. Anyone know why this flight was delayed for 11 hours?

 

[serfty]

Seems QF93 is having a bit of trouble in MEL.

 

[serfty]

 

[jb747]

According to FR24 it's returned to the gate twice, and is still there.

 

[docjames]

Still having issues

 

[serfty]

Finally left at 14:56. Est arrival 9:50am. It's racing QF95 ... and trailing ...