Qantas Delays/Cancellations

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

As there is no reported sudden closure of a terminal due to a security 'scare', and no climatic issues that I could quickly see, this afternoon's extensive delays into and out of SYD in particular may well be due to the large number of attendees returning from a certain horse race yesterday and the attendant full or close to flights.

Has the QF checkin system had to revert to manual due to a software 'crash' or power failure, or is there some other reason such as a sudden walkoff by security staff, or merely many airline crews being out of position?

QF440, the 1430 from MEL to the Harbour City did not depart until 1750 and is due in SYD at 1910, 195 minutes late.

Northbound, QF456, 460, 490 and 492 have been cancelled which must create huge difficulties for those SYD bound. QF454, 458, 462 and 464 are among those forecast to be delayed between 45 and 110 minutes upon departure.

Southbound from SYD to MEL, QF451, 457 and 459 have been cancelled.

QF536 and 540 were both 90 minutes late departing from SYD to BNE this afternoon while the earlier QF532 was 111 minutes late.

QF765 and QF783 this arvo from SYD to ADL departed 101 and 71 minutes late respectively.

While VA is not immune from delays, it doesn't appear to be quite as bad as QF on this occasion.

JQ522, the 1940 from MEL to SYD has also been cancelled although there does not appear to be a matching cancellation inbound to MEL, or at least not a publicly disclosed one.

These presumably sudden cancellations must be nightmares for the operations staff at legacy airlines such as QF as despite the conditions of passenger carriage not including (if I recall) any guarantee of same day 'uplift', there is a perception among many paying passengers who are away from their home base that if a flight is cancelled and it results in an enforced overnight stay, the airline will pick up the tab for accommodation and meals.

With a popular concert on in MEL tonight one would expect hotel rooms to be quite scarce even if a company such as QF wanted to suddenly block book a few hundred rooms.

Do any AFFers expect to be stranded in MEL tonight or is QF managing to find spare seats on other flights of its own, or of JQ or (shudder at the cost to QF) VA or TT?

Oh for a fast, efficient, high speed and high capacity train on the east coast of Australia!
 
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Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

... and no climatic issues that I could quickly see, this afternoon's extensive delays into and out of SYD in particular ...

Oh for a fast, efficient, high speed and high capacity train on the east coast of Australia!

A huge storm had hit Sydney a couple of hours ago which I would say is causing the delays you see.
Storm lashes Sydney in peak hour

This storm is also causing havoc over the Northern Tablelands right now - it has delayed the Armidale flight QF2030 so that QF2031 is now 2.5 hrs late and still sitting on the tarmac at ARM with no fixed departure time as yet. The next flight QF2034 7pm from SYD has already been cancelled.

REx didn't bother landing and flew off to Clarence Valley Regional airport. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/RXA982/history/20141105/0450Z/YSSY/YARM

I support a fast train.
 
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Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Thank you astrosly for your 'lightning fast' response.

I looked up the BOM website's Sydney forecast (which was benign) but not the radar for NSW.
 
Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

An unusual reason for airline delays:

No Cookies | Herald Sun

QF445 was diverted but the QF website did not disclose to where: it may have been CBR. QF447 departed SYD one minute early at 1559 but may have turned back mid flight, landing in CBR at 1807, departing at 1842 and arriving in MEL at 1951, 136 minutes late.

QF460 from MEL to SYD (due ex MEL at 1830) was cancelled. QF627 (the 1600) from BNE to MEL was also cancelled.
 
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Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

An unusual reason for airline delays:

No Cookies | Herald Sun

QF445 was diverted but the QE website did not disclose to where: it may have been CBR. QF447 departed SYD one minute early at 1559 but may have turned back mid flight, landing in CBR at 1807, departing at 1842 and arriving in MEL at 1951, 136 minutes late.

QF460 from MEL to SYD (due ex MEL at 1830) was cancelled. QF627 (the 1600) from BNE to MEL was also cancelled.

I'm sure this would have affected more than one airline?
 
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Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

I'm sure this would have affected more than one airline?

Indeed, mannej, so within an hour I will be at your command to post a comment about (as the voice of AJ might say) 'the competitor'. That's if anyone believes a duopoly (albeit each with two brands at different price points) is 'competition', or whether it's really a return to the days long ago of Tat-Tah and Chance-It operating flights within five minutes of each other.
 
Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Once again our old friend QF10 is late this evening. It departed LHR 104 minutes late on Saturday 8 November 2014 (which is quite unusual - it's usually pretty punctual) and arrived DXB 143 minutes late at 0153 this morning Sunday 9 November.

It lost further time on the ground in DXB. Instead of staying for an hour and three quarters, it spent two hours 17 minutes there.

The result is a three hour late predicted arrival into MEL at 0035 on Monday morning.

The QF website has not been adjusted to show a late departure for tonight's QF9 but assuming that it is as normal, formed by the arriving QF10, late off blocks must be the result.

It would be interesting to know if such late running northbound ever means that passengers with connections in DXB miss these.
 
Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Once again our old friend QF10 is late this evening. It departed LHR 104 minutes late on Saturday 8 November 2014 (which is quite unusual - it's usually pretty punctual) and arrived DXB 143 minutes late at 0153 this morning Sunday 9 November.

It lost further time on the ground in DXB. Instead of staying for an hour and three quarters, it spent two hours 17 minutes there.

The result is a three hour late predicted arrival into MEL at 0035 on Monday morning.

The QF website has not been adjusted to show a late departure for tonight's QF9 but assuming that it is as normal, formed by the arriving QF10, late off blocks must be the result.

It would be interesting to know if such late running northbound ever means that passengers with connections in DXB miss these.
I would think it almost certain.
 
Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

.

The QF website has not been adjusted to show a late departure for tonight's QF9 but assuming that it is as normal, formed by the arriving QF10, late off blocks must be the result.
QF9 wasn't impacted... There was a spare A380 on the ground as no QF9 operated on Saturday night.
 
Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Is QF1507, the 1915 hours B717 from MEL to HBA one of the more frequent unpunctual flights that QF includes under its banner?

On Sunday 9 November, it departed MEL 27 minutes late, arrving HBA 21 minutes late.

On Monday evening, the times were 1957-2107 - the latter 37" behind time.

On Tuesday 11 November 2014, it also departed at 1957 but took 10 minutes longer - 47" late.

And tonight - 2010 to 2119 - 49" late.

It may be that as an lateish evening flight to the island State, it might have to wait for delayed connecting passengers on occasion. However the other 1500 series flights across Bass Strait also have a poor punctuality record. It's surprising that QF management hasn't managed to sort out these repeated punctuality problems.

If these flights were stocks, your broker might recommend 'Avoid.'
 
Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Tonight (Thursday 13 November) QF1507 is predicted to depart MEL 50 minutes late at 2005, the fifth consecutive night of an untimely departure. It is formed by QF1506, the timetabled 1835 arrival from HBA that arrived MEL 50 minutes late at 1925. Earlier this afternoon, QF 1505 (the same aircraft) had departed MEL 37 minutes late at 1602, so the latest rotation has lost a bit more time. Before that, QF1504 had only been 29 minutes late departing HBA at 1359.

Prior to that, QF1503 was only 15" down as it departed MEL at 1155.

It isn't good for the aircraft on these MEL - HBA - MEL 'shuttles' to lose 35 minutes from midday to 2000 as its departures become progressively more delayed.
 
Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

It isn't good for the aircraft on these MEL - HBA - MEL 'shuttles' to lose 35 minutes from midday to 2000 as its departures become progressively more delayed.

The aircraft agrees, in fact it tells me it finds these rotations quite stressful and it isn't sleeping too well as a result...

Regards,
 
Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

BD1959, perhaps you can snuggle up to it tonight to give it the love, care and attention it needs.

A six may be a great shot in the flannelled fools' game but for regular public transport, six days of late running will have the poor sod of an aircraft wishing it was Sunday - when it can presumably rest as the good Lord intended.
 
Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

BD1959, perhaps you can snuggle up to it tonight to give it the love, care and attention it needs.

Would love to - something beautifully retro about the T-Tails. Sadly, I suspect my muse is in HBA whilst I'm ensconced in ADL, cleaning a dog's bowl!!

Regards,

BD
 
Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF1507 was again late this evening, departing MEL 48 minutes late at 2003. Yet this particular plane (if I am not mistaken) started the day from HBA on time, so it's again another case of delays occurring during the day for the sixth consecutive day.

If these delays are occurring so frequently, surely QF ought to allow for longer turnarounds if that's the cause.
 
Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Are their sectors into MEL significantly longer (actual time, not schedule) than the sectors to HBA? If that aircraft is going through Melbourne a lot and getting holding everytime on arrival, that may explain it.
 
Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Boris, the delays seem to be a mix of on the ground in MEL or surprisingly HBA and the actual as distinct from timetabled flight times to and from MEL . Naturally it isn't identical every day.

The rot set in yesterday after QF1501. That flight departed MEL 8" late at 0803 and lost time enroute, arriving HBA 14" late at 0924. The return QF1502 inexplicably spent 62 minutes on the ground at HBA, departing 41" late at 1026 and arriving MEL 44" late at 1144. The continuing tight turnarounds meant that the rotations were unable to get back on anything close to schedule.

Often planes will have slack built into schedules or they may have a longer layover during the less busy periods of the day, but not these contracted QF flights. Trying to be more efficient is good, but in this case QF may have overreached. Let's see if the late running continues next week. Bear in mind that November not as busy as school holidays or Christmas.
 
Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Yesterday's QF10 (VH-OQK) from LHR to DXB and MEL departed the former 63 minutes late at 1338, making up a whole one minute en route to the Middle Eastern stop, from which it departed 46 minutes late. It isn't all that often that this flight departs LHR more than a few minutes late.

It is therefore due in MEL tonight (Thursday 20 November 2014) at 2230, 55 minutes late. In consequence, QF9 is anticipated to depart 40 minutes late at 0015 on Friday 21 November although it has every chance of getting away from DXB (to LHR) on time if it is can keep the MEL delay to 40".
 
Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

timster, thank you. QF8 on 19 November departed DFW a minute early at 2009. It arrived LAX at 0151 on Thursday 20 November and is now shown to be due out of the latter at 2130 for a Saturday 22 November forecast arrival in SYD at 0730, 25 hours and 25 minutes late. It is still almost ten hours until this delayed flight leaves LAX, so one assumes that passengers are in hotels.

Neither QF7, QF27 or QF107 from SYD to DFW, SCL or LAX are shown as delayed today (Friday 21 November 2014) so let's hope that QF is able to rustle up a spare 744 in SYD to form one of these three flights. given the unavailability of the inbound 744 from DFW.

Sudden diversions like this must create interesting times in the SYD QF operations room. The cost of a 24 hour delay to a flight operated by a B744 or A388 must be huge: easily above $50,000: hotel and extra flight and cabin crew costs, re-provisioning of the catering (and wastage), additional unplanned landing fees, having to arrange staff to be on duty at LAX at an unseemly hour in the morning not to mention possible implications for QF staff's rosters later in the week (a comment more applicable to the cabin crew who presumably work more hours per month than the flight deck crew).

Would LAX immigration and customs normally be manned at 0200?
 
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