Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[JMFK]

General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

No luck for me this trip. Got stuck with the apron closure too coming home. 1+ hour sitting on board before we pushed back. Not much Qantas can do about the weather I suppose.

 

[OATEK]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Passengers on QF444 must count themselves unlucky as although it departed MEL only seven minutes late at 1537 (and only 17 minutes behind JQ514 that arrived SYD 11 minutes late at 1651 ex MEL), QF444 took the scenic route arriving CBR at 1800 a after two hours and 23 minutes trip, and estimated to depart at 1835 (which may not yet have occurred) for a slated 1930 hours arrival in SYD, more than two and a half hours late. <SNIP>

Doubly unlucky were those who answered the offer to fly forward this evening, as the lounge angels said fare condition will be waived. The flight was QF 444!

I was on QF450, 20 mins late out, and we did circuits near Canberra before arriving only one hour late, with fuel for another hour!

QF1 rumbled down the runway after we cleared it - two hours behind scheduled push-back time at 6:55.

 

[Steady]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

I've had 2 flights delayed by weather today QF2058 DPO - MEL scheduled 17:10 actual 18:25 and now QF653 MEL - PER scheduled 20:30 currently listed to board at 21:45 - fingers crossed

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Steady, your optimism was a trifle misplaced as at 2210 the QF653 that you have graced with your presence still had not departed, 100 minutes after it should have been off blocks.

However your experience may turn out to be mild in comparison to SYD - PER patrons this afternoon. The 1530 to PER ex SYD, QF567 did not depart until 1846 while QF569, the 1630 finally departed SYD at 1954. The delay for the following QF571 (the 1730 departure) was comparatively small at "only" 84 minutes down when off blocks.

Although not SYD weather related, our old friend QF10 on Saturday 6 December departed 28 minutes late from LHR, arrived DXB 51 minutes late but spent more time than allowed there, departing at 0330 (135 minutes behind time) meaning that it is forecast to arrive in MEL two hours and five minutes late at 2340. QF predicts an 0130 departure on Monday 8 December for QF9 (95" late) with a suggested DXB arrival of 0800 and a way too optimistic prediction of only half an hour on the ground there. Sometimes the QF computer is slow to adjust these onward timings when human observers can see that it would be required. It will be interesting to see if the worst part of winter in a month or two in the UK is matched by more late running from QF10 (and the normally punctual QF2, the latter being an evening not an afternoon departure.)

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Although I noted above that QF149 from SYD to AKL was retimed to depart at 2135, it has not taken off until 2232. This means a most unpleasant predicted (+ 1) 0332 arrival in AKL. Good if you enjoy going to bed in an AKL hotel room at 0500 or later, after the sparrows or whatever other introduced pest birds they have there have woken. While these night flights are punctual on many occasions, it is a risk for any businessman or woman that should they be delayed, the amount of sleep before an 0900 Monday meeting (given the two hour time difference) can be negligible.

Still, if The Hon Bronwyn Bishop at 72 years of age and as Speaker of the House of Reps can say 'four and a half hours sleep a night is ideal, but I can survive on four hours', who is any mild mannered individual in business to complain about such temporary conditions for only one night?

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Saturday 6 December's QF2 from LHR and DXB to SYD (VH-OQG) has commenced an unscheduled stop in PER. The QF website shows it planned to depart from PER at 0445 (0745 AEDT) for an 1125 arrival in SYD, four hours and 35 minutes late.

This is quite a lengthy stop in PER. Often, stops to offload a passenger with a medical emergency can be quicker than this. Is the aircraft defective?

At this stage, no other flights from SYD ought be delayed in consequence.

 

[otchi]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

This is quite a lengthy stop in PER. Often, stops to offload a passenger with a medical emergency can be quicker than this. Is the aircraft defective?

Early reports suggest a loss of cabin pressure and problems with the air conditioning systems.

Incident: Qantas A388 near Perth on Dec 7th 2014, loss of cabin pressure

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

The delayed QF2 is now expected to depart PER at 1430 local time for an arrival in SYD at 2125, rather close to the 2300 hours curfew. This gives some more information:

http://www.theage.com.au/national/q...-perth-after-plane-fault-20141207-1229aw.html

QF must have a spare A388 in SYD as neither QF11 at 1500 to LAX or QF1 at 1650 to DXB and LHR is shown as delayed.

VH-OQH recently returned from Manila maintenance. Has another QF A388 gone up to MNL for maintenance since then, leaving 11 available of the fleet of 12?

If I am not mistaken, the roster (for DFW, LAX and LHR flights) now only requires 10 of the 12 (assuming both the MEL - DXB - LHR and SYD - DXB - LHR and return sectors are operated by A388s, and not truncated at DXB as was the case on different days in NOV for either QF9 or QF1). Is this correct?

UPDATE: A more recent report states that this A380 will fly empty to SYD. Passengers are being accommodated on domestic PER - SYD flights, which would be a stretch unless some were only half full:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/qantas-a380-in-perth-emergency-landing/story-fniztvne-1227147936547

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF10 was late away from LHR on Sunday 7 December at 1257, 22" behind time. It arrived DXB at 0013, 43" late and again overstayed, not departing until 0257, 102 minutes behind time. It is therefore not due into MEL until 2300 tonight, 85 minutes late, again delaying the 2355 hours scheduled departure of QF93.

The only solace is that QF1 is rarely delayed at LHR due to a late running QF93 as the latter would have to be several hours late for that to occur (assuming the aircraft is performing as it should mechanically and electrically).

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

The repaired (I hope) QF2's A388 VH-OQG remains on the tarmac in PER, perhaps soon to depart without passengers to SYD, but QF appears to have sent a spare 744, VH-OEB, to pick up passengers that has just begun to taxi.

The latter should be in SYD prior to the 2300 hours curfew - fingers crossed. It wouldn't be unusual if some of the 'premium' passengers and others with urgent appointments or familial matters in SYD or final destination had been found a spare seat or three on QF domestics departing PER for The Harbour City earlier today.

 

[Grimace1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Seems like QF #904 has made an emergency landing back at Perth too..

Not a good day for QF :/

Second Qantas plane makes emergency landing - 9news.com.au

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Isn't this timetabled to be a B738 that seats 12 in J and 156 in Y?

There may have been many infants onboard, but even with tech and cabin crew included it'd be an achievement to increase the passenger (and crew) tally to the claimed 215 from the 168 seating capacity (plus crew and pilot seats).

 

[Happy Trails]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Seems like QF #904 has made an emergency landing back at Perth too..

Not a good day for QF :/

Second Qantas plane makes emergency landing - 9news.com.au

I was on that flight and currently still waiting for a replacement at PER.

The ABC has more accurate account:

Second Qantas plane forced to land at Perth Airport after mid-air incident - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

 

[JohnK]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

I don't ever remember this many days of afternoon storms simultaneously in Brisbane and Sydney.

Armageddon?

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

JohnK, do you mean 'simultaneously' (as in 'concurrently') or 'consecutively?'

I thought yesterday only had storms in Sydney, not Brisbane.

Melbourne, the city to the south that is larger than Brisbane, the Gold and Sunshine Coasts combined in population, has also had recent storms. I cannot speak for other cities but this is not at all unusual in Melbourne: the only couple of times I can recall significant flooding was in either December or February when we have 'summer rain' in a weak attempt to mimic the tropics.

 

[OATEK]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

I don't ever remember this many days of afternoon storms simultaneously in Brisbane and Sydney.

Armageddon?

I remember when I was about 12 or 13 watching a storm front approaching Sydney from the S/W. It was a massive front, lit up in all the colours of the setting sun, and I remember thinking this was Armageddon-like. But in the end was just a little hail and a lot of lightning.

 

[ABC1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Today's QF7 heading back to SYD

 

[OATEK]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Today's QF7 heading back to SYD

Certainly didn't get far tonight.

 

[JohnK]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

JohnK, do you mean 'simultaneously' (as in 'concurrently') or 'consecutively?'

I thought yesterday only had storms in Sydney, not Brisbane.

Storms in Sydney and Brisbane today? Storms in Sydney and Brisbane on Friday?

Storms in Sydney on Saturday and Sunday as well.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

A rather obvious comment given the few minutes remaining before the 2300 SYD curfew, but QF7 is shown on the QF website as rescheduled to depart at the respectable hour (for tired passengers) of 0830 tomorrow morning with a forecast same day Tuesday 9 December 2014 arrival in DFW of 0640. It is about to land in SYD so may be at the gate at 2228 or so. The presumably resultant retiming of Monday's QF8 ex DFW has yet to show on the website.

At least bad luck only comes in threes, so hopefully there won't be any more severe QF 'incidents' tomorrow.