Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Just when I was thinking if QF12 would be late tonight, I get online to found out that yes, it will be.

Unfortunately at present Himeno, as you probably know better than me, it's closely tied into the performance of QF15, as that forms QF11 across the United States and then runs QF12 back to LAX and QF16 to BNE.

'The 12' on transcon USA seems to often take less elapsed time than the timetable gate-to-gate, but 'the 11' eastbound' tends not to gain time.

In another Monday 9 July 2018 delay, QF33 departed SYD at 1019, only four minutes late but arrival in KIX is expected at 1940, half an hour behind.

 

[Himeno]

I got a text message about the QF12 delay after I checked in at LAX
Check in asked if I was already aware of the delay. I just replied by asking how late 15 was this morning.

They are expecting 2315 departure at the moment.
0020 for 16

 

[JessicaTam]

Just when I was thinking if QF12 would be late tonight, I get online to found out that yes, it will be.

So you can now say that Qantas are meeting your expectations?

 

[Melburnian1]

In further on Monday 9 July 2018, QF626, the 1610 hours MEL up to BNE that was in the sky at 1648 with new B789 VH-ZNE should arrive at 1846, 36 minutes late. This is its sixth return trip MEL - BNE in three days. It is overnighting in MEL. Only one of the individual 10 trips showing on FR24 has been 16 minutes late: all others (except the one in this paragraph) have been on time, early or 15 minutes or less tardy.

These must be crew familarisation runs as B789s numbers 5 to 8 will be based in BNE if I recall.

 

[Melburnian1]

Tuesday 10 July 2018 sees QF134 (B738 VH-XZB, the scheduled 0605 hours CHC - BNE that did not take off until 0800) arriving at 0924 hours, 74 late.

QF1949 (B717 VH-NXM, the 0850 hours CNS to ASP) took off at 0931 so its expected 1124 hours arrival will be 39 late.

The 24 hour delayed QF2D (meant to be the Saturday night ex LHR) arrived in SYD on Tuesday morning at 0621, more than 25 hours late. The 'normal' QF2 pulled in to its gate at 0603, 58 minutes late.

QF12, with AFFer Himeno on board, arrived in SYD (ex LAX) at 0722, 52 late. The LAX - BNE was similar, with QF16 arriving at 0700 minutes down.

 

[Melburnian1]

In further on Tuesday 10 July 2018, QF419 (A332 VH-EBB, the 0900 hours SYD down to MEL that was airborne at 1015) should arrive at 1129, 54 minutes behind the schedule.

QF97 from BNE to HKG is expected to depart 35 minutes late at 1120 hours.

 

[Himeno]

QF94 was late departing LAX.
They called boarding on time, but the aircraft was still at the gate when boarding for the delayed QF12 started. Looking out my window on the right side of QF12, there was a CX 777 and QF16, then another QF aircraft that I thought was QF96 as it had the new roo on the tail (being behind a 777 and 747, I couldn't see more then the tail prior to it pushing back).
It pushed back enough to see it was an A380 just before 2330.
QF12 was a bit later then expected waiting for the transcon bags to come across.

During the flight, the CSM let me know that I had been moved from QF1513 to QF1467 (bloody Dash 8's), but when in SYD, the Qantas app labeled 1513 as cancelled (but now google says it wasn't).

I would have booked QF96 instead of 12 if it had been available when I was booking this trip.

So you can now say that Qantas are meeting your expectations?

Should that include booking 717s for SYD-CBR flights and almost always getting bumped to a bloody Dash 8? Or their failing to load one of my bags onto that bloody Dash 8 with Qantas now having to deliver it to me later this afternoon?

In further on Monday 9 July 2018, QF626, the 1610 hours MEL up to BNE that was in the sky at 1648 with new B789 VH-ZNE should arrive at 1846, 36 minutes late. This is its sixth return trip MEL - BNE in three days. It is overnighting in MEL. Only one of the individual 10 trips showing on FR24 has been 16 minutes late: all others (except the one in this paragraph) have been on time, early or 15 minutes or less tardy.

These must be crew familarisation runs as B789s numbers 5 to 8 will be based in BNE if I recall.

The 5th arrived a little over a week ago. The 6th arrives late this month. Once that arrives, they'll be put on BNE-LAX-JFK. (which means pax in J from JFK will get suites, to LAX then have to downgrade to Skybed 2's on 12 or 94 while keeping suites on 16 or 96). Once 7 and 8 arrive in November, they are currently planned to supplement the BNE-LAX flights while some of the MEL-LAX 95/96 flights go to SFO instead.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF12 was a bit later then expected waiting for the transcon bags to come across...
During the flight, the CSM let me know that I had been moved from QF1513 to QF1467 (bloody Dash 8's), but when in SYD, the Qantas app labeled 1513 as cancelled (but now google says it wasn't)...
I would have booked QF96 instead of 12 if it had been available when I was booking this trip...
The 5th arrived a little over a week ago. The 6th arrives late this month. Once that arrives, they'll be put on BNE-LAX-JFK. (which means pax in J from JFK will get suites, to LAX then have to downgrade to Skybed 2's on 12 or 94 while keeping suites on 16 or 96). Once 7 and 8 arrive in November, they are currently planned to supplement the BNE-LAX flights while some of the MEL-LAX 95/96 flights go to SFO instead.

Himeno, out of interest given you may have had a choice of QF12 or QF94 (but not from what you say QF96), do you have a clear preference for transiting via SYD rather than MEL en route to CBR if both options were available for your fare class? Any reason such as greater timetabled frequency, a comparison of the Border Force experience, hassles or ease of transfer?

This may have been covered elsewhere, but with your comment about the 7th and 8th B789s for QF, are you implying that they will (some of the time) be 'spares' so that if anything goes wrong, there may be fewer delays? Or is it a reflection of normal maintenance schedules? I'd have thought an airline with new aircraft would want to maximise their appearance on longer routes.

It's surprising that a bag did not make it to the scheduled 0900 hours ex SYD as you arrived at roughly 0721 and hence the airline had in excess of 90 minutes to transport it across the tarmac. And yes, the B717 (VH-YQV) operated the flight on which you were originally booked.

 

[Himeno]

Himeno, out of interest given you may have had a choice of QF12 or QF94 (but not from what you say QF96), do you have a clear preference for transiting via SYD rather than MEL en route to CBR if both options were available for your fare class? Any reason such as greater timetabled frequency, a comparison of the Border Force experience, hassles or ease of transfer?

Where availability and price are more or less the same and there are options via any of the major cities, MEL wins for one reason. No transfer bus.

This may have been covered elsewhere, but with your comment about the 7th and 8th B789s for QF, are you implying that they will (some of the time) be 'spares' so that if anything goes wrong, there may be fewer delays? Or is it a reflection of normal maintenance schedules? I'd have thought an airline with new aircraft would want to maximise their appearance on longer routes.

The currently announced routes for the BNE 787s are BNE-LAX 11 weekly, LAX-JFK 7 weekly. They are likely to announce another route to North America (maybe BNE-ORD) for the other days.
They have 787s on 15/16 (daily) and a 747 on 55/56 (3 weekly) BNE-LAX from Sep 1 and from Dec 1, the 747 goes away and is replaced by 787s 4 weekly.
MEL-LAX 95/96 is currently 6 weekly. From Sep 1, that drops to 2 weekly with MEL-SFO 49/50 starting at 4 weekly.
It leaves another BNE 787 North America route at 2-3 weekly that is yet to be announced.

It's surprising that a bag did not make it to the scheduled 0900 hours ex SYD as you arrived at roughly 0721 and hence the airline had in excess of 90 minutes to transport it across the tarmac. And yes, the B717 (VH-YQV) operated the flight on which you were originally booked.

The checked item in question was the first of mine on the belt in SYD. I was through immigration in 30 seconds, then had to wait about 20 minutes for bags. Bags were retaged at connections and I got through domestic security with 50 mins to QF1467 boarding time. I saw a luggage cart 'train' depart for the domestic side just before the bus arrived (not sure if my bags were on that). Traffic got held up while a FedEx pushed back from the freighter area. By the time I got into T3, I only had about 10 minutes in the lounge before boarding opened.

 

[Melburnian1]

Earlier on Tuesday 10 July, QF27, the 1235 hours SYD - SCL departed at 1333. Arrival is estimated as 1225 hours, 75 minutes late. This will delay the returning QF28 in its departure.

 

[Flyerqf]

Monday’s qf24 is delayed until Friday morning, due to a collision between an engine and truck.

 

[Melburnian1]

Monday’s qf24 is delayed until Friday morning, due to a collision between an engine and truck.

Thanks Flyerqf. Unusual but delay to A332 VH-EBS is fair dinkum. This must be one of the longer periods of unscheduled maintenance for an A332 in the last few months.

Meanwhile the Tuesday 10 July QF24 departed BKK at 1842, 32 late, arriving SYD at 0706 on 11 July, 41 minutes behind schedule.

QF19, the 1210 hours SYD to MNL is predicted to depart 70 minutes late on 11 July. This is mostly an A332, so is it realted to the unavailable A332 sitting in BKK?

UPDATE: QF19 departed at 1356 from SYD with MNL arrival expected at 1937, 67 late. This will delay the 2000 hours QF20 back down to SYD.

 

[Melburnian1]

In further on Wednesday 11 July, QF63, the 1055 hours SYD - JNB departed 39 minutes late. Arrival is predicted as 1738, 38 late. The returning QF64 will be slightly delayed in departure.

The 1155 hours MEL - SIN (QF35) had its A388 depart 50 late but time should be partly regained with forecast arrival at 1825 just half an hour tardy.

QF73 from SYD to SFO pushed back 40 late at 1325. It should be at its arrival gate at 0943 hours, 38 late.

QF51, the 1200 'high noon' BNE - SIn was away very late at 1353 so arrival has been put back to a suggested 1918, 63 late.

The 1420 hours SYD - HKG (QF117) should depart an hour late with arrival 35 minutes behind at 2235 tonight.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with 11 July 2018, QF1517 (B717 VH-YQU, the 1655 hours SYD down to CBR) took off at 1759. Expected arrival at 1841 will be 46 minutes tardy.

 

[jb747]

'The 12' on transcon USA seems to often take less elapsed time than the timetable gate-to-gate, but 'the 11' eastbound' tends not to gain time.

The flight over to JFK is often subject to very extensive holding and ATC diversionary (delaying) tactics. Coming back the only delays occur on the ground.

 

[Melburnian1]

The flight over to JFK is often subject to very extensive holding and ATC diversionary (delaying) tactics...

What motive would air traffic controllers have for 'delaying tactics?' I may be misinterpreting your emphasis given no use of those emoticon thingies, but you seem to imply that it's almost 'fun.'

Surely like most of us they'd like to make their job as easy as possible and only do this when weather or 'traffic' required?

 

[Himeno]

What motive would air traffic controllers have for 'delaying tactics?' I may be misinterpreting your emphasis given no use of those emoticon thingies, but you seem to imply that it's almost 'fun.'

Surely like most of us they'd like to make their job as easy as possible and only do this when weather or 'traffic' required?

The QF11 route passes through some busy airspace, routing though the Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, Cleveland, Washington and New York FIRs. Depending on the route, it also passes close to the busy hubs (although at cruse altitude) such as ORD at busy times. FTC would want to reroute or delay a flight to prevent it entering a sector which already has too many aircraft in its airspace. Same reason US ATC often keeps a short flight on the ground at the departing airport so there won't be too many aircraft in a given sector at the same time.

 

[Melburnian1]

.... Same reason US ATC often keeps a short flight on the ground at the departing airport so there won't be too many aircraft in a given sector at the same time.

This is also increasingly occurring on routes like MEL - SYD with 'controlled departures.' Southbound into MEL seems particularly bad. On the VA subset of cancellations/delays, AviatorInsight agreed with my contention that delays at MEL were worse these days than SYD or BNE.

Just another reason why we need high speed rail. Far more reliable, comfortable and punctual than the domestic airlines.

 

[Melburnian1]

Thursday 12 July 2018 sees QF411, the 0730 hours SYD down to MEL airborne at 0828 hours with A332 VH-EBE should arrive in the southern capital at 0948 hours, 43 minutes late.

Showing what a lottery these flights can be on higher frequency routes - and SYD - MEL - SYD is the highest in Oz by a long stretch - QF413, the 0745 hours ex SYD should arrive nine early in MEL at 0911 hours, 37 minutes ahead of the earlier timetabled departure QF411.

QF415 (0800 hours ex SYD, B738 VH-VYI) was in the sky at 0853, so MEL arrival should be at 1005, half an hour behind.

The 0845 hours from BNE down to CBR (QF1545, B717 VH-NXQ) took off at 0935 so its delayed arrival will be at 1114 hours, 39 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Adding to the 'lottery' status of SYD - MEL flights, the Thursday 12 July 0830 hours did not take off until 1122 with A332 VH-EBV. Arrival should be 156 minutes late at 1241 this arvo. The aircraft had arrived at the international terminal at 0814 hours, 44 minutes late on the usually punctual QF42, the redeye from CGK, but then would have had to be transferred to the domestic terminal that takes time.

This looks to be forming QF426, the 1100 hours MEL - SYD that has been changed to depart at 1320 for a 1445 hours arrival, 140 minutes late. 39 minutes is probably inadequate time to 'reverse' this A332 so it may arrive in SYD somewhat later this arvo.