Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Monday 25 March's QF2 departed LHR at 2124 hours, 39 late with SIN arrival predicted as 65 late at 1950 hours. Departure should be at 2015, half an hour behind with Wedesday 27 SYD arrival 0710, 55 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Tuesday 26 March, QF20 departed MNL two minutes early at 1958 hours but due to a strong of arrivals did not take off until 2018 - 80 minutes later - so Wednesday 27 arrival should be at 0654, 34 late.

 

[milehighclub]

QF63 made a detour to Mauritius due to a medical on Tuesday.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF63 made a detour to Mauritius due to a medical on Tuesday.

This flight departed SYD at 1145 hours, ten minutes late on Tuesday 26 March, stopped in MRU from 1620 to 1748 - a lengthy stop for a medical - and arrived JNB at 1954 hours, 79 late. QF64 pushed back at 2203 (193 minutes behind schedule) with SYD arrival today (Wednesday 27) estimated at 1839 hours, 184 late.

Earlier, QF23 that unusually has lately had quite a few punctual days was not so with pushback at 1131 hours from SYD, 61 minutes behind schedule. Arrival in BKK is forecast as 1653, 48 late.

 

[bcworld]

SYD tower evacuated: AirservicesAustralia on Twitter

Full ground stop.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Sydney Airport tower evacuation of 20 key controllers and others from about 1140 hours on Friday 29 March with full operations restored by 1319 has as bcworld implied caused huge delays. QF426, the 1100 hours MEL - SYD (B738 VH-VZX) took off at 1326 with a 130 minute late arrival at 1435 hours predicted.

QF428, the 1130 hours was airborne at 1333 with arrival for VH-VYL likely at 1442 hours, 107 late.

The ABX up to SYD QF2208 has Q300 VH-TQZ and should arrive at 1503, 43 late.

The 1130 hours SYD - SIN was away at 1303 so is arriving at 1815 hours, 90 late.

QF63 followed a minute later, at 1304 ex SYD (89 late) so JNB arrival should be at 1739 hours, 64 minutes late.

QF19, the 1225 hours SYD - MNL departed at 1339 with arrival likely at 1836 tonight, 66 late.

The 1335 hours SYD - PEK, QF107 (A332 VH-EBQ) took off at 1518 so expected arrival at 2331 hours will be 76 late.

The A388 on QF7, the 1340 hours, departed 100 minutes behind at 1520 hours from SYD so DFW arrival looks to be (same day) 1402 (62 minutes late).

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on Friday 29 March, B738 VH-VZW, the 1600 hours MEL up to SYD took off at 1654. Anticipated arrival is 1807 hours, 42 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF43 (1655 hours SYD - DPS) is often observed as punctual but on Friday 29 March, B738 VH-VZI took off at 1812. Expected arrival is at about 2124, 64 late.

The 1610 hours BNE down to MEL, QF627 (B738 VH-VZJ) is arriving at 2040 hours, 70 late after holding above Tocumwal NSW. Having taken off at 1714, this was only about 49 late.

CBR to PER QF719 (VH-VXM) is the 1900 hours that took off at 2001 hours for arrival at 2123 hours, 48 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Thursday 28 March's QF74, the 2135 hours SFO down to SYD did not depart until 2258 hours. It then diverted to BNE, stopping from 0632 to 0806 with SYD arrival claimed as 1036, 266 minutes later than the timetabled 0610.

Was this due to storms occurring (and later predicted to intensify) in Sydney, or some other reason?

Friday's delayed QF63 (see above) arrived JNB at 1639, 64 late with QF64 then departing at 1956, 66 late. SYD Saturday arrival should be at 1635, an hour late.

Saturday's QF29 (0945 hours MEL - HKG) is forecast to depart an hour late with consequent arrival at 1635, 20 late due to the usual favourable winds.

QF418 (0900 hours MEL - SYD, B738 VH-VYZ) was as at 0954 still in the queue for takeoff clearance so will be at least 40 minutes late arriving at gate in Sydney.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Saturday 30 March 2019, QF33 (0930 hours SYD - KIX) departed at 1003. Arrival is forecast for 1805, 35 late.

 

[33kft]

QF2's SIN-SYD 1915 departure has been pushed back to 1950 for Sat 30/03, 35 minutes late. Hoping it can be made up in air as I have a fairly tight domestic connection at SYD (silly, I know).

 

[Melburnian1]

QF2's SIN-SYD 1915 departure has been pushed back to 1950 for Sat 30/03, 35 minutes late. Hoping it can be made up in air as I have a fairly tight domestic connection at SYD (silly, I know).

33kft, isn't your biggest battle upon arriving in Sydney how many other aircraft have landed recently, and hence how long the queues (not so much for SmartGates) for the post-baggage pickup handing over of the incoming passenger declaration form and SmartGate receipt are?

The QF minimum international to domestic connecting time is 75 minutes. I don't recall having managed to do it as quickly, and whatever airline, I usually allow 2.5 hours between such flights in Sydney. That chews up time. Some like you may be in far more of a hurry than I ever am.

Out of interest, what connecting flight and to where are you booked on? If you miss it, what time is the next one?

QF2 into SYD this morning arrived (at gate) at 0720 hours, 65 late after pushing back 86 late in SIN last night at 2041 hours. It's rare for two of the same flight number to be identical: taxiing times at each end, particularly departing, vary as do weather conditions. That said, on many occasions on a gate-to-gate basis this particular flight picks up time. It's arriving at 'peak hour' for international flights coming in.

Today's QF2 is showing as arriving at 1825 hours, 40 late so it will need most things to go right to enable pushback as you suggest at 1950, 35 minutes behind. Not impossible, but all it needs is for one or more passengers (with checked in luggage) to spend too long browsing in the Changi retail offerings (or at AFFer JohnPhelan's 'barrrrr' as per his famous, apt comment) and your task is more difficult tomorrow morning. But let's not be defeatist.

Please let us know how you go: time yourself from walking off the aircraft, to exiting customs, to being at the gate of the domestic flight. This info will be very handy for others, even if the experience differs every time.

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on Saturday 30 March, QF28 (B744 VH-OEG) from SCL to SYD should arrive half an hour late at 1810 early in the evening.

 

[33kft]

Yes I am most certainly up against it @Melburnian1, I am meant to be connecting on to QF508 which is 70 mins, below MCT even with the optimistic pushback time.

Sadly there is yet another flight on this PNR but I may just make it even with the next BNE flight (or QF may route me otherwise). Going to roll with it and see how I fare, will update. Better put my running shoes on for this one

 

[Melburnian1]

Yes I am most certainly up against it @Melburnian1, I am meant to be connecting on to QF508 which is 70 mins, below MCT even with the optimistic pushback time.

Sadly there is yet another flight on this PNR but I may just make it even with the next BNE flight (or QF may route me otherwise). Going to roll with it and see how I fare, will update. Better put my running shoes on for this one

33kft, QF2 (A388 VH-OQF) is as I wrote close to SIN but the landing time showing is 1838, which means at gate at about 1843 (if not a bit later). The chances of a 1950 hours departure are diminishing. Not impossible, but every minute longer in the arrival delay for SIN makes it harder to be in SYD (at gate, not landing) at 0640 in the morning (Sunday 31) as QF predicts. For an 0800 domestic, we may be in heated agreement that 80 minutes is pushing it (bearing in mind that if the departure is to be on time of QF508, you can't really rock up at 0759 and 50 seconds and expect to board: it isn't a suburban train.

A fascinating journey for you but I'll stick my head out and predict tomorrow (assuming seats available) you'll be on the 0900 hours, QF512 or if it's really bad, the 1000 (QF516).

In the past week (excluding pushback to takeoff, and landing to gate, the flying time from SIN to SYD on QF2 has varied between seven hours eight minutes to seven hours 22, with the median about seven hours 14.

How long is your connection in BNE to your third flight and where are you off to?

UPDATE: QF2 landed at 1838 (its transponder might be blocked by a building as FR24 insists it's still at '69 metres ASL'. This means at gate time is 1843 or so.

 

[Melburnian1]

Earlier, the Saturday 30 March QF7 (timetabled ex SYD at 1340 hours for DFW) was showing as punctual but it has only just become airborne, at 2128 hours. A388 VH-OQK would have had to rustle up a new crew (both flight and cabin) so that may account for a portion of the delay.

Arrival is predicted as 2100 hours same day, eight hours (480 minutes) tardy. If anyone knows what went awry, that would be helpful.

The Saturday '8' should push back at 2100 normally, but that's impossible so a departure at 2245 ex distant DFW is about the best one could hope for.

QF43 (1655 hours afternoon SYD - DPS) departed 35 late with arrival predicted as half an hour behind at 2050 mid evening.

 

[33kft]

Incredibly insightful @Melburnian1, thank you! I was thinking it would be nice to know what the average flight times had been but I wouldn't have had the means to find them, so thanks again!

You might gather from this post time that the original pushback time is looking somewhat unlikely at this point. They are still working on catering, no boarding at this stage.

My second connection is QF972. I can make it if it is QF512, I am not sure about QF516. I will give it a red hot go, anyway I suspect this will be my last post until tomorrow, but I don't suspect it will be a post celebrating making QF508.

 

[Melburnian1]

Incredibly insightful @Melburnian1...You might gather from this post time that the original pushback time is looking somewhat unlikely at this point. They are still working on catering, no boarding at this stage.

My second connection is QF972. I can make it if it is QF512, I am not sure about QF516. I will give it a red hot go, anyway I suspect this will be my last post until tomorrow, but I don't suspect it will be a post celebrating making QF508.

The quickest an A380 has boarded everyone that I've experienced is about 45 minutes go to whoa. Can others beat that (assuming a well loaded plane, not a half empty one)?

Not for the first time, but despite 33kft's advice that a few minutes ago he remained in the airport (not boarding), QF hasn't altered its prediction of a 1950 hours SIN departure (four minutes from when I am writing).

 

[33kft]

So just to share the outcome of my hurdling effort. As it turns out, the proactive QF ground crew were already on it, I was approached during the flight and told I had been rebooked on QF512 at 9am. We had pushed back at 20:20 and landed at 06:48. Off the plane by 06:55 but not a single bag on the belt until maybe 07:40.

So no, I would not have made that connection any day of the week. I did manage to get on a QF vessel by the scheduled QF508, however the vessel was a less exciting domestic transfer bus.

Thanks again @Melburnian1 for your helpful data and sorry Australia, I did not bring home gold in today's event.

 

[Melburnian1]

So just to share the outcome of my hurdling effort.... We had pushed back at 20:20 and landed at 06:48. Off the plane by 06:55 but not a single bag on the belt until maybe 07:40....

33kft, what time did you board a bus and what time were you then at the gate for QF508? This info helps newbie AFFers who may not have done this transfer.

Unimpressive that the first bag took approximately 47 minutes from the A388's arrival at gate to appear on the carousel. In a number of Asian airports (including SIN and MNL) I've generally seen bags appear 15 to 25 minutes after one's plane has arrived at gate.