Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Also on Friday 10 May, QF23, the 0950 hours SYD - BKK, departed at 1010 with arrival suggested 45 late at 1725 hours. The 1810 hours redeye back down to SYD, QF24 will be delayed in its pushing back...

QF23 arrived BKK an hour late at 1740.

Empty - 'ferry' - flight QF6145 is running from BNE down to SYD with B738 VH-XZG having departed at 2103 hours. I may miss some, but don't see as many QF (or VA/TT) transfer flights as JQ, particularly JQi.

The PER - SYD QF774 has unpopular (for this route) B738 VH-VXQ with suggested arrival 2220 hours, 65 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

...Timewise, 'the 9' (MEL - PER) is usually pretty good but today was another exception, with departure at 1628 hours being 73 minutes tardy. PER arrival should shortly occur at 1847 hours, 92 late and after the 1845 scheduled pushback for the long trip to LHR, which should now occur at 2010 tonight Perth time. Saturday 11 LHR arrival is estimated as 0635, 90 behind...

QF9 was in PER from 1841 to 2017 (96 minutes), overstaying by six. LHR Saturday 11 arrival has become a better at a suggested 0610, 65 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Saturday 11 May 2019 finds QF134 from CHC up to BNE (B738 VH-XZD, the 0605 hours that was in the sky at 0632) suggested as arriving at gate at 0843, 33 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

...

UPDATE: QF1's estimated stay in SIN is (Saturday 11 May) from 0246 to 0415 with changed LHR arrival at 1045, 260 minutes tardy. This is 20 minutes later than QF had originally estimated in post #10278 above.

On Saturday 11, QF1 was in SIN from 0250 hours (275 minutes late) to 0456 (301 late), showing how easy it can be to lose time on the ground. LHR arrival has altered to 1134, 309 late, negating any 'gains' from the previously amended time as per that update above.

As was the case on Friday 10 when QF1 arrived LHR at 1310, hours late, but QF2 departed five minutes late at 2110 hours, the long delay to 'the 1' normally does not have any adverse consequences for the '2' ex LHR due to the long turnaround (and, as a former aviator may remind us, the two nights that flight crew usually have in London).]

Friday night's QF128 departed HKG 86 late at 2056 hours, arriving in SYD on Saturday 11 at 0750, 55 late. B789 VH-ZNA had taken off from SYD on Friday at 1219 hours on the 1020 hours morning QF127, arriving HKG at 1936, 96 late, but it spent more time on the tarmac than ought have been the case with a normal turnaround. HKG is not alone in being extremely busy so as with a growing number of airfields worldwide, missing a slot can be problematical.

Due to the delayed QF23 yesetrday, Saturday morning's arriving QF24 (ex BKK Friday night, A333 Vh-QPF) came in to its SYD allocated gate at 0720, 55 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

It is not reflected on the QF website but for Sunday 12 May 2019, FR24 is showing the 0950 hours SYD to BKK (QF23) and redeye back QF24 as 'cancelled.' Is this a mistake?

Saturday 11 sees A332 VH-EBJ on QF38, the ex-SIN redeye, arriving at a projected 1023, 68 late. This was due to yesterday's 1615 hours MEL - SIN (QF37) not becoming airborne until 1749, arriving Lion City at 2329, 69 late.

 

[esther_a]

QF1408/QLK1408 BXG-SYD departed Bendigo 2hr 19mins late this morning and arrived in Sydney 2hrs50mins late. So it looks like there are ongoing problems...

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on Saturday 11 May 2019, QF129 (0930 hours morning SYD up to PVG) pushed back at 1034 hours with arrival suggested as 1921 hours tonight, 56 late.

The SYD to KIX QF33 was off blocks at 1044, 49 late with forecast arrival at 1954 tonight, 54 late.

QF23 was even worse, with this 0950 hours SYD - BKK off its blocks at 1123, meaning likely arrival 95 late at 1815. This will again delay QF24 back overnight to SYD.

'The 63' (1055 hours SYD across to JNB) departed 53 late, so estimated arrival is 1740, 40 minutes behind schedule.

QF19, the 1210 hours SYD - MNL departed at 1251, so a half hour late arrival at 1900 tonight has become the suggestion, meaning a slight delay to 'the 20' due out of the Philippine capital at 2000 hours.

Not a great morning/ early afternoon for QF in Sydney. Winds were gusting at 45 - 56 kmh between roughly 0900 and 1100 - did this contribute to delays?

 

[Melburnian1]

QF1408/QLK1408 BXG-SYD departed Bendigo 2hr 19mins late this morning and arrived in Sydney 2hrs50mins late. So it looks like there are ongoing problems...

This may have been because QF1407 on Friday 10, the 1725 hours SYD - BXG departed at 2004 (159 late), arriving at 2202 hours, 157 late. Fatigue regulations would require a minimum number of hours off. By the time the crew got to their accommodation it might well have been 2300 hours. That's why QF1408 departed BXG at 0841 this morning I suspect.

Another problem that may bedevil rural inland airports is fog. It will be interesting to observe if that causes delays to this new route.

 

[Melburnian1]

In more on Saturday 11 May 2019, QF582 (A333 VH-QPF, the 1430 hours PER - SYD that took off at 1625) should arrive at 2217 hours late tonight, 102 late. This aircraft yesterday (see above) was tardy on QF23 SYD - BKK, QF24 returning and then (across to PER) QF581, yet in theory it had at least three hours to turn around between 'the 24' and 'the 581.'

Does QF use an occasional A333 on a SYD - PER and return trip for crew familiarisation? Otherwise, at face value, it seems a waste when quite a few international routes could benefit from the slightly more pleasantly refurbished A333s as opposed to an A332.

 

[jb747]

Does QF use an occasional A333 on a SYD - PER and return trip for crew familiarisation? Otherwise, at face value, it seems a waste when quite a few international routes could benefit from the slightly more pleasantly refurbished A333s as opposed to an A332.

What "crew familiarisation"? The same crews fly the 332 as the 333.

 

[Melburnian1]

What "crew familiarisation"? The same crews fly the 332 as the 333.

Sorry, I was assuming that new crews could be 'bedded in' on shorter duration routes, allowing more crews to be trained per period.

Why then - at face value - utilise these A333 aircraft with a better fitout on this domestic route when it could be flying longer sectors to southeast or north Asia?

 

[Melburnian1]

On Saturday 11, QF1 was in SIN from 0250 hours (275 minutes late) to 0456 (301 late), showing how easy it can be to lose time on the ground. LHR arrival has altered to 1134, 309 late, negating any 'gains' from the previously amended time as per that update above.

As was the case on Friday 10 when QF1 arrived LHR at 1310, hours late, but QF2 departed five minutes late at 2110 hours, the long delay to 'the 1' normally does not have any adverse consequences for the '2' ex LHR due to the long turnaround (and, as a former aviator may remind us, the two nights that flight crew usually have in London).]..

This TripAdvisor reviewer had this to say about an unspecified recent late QF1 ex SIN (for a trip to LHR):

QF1 is it ever on time?
I am a regular traveller to Singapore and usually travel Singapore Airlines. Sometimes the flights are full so I have to travel Qantas to Singapore. The flight home to the U.K. is at midnight. If it’s delayed then tired passengers will be even more tired and grumpy. Each time I have had the misfortune to fly home on this flight it has been significantly delayed. Today is no exception (I checked the web, same yesterday and the day before and the day before that...I could go on). The flight is delayed until 4am. Ground staff are amazing but Qantas outsource - who do I complain to please? Errr - Qantas.com? Right, just try looking at their amazingly unhelpful web site when it comes to problems. There is just no customer assistance at all. How can QF1 be delayed by hours and hours every day? EU law says they have to compensate passengers by €300 each. What have they given me? A meal voucher worth...wait for it...$15. In Singapore airport the cheapest meal with drink that I can find is $40. Who should I complain to please? Qantas.com. The name of someone there please? Don’t know. The lovely lady at Singapore airport said ‘I get this all the time when it’s Qantas’. So why dont they sort it out? I emailed them for help and ‘might’ get a response with 28 days!!

------------

While he's misinformed about EU261 - it's only applicable to flights departing the UK, not arriving, and then only in certain circumstances - and he also seems unaware that one can visit that Food Hut area on the mezzanine level of Changi T3 and obtain a meal for about S$9 - 16 including a non alcoholic drink (granted, it involves a hike from T1/T2 at SIN) - it's interesting that he claims to have been delayed on multiple occasions using QF on the SIN - LHR sector.

The suggestion about 'passengers being even more tired and grumpy' if QF1 is delayed sounds credible. It's unfortunate that the SIN stop is late at night (as any delay means it's then at some shocking hour as above) but curfews are a severe limitation on flight times, and like some other airlines QF believes its most lucrative passengers want an early morning arrival in London.

 

[Melburnian1]

The DFW to SYD QF8 has a good timekeeping record, and better than QF12/94/16 ex LAX for Oz's east coast.

However on Friday 10 May 2019, this 2225 hours ex DFW departed unusually late at 2313. Sunday 12 arrival should be at about 0730, 65 late. Given the generous turnarounds for all the QF A388 ex-SYD flights, it's unlikely that by itself this will have any further adverse timekeeping consequences.

Due to this morning's delayed QF23, the redeye QF24 departed BKK on Saturday 11 at 1926 (76 late) with Sunday 12 morning SYD arrival suggested as 0740, 75 minutes tardy.

QF130 tonight was expected to depart PVG at 2035, 45 late with SYD Sunday 12 at gate blocks on time to become 0905, 40 down.

The A388 on QF2 arrived SIN 25 late at 1750 hours on Saturday 11, but did not depart for SYD until 2040, 70 late, so Sunday morning arrival is to become 0605, 55 minutes behind schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Saturday 11 May, QF9 operated uneventfully from MEL to PER, with departure five late mid afternoon at 1520 hours and arrival two minutes behind time at 1717. However the onwards leg to LHR was then cancelled. The Sunday 12 (today) QF10 sector LHR to PER is naturally given the boot as well.

In these circumstances, given what may be a lack of available seats on QF2 ex LHR, how are passengers from LHR transported to PER or MEL? EK?

And what about last night's QF9 'strandees?' Would some (subject to spare seats) be placed on EK421 to DXB, the 2220 hours, and then connect to LHR? Or QF71 today PER to SIN and then QF1 depending on available seating, or much earlier at 0110 hours, competitor SQ216 to SIN and then connect on it to LHR?

There are many ways to skin a cat but PER has fewer international flights than MEL, so it's intriguing how these passengers will get to LHR with the least amount of possible delay.

If any AFFers were booked on either 'the 9' or 'the 10', details of your alternative flights, where you were put up re hotels, how the transfers and meal vouchers/arrangements were handled would be instructive.

B789 VH-ZNG is the aircraft that appears to be presently sitting in PER.

To be fair, it is rare for QF9/QF10 to be cancelled. I have not trawled through every day but perception is that cancellations have occurred in each direction between three and five times since inception.

At this stage QF10 from PER to MEL on Monday 13, the 1325 hours, is showing as operating. If a B789 is not available, QF may operate the flight with a B738 or less often, an A332.

If ZNG is not promptly repaired, its absence may have repercussions for travellers ex MEL on Monday 13, but QF shows QF95 (2055 hours MEL - LAX) as operating.

 

[flydoc]

Domestically, a 45 min delayed departure of QF937 this morning, the scheduled 0710 DRW-ASP, following an APU failure and subsequent offloading of a passenger (+ bags) who no longer wished to fly. All professionally handled by flight and cabin crew, as you would expect

 

[Melburnian1]

VH-ZNG (B789) remains in PER as at 1525 hours local time on Sunday 12 May.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF1 is again late, this time on Sunday 12 May, pushing back in SYD 58 minutes behind at 1653. The SIN stop is estimated as 2310 (55 down) to (Monday 13) 0040 (45 minutes behind schedule) with LHR arrival suggested as 0710, 45 down.

 

[Jay684]

I was booked on QF10, received an app alert c14hrs ago the flight was cancelled. Moved on to QF2 departing tonight. No word of food voucher or otherwise - what is standard?

Also keen to understand how SC will be calculated, with QF10 being 365pts in J vs QF2 ar 310. I’ll be arguing for the full 365, but keen to hear others previous experiences.

 

[33kft]

Also keen to understand how SC will be calculated, with QF10 being 365pts in J vs QF2 ar 310. I’ll be arguing for the full 365, but keen to hear others previous experiences.

You can request original routing credit if you get the lower points credited.

 

[Jay684]

You can request original routing credit if you get the lower points credited.

Brilliant to know - it’ll be the difference between being Gold and Platinum next membership year (1 June 19)