Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

VA have only cancelled 5.... maybe i'll grab a ticket on them!

Meanwhile the NSW TrainLink "not so fast" maximum speed 160kmh, but median speed of about 90kmh, Melbourne - Sydney and Sydney - Melbourne XPTs are respectively 16 and 62 minutes late, but generally speaking get passengers where they're going on the booked day or night of travel - unlike sometimes with our duopoly airlines.

High speed rail isn't perfect - can be affected by strong winds - but overseas it is far more reliable than the airlines, not to mention a lot more comfortable, and expert at delivering travellers between city centres without having to change modes, not to some suburb like Tullamarine.

As a nation we're missing out in so many ways by our politicians' and bureaucrats' refusal to plan, fund and build a competent high speed rail network between MEL - CBR (not on a branch line!) - SYD - NTL - OOL - BNE.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Friday 9 August, QF421 from SYD to MEL, the 0930 hours, has B738 VH-VZQ, taking off at 1103. Expected arrival is 1228 hours, 83 minutes late.

Q400 VH-LQQ is on QF2131, the 1020 hours CBR - MEL that took off at 1159 with claimed arrival in the southern, wintry capital at 1307, 92 late.

B738 VH-VYJ on the 1130 hours CBR - SYD QF511 (due into SYD at gate at 1225) took off at 122 so is at least 45 minutes tardy.

QF581 (A332 VH-EBO, the 1025 hours SYD - PER airborne at 1206) should be at its PER gate at about 1446 hours, 76 late, showing how the operational problems in SYD and MEL spread nationwide at least for some flights.

The 1100 hours SYD down to ABX QF2207 (Q300 VH-TQZ) was in the sky at 1221. Predicted Border Cities arrival is 70 late at 1335 hours.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with the difficult day operationally in SYD and MEL that has been Friday 9 August thus far, QF127 (1020 hours morning SYD - HKG) pushed back 64 late with arrival suggested as 1855, 55 minutes late.

A frequent late runner, QF23 (0950 hours SYD - BKK) was off blocks at 1017 with a 45 minute late arrival at 1725 late this afternoon local time the prediction. This will delay QF24 back overnight.

The SYd to PVG QF129 was off blocks 47 late at 1017 so forecast at gate arrival is 1913, 48 late.

The delayed QF93 (see back a few posts, above) was 92 late in pushing back at 1032 in MEL, so same day LAX arrival is 0712 hours, also 47 late.

Long haul, B744-operated QF63 (1055 hours SYD - JNB) is often late with today not an exception, as pushback was 61 minutes after the schedule. Arrival should be 1823, 83 late so the return working QF64 will also be inevitably delayed.

Due to the late inbound QF118 (see above), QF19 had been predicted to depart SYD for tropical MNL at 1240, half an hour behind but 1300 is the further revised time, so arrival will be 1925 hours, 55 late, ensuring that QF20 tonight, the 2000 hours redeye back down to SYD will be tardy.

Thursday 8's QF12 departed JFK at 1831 hours, 21 late but arrival in LAX is showing as 2205, 65 down. This may delay QF12 and will delay QF16 on their trips to SYD and BNE respectively.

 

[coyote25]

Just cancel around half remaking MEL-SYD flights and delayed 3 others. In QF J lounge asking for volunteers to travel tomorrow.

Very few seats in lounge left people starting to stand. Not a great day for QF staff.

 

[Melburnian1]

Just cancel around half remaking MEL-SYD flights and delayed 3 others. In QF J lounge asking for volunteers to travel tomorrow.

Very few seats in lounge left people starting to stand. Not a great day for QF staff.

Even though for any of us same day travel is not part of the contractual conditions with domestic airlines - amazing - is compo such as 10000 points or more to the point $ or transfers/meals/accommodation being offered? Hotel rooms are finite but non school hols. winter, unless there are big AFL games on, is hardly the occupancy peak for many CBD hotels.

Unsurprisingly, the small capacity alternative of tonight's XPT train in both directions have all seats and sleeping berths sold.

 

[Max Samuels]

It’s all about landing slots in Sydney they say now.... none left for the day.

Obviously getting rid of the curfew would assist with that but that’s another discussion.

But I wonder.... if the red rat had kept its wide body fleet of 767s would we be in a better position? I think more people would be flying today that’s for sure

 

[Melburnian1]

It’s all about landing slots in Sydney they say now.... none left for the day...

There are fewer due to the use of one runway only, but with so many domestic flights cancelled, are there "really" no vacant slots?

What would help a lot - politically a difficult decision - is shifting the pesky, small capacity turboprop NSW rural flights that might have 20 or 30 passengers to Bankstown or elsewhere. I exclude CBR - SYD because it's not wholly in NSW.

If these rural centres can't provide sufficient patronage for at least a B717, they hardly deserve to be chewing up availability of what economists might say was a 'scarce good.'

We also persist with the stupidity of allowing flights into SYD from NTL, a close destination where passengers can easily drive or travel by frequent intercity train. Some of these flights allegedly have 8 - 10 passengers if that, but consume a landing or takeoff slot.

 

[Silvia]

Where is the queen of the skies to help out? Historically when there’s been hefty delays, the queen has come to the rescue. This is when A330s would also assist with capacity

 

[Max Samuels]

Bigger planes = more pax = fewer slots needed. Also, wow.... worst boarding ever. Ever. No space for bags in the cabin. The hold also full....

God even SWA manages this better than qantas it’s not as if there is nowhere they can turn to for inspiration.

 

[Max Samuels]

Where is the queen of the skies to help out? Historically when there’s been hefty delays, the queen has come to the rescue. This is when A330s would also assist with capacity

They retired her...... AJ didn’t like it anymore

 

[Melburnian1]

In more on Friday 9 August, QF482 (1315 hours MEL - SYD, B738 VH-VYC) took off at 1446 with arrival said to be 1553, 73 late.

Q300 VH-TQZ on QF2208, the 1255 hours lunchtime ABX to SYD was airborne at 1419, so predicted arrival is 1526 hours, 71 minutes tardy.

 

[coyote25]

QF J MEL Lounge is getting crowded

 

[Max Samuels]

Here she is.... getting ready for SFO I imagine

 

[Melburnian1]

Still on Friday 9 August, QF450 (1630 hours MEL - SYD) was cancelled as will be QF496 (the 1745 hours ex MEL) and QF458 (1800).

There may be more!

Hoteliers must love this. If there are vacant rooms, are they quick to put up rates or much slower than airlines are to adjust fares when demand rises?

 

[Melburnian1]

QF867, the Friday 9 August 2019 scheduled 1330 hours HTI down to SYD was airborne at 1547, so arrival at gate for B738 VH-VYB should be 1816, 146 minutes tardy (after holding above Broke, NSW).

The overnight delayed QF2 arrived SYD at 1749 to form the also badly delayed (to 1930 hours) QF7, normally the 1235 hours SYD - DFW.

 

[Silvia]

Hoteliers must love this. If there are vacant rooms, are they quick to put up rates or much slower than airlines are to adjust fares when demand rises?

And of course, with the $200 cap policy by QF and no further reimbursement of transport or other expenses as this is weather related, the customers are the ones losing as per usual.

QF839 DRW-MEL (B738 VH-VXJ) is soon arriving at 18 31, 51 min behind.
QF627 BNE-MEL (B738 VH-VZD) has a tentative arrival at 19 55, 80 min tardy.
QF102 NAN-SYD (B738 VH-VZX) is due to arrive at 22 55, 175 min late.
QF582 PER-SYD (A332 VH-EBO) expected to arrive to gate at 21 40, 65 min behind schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF43, the 1630 hours SYD - DPS is predicted to depart three hours late with arrival at 2355, 170 minutes late. It may be waiting for a badly late domestic flight A332 to become available.

This means QF44 tonight should depart DPS at about 0055 on Saturday 10, not the '0015 hours' shown by QF with SYD arrival at about 0855, 150 late.

Earlier this afternoon, QF19 pushed back in SYD 74 late at 1324 hours so predicted MNL arrival is 65 late at 1935, delaying the 2000 hours QF20 redeye back down to SYD.

UPDATE: Estimated departure of QF43 in SYD has altered to 2025 hours, 235 minutes behind schedule for DPS suggested arrival at 0050, 225 minutes behind.

 

[Silvia]

Further cancellations include: QF457 SYD-MEL 17 45 hours, QF479 SYD-MEL 18 45, QF487 SYD-MEL 20 00 hours.
Most services ex MEL post 18 00 have delays over 60 min, but appear to be running. This is only if QF does not pull the plug last minute as they tend to do with late flights when there's weather issues.

 

[Melburnian1]

Thursday 8 August's delayed QF7 arrived DFW at 2246 hours, 586 minutes late with QF8 on Friday morning, 9, pushing back at 0117, 172 late for projected Saturday 10 August SYD arrival at 0900 hours, 155 minutes behind schedule.

The next QF7, Friday 9 August's, departed SYD at 1951 hours, 436 minutes late with anticipated same day DFW gate arrival at around 2000 hours, 420 minutes behind. This should leave sufficient turnaround allowance for the 2225 hours Friday night QF8.

QF148 from AKL to SYD has A333 VH-QPD and is arriving (after a hold) at 2038, 53 late.

The DRW to SYD QF843 has B738 VH-VXN and should be at its gate at 2030 hours, 95 minutes past its timetabled arrival.

QF474 (VH-VZR, the 1815 hours MEL - SYD in the sky at 1902 - about 30 - 35 late) is arriving at 2035, 55 late, a relatively minor delay compared with many other flights, of those that have not been given the flick.

 

[Melburnian1]

While third party accommodation sites typically are not given access to an hotel's complete room inventory, a quick search of www.booking.om for Sydney Airport hotels on Friday 9 August (for a one night stay) showed of the modern type hotels (not Captain Cook Hotel Botany!), there were no rooms available under A$200 within cooee.

There were quite a lot of Sydney CBD hotels with vacancies, some of which were under A$200/night, but as Silvia pointed out this involves extra travel costs - for two people, probably the cheapest one could do it for on a return trip from frazzled failure to secure a flight at the airport to the hotel and back again would be not much change out of A$65, given that if using the train there's a station access fee payable (twice each) at the airport station(s).

Down in Melbourne it wouldn't surprise that no rooms available near the airport, but some under A$200 in places like Fawkner and Coolaroo some distance away.