Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[defurax]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF10 is now scheduled to land in MEL at 2245. I'm on QF9 tonight and it is still showing a 2255 departure...
I have a 3 hour connection at LHR, but seems unlikely I will make it.

So in the end even though QF9 left MEL 2 hours late, a quick turnaround in DXB meant we arrived at LHR only 20 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

defurax, you were on the flight and I was not, but looking at the QF website it indicates that the Thursday 14 May 2015 QF9 arrived LHR 42 minutes late at 1432 in lieu of 1350. You are correct though in that the time in DXB was reduced from the timetables's 125 minutes to just 90. The net result was that after leaving MEL 97 minutes late, arriving LHR 42 minutes late meant that 45 minutes was chopped off the schedule of which 35 minutes was due to the reduced duration in DXB but only seven minutes when one combines the two flight sectors and compares the timetable to the actual running on the day.

42 minutes late is still not pleasing to LHR management, or to the QF manager(s) who have to deal with LHR and the latter's expectation of good punctuality not frequent late running.

 

[defurax]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

defurax, you were on the flight and I was not, but looking at the QF website it indicates that the Thursday 14 May 2015 QF9 arrived LHR 42 minutes late at 1432 in lieu of 1350. You are correct though in that the time in DXB was reduced from the timetables's 125 minutes to just 90. The net result was that after leaving MEL 97 minutes late, arriving LHR 42 minutes late meant that 45 minutes was chopped off the schedule of which 35 minutes was due to the reduced duration in DXB but only seven minutes when one combines the two flight sectors and compares the timetable to the actual running on the day.

42 minutes late is still not pleasing to LHR management, or to the QF manager(s) who have to deal with LHR and the latter's expectation of good punctuality not frequent late running.

You are right, I think we touched down 20 minutes late , but the taxi to the gate took a long time. I was just expecting a worst outcome when we left MEL and was quite happy to make my connection. In addition BA didn't loose my bag! (they lost it twice on my last trip...)

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Thank you defurax for your two interesting and illuminating posts. Great to have on the spot information. Many of us will be pleased that you made your connection. Yes, the times I quote are always gate to gate times because if you're not (to use a term aviation has borrowed from railways) at the 'station', you cannot get to immigration and customs, or your final destination, so the time a flight touches down, while great in terms of you having safely 'made it' is not the time to use when comparing journey times with the timetable.

 

[Lonely Flyer]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

You are right, I think we touched down 20 minutes late , but the taxi to the gate took a long time. I was just expecting a worst outcome when we left MEL and was quite happy to make my connection. In addition BA didn't loose my bag! (they lost it twice on my last trip...)

It takes as long to taxi to the gate at LHR as it does to fly there from AU.

 

[Himeno]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

It takes as long to taxi to the gate at LHR as it does to fly there from AU.

At least it wasn't push back from one gate, sit on the ramp for 20 minutes, then taxi to another gate for another 90 minutes before finally heading to the runway like my last QF LHR departure.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

The Friday 15 May 2015 QF94 from LAX to MEL has been delayed departing LAX from the usual 2250 hours until a forecast 0115 on Saturday morning. MEL arrival is estimated to be 0935, two hours late, on Sunday 17 May.

Earlier on Friday, QF18 from JFX to LAX was an hour and 31 minutes late departing at 2016 on its transcontinental sprint, arriving at LAX at 2308, an hour and 28 minutes behind time, so that may have something to do with the tardy QF94.

QF16 from LAX to BNE and QF18 from LAX to SYD on Friday night also both seem to be delayed although the website has not been updated from their timetabled departure times.

UPDATE: QF18 has just departed LAX at 0028, 33 minutes late, not an overly severe delay, as has QF16 that got away at 0021, 36 minutes late enroute to BNE.

 

[Himeno]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Are these long haul delays likely to still be happening by the start of July?

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Himeno, one would hope not. If you read back on this and particularly on the specific thread regarding the Sydney 'hangar incident' that disabled a QF A388, QF's official line has been that from shopping in mid April, repairs (in aviation speak 'maintenance', although it is 'unplanned' not 'planned') would take six weeks. (Elsewhere in the transport industry as far as I know - bus, trucking, shipping and rail - 'repairs' and 'maintenance' are two differing concepts, as they are in the English language.)

As noted above, a PPRuNe Forums - Professional Pilots Rumour Network contributor (not me, since I am not a pilot and hence am supposedly proscribed from contributing to that forum) claimed recently that the A388 would be out of service for much longer. AFFer jb747 criticised that website as unreliable, but did not give a date when he (or QF) now expect the plane to return to service.

It would be terrific if someone from QF's engineering and maintenance department or a staff member who can find out such matters could give a more recent update. Himeno, you may have noted that another AFF member above reported that the inoperable A388 recently looked 'forlorn' at Sydney airport. I don't know if that person has any engineering knowledge or whether it was just a general comment because he or she observed the aircraft in the open at the airport, not in a hangar with employees or contractors working on it as one might expect.

The substitution of A388s with B744s is a matter of interest to many AFF members because the seating capacity and seat configuration differs. Shoud flights be fully booked, some travellers miss out on a seat if an A388 is replaced by a B744 but QF took bookings up to the capacity of the (now unavailable) A388.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

This morning (Monday 18 May) QF412 was delayed in departing MEL from 0730 to 1044, meaning a three hour late arrival in SYD just before noon for A330 VH-EBC.

In turn, this is delaying QF581, the 1010 from SYD to PER that now has an expected departure time of 1230, with QF582, the 1420 hours flight from PER back to SYD also likely to be delayed as it is showing as using the same gate number at this stage as the QF581 arrival. As QF582 is not timetabled to arrive in SYD until 2030, the delay to QF581 would not want to be much longer before the return QF582 was close to breaching the SYD 2300 hours curfew.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF5 took off from SYD at 1719 this afternoon and is expected to be 65 minutes late at 2335. QF6 ex SIn is to be delayed from 2350 from 0100 meaning a suggested SYD arrival tomorrow morning (Tuesday 19 May) at 1045 in lieu of 0945.

 

[eminere]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

As a result of a tarmac incident in NAN involving one of its A332 aircraft, travellers flying on FJ this week (codesharing with QF) may encounter delays, schedule changes, and/or equipment downgrades.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

eminere, many thanks for your kind and thoughtful contribution. I have also placed it in the Fiji Airways delays and cancellations discussion thread.

This morning (19 May 2015) there are multiple early morning cancellations on QF's most important route, MEL - SYD. QF402, the 0745 from MEL, QF488, the 0845 departure and QF420, the 0930 flight are all not running. It is a Tuesday - normally one of the two quieter weekdays - and it is in May, which together with February and November are historically the three lowest demand travel months due to lack of school holidays and other factors, but are these cancellations a sign that corporate bookings are soft?

For the second day in a row, QF412, the A330 0730 hours flight from MEL to SYD is delayed, this time by a forecast 65 minutes until 0835, not as bad as yesterday's three hour delay. This aircraft normally then travels to PER ex SYD, and back to SYD, so those QF581 (the 1010 hours SYD - PER) and QF582 flights may well be delayed, although nothing is showing publicly yet.

Southbound, QF495, the 0615 departure and QF407, the 0715 departure were cancelled from SYD to MEL this morning.

UPDATE: The delayed QF581 departed SYD at 1127 (77 minutes late) with arrival in PER forecast as 1424 (74 minutes behind time.) QF582 is expected to be an hour late departing PER with likely arrival in SYD at 2105, 35 minutes down on the schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF18 from JFK (B744 VH-OEB) on Monday 18 May 2015 only departed 'The Big Apple' 21 minutes late but spluttered (not literally) into LAX 87 minutes late at 2307. Was this due to prevailing winds?

It was then further delayed in LAX, not departing until 0219 today (Tuesday 19), two hours and 24 minutes late, meaning a suggested Wednesday 20 May arrival in SYD of 0959, two hours and 19 minutes late. Fortunately no normally B744 Wednesday morning flights (such as QF63 to JNB, QF127 to HKG or QF27 to SCL) are shown as delayed at this stage, so the aircraft may be able to have a bit of a breather.

QF16 from LAX to BNE (VH-OJT) departed the former 50 minutes late at 0035 this morning LAX time but is not expected to pick up time en route, being expected into BNE at 0735 on Wednesday 20 May, 55 minutes behind the 'table. Fingers crossed but this should not delay tomorrow morning's QF15 back to LAX as that is not scheduled out until 1025 as every Brisbanite (or if we must call them this, BrisVegas resident) knows.

 

[smit0847]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF18 from JFK (B744 VH-OEB) on Monday 18 May 2015 only departed 'The Big Apple' 21 minutes late but spluttered (not literally) into LAX 87 minutes late at 2307. Was this due to prevailing winds?

It was then further delayed in LAX, not departing until 0219 today (Tuesday 19), two hours and 24 minutes late, meaning a suggested Wednesday 20 May arrival in SYD of 0959, two hours and 19 minutes late. Fortunately no normally B744 Wednesday morning flights (such as QF63 to JNB, QF127 to HKG or QF27 to SCL) are shown as delayed at this stage, so the aircraft may be able to have a bit of a breather.

QF16 from LAX to BNE (VH-OJT) departed the former 50 minutes late at 0035 this morning LAX time but is not expected to pick up time en route, being expected into BNE at 0735 on Wednesday 20 May, 55 minutes behind the 'table. Fingers crossed but this should not delay tomorrow morning's QF15 back to LAX as that is not scheduled out until 1025 as every Brisbanite (or if we must call them this, BrisVegas resident) knows.

Isnt the turn time at LAX only like 65 mins? I always wondered how they would do that.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF129 from SYD to PVG has been delayed in departing this morning (Wed 20 May) from 0935 to an expected 1100. With QF not expecting PVG arrival until 1955 tonight in lieu of 1830, the return QF130 is forecast to be 95 minutes late departing at 2130 instead of its usual 1930 hours, meaning a SYD arrival on Thursday morning, 21 May at about 1010 instead of 0830.

smit0847, QF18 arrives in LAX from JFK at 2140 and departs for SYD at 2355 if on time, so if I am reading the timetables correctly, it's a two hour 15 minute stop that should be achievable. The least amount of time recently that I have observed QF turning around a B744 (an incoming flight to an outgoing one at SYD, not just an intermediate stop as is this LAX one) was an hour and 43 minutes.

 

[smit0847]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

smit0847, QF18 arrives in LAX from JFK at 2140 and departs for SYD at 2355 if on time, so if I am reading the timetables correctly, it's a two hour 15 minute stop that should be achievable. The least amount of time recently that I have observed QF turning around a B744 (an incoming flight to an outgoing one at SYD, not just an intermediate stop as is this LAX one) was an hour and 43 minutes.

Sorry i mean turn time at JFK

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF41 from SYD to CGK, normally punctual, departed SYD 47 minutes late at 1437 this afternoon (20 May 2015.) It is due in Jakarta 50 minutes late at 1925, delaying the timetabled QF42 tonight from 2005 to 2045, meaning a likely SYD arrival on Thursday morning at about 0655, 45 minutes late.

smit0847, the turnaround time at JFK is 90 minutes - 1715 to 1845 if I have correctly read the timetable (QF11 in, QF18 westbound.) This is very tight, as you suggest.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Due to bad weather in HKG, QF98, the 2045 hours to BNE did not depart until 2107 but may have incurred ATC delays prior to taking off as it is not due into BNE this morning (Thursday 21 May) until 0849, 74 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

The Wednesday 20 May QF12 departure ex LAX (A388 VH-OQL) looks to have diverted to HNL where it spent almost three hours. As a result it is not expected to arrive in SYD until 0922 in lieu of the normal 0610. Was the diversion due to a medical emergency on board?