Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[whughes3]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Did you have checked luggage or carryon only? May have been a factor in door slam......

Checked luggage, which was very likely a factor; it is highly unlikely my bags would have made it onto the flight, even if I had.

 

[RickyT84]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF127 lost a bit of time to HKG yesterday and arrived ex SYD 36 minutes late at 1756. However QF128 may have broken down in HKG as it did not depart until 0504 today (Wednesday 27 May), almost nine hours late, and is hence not due in SYD until 1539 this afternoon, doubtless with some extremely tired travellers. Were patrons accommodated in an hotel for a few hours such as Regal?

QF128 was delayed yesterday due to the late release of OJM out of maintenance in HKG. It is now on its way to NRT.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Once again, the first of the morning on the most lucrative domestic route, QF400 northbound MEL - SYD, is badly late, not having taken off until 0809 and due into SYD in five minutes or so at 0910, 95 minutes late. QF412, the 0830 northbound has been cancelled.

As a result of QF400's tardiness, the southbound 0830 hours departure QF417 has been delayed to an estimated 0950. Frustrating if a passenger is unable to switch to QF419 and QF421 should these depart on time and hence ahead of the delayed QF417.

 

[Kefci2000]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Once again, the first of the morning on the most lucrative domestic route, QF400 northbound MEL - SYD, is badly late, not having taken off until 0809 and due into SYD in five minutes or so at 0910, 95 minutes late. QF412, the 0830 northbound has been cancelled.

As a result of QF400's tardiness, the southbound 0830 hours departure QF417 has been delayed to an estimated 0950. Frustrating if a passenger is unable to switch to QF419 and QF421 should these depart on time and hence ahead of the delayed QF417.

I believe QF412 (7.30am A330) was cancelled due to bird strike to the engine?

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

I may be partly jesting, but perhaps the crew had this report in mind if the birdstrike was encountered soon after commencing the flight and the aircraft returned to MEL:

https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2006/aair/aair200605807.aspx

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Further delays as a result of the late QF400 included QF426, the 1100 MEL to SYD that did not depart until 1226.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

On page 84 of a most interesting 'investor day (May 2015) presentation' by QF (thank you AFFer moa999), QF boasts about how the previously loss making CBR and HBA routes have been transformed by the introduction of B717s in lieu of previous B737s. (The full report is under the thread entitled 'Qantas fleet.')

Odd that there is no mention of what has been disastrous unpunctuality on many days (although it has improved in the last few days) of B717s operating HBA - MEL - HBA in particular. This has not been the sort of passenger experience QF would want to showcase to analysts.

 

[kevrosmith]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Waiting in the MEL F Lounge. Tonight's inbound QF10 had to divert to SIN for a medical incident. So now my outbound QF9 is delayed 5 hours until 4am. :shock:

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

It looks like the Wednesday 27 May 2015 QF10 that departed LHR a minute early at 1329 and arrived DXB 19 late at 2344 subsequently diverted to SIN, departing DXB at 0140 this morning (28 May) and then after its unscheduled stop leaving SIN some 45 minutes ago at 1926 local time. Unfortunately it will not arrive MEL until 0140 on Friday 29 May.

Was this due to a medical emergency on board? Crew hours for DXB - MEL must not be far off being exceeded with a forecast four and three quarter hour late arrival in MEL.

The QF website then claims that the Thursday 28 May QF9 will depart at 0300 on Friday morning, presumably requiring the QF lounges to extend their opening hours. Since the quickest recent turnaround I have observed is an hour and 43 minutes, an hour and 20 to undertake all the necessary tasks and changeover of crew and passengers is unrealistic for the largest aircraft in the company's fleet. Expecting LHR arrival much before 1730 on Friday afternoon would be optimistic, but at least it should not delay Friday night's QF2 to DXB and SYD.

UPDATE: kevrosmith, thank you for posting the above confirmation of what occurred. We were concurrently typing our contributions.

 

[kevrosmith]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

It looks like the Wednesday 27 May 2015 QF10 that departed LHR a minute early at 1329 and arrived DXB 19 late at 2344 subsequently diverted to SIN, departing DXB at 0140 this morning (28 May) and then after its unscheduled stop leaving SIN some 45 minutes ago at 1926 local time. Unfortunately it will not arrive MEL until 0140 on Friday 29 May.

Was this due to a medical emergency on board? Crew hours for DXB - MEL must not be far off being exceeded with a forecast four and three quarter hour late arrival in MEL.

The QF website then claims that the Thursday 28 May QF9 will depart at 0300 on Friday morning, presumably requiring the QF lounges to extend their opening hours. Since the quickest recent turnaround I have observed is an hour and 43 minutes, an hour and 20 to undertake all the necessary tasks and changeover of crew and passengers is unrealistic for the largest aircraft in the company's fleet. Expecting LHR arrival much before 1730 on Friday afternoon would be optimistic, but at least it should not delay Friday night's QF2 to DXB and SYD.

Tonight's QF9 was originally re-scheduled to a 03:00 departure, but this has now been updated to 03:45, with arrival into DXB at 11:45.

 

[defurax]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Waiting in the MEL F Lounge. Tonight's inbound QF10 had to divert to SIN for a medical incident. So now my outbound
QF9 is delayed 5 hours until 4am. :shock:

Maybe you can book one of the two offices in the F lounge as a bedroom...

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

kevrosmith, the second change to an 0400 departure (Friday 29 May) for QF9 is still not shown on the QF website, but is logical, because QF10 according to the website departed SIN at 1726 for a MEL arrival of 0140, for a claimed elapsed time of six hours and 14 minutes. Presumably the 'real' arrival time of QF10 is about 0240 not 0140 in MEL as that would give a more realistic timing of seven hours 14 minutes southbound. If this turns out to be correct (FlightRadar24 claims '0242' as arrival in MEL), then the bad news is with a two hour turnaround you won't get away much before 0440.

A most unpleasant time to be departing on any public transport from any airport, railway station or (shudder!) bus terminal, whether F lounge or cold steel bench.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

The much delayed Thursday 28 May QF9 departed at 0353 this morning (Friday 29) after a very fast one hour 41 minute turnaround, as QF10 had pulled in at 0212. QF9 (VH-OQK) subsequently arrived DXB at 1153 and departed at 1333. QF optimistically predicts it will in LHR at 1745 local time.

However even if it arrives at 1830 this should in theory be more than sufficient time to prepare the craft for the southbound QF1 this evening ex LHR. Fingers crossed.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

The delayed QF9 arrived LHR at 1825, 40 minutes later than the QF website predicted, but departed on time as QF1 last night (Friday 29 May) from LHR.

This morning (Saturday 30 May), the Thursday 28 May departure from DFW, QF8 (A388 VH-OQH) is just under two hours late and about to arrive in SYD at 0825. QF11, the 0950 hours to LAX appears to be being formed by QF8 and hence is delayed to an expected departure time of 1025, although that does not necessarily mean it will be late into LAX.

UPDATE: QF11 did not depart until 1102, taking off at 1128 and hence is 35 minutes late forecast into LAX.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Not to be outdone from the southern capital by the north's QF11, QF93 (also the 0950, but from MEL to LAX) did not depart today (Sat 30 may) until 1156. It had arrived only four minutes late this morning from LAX so goodness knows why the delay. It is forecast to arrive in LAX 90 minutes late at 0840.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Sunday 31 May's QF11 (A388 VH-OQI) did not depart until 1047, 57 minutes late and is due in LAX at 0700 not 0630 today.

QF63 from SYD to JNB has an identical timetabled departure time of 0950 but has been delayed until 1130, so it should be just about to push back. Arrival in JNB is predicted to be an hour late at 1710. This presumably means that tonight's 1810 hours departure of QF64 back from JNB will be delayed, but the QF website has yet to be upddated to reflect that.

 

[Himeno]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Are they still short(ish) on long haul aircraft?
I noticed that OJM returned from HKG maintenance late and OEJ replaced it and there's been a couple of 747 charters in the last week.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Himeno, as far as I know, yes, as the A388 aircraft damaged in the Sydney hangar incident has not returned to carrying passengers, and as you suggest, the B744 fleet is also down on what it should be. If everything runs to timetable, QF can just (emphasis on 'just') manage, but when flights run late, the (in some cases) shorter than usual turnarounds mean late departures. Aircraft substitution is also continuing to occur and if I recall some SYD- JNB (normally a daily frequency) flights have been cancelled in June as well as previously in May, but the majority are still operating on the route.

Not an ideal situation for any transport operator, surface or air, and as we see through another AFF thread, frustrating for travellers who thought that they were on the A388 to be suddenly placed on a B744, with its different configuration. The ones we rarely here from is anyone bumped off an A388 flight because it was fully booked (or overbooked) so with the B744's lower seating capacity, something has to give. Presumably those travellers largely do not read AFF!

 

[AngieP]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Watching A380 departures from Sydney to NYC with interest - during the past week it appears to have been half A380 and half 747 departures to LA on QF11. Using Flightaware to see what's happening each day. Fingers crossed for A380 as I am in Economy but have upper deck seat selected on departure 8 June.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Yesterday (Saturday 30 may) was another 'eventfu' afternoon on the troublesome MEL - HBA route. QF1504, the 1330 from HBA to MEL was cancelled. The 1525 MEL - HBA departed at 1748 (presumably somehow finding a spare aircraft, possibly slightly helped by Saturday afternoon being typically the quietest in the week), arrving HBA 139 minutes late at 1859. QF1506, the 1720 from HBA to MEL departed at 1940, arriving MEL two hours and 13 minutes behind time at 2048.

QF1507 departed two hours and a minute tardy at 2126, arriving HBA at 2236, an hour and 54 minutes behind time.

It would be an exaggeration to suggest that these B717 problems occur every day, but they remain sufficiently frequent to embarrass QF in the Apple Isle, particularly since many politicians, public servants (Federal and to a lesser extent State) and senior businessmen must use the MEL - HBA route with presumably many shunning the orange cancer. Not good for flights to the southern capital to be continually delayed especially when the competitor that QF likes to suggest is inferior, VA, does not have these systematic problems with its flights between MEL and HBA.

UPDATE: This afternoon (Sunday 31 May) probable 'ferry' flight QF6200 operated (B717 VH-YQW), taking off from HBA at 1657 and arriving SYD at about 1837. This may have been the defective B717 from yesterday.