Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Flying mermaid]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Sydney is operating on one runway today (runway 25) due to a strong Westerly wind. Lengthy delays for most aircraft into Sydney (up to 2 hour delays for domestic arrival slots in some instances). Hence also some cancellations.

Yes Miss FM is sitting in the lounge in Sydney with a delayed flight back to Canberra (after flying back from Auckland). Maybe my jinx is genetic?

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Another problem for the QF MEL - HBA B717 route:

Fuel leak forces emergency landing for QantasLink plane at Hobart International Airport

It will be interesting to see if it operates the first flight at 0600 or similar this morning (Tuesday 14 July) ex HBA as the QF spokesman asserted it will.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Presumably due to weather in SYD this morning, a number of QFi (and other operators, plus many domestic flights, especially MEL- SYD - MEL) are badly late this morning.

For instance VH-OEI, the B744 operating QF127, the 1005 from SYD to HKG was still waiting in line at 1140 to take off, while QF81 (the 1020 from SYD to SIN is expected to be slightly over an hour late arriving in SIN tonight at around 1750, the craft being A330 VH-QPG.

QF23 to BKK is about 75 minutes late (Vh-QPH.) This is one flight that due to a quick allowed turnaround time in BKK will inevitably be late tonight as QF24.

 

[Moindardt]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Last week QF16 LAX-BNE, the plane was delayed by an hour for emergency "routine" repairs. The FA said that was pretty good as it is normally delayed for longer for repairs. One of the J toilets and the PE toilet were broken, so both had to use the remaining J toilet downstairs or the one upstairs.

QF15 BNE-LAX the week earlier, I heard the engineer saying to the pilot they might have to cancel the flight. Thankfully it was only delayed about 15 mins.

QF11 LAX-JFK they couldn't get the flaps down. Think it was about 1.5hrs delay.

 

[jb747]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF11 LAX-JFK they couldn't get the flaps down. Think it was about 1.5hrs delay.

Are you sure about that? Given the way they work, a flap failure is close to impossible. There are various lockouts, but outright failure requires the failure of multiple, unrelated systems, and certainly would not take 1.5 hours to fix.

 

[Moindardt]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

The pilot said there was a problem with the flaps being stuck up, which is the part of the plane which slows it down when it is landing. One passenger said they were out there with Sledge hammers and Crowbars but I thought (or at least I hoped) this was a joke. After the issues with QF15 & QF11 the previous weekend and that 2 of the 3 toilets were broken and the FA's commenting on how the 747's were always breaking down, I preferred the ignorance is bliss method and put on head-phones and watched a movie.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

This morning (Monday 20 July 2015) quite a few QF flights have been and are late ex MEL due to ice on the wings. It was below freezing at MEL around 0630.

VA and TT flights do not appear to be as badly affected. I would have thought that if there was ice on the wings it would be on all planes that had sat in MEL overnight not just some:

Victoria shivers through another freezing morning

The comment from a passenger about how he 'landed...half an hour ago' and was still 'stuck' (on the tarmac on board) is presumably a reference to how QF (and JQ) would have run out of available airport gates due to the numerous delayed departures. I have not ever experienced it personally but can MEL use stairs and internal airport buses in these circumstances for domestic flights to allow passengers to alight if the delays in finding a gate were expected to be much lengthier? One problem might be a lack of suitable parking bays to place a plane that was unloading passengers.

From www.flightradar24.com , it appears that QF405 from SYD (the scheduled 0805 hours arrival) may be on the tarmac waiting for an available gate. VH-EBQ is the A330 operating this flight.

'The Age' and 'Sydney Morning Herald' reports feature an incorrect claim from a Qantas spokeswoman that the delays are '40 minutes.' Why any PR individual would make these sorts of false claims in 2015 when it is so easy to verify that the delays are far more extensive is difficult to understand:

http://www.smh.com.au/business/avia...hts-at-melbourne-airport-20150719-gifxhm.html

It would be surprising if VA had a de icing machine and QF did not in MEL, but perhaps that explains why the VA and TT planes have mostly been on time.

Expect AJ to ask why QF does not - this sort of negative publicity re QF's unpunctuality on Australia's busiest and probably by far most lucrative airline route is not something QF management would regard as ideal. QF cannot help that it is on a Monday morning, a peak time for intercapital business travel even if some of the wise heads frequenting AFF know to travel up or down on Sundays to avoid the possibility of winter morning flight delays.

QF400, the 0600 from MEL to SYD (A330 VH-EBG) is still in MEL at 0815.

QF671, the 0700 to ADL still had not departed by 0815.

QF1501, the 0745 B717 from MEL to HBA is expected to depart at 0835.

QF412, the 0730 hours to SYD is forecast to be off blocks at 0840.

These delays will lead to many more flights being late until the middle of the day when some planes sit for longer at various airports due to it not being the peak period. Staff in the operations department must be working hard to establish whether any flights can be cancelled to try to get some individual rotations back on time.

It could also result in some international QF flights being late out of SYD this morning as passengers from MEL can be an important source of patronage. This does not apply to destinations such as HKG, LHR or SIN where QF operates own metal international flights ex MEL but it is relevant for flights to BKK, CGK, MNL and PVG among others.

Yet another reason why Australia needs a lower east coast high speed rail network!

 

[coriander]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

My son's just off QF12 this morning and has been bumped from QF415 to QF419, even though QF12 arrived on time.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

In further delays QF408 (B737 VH-VXC) has only just taken off from MEL so this timetabled 0700 departure will be about 85 minutes late arriving in SYD at roughly 0940.

QF671 (B737 VH-XZF) has similarly just taken off for ADL and is about 90 minutes late.

QF400, meant to be the first of the morning to SYD at 0600 remains in MEL, so it is almost three hours late at a minimum.

 

[pagingjoan]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF 93 still showing as On Time - but no boarding call yet, so will be a challenge.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

The first QF MEL - SYD flight to arrive at the latter this morning was QF404, arriving at 0850 - almost an hour late. Normally QF400 should be arriving at 0755, so any QF passenger regardless of frequent flyer status would have missed an 0900 meeting in Sydney's CBD this morning.

The delays have commenced reverberating elsewhere. QF510 from SYD to BNE has been delayed from 0835 to a forecast 1035. QF842 for DRW is expected to depart SYD at 1115 instead of 0915. QF514, the 0935 to BNE is expected to be an hour late departing SYD. The 1000 QF423 down to MEL will be 75 minutes late if it departs at 1115 as predicted, although it may not be as late arriving MEL. QF741, the 1005 to ADL is suggested as 35 minutes late departing from SYD.

The importance of MEL and SYD in the airlines' networks means that all it takes is extensive delays in one to affect many national flights, but from a passenger perspective it is akin to a 'lottery' as it depends on where one's plane is rostered on the day in question as to whether delays are incurred.

 

[Christoo]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

I am booked on QF 775.
Currently the scheduled departure time is 10:30am, 4hrs late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Christoo, this was a morning when you either needed to fly with VA (as its VA679 0915 hours MEL to PER A330 VH-XFG with its better than QF seats departed on time and is expected to be two minutes early into PER at 1133) or have 'status' with QF, because while you are marooned (albeit in heated confines at MEL airport), QF485, the 0835 to PER has departed ahead of you at 0922 for a forecast arrival in PER at 1149, 59 minutes late - not great but markedly better than four hours late.

One wonders when QF deficiencies like this occur how calm and measured the executives in Coward Street, Mascot remain. Is there shouting or animated hand displays around the offices, or pointing the finger - "you were the one who said we didn't require a deicing machine in 'Mexico!"

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

This morning (Monday 20 July 2015) quite a few QF flights have been and are late ex MEL due to ice on the wings. It was below freezing at MEL around 0630.

VA and TT flights do not appear to be as badly affected. I would have thought that if there was ice on the wings it would be on all planes that had sat in MEL overnight not just some:

i heard somewhere that 'de-icing' in Melbourne involves pushing the aircraft back from the terminal so that it is in the sun and defrosts!!

not sure how true that is... but may explain why some airlines are more affected than others... the tiger planes are presumably parked away from the terminal in the sun to start with, and maybe some qantas planes are in the shade parked up against the terminal?

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

MEL_Traveller, you may be completely correct but it does not explain how VA seemed to be less affected this morning than QF and JQ. Some VA planes must be 'in the shade' as you put it. All four major domestic airlines have significant numbers of planes that overnight in MEL as MEL is only marginally behind SYD in passenger numbers.

After what occurred this morning there may well be discussions between MEL airport management and the airlines as to purchase of a deicer if I can shorten it to that. Failing that, perhaps QF will go out on its own and purchase one.

The cost of these delays to QF is not significant in its overall costs because the company has revenues of several billion Australian dollars annually, but it is the reputational damage and ongoing delays to other flights throughout much of 20 July (together with disruption to crew rosters) that AJ and his managers would be most concerned about, I hazard to guess.

The number of delayed passengers must be building to be in the low thousands. That's a lot of dinner party, lunchroom or boardroom stories.

 

[Christoo]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Christoo, this was a morning when you either needed to fly with VA (as its VA679 0915 hours MEL to PER A330 VH-XFG with its better than QF seats departed on time and is expected to be two minutes early into PER at 1133) or have 'status' with QF, because while you are marooned (albeit in heated confines at MEL airport), QF485, the 0835 to PER has departed ahead of you at 0922 for a forecast arrival in PER at 1149, 59 minutes late - not great but markedly better than four hours late.

One wonders when QF deficiencies like this occur how calm and measured the executives in Coward Street, Mascot remain. Is there shouting or animated hand displays around the offices, or pointing the finger - "you were the one who said we didn't require a deicing machine in 'Mexico!"

I have status, but it doesn't shake loose seats on full flights.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

MEL_Traveller, you may be completely correct but it does not explain how VA seemed to be less affected this morning than QF and JQ. Some VA planes must be 'in the shade' as you put it. All four major domestic airlines have significant numbers of planes that overnight in MEL as MEL is only marginally behind SYD in passenger numbers.

depends on the position of the terminal piers in relation to the sun no? I dunno whether they are all equally in the shade or not?

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

The delays continue in some cases to lengthen. Poor Christoo: his QF775 from MEL to PER has been further delayed to a five hour late 1130 departure, meaning a PER arrival at 1345 not 0845. There goes the chap who was quoted in the media's Perth meeting!

The following QF475 to PER isn't much help as it has been delayed 55 minutes from 1035 to 1130 in departing ex MEL.

The 1135 QF1503 B717 flight from MEL to HBA is forecast to be delayed from 1135 to 1325 as that B717 will be late all day. QF2203 from MEL to LST is forecast to be 65 minutes late departing at 1235. QF2079, the 0955 from MQL to MEL will not depart until a suggested 1142. The 1015 from MEL to ADL (QF679) is expected to shortly depart at 1135. QF602, QF604, QF608, QF610 and QF612 (QF608, the 0805 departure being worst affected) incurred departure delays of between 75 and 164 minutes in departing MEL for BNE.

QF615, the 1000 and QF617, the 1100 from BNE to MEL have yet to depart and are both expected to be around two hours late in so doing. QF842 from SYD to DRW departed 132 minutes late at 1127. QF510, the 0835 from SYD to BNE departed two hours 31 minutes late at 1106 with the following QF514 84 minutes late departing at 1059. QF524, the 1205 from SYD to BNE is expected to be delayed by an hour while in the opposite direction QF513, the 0925 from BNE to SYD has been delayed until 1150 in pulling out of the Sunshine State's capital. QF521, the 1125 departure is also expected to be late: in its case by two hours.

 

[JessicaTam]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

I have just arrived on QF614 MEL-BNE which departed about an hour and a half late. One of the flow on effects of the cold this morning. Now sitting in the BNE J lounge having missed the 1400 flight to CNS (even though it was still at the gate - missed it by 'that' much)! The 1915 flight awaits. And I am in row 10! :shock:

Oh, QF MEL do have a de-icing machine. Just that it didn't work this morning. Red faces in the maintenance department this morning methinks.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

I have just arrived on QF614 MEL-BNE which departed about an hour and a half late. One of the flow on effects of the cold this morning. Now sitting in the BNE J lounge having missed the 1400 flight to CNS (even though it was still at the gate - missed it by 'that' much)! The 1915 flight awaits. And I am in row 10! :shock:

Oh, QF MEL do have a de-icing machine. Just that it didn't work this morning. Red faces in the maintenance department this morning methinks.

What a shame it isn't like a connection between trains on different platforms: one minute or less at (say) Richmond (Melbourne not Sydney or London!), four minutes often in Germany.

You were indeed unlucky because your flight arrived 57 minutes late at 1412 (BNE gate 25) and the second (to CNS) departed 19 minutes down at 1419 from nearby gate 23, but obviously you cannot alight from the flight ex MEL instantly - the door has to be opened, and I've never seen that done in less than a minute, and the departure time has to include an allowance for closing the door of the CNS bound aircraft.

It is probably not economic for QF or most airlines to hold flights for one passenger (jb747 did not comment on the costs but he confirmed the latter) and QF may not know how quickly you can get between gates (although it should know that you lacked checked baggage as is your travelling mantra) but it is a tad surprising that the CNS bound plane was not held for three or four more minutes to allow you (and possibly others if they lacked baggage in the hold) to connect. That said, we do not know how long QF knew that the CNS flight would be likely to depart more than 15 minutes late (if it was just tardy passengers arriving at the gate despite having long ago checked in at BNE, QF would have no warning of that sort of delay).

You could always take JQ northbound at 1755 but perhaps that is a remark best made in jest.

Red faces, a demotion or two or worse, sacking(s) in the maintenance department? These sorts of errors cost a lot of money, although as I remarked above QFd and QFi together plus FF is a multi billion dollar entity.