Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Troubles on the transcontinental routes continue.

Last night (Thursday 13 August 2015), QF776, the 1805 from PER to MEL (A330 VH-EBO) did not depart and has been delayed until an 0700 departure this morning - in about half an hour's time - with arrival in MEL predicted as 1220 on Friday 14 August instead of 2300 hours last night. I hope that interstaters were accommodated overnight in hotels.

This morning's QF762 on the same route and direction is expected to be 50 minutes late in departing at 0905.

There are no publicly displayed delays as yet westbound from MEL to PER for QF although JQ968, a frequent cancellation is again not running. That's the midmorning 1030 hours departure.

While not directly connected, the tighter QFi A333 rosters now that BNE to NRT and return is up and running probably do not help the combined A332/A333 QF availability for the number of timetabled flights. AFF experts such as moa999, RickyT84 and mannej may wish to comment.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF41, the 1350 hours from SYD to CGK today (Friday 14 August 2015) did not depart in the guise of A333 VH-QPF until 1614, following the on time 1605 hours departure of QF5 (A332 VH-EBG) but preceding QF1, the 1600 hours to DXB and LHR (A388 VH-OQL.)

Hence QF41 is not forecast into CGK until 2055, 140 minutes late. This flight has a good punctuality record so it is unusual for it to be this late. Expect tonight's timetabled 2005 hours departure of QF42 back to SYD to be delayed until about 2200, with likely arrival in SYD tomorrow at around 0730 to 0800. This QF42 delay strangely is yet to appear on the QF website.

 

[otis]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Troubles on the transcontinental routes continue.

Last night (Thursday 13 August 2015), QF776, the 1805 from PER to MEL (A330 VH-EBO) did not depart and has been delayed until an 0700 departure this morning - in about half an hour's time - with arrival in MEL predicted as 1220 on Friday 14 August instead of 2300 hours last night. I hope that interstaters were accommodated overnight in hotels.

Was due to fly out on QF776 last night, arrived at the downstairs lounge area to see engineers looking over engine 2. (Could have sworn it was Clare Valley which is VH-EBN, but my memory could be a little hazy after a few more drinks than usual in the lounge)

Almost ready for the boarding call and the announcement of the delay comes over, with a new boarding time of 6:40pm. As the downstairs area closes at 6pm it was back upstairs and a while later we see the aircraft being unloaded, not a good sign:shock:

At around 7:00pm an announcement is made that there is an aircraft arriving at 8:30pm (I assume from BNE) which they will use for our flight and after a quick turn around we should be departing at 9:30pm, better late than never we think

Then around 8:45pm the announcement comes over that the flight has been cancelled (a first for me) and it was back again at 7am to do it all over again, by this stage there were quite a few unhappy customers in the lounge and subsequently at the sales desks.:evil:

Locals were given cab vouchers for the trip home and back, which took a little while with only one QF staff member giving them out and running out part way through, so another staff member had to go off in search for more. The interstaters were provided with hotel accommodation, I do feel for them as it looked like quite a long, slow moving line with only one QF staff member assisting them also.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

otis, most interesting. While hotel rooms must be slower to organise than cab vouchers, I assume from the gist of your comments that of the say 290 passengers there were more lining up for hotels than cabs? Some would be couples but if there were 180 interstaters and so on, that might mean 100 to 120 hotel rooms required for just one cancelled widebody flight - that's sudden, big demand. While QF like most airlines would have contract rates with hoteliers, the hotels must love the opportunity to suddenly fill perishable rooms that were otherwise 99 per cent certain to be empty. I'm assuming that the contract rates still more than cover hoteliers' costs, of course.

One staff member for each task is grossly insufficient, especially for the accommodation task.

 

[otis]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

The 7am flight the next day didn't seem to be near a full load, plenty of spare seats around so maybe not quite the 290 the night before but the majority were in the line waiting for the hotels. The line didn't seem to have moved too far by the time we had collected our taxi vouchers and headed home, which was around 9:45pm. I agree with you Melburnian1, it was grossly insufficient for the number of people waiting, something QF could have handled better. I heard one gentlemen talking on his phone upon arrival in Melbourne saying that by the time he'd got his accommodation sorted out, got the bus and arrived at the hotel it was a rather late night. I guess the only ones not unhappy with the cancelation would have been the hotels, the complimentary rooms also included a $50 credit per person.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF18 on Friday 14 August 2015 departed JFK two hours and 19 minutes late at 2104, arriving in LAX at 2319, 99 minutes late. Earlier in the day, QF11 ex LAX had been two hours and five minutes late arriving at JFK.

As a result the ongoing flight to SYD bearing the same number is forecast to depart in under half an hour at 0100 on Saturday 15 August with arrival in the Harbour Capital on Sunday morning 35 minutes behind time at 0815.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

The Saturday 15 August 2015 QF10 departed LHR one minute late at 1331, but was diverted to BAH, arriving at 2316 and departing at 0054 for an 0314 hours arrival in DXB this morning (Sunday 16 August), three hours and 49 minutes late. If it was a medical diversion, an hour and 38 minutes is reasonably lengthy. www.accuweather.com indicates 'clear' conditions in DXB so it may not have been fog or a sandstorm.

The QF website suggests departure at 0420 from DXB but it is now 0450 there and the plane remains at DXB. QF estimates arrival in MEL tonight 120 minutes late at 2255 but this may well be quite an underestimate of the delay.

Inevitably, QF9 will be late tonight: my guess is a departure at around 0125 on Monday 17 August, two and a half hours late. Once again, the QF website is silent on this delay, yet if it is to occur, the operations department must know about it. Practice in recent times seems not to have been to work a spare A388 down from SYD to MEL for a two or three hour delay to QF9, if in fact there is a spare given that one of the 12 is often up at MNL undergoing maintenance.

UPDATE: QF10 departed DXB a few minutes ago local time at 0513 with expected arrival in MEL now at 2340. VH-OQL is the A388.

FURTHER UPDATE: The QF website now lists the Sunday night QF9 as departing at 0130, two hours and 35 minutes late.

 

[jb747]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Accuweather is not an aviation forecast, so it really doesn't tell you much of interest. Allmetsat has aviation weather for the entire world. Much more interesting.

You really need to have a look at flight radar24 before you start speculating on why an aircraft diverted. A medical diversion to Bahrain is relatively unlikely anyway, but if you look at the track the aircraft actually flew you'll see that it held for a while at one of Dubai's arrival holding points.

As for the duration on the ground...1:38 is neither long nor short. Diversions to airports that don't generally see an aircraft type can be very lengthy. Additionally, once you land anywhere within the Gulf you are subject to local slot restrictions.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Thank you jb747 - very kind.

Through a combination of gaining 35 minutes on the schedule between MEL and DXB, reducing the stop at DXB by 25 minutes and a further gain on the timetable of 20 minutes between DXB and LHR, the QF website suggests that QF9 on Sunday 16 August (to actually depart on Monday 17 in the 'small hours') will only be 70 minutes late into LHR despite an anticipated two and a half hour late off blocks at MEL. It will be interesting to see if this is achieved.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

The delayed Sunday 16 August QF10 arrival arrived in MEL at 2356, with QF9 departing at 0154, 179 minutes late. QF expects arrival and departure in DXB to be at 0925 and 1040, respectively 140 and 90 minutes late with arrival in LHR at 1500, 70 minutes late.

It will be interesting if this holds true as it would mean a total MEL to LHR journey time of 22 hours and six minutes, compared to the fastest northbound regular schedule which I gather is SQ via SIN with 22 hours and 20 minutes (if SQ arrived early that would be further reduced.)

Sunday 16 August's SYD - PVG QF129 (A333 VH-QPG) did not depart until 1459, five hours and 24 minutes late, arriving in PVG at 2332 (five hours and two minutes late) and as QF130 departing at 0106 today (Monday 17 August), arriving SYD at 1317, four hours and 47 minutes late.

In turn, Monday 17 August 2015's QF19 from SYD to MNL is expected to be delayed from a 1210 to a 1430 hours departure, with arrival at 2035 in lieu of 1830. Once again, the QF website has failed to update the resultant delay to QF20 whose schedule is a 2050 departure for SYD. Expect a departure around 2140 and an arrival in SYD around 0735 to 0800 in SYD on Tuesday 18 August.

With a slightly more than two hour delay such as this which in this case is at lunchtime, does QF give vouchers for passengers to buy a small meal and drink (A$15? A$20? given the exorbitant airport prices) or does it not hand out anything on the basis that by (in this case) 1530 if the plane departs at 1430 passengers would be sitting down to a meal in their seat?

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

VH-OQL operating the delayed QF9 has just arrived in DXB at 0948 local time, 23 minutes behind what QF had predicted, so a 1500 hours arrival time in LHR as QF had previously predicted looks quite unlikely.

QF19's arrival time in MNL has been further put back to 2110, two hours and 40 minutes late. QF20 is still publicly showing as 'on time' which is impossible given it is due out at 2050 and there would not normally be a spare A333 or A332 sitting around in MNL. It may get away by 2220 if all goes well and there is no holding pattern above busy MNL for QF19.

At this stage (and one must stress that this is subject to change), the QF20 arrival on Tuesday 18 August is forming the 1020 hours QF81 from SYD to SIN which in theory should be OK for an on time departure, but that is without factoring in any further delays tonight.

UPDATE: QF is now showing QF20 tonight as departing at 2230 for a fast trip southwards with projected arrival in SYD at 0805 on Tuesday morning, an hour late. My guess is that this will underestimate the delay.

The late QF9 departed DXB at 1111 after an 83 minute stop, cutting down the alloted time in DXB by 42 minutes, with arrival at LHR now forecast at 1535, an hour and 45 minutes late.

This makes two days in a row that QF9 has been badly late, as the Saturday night departure ex MEL did not reach LHR until 1730, three hours and 40 minutes late.

After some good on time or even early arrivals at LHR earlier in August 2015, QF's "station" manager at LHR must be steeling himself for the necessary memo to LHR management who may again ask why QF cannot be more punctual.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

23-hour flight delay due to Jubilee celebrations: Qantas, Transport News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Would be interesting to know the background from QF's perspective behind this!

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

The delayed QF9 from Sunday 16 August ended up arriving LHR at 1601, not 1500 as QF had originally predicted. Point to point (MEL to LHR, including the stop in DXB) this was a total elapsed journey time of 23 hours and seven minutes, slower than the fastest scheduled flight which appears to be SQ at 22 hours and 20 minutes via SIN.

The delayed QF19 from MNL arrived in the Philippine capital at 2105, departing as QF20 at 2223 and arriving SYD this morning (Tuesday 18 August) at 0815. It is still forming the 1020 hours QF81 to SIN so that should, barring an unrelated problem, be able to depart on time this morning.

 

[flychrisfly]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

The delayed QF9 from Sunday 16 August ended up arriving LHR at 1601, not 1500 as QF had originally predicted. Point to point (MEL to LHR, including the stop in DXB) this was a total elapsed journey time of 23 hours and seven minutes, slower than the fastest scheduled flight which appears to be SQ at 22 hours and 20 minutes via SIN.

We're not really comparing apples to apples here. SQ will employ a change of aircraft at SIN whereas QF10 is a single aircraft. SQ can move all the through-pax from a dirty empty plane into a full clean plane, whereas QF can't.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

flychrisfly, one disadvantage that SQ (for instance) has is that if passengers from Oz must transfer to a new aircraft for the run from SIN to LHR, that means a different gate number and hence potentially more chance of transit passengers becoming 'lost' or 'confused', however unlikely that might be for experienced travellers like yourself.

In both airports, transit passengers must go through security although the arrangements differ between DXB and SIN.

All I was doing was comparing a delayed QF flight (not QF10, but QF9) that had every incentive to make up time with the existing fastest point to point schedule for a MEL to LHR (in that direction) flight, which as far as I can see just happens to be SQ, which many travellers continue to regard as the world's best airline, even if the latest Skytrax award for that went to CX.

For time poor businessmen and women, going via SIN is faster and as a number of AFFers have pointed out, more pleasant. QF did not design the DXB airport but it is inferior to SIN, ICN or HKG to name three in Asia that beat DXB. In the latest Skytrax best airports list voted by travellers, DXB did not even make it into the top 10 despite its incessant self promotional hype. As our parents told us - 'self praise is no....'

The delayed QF9 flight did make up some time as I explained, but this still was not sufficient to make it a faster overall trip compared to the everyday timetables of SQ.

To top it all off, unfortunately QF9 has a history of being unreliable in its timekeeping, not helped by the difficulty that DXB appears to be having in coping with so many flights that are now A380s. While it is great to see QF using its multi-hundred million dollar assets more intensively, the downside is that the frequent delays to many of its long haul flights cost business and leisure travellers alike time that they could use better in a meeting, on a flight or train with which they were originally scheduled to connect or at an hotel.

 

[Himeno]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

SQ can move all the through-pax from a dirty empty plane into a full clean plane, whereas QF can't.

DXB is quite good at cleaning aircraft during turnarounds.
I did a same aircraft turn on BA a few years ago. When the 777 arrived at DXB, the cabin was trashed. The uncontrolled kids (and even some of the adults) had used the cabin as a dumping ground the for 7ish hour flight, even the J cabin aisles were covered in food scraps and trash. It was hard to get off the aircraft without stepping on something.
Upon boarding 90 minutes later, the cabin was spotless. (and the captain got on the PA during boarding to say "this is a Boeing 777, not a playground")

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF11 (SYD - LAX) this morning (Wed 19 August 2015) is expected to be delayed an hour from 0950 to 1050 in departing. It appears to be formed by QF8 ex DFW that arrived six minutes late at 0636 this morning, normally in plenty of time to form an 0950 departure.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF1, the 1600 hours SYD to LHR on Wednesday 19 August 2015 did not depart until 1741 and hence is expected to be an hour late arriving in DXB at 0135 hours on Thursday 20 August, but not as late into LHR if all goes well on the way.

Earlier on Wednesday, QF29 from MEL to HKG, the 1020 hours flight departed exactly an hour and a half late and is forecast to arrive in HKG at 1852, 52 minutes late. A333 VH-QPD is operating it and should arrive in sufficient time to avoid delay what if I recall is its next flight to either MEL or BNE.

 

[eminere]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF1, the 1600 hours SYD to LAX on Wednesday 19 August 2015 did not depart until 1741 and hence is expected to be an hour late arriving in DXB at 0135 hours on Thursday 20 August, but not as late into LHR if all goes well on the way.

Did you mean LHR?

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

My apologies, eminere, yes, of course I did. Apologies: it should be 'LHR.' As you can see, I had it further along in the sentence.