Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Does anyone know what is going on with today's QF1 ex SYD?

If I am reading it right, it will arrive in SIN on schedule at 9.30pm tonight but then instead of a 2 hour transit in SIN, pax will have to stay overnight in SIN and continue the journey to LHR departing SIN at 8.10am tomorrow morning?? Does anyone know why?

Anna, you are reading it correctly (not 'right' , the death of the adverb) but if you look at my previous commentary, you'll observe how the scheduled QF2 ex LHR on Saturday evening, 15 April at 2055 was delayed in pushback overnight to 1010 hours on mid Sunday 16 morning. It didn't arrive SIN until 0623 hours this morning (Monday 17).

Because the cabin crew are London-based as I understand it (I've never travelled on this flight), they'll presumably have had insufficient mandated rest were QF1 to depart tonight on its normal schedule at 2330 hours tonight.

If this was surface transport like a passenger or freight train, rest from say 0730 (arriving at an hotel) to 2130 (allowing time to get to the airport 90 minutes or more before the flight) would be considered OK for staff like drivers, but air travel across time zones is more wearing.

The other consideration is all the QFi staff may have been originally rostered on to turn up at the airport at say 1830 on Saturday night in London but then are told with not huge notice that they'll be fronting at say 0730 on Sunday morning. Again, not what they were expecting according to their roster. Even more reason to give them greater rest to try to reduce adverse effects on their body clocks.

How some staff, especially if light sleepers, cope with constant changes to schedules as well as time zones that even at this time of year when UK and Oz east coast are at their closest (just nine hours' time difference, not 10 or 11) is beyond me. They can't all sleep like babies every 'night'. I often wonder at the long term effects of such a lifestyle.

AFAIK, the flight deck crew continue southwards on their tour of duty after 48 hours or so rest in Singapore, so they are not relevant for your purposes.

The delay is an unfortunate side effect of QFi deciding to have two different routes (with dissimilar aircraft) to and from LHR: QF1/QF2 SYD-SIN-LHR operated by A380s and return v QF9/QF10 using B789s four or five days a week PER-LHR-PER and the other two or three at weekends MEL-PER-LHR-PER-MEL. There's no ability to transfer crews from one to the other as may have previously been possible when these concurrently operated via SIN or DXB.

 

[jrfsp]

QF63 also showing a lengthy delay until 17:00

 

[Melburnian1]

According to google QF11 is delayed until 18:30 tomorrow!

Thank you: I had taken my cue from FR24, which says '1830' but isn't able to state '+1' as in 'Tuesday 18' not today. Upon looking up Qantas' public flight status page, you are correct: departure is predicted an extraordinary 1930 minutes ate.

 

[Melburnian1]

Almost constantly late QF104 from HNL to SYD is arriving on Monday 17 April at a suggested 2023 hours, 103 minutes tardy with A332 VH-EBR.

QF19, the 1215 hours SYD-MNL was airborne at 1359 with predicted at gate arrival for A333 VH-QPI 1931 hours, 41 behind.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF63 also showing a lengthy delay until 17:00

A333 VH-ZNG arrived in SYD this morning at 0624 hours, 11 minutes eatly as QF75, the ex-YVR Canada redeye.

It has just taken off at 1854 for JNB as 'the 63', with Fr24 showing estimated landing at 2209, so adding five minutes for taxiing, gate arrival at 2214 would be 364 minutes late. QF64 may be back in Sydney tomorrow night at about 1900 hours.

 

[jrfsp]

QF94 has been delayed overnight, not sure why I don’t think it’s related to the delayed QF11

 

[Flyerqf]

QF11 is now showing as cancelled.

The delayed overnight Sunday QF94 has resulted in the following impacts
Tuesday’s QF9/10 MEL-PER-MEL sectors are now 332. The inbound delayed QF94 will turnaround to operate QF93.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF94 has been delayed overnight, not sure why I don’t think it’s related to the delayed QF11

B789 VH-ZNC should arrive MEL very late on the afternoon of Tuesday 18 April 2023 at 1733 hours, 648 minutes late.

For some strange reason, although QF93 from MEL to LAX is at this time of year a 2025 hours departure, meaning ZNC should have plenty of time to 'make it' on time, 'the 93' is displaying with a 2035 (10 late) amended pushback suggestion.

On Monday 17 April, the 1845 hours PER-LHR QF9 (VH-ZNF) took off at 1923 hours, only about 15 minutes late, but expected gate arrival is 0616 hours, 71 minutes tardy.

Because of the change to an A332 that Flyerqf advised for today, the 'connecting' domestic QF10 leg is predicted to depart Perth at 1815 hours in the early evening, 305 minutes late for its trip across the Nullarbor or Bight to Melbourne.

QF64 from JNB to SYD is badly delayed due to (as advised above) QF63's lateness last night, with 'the 64' further amended to be an expected 0140 hours Tuesday 18 April pushback ex Jo'burg, 360 minutes behind schedule. With B789 VH-ZNG not expected in JNB at gate until 0007 hours local time (in about half an hour as I write), the estimated 93 minute turnaround is possible, but perhaps a little optimistic.

The MNL-SYD redeye QF20 had A333 VH-QPI, arriving SYD this morning at 0736 hours, 56 behind.

 

[Flyerqf]

QF7 is delayed until 1830. Looks like it’s taking the aircraft that was due to operate yesterday’s delayed QF11 (which is now cancelled). The inbound QF64 was due to operate QF7 but given the 8 hour delay wouldn’t have been able to turn around in time before curfew.

 

[Melburnian1]

The overnight delayed QF2 with A388 VH-OQD in SIN (see exchange between Anna and myself above) took off on Tuesday 18 at 0853 hours, with predicted LHR arrival 1552 hours, 557 minutes late.

 

[789nerd]

In part ...

QF9/QF10 using B789s four or five days a week PER-LHR-PER and the other two or three at weekends MEL-PER-LHR-PER-MEL.

apart from today's swap to A332s for the MEL-PER & PER-MEL sectors as detailed by 'Flyerqf' above, QF9/QF10 has been operating full service MEL-PER-LHR-PER-MEL daily since the start of this month. While not ideal for passengers booked through from/to Melbourne, the swap is one option to avoid too many flow-on delays.

The B789 issue appears to have been caused by the non serviceability of VH-ZNH, which arrived in Sydney early Monday and hasn't operated since. Monday has the heaviest schedule for the B789s with 16 sectors.

The eventual cancellation of yesterday's weekly B789 QF11, means there will need to be an LAX B789 departure cancellation at some point - possibly the weekly QF18 on Thursday.

 

[789nerd]

B789 VH-ZNH is back in service operating Q7 SYD-DFW with a 2 hour 48 minute delay. Revised ETA into Dallas is 18:55 CDT 2 hours 50 minutes late. There is sufficient layover in DFW to allow QF8 to return on time.

 

[OATEK]

For the second time in five days, QF1 (1510 hours mid afternopon SYD-SIN-LHR) is badly delayed, with departure expected at 2130 mid evening. This should mean eventual LHR arrival on Sunday 16 April at 1000 hours or later (timetable is 0635 hours).

On Saturday 15, A388 VH-OQJ on QF1 arrived LHR at 0743 hours, 68 late. This flight had arrived SIN yesterday evening at 2046 hours, 44 minutes ahead of schedule.

Saturday's QF2 (the scheduled 2055 hours ex LHR) has been delayed overnight until 1000 hours on Sunday 16 (785 minutes late), so the SIN stop should be from around 0630 to what QFi claims 0750 (optimistic) on Monday 17 and therefore SYD at gate arrival around 1735 or later.

Monday 17's QF1 is suggested as arriving SIN on time but its normal 2330 hours late night departure for London heathrow won't occur until 0810 hours, with consequent LHR at gate arrival approximately 1520 hours on Tuesday 18, 525 minutes late. This will be due to crew requiring mandated rest hours in Singapore, but affected by previous late running of 'the 2'.

A332 VH-EBV on QF67, the 0905 hours morning SYD-BLR was airborne at 1016 hours so a 44 minute late at gate 1704 hours arrival is the expectation.

I must admit I was surprised to see QF1 landing beside the AVIS depot just after 12:30pm as I returned my MG HS on Sunday.

 

[whughes3]

QF19 SYD-MNL today Tuesday 18/4 shows as departing just 4 minutes late at 1219; in fact it was delayed by 1h45m for slightly bizarre reasons. . After boarding completed and just before pushback, it was announced that a passenger had had a health episode and they wanted if they were safe to travel; the doors were re-opened and paramedics arrived; they decided that the pax was not safe to fly, so 3 people left the plane and of course their bags had to be offloaded; this took about 1 hour. We then set off and were taxiing out when the pilot suddenly announced that the wrong bags had been offloaded so we would have to return to the gate to reload these bags and offload the correct ones! Which they did and after a further 45 mins we finally departed, arriving at MNL about 40 mins late (fortunately we had originally been predicted to arrive nearly 1 hour early).

 

[Melburnian1]

QF19 SYD-MNL today Tuesday 18/4 shows as departing just 4 minutes late at 1219; in fact it was delayed by 1h45m for slightly bizarre reasons. . After boarding completed and just before pushback, it was announced that a passenger had had a health episode and they wanted if they were safe to travel; the doors were re-opened and paramedics arrived; they decided that the pax was not safe to fly, so 3 people left the plane and of course their bags had to be offloaded; this took about 1 hour. We then set off and were taxiing out when the pilot suddenly announced that the wrong bags had been offloaded so we would have to return to the gate to reload these bags and offload the correct ones! Which they did and after a further 45 mins we finally departed, arriving at MNL about 40 mins late (fortunately we had originally been predicted to arrive nearly 1 hour early).

Yes, on this route, the schedules seem to have recent extra padding. In the past week, QF19's time in the air has varied from as low as 7:15, though more typically 7:28-7:35, with an outlier of 8:23, the latter due to three holds approaching MNL.

Climatic conditions vary daily, but schedules from blocks off to blocks on could more realistically be eight hours or 8:05 northbound, allowing 20-25 minutes for blocks off to takeoff and five minutes for landing to gate. At present, QF19 is scheduled as 8:35, PR211 as 8:30 and 5J40 as 9:00. The padding makes airlines' punctuality performance look 'better'.

Your flight landed at 1830 last night (A332 VH-EBR) so by the time it got to the gate was 45 minutes late. It was 23 late arriving at 0703 this morning back in SYD as QF20.

How could competent baggage handlers 'unload the wrong bags'? Can't they read the tags? Comical, costly to an airline and most annoying to 200 plus passengers. No one would criticise the medical delay, but the bags error was avoidable.

 

[Melburnian1]

Operating QF9 and QF10's domestic legs on Tuesday 18 April was uneventful initially for A332 VH-EBQ, arriving PER at 1724 hours, nine minute stardy. However QF10 did not take off from PER until 1906 hours, arriving MEL this early morning at 0018 hours, 338 minutes late.

The aircraft is operating empty from MEL to SYD as QF6024, having become airborne at 0650 hours.

 

[789nerd]

Wednesday's QF21 MEL-DFW (B789 VH-ZNG) pushed back at 12:58 AEST, just 13 minutes late. However after initially beginning its take-off roll, it pulled off and sat on the adjacent taxi-way. After a false start around 13:50 AEST, ZNG returned to the head of the runway to take off at 14:19 AEST 94 minutes late. According to the flight trackers, arrival in Dallas is expected to be 14:33 CDT, 48 minutes late. Qantas still shows it arriving on time !

Meanwhile QF28 SCL-SYD (B789 VH-ZNA) took off from Santiago 107 minutes late, having arrived with QF27 138 minutes late. It is expected into Sydney at 20:10 AEST this evening 130 minutes late.

QF63 SYD-JNB (B789 VH-ZNK) left Sydney on time this morning, however as it is taking an unusually northern route, which has taken it close to Shark Bay on the west coast, arrival into Jo'burg is not expected to be until 18:11 SAST, 121 minutes late.

 

[789nerd]

This is just a heads up ... the timing on QF35/QF36 MEL-SIN-MEL seems to be based on A332/A333 operation, consequently the B789 flights are regularly departing up to 55 minutes late, however arriving on time into both Singapore & Melbourne.

 

[789nerd]

The eventual cancellation of yesterday's weekly B789 QF11, means there will need to be an LAX B789 departure cancellation at some point - possibly the weekly QF18 on Thursday.

Wrong guess - Tuesday's QF94 LAX-MEL is the one that got the chop.

 

[jrfsp]

Wrong guess - Tuesday's QF94 LAX-MEL is the one that got the chop.

Will that mean domestic QF9/10 will be A330 again on thursday?