Qantas on-time performance

[bambbbam2]

I don't want to drag up an old discussion, but why is QF performance so poor? I mean looking at the PER departures today, pretty much EVERY flight is delayed.

My fave is the QF598 to Brisbane which is delayed by (currently) 7 hours 5 minutes.

Is this really the engineers' fault?

 

[Mal]

In May, Qantas (domestic jet) had 81.3% on time departures for all flights in Australia (no more than 20 mins delayed). Virgin Blue had 87.7% of departures on time.

If you delve into the facts further, Qantas and Virgin Blue had the following on-time departures from Perth:

PER-SYD 62.7% (DJ 97.1%)
PER-MEL 64.1% (DJ 91.1%)
PER-BNE 68.5% (DJ 74.2%)
PER-ADL 84.6% (DJ 100%)

So things weren't too good before the Engineer's strike, and havn't improved since it finished (yet). Some of the delays in May were caused by 747-300's having mechanical dramas, and some delays from Perth are caused by strong headwinds and similar delays on the flight over.

It is also interesting that the X-PER segments also have quite a few delayed flights. This would lead to a carryon effect on the return flights ex PER, however I'm not too sure why so many delays.

(The stats I'm quoting come from the Airline On Time Performance Report May 2008 http://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/14/Files/BITRE OTP Report May 2008.pdf )

 

[JohnK]

In May, Qantas (domestic jet) had 81.3% on time departures for all flights in Australia (no more than 20 mins delayed). Virgin Blue had 87.7% of departures on time.

That is a little unfair reporting flights that are upto 20 minutes late as being on time departures. If most people turn up 20 minutes after check-in closes they have little to no chance of being allowed on the flight.

By the way SYD-BNE flights QF553 and QF555, my flight, QF557 and QF559 will all be approximately 20 minutes late arriving this evening so will more than likely have to depart later. How much later? Probably just enough to push back within the 20 minutes, but depart BNE and arrive into SYD much later, to be regarded as a so-called on time departure. Is it some sort of coincidence that almost every QF flight I am on is late? No problem, time for another vodka and orange....

 

[straitman]

No problem, time for another vodka and orange....

What, no Crown Lager :?:

 

[JohnK]

What, no Crown Lager :?:

Much easier to drink vodka & orange. And it does not bloat like beer.

By the my flight was 45 minutes late and the last 2 flights look like being the same time late. The last flight of the night is due at 22:50 so any further delays and it may have issues with SYD curfew....

 

[docjames]

They'd probably argue that on most sectors they make up most of the 20mins in the air (in theory, not in practice)

 

[oz_mark]

They'd probably argue that on most sectors they make up most of the 20mins in the air (in theory, not in practice)

Actually, on-time arrival performance is measured as well.

If you take the on-time departures from Mal, above, you can extract the corresponding on-time arrival info

Qantas Departure Arrival
PER-SYD 62.7 60.8
PER-MEL 64.1 63.6
PER-BNE 68.5 56.5
PER-ADL 84.6 76.2

Virgin Blue Departure Arrival
PER-SYD 97.1 85.3
PER-MEL 91.9 87.8
PER-BNE 74.2 41.9
PER-ADL 100 93.5

Conclusion: On time arrival performance is worse than on time departure performance, and thus on average they lose time, rather than make up time (especially flying to BNE).

 

[JohnK]

Some interesting statistics from some BNE-SYD flights, and others, I mentioned last night.

QF549 took off 54 minutes late and arrived 72 minuts late, Q551 took of 38 minutes late and arrived 55 minutes late, QF 553 took off 63 minutes late and arrived 69 minutes late, QF555 took off 43 minutes late and arrived 47 minutes late, QFF557 took off 32 minutes late and arrived 44 minutes late and QF559 took off 40 minutes late and arrived 40 minutes late.

Now that is not all. Around the same time QF2520 to MKY landed 33 minutes late, QF665 to ADL landed 42 minutes late, QF637 to MEL landed 41 minutes late, QF978 to TSV landed 35 minutes late and QF767 to PER landed 88 minutes late, could have been due to winds as it only left 19 minutes late.

When I look at on time performance statistics for any airline I just smile and shrug it off as erroneous reporting to the public. Maybe I am just plagued with bad luck and the airlines do actually have 80%+ on time performance. Will we ever know the actual truth....

 

[docjames]

Also rmember a few years a go they changed the segment lengths to try and keep "on-time" - SYD-MEL now chsed 1h30m when it used to be 1h10m.


I'd say the taqxi to the end of the 3rd runwy at SYD is about a 20 minute drive if the last few times i've been thru syd have been anything to go by....

 

[bambbbam2]

Had my first 'return to gate' tonight. ADL-PER meant to leave at 1645, actually left at 4.45, actually left at 6.09 after returning to the gate just before we were about to take off.

 

[docjames]

Reasoning?

 

[bambbbam2]

Some kind of "navigation malfunction". We sat out on the taxiway while the captain tested the flaps up and down. They were working ok on the left side but the right seemed to be malfunctioning.

 

[docjames]

Some kind of "navigation malfunction". We sat out on the taxiway while the captain tested the flaps up and down. They were working ok on the left side but the right seemed to be malfunctioning.

it wasnt a 767 was it? hehe.

 

[Harpoon]

My Mel-STD flight on Fri was completely cancelled. Been a while since that's happened to me. Every flight Mel-STD was delayed by at least an hour.

Good old qantas

 

[Mal]

I see 20 mins as being a reasonable yardstick for working out whether a plane is late or not.

If they made it 10min or 5 mins or similar, I think about 10% of planes would leave on time, and the stats would become meaningless to work out which routes are constantly late, and which carriers are etc.

Perhaps we need tighter reporting so we see 1-20 min late, 20-40 mins late, 40-60 mins late, > 1 hour late to give a better picture.

 

[JohnK]

I see 20 mins as being a reasonable yardstick for working out whether a plane is late or not.

If they made it 10min or 5 mins or similar, I think about 10% of planes would leave on time, and the stats would become meaningless to work out which routes are constantly late, and which carriers are etc.

Reasonable assumptions and there is probably no right or wrong when looking at this argument.

To report that an airline has 80%+ on time performance under current guidelines is laughable and not accurate. Maybe they need to scrap the reporting of on time performance as to me in its present form it is meaningless and gives glory to an airlines when in fact there are issues. Should I have that an airline can be 20 minutes late but still be on time or should an airline get its act together and actually depart on time?

And yes 20 minutes may not be a lot to most people but it gets very tight and important to the passenger when the difference in arrival time means that you have missed the last Airtrain for the night, taxi would cost ~$45 opposed to $12 for airtrain, or missed the last 400 bus for the night, taxi would cost ~$35 opposed to $4.80 for bus. Anyway just my thoughts....

 

[oz_mark]

I see 20 mins as being a reasonable yardstick for working out whether a plane is late or not.

Isn't the actual yardstick 15 minutes?

 

[Mal]

Isn't the actual yardstick 15 minutes?

Indeed. 15 mins is the yardstick. Not sure where I got 20 from!

 

[serfty]

Indeed. 15 mins is the yardstick. Not sure where I got 20 from!

Perhaps the 20 minutes is Fitting or moreso then 15?

 

[bambbbam2]

To compensate us on the ADL-PER flight last night, at least they did offer free spirits in Y to compensate us. A nice Jim Beam (and some santos snacks from J) was a nice pre-dinner combo.