QF2 delay 18/6/2023

[WeeGraeme]

Does anyone have any information on why QF1 / QF2 was delayed today. I'm due to connect to QF52, on 19/6 but I've been moved to QF52 on 20/6 meaning I'll be a day late.

I want to be able to work out if I'm eligible for UK261 compensation.

 

[jpp42]

@Melburnian1 often tracks delays and might have more information (there's another forum on here for this). But you could go ahead and apply - it's unlikely it's due to weather or other things outside Qantas control.

 

[Katie]

Incoming QF1 delay due to its incoming A380 going tech in LA, I think.

I have friends who were to fly BNE-SIN then on QF1 to LHR on Sat 17/6. They were put up overnight in SIN as their incoming QF1 was delayed. I believe they arrived in LHR at almost 11pm on 18/6 rather than 6:30am or whatever on 18/6.

So then flowing on to QF2 delay.

 

[Quickstatus]

@WeeGraeme its been discussed in the Delays thread (from that point in the thread onwards)

But basically the aircraft VH-OQK was severe delayed out of LAX as the 15/6/23 QF 12 . Instead of landing in SYD at 0745 it landed at 2245hrs, which then dominoed into a delayed QF1 and now QF2, with the imposition of the night curfews at LHR making the QF2 departures later than what it could have been

I would be interested in what QF told you, as the reason for the delay.

I want to be able to work out if I'm eligible for UK261 compensation

Yes

 

[WeeGraeme]

@WeeGraeme its been discussed in the Delays thread (from that point in the thread onwards)

But basically the aircraft VH-OQK was severe delayed out of LAX as the 15/6/23 QF 12 . Instead of landing in SYD at 0745 it landed at 2245hrs, which then dominoed into a delayed QF1 and now QF2, with the imposition of the night curfews at LHR making the QF2 departures later than what it could have been

I would be interested in what QF told you, as the reason for the delay.


Yes

They didn't.

Two days prior, they showed it being delayed 2 hours. Then, as I was checking in to my flight down from Aberdeen, it showed delayed until today at 8:30 am.

BA could only check my luggage through to London, so I had to collect it in T5 and then get to T3. There was no mention of them providing a hotel. Other people arrived at the check in desk after having booked their own hotel and asked how to claim it back. That was the first they heard.

As far a flight updates went. I got an update saying QF2 was delayed until today, but still showing my original QF52. Then they updated QF52, but QF2 showed it's original undelayed time.

As a result of that, I'm overnight in London. We get into Singapore at 5:05 am, but don't depart until 21:05

They also managed to downgrade me to Y on QF52, but generously put in an upgrade request, even though it was a paid J ticket. By the time I got from T5 to T3, spoke to QF on the phone and then the check in staff sorted it out it was after 9:00 pm. Our BA flight landed at 4:10 pm.

It's very amateurish to say the least

I tried to get them to reroute via Sydney on the delayed flight with a domestic connection to Brisbane, but they said there were no seats.

As a resul

 

[Quickstatus]

It's very amateurish to say the least

That is being generous.
LHR is their flagship route.

Assuming the update of "delayed 2 hrs" is a delay from the original schedule....
QF had to know from 16 June US time that QF1 and QF2 were going to be severely delayed. In fact QF1 (the scheduled 17June) departed Syd 15hrs 30 minutes late. No way can QF justify an update of "delay of 2 hours" as no aircraft can make up 13:30hrs in the air to only be 2hrs delayed especially when they were uncertain if LHR would let them operate during the night curfew period. The inability to depart during the curfew period set them back another 8hrs

I have always said an airline (and for that matter any organisations) is only exceptional if they are exceptional in the management of the exceptional circumstance. An airline is not exceptional if it is only exceptional at the routine.

@Melburnian1

 

[WeeGraeme]

@WeeGraeme its been discussed in the Delays thread (from that point in the thread onwards)

But basically the aircraft VH-OQK was severe delayed out of LAX as the 15/6/23 QF 12 . Instead of landing in SYD at 0745 it landed at 2245hrs, which then dominoed into a delayed QF1 and now QF2, with the imposition of the night curfews at LHR making the QF2 departures later than what it could have been

I would be interested in what QF told you, as the reason for the delay.


Yes

They eventually did put me onto QF2 SIN-SYD, thereby avoiding the long layover in SIN. Both QF2 pilots said it was due to missing the curfew in LHR.

Does this sound like it will be eligible for UK261 compensation? If so, how do I argue that it's not outside of their control? The fact that they schedule an aircraft from one route, directly onto a route with a known curfew seems like poor planning on their part. I don't know how to argue that with them.

Their hotel arrangements weren't very well organised either. They put us up in the Holiday Inn on Bath Street. We were only allowed to eat at a buffet up at the back of the restaurant. The signs said our buffet was from 8 pm until 9:30 pm, but it was 9:35 pm by the time we got checked in at the hotel. So we were served food which presumably had been sitting on warmers for over an hour and a half. And then the only drink we were allowed was tap water.

After our flight to Brisbane, I found that my mother's 4 wheel walker had been left in Sydney. So we ended up having to wait for that to come up. Fortunately at least, there was another flight that night, but it was after 10:30 pm before we got out of the airport. (Actually it was after 11:00 pm but 30 minutes of that was because I forgot where I'd parked my car, so I can't blame Qantas for that!)

The next day I realised that the corner of my hard shell suitcase had a large crack in it. But I didn't notice it at the airport, so I can't prove it was like that when I picked it up.

 

[Himeno]

They eventually did put me onto QF2 SIN-SYD, thereby avoiding the long layover in SIN. Both QF2 pilots said it was due to missing the curfew in LHR.

Does this sound like it will be eligible for UK261 compensation? If so, how do I argue that it's not outside of their control? The fact that they schedule an aircraft from one route, directly onto a route with a known curfew seems like poor planning on their part. I don't know how to argue that with them.

I doubt it. The problem here isn't the schedule. It is hard to schedule flights between LHR and SYD as it is, with the long travel time and curfews on each end.

The aircraft in question departed LAX as QF12 on 16JUN at 1516. It should have left at 2340 15JUN.
QF12 then arrived at SYD at 2234 17JUN, where QF1 was awaiting at 1510 departure.
With no way to turn around the aircraft and depart again within 26 minutes and no available aircraft, QF1 17JUN was delayed overnight and departed 0640 18JUN to arrive LHR at 2240 18JUN. Again, too late for the scheduled departure of QF2 at 2055, and also too late to turn around before LHR curfew. So it was again delayed overnight to depart LHR at 0924.

The delay to QF12 on the 15th may have been the reason the aircraft was late, but the curfews in SYD and LHR were the reason for incresing the delay to the aircraft. Had the curfews not been in place one or both of the delayed QF1/2 would not have happened.

If you're going to argue with them for UK261, you could try questioning the delay out of LAX, but they'll likely just respond with curfews caused the delay to your flight.
Maybe question why the delayed QF1 was in SIN for 4 hours on 18JUN instead of the normal 2 hours. With that additional 2 hours in LHR, it may have been possible to depart the delayed QF2 before the LHR curfew.

Some years ago, BA refused to check me through to my connecting flight in DXB (on QF) and their flight was delayed. Tech issue with planned aircraft, aircraft swapped with another inbound aircraft. Both issues (refusal to check through + tech caused delay) were controllable by BA. If either hadn't happened, I would have made the connection. I arrived at my destination 23 hours late. BA refused to pay up the (then) EU261 compensation claiming that both issues weren't within their control.

 

[Quickstatus]

Does this sound like it will be eligible for UK261 compensation?

@MEL_Traveller what do you think?

 

[Cheatah]

Claim UK261, you were delayed afterall. Its not your problem QF was unable to operate the flights on time - aircraft issues, curfew limitations are all QFs problem not yours.

Claim UK261, and in future you dont have to eat at any hotel buffet - you can order (within reason) dinner elsewhere and send the reciepts back to QF, along with any other incidentals you incurr.

If QF fights/ignores your 261 claim you can easily take them to small claims court in the UK for a nominal fee, not sure how easy it is if your Aust based.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Claim UK261, you were delayed afterall. Its not your problem QF was unable to operate the flights on time - aircraft issues, curfew limitations are all QFs problem not yours.

Claim UK261, and in future you dont have to eat at any hotel buffet - you can order (within reason) dinner elsewhere and send the reciepts back to QF, along with any other incidentals you incurr.

If QF fights/ignores your 261 claim you can easily take them to small claims court in the UK for a nominal fee, not sure how easy it is if your Aust based.

@MEL_Traveller what do you think?

Agree. There is very little which falls under ‘extraordinary’ circumstances. Bird strike for example is not extraordinary.

Aircraft going tech, maintenance issues, curfew… all part of ordinary airline operations… nothing extraordinary.

Put in the claim, see how you go!