Tripit says flight delayed, Virgin says it isn't. What to do?

[777]

Tomorrow morning i'm booked on a flight from MEL to MCY. There is only one direct flight that leaves at 9:25am but tripit have advised that it will be delayed and leave at 10:50am which will be too late to make the event that i'm heading up for. So, i rang Virgin and got through to the plat desk who advise me that they have no record of the flight being delayed as far as they know it's leaving on time.

So, leads to a few questions.

Does anyone know whether Tripit is likely to be more accurate than Virgin in this scenario? Where does tripit get this data from?

I have the option of moving to an earlier flight (leaving < 7am and connecting via sydney) but i am extremely reluctant to do this unless i have to - pre 6am starts and I don't get on. There is also no guarantee that these flights won't be delayed either i guess.

When do you think Virgin will be able to definitively tell me the flight is or is not delayed? If it happens tomorrow morning it will be too late.

What would you do?

Thoughts anyone?

777.

 

[simongr]

Melbourne Airport flight information is showing DJ1509 at 10:50AM as well. But it is showing that as scheduled and estimated. EF is showing that flight as 9:25... Strange.

 

[markis10]

I would listen to DJ, after all they are the operator, and their schedules show the flight at the original time!

 

[mickeyc747]

Ask the Platinum Desk to check with Melbourne Operations as I can assure they dont talk to each other. I understand this is off the thread but it shows lack of communication in Melbourne we came into gate 6 its was faulty but ground crew failed to advise Captain. Captin walks out of flight deck and wonders why there is a plane load of Paxs. My point is communication some times is lacking.

 

[777]

I will call VA again tonight to check but as pointed out the MEL airport website is showing the flight as departing 10:50am. Would MEL airport and Tripit use a common source? Does tripit use Melbourne airport as its source? Either way it's a little frustrating to have such a direct contradiction.

You'd hope they'd be able to tell me a day in advance if my flight will be delayed if the airport and a third party service both know that it will be. However it may simply be a stuff up in the MEL airport data that has flowed through to tripit.

 

[737NG]

777, 1050 was the departure time for the MEL-MCY flight pre daylight saving. The MEL airport FIDS system obviously has the old time table data loaded into it for tomorrow.

 

[mickeyc747]

[TD="class: sumheadtop, colspan: 6"]This what is showing for arrivals tomorrow at MCY

Tuesday 11 October 2011[/TD]

[TD="class: sumheadbot, colspan: 6"] PASSENGER ARRIVALS | DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL | All Airlines | ALL OriginS[/TD]

[TD="colspan: 6"][/TD]

[TD="class: airline"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: flight"]DJ 479[/TD]
[TD="class: city"]Sydney[/TD]
[TD="class: time"]09:40[/TD]
[TD="class: estimated"] [/TD]
[TD="class: status"] [/TD]

[TD="colspan: 6"][/TD]

[TD="colspan: 6"][/TD]

[TD="class: airline"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: flight"]JQ 782[/TD]
[TD="class: city"]Sydney[/TD]
[TD="class: time"]10:20[/TD]
[TD="class: estimated"] [/TD]
[TD="class: status"] [/TD]

[TD="colspan: 6"][/TD]

[TD="colspan: 6"][/TD]

[TD="class: airline"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: flight"]DJ 1509[/TD]
[TD="class: city"]Melbourne[/TD]
[TD="class: time"]10:40[/TD]
[TD="class: estimated"] [/TD]
[TD="class: status"] [/TD]

[TD="colspan: 6"][/TD]

[TD="colspan: 6"][/TD]

[TD="class: airline"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: flight"]JQ 792[/TD]
[TD="class: city"]Melbourne[/TD]
[TD="class: time"]10:55[/TD]
[TD="class: estimated"] [/TD]
[TD="class: status"] [/TD]

[TD="colspan: 6"][/TD]

[TD="colspan: 6"][/TD]

[TD="class: airline"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: flight"]JQ 786[/TD]
[TD="class: city"]Sydney[/TD]
[TD="class: time"]12:40[/TD]
[TD="class: estimated"] [/TD]
[TD="class: status"] [/TD]

[TD="colspan: 6"][/TD]

[TD="colspan: 6"][/TD]

[TD="class: airline"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: flight"]JQ 794[/TD]
[TD="class: city"]Melbourne[/TD]
[TD="class: time"]14:35[/TD]
[TD="class: estimated"] [/TD]

 

[777]

777, 1050 was the departure time for the MEL-MCY flight pre daylight saving. The MEL airport FIDS system obviously has the old time table data loaded into it for tomorrow.

Thanks 737NG. That is both the simplest and most reassuring explanation i've heard so far. Makes me feel a lot better!

 

[LiamR]

While the original problem can be put down to daylight savings. I have noticed some problems with trip it and Virgin.

Tripit usually has a considerable lag before flight status will update, particularly ex SYD.

I've had flights like SYD-OOL cancelled at 1500, appears on the monitor and websites as cancelled at both SYD and OOL. However trip it hasn't updated until I was at home, 2100.

My understanding is that trip it gets it's information from flighstatus. Which isn't accurate when it comes to Virgin Australia at all. Usually lagging with updates to flights, arrival/departure times, and especially when it comes to equipment. Flightstatus always seems to say every Virgin flight is a 737-700!!

When I check flight status, I check with the airport in which the aircraft is departing. They will always have the most up to date information. If you aren't at the airport, I'll use Virgin Australia's website (or if on my mobile I use this... Old fashion but it works well! email | Virgin Australia )

If I'm at the airport, I have a little trick...

If the screens haven't been updated and you really want to know what's happening with your flight, check the arrivals board for the gate in which your flight is departing from. See the estimated time of arrival for said incoming flight and add 30mins onto that to work out what time you will (should) be pushing back.

 

[nlagalle]

While the original problem can be put down to daylight savings. I have noticed some problems with trip it and Virgin.

Tripit usually has a considerable lag before flight status will update, particularly ex SYD.

I've had flights like SYD-OOL cancelled at 1500, appears on the monitor and websites as cancelled at both SYD and OOL. However trip it hasn't updated until I was at home, 2100.

Interesting, on my Virgin flight last weekend MEL-BNE-DRW Tripit told me before Virgin did that the flight was delayed. I even got an SMS that the incoming flight had landed..

 

[777]

I have generally found Tripit to be pretty good with DJ flights ex MEL. Haven't extensively tested it anywhere else. Possibly explains why i was so quick to believe the info i got this morning.

If the screens haven't been updated and you really want to know what's happening with your flight, check the arrivals board for the gate in which your flight is departing from. See the estimated time of arrival for said incoming flight and add 30mins onto that to work out what time you will (should) be pushing back.

I do agree with this though. It's definitely my preferred way of telling when my flight will leave.

 

[LiamR]

Interesting, on my Virgin flight last weekend MEL-BNE-DRW Tripit told me before Virgin did that the flight was delayed. I even got an SMS that the incoming flight had landed..

Interesting to see you and 777 say that. Makes me wonder how the information is gathered? I haven't used it ex-mel enough to know the reliability. Perhaps the information tripit uses is directly given from the airports?

*Shock Face*

You are trying to tell me Sydney Airport is providing information slowly and poor customer service?

 

[Virgin Australia]

Tomorrow morning i'm booked on a flight from MEL to MCY. There is only one direct flight that leaves at 9:25am but tripit have advised that it will be delayed and leave at 10:50am which will be too late to make the event that i'm heading up for. So, i rang Virgin and got through to the plat desk who advise me that they have no record of the flight being delayed as far as they know it's leaving on time.

So, leads to a few questions.

Does anyone know whether Tripit is likely to be more accurate than Virgin in this scenario? Where does tripit get this data from?

I have the option of moving to an earlier flight (leaving < 7am and connecting via sydney) but i am extremely reluctant to do this unless i have to - pre 6am starts and I don't get on. There is also no guarantee that these flights won't be delayed either i guess.

When do you think Virgin will be able to definitively tell me the flight is or is not delayed? If it happens tomorrow morning it will be too late.

What would you do?

Thoughts anyone?

777.

Hi 777,
We can't say exactly where Tripit get their info from and hence can't comment on its accuracy. But we can comment that it would be best to follow the information that we provide - as such you should be at the airport tomorrow morning for your 9:25 flight

 

[777]

Hi 777,
We can't say exactly where Tripit get their info from and hence can't comment on its accuracy. But we can comment that it would be best to follow the information that we provide - as such you should be at the airport tomorrow morning for your 9:25 flight

I assume their source is MEL airport because they have subsequently advised the flight is on time! Thanks for paying attention - I will be there in time for my flight!

777.

 

[pshepvic]

I've found that Trip It also is quicker to update in Sydney than the departure boards - two weeks ago it had emailed me to say the flight was delayed 20min, and that was about 15min before the boards at SYD were updated. We went to the desk to ask what was happening after receiving the email and they confirmed it, so I think the boards, Trip It and Virgin are operating off three different systems in SYD.

In Melbourne however on several occasions I've received an email from Trip It saying the flight has been delayed, and then 10-15min later I get another message saying it has been "pulled in" back to the original time. This seems to happen frequently for early morning flights.


Sent from my iPhone using AustFreqFly app

 

[777]

Just to round this off. My flight left late this morning ... It was 9:26 when we pushed back.

I think I can cut some virgin some slack on the lost minute.

As an aside we had a medical emergency on the flight on the way up, got the ominous "is there a medical professional onboard?" call as someone was having extreme breathing difficulties. From everything I saw the crew handled the situation incredibly well (as I am sure they - and other australian flight crew - are trained to do) and the lady who was the Dr/ Nurse who volunteered should be thanked. Flight was met by an ambulance but from what i overheard it sounded like the passenger was ok. I think you measure professionalism by how people handle when things go awry and i can't fault their efforts at all.