VA Cancellations, Delays growing?

[ansett7e7]

Please keep in mind that there are no 'strategic inventions' or 'conspiracies' or any evil intents at VA. Grassroots ground staff and the organisation in general are doing their best to get you where you need to go. Really and truly...they have your best interests at heart and are trained accordingly. That's their job. That reservation and disrupt systems, ATC, weather, crewing complexities and....etc etc. get in the way is a symptom of airline ops.

 

[Saab34]

I don’t think anyone indicated that the front line staff are to blame here.

It’s purely management.

 

[bcworld]

It’s purely management.

...assuming that, to save money, the airline is unable to attract enough staff / retain staff / have enough crew on standby to cover expected levels of illness etc.

 

[TheInsider]

I don’t think anyone indicated that the front line staff are to blame here.

It’s purely management.

And high levels of sick leave. Not necessarily sick, but could be burnt out, disengaged, no flexibility in rostering etc etc.
QF aren't immune to this either, just seem to have more redundancies though.

 

[quick_dry]

1 in 3 flights before 930 this morning ex SYD cancelled.

I was reading about someone yesterday arvo who went BNE-MEL, cancelled so routes via Sydney. SYD-MEL cancelled so overnighted and out on SYD-CBR-MEL this morning. SYD-CBR cancelled so now put via Adelaide will arrival this evening.

yes, my alternative routing offers in the app were "interesting". If I hadn't already re-qualified for WP it might've been tempting. While in the air landing on HBA-MEL I could see an option was to fly to launceston, then on to sydney later in the day, or MEL-CBR, overnight, and CBR-SYD. There was a 3 flight option I can't remember, but it got me there 2 days later.

If they would foot the bill for hotels, and I was travelling with a partner, that wouldn't have been a bad extended weekend. All those sectors, and extra pooled credits. (not to mention if you could accrue nights with the hotel's program)

 

[Harrison_133]

All those sectors, and extra pooled credits. (not to mention if you could accrue nights with the hotel's program)

I had a cancellation earlier in the year where VA provided accomodation. A few weeks later, I noticed points from the hotel stay appear in my Velocity account. Better than nothing!

 

[TiredOldFlyer]

Looking at Domestic flights to Sydney to catch an International flight I note that the flight I have booked has been cancelled 33% of the time. The previous flight, 1 hour earlier, has had no cancellations.
I am going to change to the earlier flight but what hope do I have to avoid the change fee ?. My argument will be that obviously the aircraft used on the later flight is in need of some attention because of continual issues.
Does this mean that prior to booking a flight in future not only do we have to find one with the appropriate reward seats but also the flight time that offers the most reliable
aircraft ?.

 

[Saab34]

They use SYD-MEL as a pawn as such to deal with crewing issues. It’s been like that for pretty much ever.

Now they did come out and say they prefer to cancel on this route because of frequency, ability to combine flights, and to protect other low frequency routes that would otherwise suffer longer delays and displace passengers.

I really think using this route in such a way is unacceptable, and the SYD boss is right, they use the route to cover themselves, but the lost slots could go to Bonza.

What’s the solution? Well more standby crew, which equals more cost.

 

[MooTime]

I am going to change to the earlier flight but what hope do I have to avoid the change fee ?. My argument will be that obviously the aircraft used on the later flight is in need of some attention because of continual issues.

I'll just add that the same aircraft doesn't operate the same flight each day.
So couldn't use the reasoning of charging flights due to that aircraft needing maintenance.

To change your flight I'd just go with like to change to give myself more time before international flight and that your booked flight has a high cancellation rate and you'd like to avoid any inconvenience on the day. Worst case you have to pay the 5000 or so points to change, the piece of mind you'll have worth it.

 

[TiredOldFlyer]

" argument will be that obviously the aircraft used on the later flight is in need of some attention because of continual issues."

My weak attempt at sarcasm !

 

[Flyfrequently]

My take… VA is missing a trick here. Instead of routinely cancelling four or five flights a day between MEL and SYD each way, why not offer a reduced schedule, but actually fly on time?

Reliability would be far better than frequency.

Agree with your last sentence.
Should that also be the case with QF and many flight routes @MEL_Traveller ?

 

[openseat]

I was at OOL on Friday and there were two cancellations from/to MEL. Thankfully I was on 347 to MEL which did get away. There was a large queue at the lounge with people trying to get on to 347. Unfortunately we had three fail to board our flight and went out with those seats empty - I imagine that the departure time was a greater pressure here as the same plane was continuing on to PER.

 

[SheikYerbouti]

Flew Syd-Bne on Fri, no dramas at all. The return leg yesterday was delayed 2 hrs - apparently due to ASA staffing issues at Syd (confirmed by a mate who is an ASA airport firie). Multiple cancellations into Syd were being posted.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Agree with your last sentence.
Should that also be the case with QF and many flight routes @MEL_Traveller ?

Yes. They’re cancelling at least 10% of flights each way between MEL and SYD. Sometimes more. Delayed flights would be running at 20% or more. What’s the point of advertising a schedule you’re really unlikely to keep?

 

[TiredOldFlyer]

Well, being old and tired (and becoming more grumpy as time goes on ) I have changed our domestic flights to the first departure of the day giving us a leeway of
4 flights to arrive in Sydney to make our International flight.
Virgin assessed this change as a "voluntary " change and charged a fee of $70.
They would not accept my reasoning that this was not voluntary but in fact it was
necessary due to their common flight cancellations and delays.
The interesting part of being on the phone for some 30 mins was the number of times
I was told that airline tickets are not guaranteed by time. The only guarantee was that we will get you there sometime but not necessarily when you want to be there - it might
even be tomorrow and that any change can happen any time before the flight takes off,
and of course, after take off in some circumstances.
Surely the terms and conditions of our airline tickets are unconscionable and onerous.

 

[TheInsider]

Well, being old and tired (and becoming more grumpy as time goes on ) I have changed our domestic flights to the first departure of the day giving us a leeway of
4 flights to arrive in Sydney to make our International flight.
Virgin assessed this change as a "voluntary " change and charged a fee of $70.
They would not accept my reasoning that this was not voluntary but in fact it was
necessary due to their common flight cancellations and delays.
The interesting part of being on the phone for some 30 mins was the number of times
I was told that airline tickets are not guaranteed by time. The only guarantee was that we will get you there sometime but not necessarily when you want to be there - it might
even be tomorrow and that any change can happen any time before the flight takes off,
and of course, after take off in some circumstances.
Surely the terms and conditions of our airline tickets are unconscionable and onerous.

You decided to make the changes, based on the tickets you purchased, you agreed to the change fees if a change by you is made.

You can't say, "oh you may cancel my flight, so you need to change it for free". It needs to be cancelled first.

If the airline cancelled it, then they can change it to something else free of charge. That's the way it works and works like that on probably every airline around the world.

If you want somewhat of a guarantee of times, charter your own aircraft maybe, even then they would be bound by things like ATC, weather, staffing issues.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

You decided to make the changes, based on the tickets you purchased, you agreed to the change fees if a change by you is made.

You can't say, "oh you may cancel my flight, so you need to change it for free". It needs to be cancelled first.

If the airline cancelled it, then they can change it to something else free of charge. That's the way it works and works like that on probably every airline around the world.

If you want somewhat of a guarantee of times, charter your own aircraft maybe, even then they would be bound by things like ATC, weather, staffing issues.

That’s the way it works. But it doesn’t mean it’s right.

Airlines don’t guarantee flight times, but airlines in australia don’t publish their on-time performance at the time of booking. Airlines in the USA do. So the passenger can make an informed decision.

So if you subsequently find your intended flight is routinely cancelled or delayed - something NOT displayed at the time you book… why can’t common sense prevail and you get moved?

There’s no financial benefit to anyone to miss a connection. Not to the passenger, or the airline. In fact the expense to the airline is potentially much higher than waiving the change fee.

Maybe it’s time we got some ‘out of the box’ thinking applied to airline/pax relations.

 

[TiredOldFlyer]

You decided to make the changes, based on the tickets you purchased, you agreed to the change fees if a change by you is made.

You can't say, "oh you may cancel my flight, so you need to change it for free". It needs to be cancelled first.

If the airline cancelled it, then they can change it to something else free of charge. That's the way it works and works like that on probably every airline around the world.

If you want somewhat of a guarantee of times, charter your own aircraft maybe, even then they would be bound by things like ATC, weather, staffing issues.

You missed the point.
I do not believe that the terms of their contract are fair and reasonable.
Of course I have to agree to their terms I have no option - this doesn't make it right.
It is obvious that our airlines are cancelling flights to suit themselves.
I am not looking for a guarantee - simply a moral and ethical approach.
Is it not time we spoke up ?.
As a long time Commercial Pilot I am well aware of the problems but I am also well
aware of the effort airlines used to go to satisfy each and every passenger.

"An evil ignored is an evil condoned"

 

[TheInsider]

I do not believe that the terms of their contract are fair and reasonable.
Of course I have to agree to their terms I have no option - this doesn't make it right.

No, you really don't have to agree to anything. Find another means to get where you need to go, you're not forced to fly VA, you chose that.

It is obvious that our airlines are cancelling flights to suit themselves.

As it's been stated before, airlines don't want to cancel flights within the operational window and do their best to avoid it. There are huge staffing and reaccommodating costs associated with cancelling 'operationally' on the day or a few days before. It's nothing about suiting themselves, it's about providing what they can provide within the environment they operate in. The airlines in Australia absolutely strive for 100% OTP, where literally every minute delayed is accountable to someone or something.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Accountable to someone, or something...

anyone except the passenger though