Virgin Australia Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

On Friday 11 September 2020, VA9938 was displaying on the revised VA website as 'unplanned maintenance presently occurring', a message I never saw with VA 1.0

B738 VH-VOM operated this 0815 hours ADL across to MEL, taking off at 0920 hours, so arrival is predicted for 1052 hours, 47 minutes tardy.

In turn this will delay VA9937, the 1045 hours MEL - BNE with a message on the website saying 'we are waiting for the crew to join us from another flight.' Again, this is innovative.

9938 is not forming 9937, as arrival of the former and departure of the latter is at a different gate.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Wednesday 21 October 2020, VA1106, the 1`710 hours from BNE down to NTL was cancelled.

 

[henrus]

On Wednesday 21 October 2020, VA1106, the 1`710 hours from BNE down to NTL was cancelled.

Hardly surprising... I can't imagine there is much BNE-NTL traffic right now.

 

[Melburnian1]

Hardly surprising... I can't imagine there is much BNE-NTL traffic right now.

You ought see the BITRE figures for August 2020 for ADL-MEL-ADL: about 20 passengers per day each way if that. BNE-NTL: same reason.

 

[Brissy1]

SYD-BNE, VAs 3 flights/day "consolidated"into 1, for early Nov atm, I presume they will extend the consolidation period if qld continues to self isolate.

 

[Melburnian1]

Tuesday 27 October 2020 has seen VA863, the 1630 hours latish afternoon MEL - SYD (the only VAd flight for the day to that destination, along with one JQd and the same for QFd) took off at 1729, arriving at 1842 hours, 47 minutes late. . This flight last operated on Friday 23.

Aircraft was B738 VH-YFW, sadly its only duty for the day and also the first time it had been used since Friday 23 October when it ran ADL-BNE-MEL. Lean times.

 

[Melburnian1]

B738 VH-YFX only did one return flight, SYD - ADL and back, on Friday 30 October 2020. The 0915 hours scheduled departure from SYD did not experience takeoff until 1051, arriving in the wine capital at 1208 hours, 73 behind. The return (the 1200 'high noon') took off at an even 1300 hours, arriving in Sydney at 1518, 53 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA309, the 0700 hours MEL - BNE on Wednesday 18 November 2020 has been cancelled.

The only other MEL - BNE passenger flight scheduled of any airline, as luck would have it, is VA331 at 1515 hours so presumably rebooking occurs to that. Given the Vic to Qld 'border closure', few southerners would be eligible to travel: basically airline staff, police/fire/ambulance employees, politicians and a few public servants if on official business and members of the general public with examptions, such as where someone has a dying relative (but note the latter group hasn't always received the 'all clear' to proceed over the border).

 

[Melburnian1]

Given the sudden six day lockdown in South Australia, on Friday 20 November 2020, VA436 at 1815 hours from SYD across to ADL is cancelled, but two other VAd offerings look to be operating.

VA1388, an 0850 hours from BNE down and across to ADL is also getting the gong. So is VA1396 at lunchtime (1320 hours ex the Sunshine State capital). In the evening, VA1404, the 1920 hours is also cancelled.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 22 November 2020, despite the short-lived 'based on a pizza worker's lie' lockdown ending tonight (Saturday 21) at midnight, VAd is cancelling VA412, the 0915 hours SYD - ADL and VA436 at 1815 hours. One VAd flight westbound on the route remains. QFd and JQd are also making severe cuts and running only two and one respectively.

 

[Melburnian1]

Monday 23 November 2020 will see VA1320 (1110 hours morning MEL - HBA) and the afternoon VA1370 (1510 hours MEL - LST) cancelled.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA1320, the 1110 hours from MEL down to HBA was cancelled on Wednesday 25 November 2020. So was VA1370 to LST at 1510, mirroring what occurred on Monday 23 (see above).

On Thursday 26, VA221, not to HBA but an 1110 hours MEL - ADL is also receiving the boot. So is VA241 on the same route at 1855 hours during the early evening.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA241, Friday 27 November 2020's early evening 1855 hours MEL - ADL has got the boot. The only other VAd ADL-bound flight was VA221 at 1110 hours this morning, so I don't know how much notice VA had of the cancellation and whether this was problematical (if short notice) to any booked passengers.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA849, the 1400 hours MEL - SYD is cancelled on Monday 14 December 2020.

Others not to operate include VA965, the afternoon 1700 hours SYD - BNE and a little earlier, VA858, the 1600 hours from SYD down to MEL (the latter 'matching' VA849 cancellation above in the other direction).

From BNE down to SYD, VA950, the lunchtime 1305 hours is also getting the boot.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA841 (1200 'high noon' MEL - SYD) was cancelled on Tuesday 15 December 2020.

Later, VA965, the 1700 hours peak period from SYD up to wet BNE has been cancelled, as has VA535 (1720 hours SYD - OOL).

VA888, the final scheduled SYD down to MEL flight with a forecast departure at 2000 hours has got the flick. The previous VA flight is at 1800 hours so difficult if one had even a 1700 hours business appointment in the Sydney CBD.

 

[Melburnian1]

Thursday 17 December 2020 saw VA331 (1400 hours afternoon MEL up to BNE) take off at 1447 hours, with arrival for B738 VH-YWD suggested as 1542, 32 minutes tardy. This will delay VA336, the 1555 hours back down to MEL.

The SYD down to LST VA1090 (B738 VH-VFX), the 1310 hours, was airborne at 1415, arriving at 1545 hours, 50 minutes late. This was due to VA516 from OOL to SYD taking off an hour past its scheduled pushback of 1005 hours and thus arriving at 1318, 43 late.

Later in the day, VA1093 (LST up to SYD) and then the 1815 hours VA436 from SYD to ADL respectively arrived 44 and 27 minutes late, the latter at 2022 CDT.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Friday 18 December 2020, Sky News is reporting that a Queensland border closure with NSW is 'coming like a steam train'.

Past behaviour from the Qld Premier suggests it'll occur.

This will cause misery to thousands of air and surface travellers. I also feel sorry for airline staff who'll suddenly have less (or in some cases no) work.

A gross overreaction. Can one 'eliminate' a virus, and is the 'cure' from Qld worse than the 'disease'?

 

[Melburnian1]

Backing up my last comment, 'The Australian' online (Friday 18 December 2020) has this to say:

Nervous customers looking to cancel, change flights

'Virgin Australia has confirmed it will provide fee-free changes to all bookings up until January 31, as hordes of frustrated would-be travellers change their plans amid a COVID-19 outbreak in NSW.

It is understood a large number of customers want to cancel or make changes to their New South Wales bookings due to the northern beaches cluster, and the number of cancellations is unknown...'

At the end the article says:

'...Change fees can also be waived for COVID-19 reasons — including government border restrictions or mandatory quarantine or self-isolation requirements - up until 31 March 2021.'

 

[Melburnian1]

B738 VH-YFU has formed VA221, the 1110 hours late morning Friday 18 December MEL - ADL that was in the sky at 1202 hours. Arrival should be at 1243 hours, 43 late. Its previous flight (VA824, the 0900 hours SYD - MEL and first flight of the day for this plane) took off at 0949, arriving 28 late at 1103 hours.

 

[Melburnian1]

In more on Friday 18 December 2020, VA243,. the 1910 hours from MEL across to ADL, was expected to depart at 2015 hours but is later than that.