Virgin Australia Delays/Cancellations

[Quickstatus]

walked it back'.

Once it’s out, it’s out, he can’t put it back. I wonder though, is AJ match fit?

 

[MARTINE]

Once it’s out, it’s out, he can’t put it back. I wonder though, is AJ match fit?

He is pretty flexible - that foot stretches all the way to his mouth

 

[Melburnian1]

On Monday 11 March 2022, VA195, the recently resumed 0800 hours MEL - NAN (B738 VH-YIA) took off at 0921, so arrival is estimated as 1601 hours, 71 minutes late. On Friday 8, the flight arrived 55 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

He is pretty flexible - that foot stretches all the way to his mouth

His diction can be difficult to understand. If it's on a clip, one may have to view it a second time to get the gist of what he was saying.

 

[Melburnian1]

Wednesday 13 April 2022 has seen VA195 (0800 hours morning MEL - NAN, B738 VH-YIT) airborne at 0902. Arrival is estimated as 1544 hours, 54 minutes late. There has recently been cyclonic activity in this broad area of the Pacific.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA195 (0800 hours Good Friday, 15 April MEL - NAN) is again delayed, having taken off at 0855 hours with arrival suggested as 1534, 44 minutes behind. B738 VH-YIU is the aircraft. It had been in MEL since arriving last night at 2134, six minute early on VA1046 from MCY, so maybe the delay was due to delays at MEL T2 security.

 

[Melburnian1]

As a random sample of Good Friday 15 April delays, B738 VH-YVD on VA935, the 1100 hours SYD - BNE was still only in the middle stages of taxiing as at 1215 hours, so it will be at least an hour late arriving in the Queensland capital.

 

[Melburnian1]

A quick example of Easter Monday peak travel time delays has VA743, the 1310 hours MEL - OOL not having pushed back by 1412 hours. Aircraft is B738 VH-VON.

VA847 (1330 hours MEL - SYD, VH-YWD) was still in the takeoff queue as at 1413 hours.

 

[Melburnian1]

Quite a fair amount of lateness into the final stages of the Tuesday 19 April 2022 evening. VA882 (1900 hours SYD - MEL, B738 VH-YIY) took off at 2016 hours with arrival suggested as 2131 hours, 56 minutes tardy.

The 1755 hours OOL - MEL with VH-VOL is worse, having become airborne at 1928 hours, so forecast at gate arrival becomes 2136 hours, 76 minutes behind schedule.

VA544 (1920 hours early evening OOL - SYD) has VH-VUJ with an arrival at 2135 hours the expectation, 45 minutes behind the timetable.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 1 May 2022, VA830 (1000 hours midmorning SYD down to MEL, B738 VH-YQH) had not departed by 1110 despite having overnighted in Sydney. The previous scheduled flight, VA826 (0930 hours) had been cancelled.

 

[Melburnian1]

B738 VH-YIA on VA181 (0945 hours SYD up to NAN) took off at 1126 hours with suggested arrival at 1659, 69 minute slate. This is the second time in a week that this flight has been more than an hour late.

 

[henrus]

This is the second time in a week that this flight has been more than an hour late.

I wouldn't be surprised if check in delays are causing these problems. FJ themselves are not uncommon to delays recently but this should have improved given the only documents to now check are post arrival test booking, travel insurance and vax cert (no inbound test required for Fiji).

 

[Melburnian1]

I wouldn't be surprised if check in delays are causing these problems. FJ themselves are not uncommon to delays recently but this should have improved given the only documents to now check are post arrival test booking, travel insurance and vax cert (no inbound test required for Fiji).

One suspects from media elsewhere you're very much on the money.

International check is quite slow at the best of times, irrespective of airline. It's rarely just one or two minutes at the desk, so if three more items to check coupled with what can be passengers' slow retrieval of documents either electronically or in hard copy, imagine how much longer that will take per passenger.

You and hopefully I may be organised and have these items at the ready but that will not be true of many others. It's like the supermarket (non self service) where many older women in particular spend a while fumbling for their debit/credit card or even slower, finding cash.

In pre-COVID-19 times, because so many arrived three hours before, there were rarely such delays. But there's only so many Dnata/Menzies Aviation/own airline staff that carriers engage, and a limited supply of check-in desks for clerks to work from, so more landside checking increases the chances of aircraft departing late.

 

[Melburnian1]

On 'Mother's Day', Sunday 8 May 2022, VA181, the 0945 hours SYD - NAN has been cancelled.

 

[henrus]

On 'Mother's Day', Sunday 8 May 2022, VA181, the 0945 hours SYD - NAN has been cancelled.

With 4 other flights operating today on a mix of JQ, QF and FJ, I wonder if VA has rebooked people onto these services instead?

 

[Melburnian1]

With 4 other flights operating today on a mix of JQ, QF and FJ, I wonder if VA has rebooked people onto these services instead?

Good point. Airlines do this often, usually because they have previously signed agreements. AFFer and travel agent MadRooster recently posted about this.

 

[Melburnian1]

May isn't typically the busiest month for domestic air or longer distance surface travel, but on Mother's Day, 8 May 2022, VA is demonstrating how mid evening to late night Sunday flights can be tardy after a lengthy day.

VA884 (B738 VH-IWX, the 1915 hours SYD down to MEL took off an even hour later so arrival should be 2133, 43 minute sbehind schedule.

VA888, the 1930 hours southbound was up up and away at 2042 with VH-YFK, so a 40 late arrival at 2055 looks on the cards.

VH-YFU is the B738 running VA1462 (1520 hours mid afternoon DRW down to MEL, airborne at 1703. Expected arrival is 2140 hours, 100 minute spast the timetable.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Bunch of cancellations on the golden triangle this afternoon and evening.

VA888, the 1930 hours southbound was up up and away at 2042 with VH-YFK, so a 40 late arrival at 2055 looks on the cards.

That's VA886 you're referring to, I was on it connecting from Brisbane. Additional delay waiting for crew to come up from Melbourne.

In the circumstances VA probably gets a pass from me. I stayed in business and ended up 2.5hrs late with the connection in Sydney.

 

[Melburnian1]

Bunch of cancellations on the golden triangle this afternoon and evening.


That's VA886 you're referring to, I was on it connecting from Brisbane. Additional delay waiting for crew to come up from Melbourne.

In the circumstances VA probably gets a pass from me. I stayed in business and ended up 2.5hrs late with the connection in Sydney.

Apologies if I wrote an incorrect flight number.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA181 (Monday 9 May 2022, the 0945 hours SYD - NAN with B738 VH-YIT) did not take off until 1042, probably the result of long queues for security screening at SYDi. Arrival was at 1626 hours, 36 minutes late. This flight hasn't has a great timekeeping record in the last few days and was cancelled once as noted above.