Virgin Australia Delays/Cancellations

[Deleted member 29185]

A few delays today, but given the cyclone(s) I think it's all gone fairly well. VA790 CNS-BNE is only delayed 1/2 an hour (at the moment) due to a late arrival in (the knock on effect). I'm not complaining about that given the circumstances. Driving BNE-Gold Coast may be an issue though, I hear is torrential just now.

 

[footy99]

Due to the impact of Tropical Cyclone Marcia, all flights into and out of the following ports on Saturday 21 February have been cancelled:
Maroochydore
Ballina
Coffs Harbour
Gold Coast (Coolangatta) – all flights from 11am onwards are cancelled

Travel Alerts | Virgin Australia

 

[Melburnian1]

Due to SYD's bad weather including downwinds or crosswinds that may have resulted in the airport being closed for a while and the resultant many planes being put in holding patterns over Crookwell or Muswellbrook and other areas, many VA flights today are late or cancelled.

The individual effect may depend on whether a particular plane visits SYD at all today in its scheduled rotations.

For instance, VA837, the 1100 from MEL to SYD is running about 40 minutes late. VA830 from SYD to MEL is about 50 minutes late, yet to reach MEL.

Depending on allowed running and turnaround times, these delays may persist for much of the day particularly given that it is school holidays and close to the start of Holy Week so the little darlings and their parents will be ensuring that many flights are full or very close to it, with consequent longer boarding times and an even higher chance of a last minute no show with luggage onboard that has to be removed.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA555, the 0930 this morning (Tuesday 7 April 2015) from SYD to PER is running a not so amazing seven and three quarter hours late and took off from SYD at 1738, the aircraft being B738 VH-VUS. It should be in PER about 2030 local time. One assumes that a plane (probably one of the A330s, since it appears that these normally operate this flight) failed earlier in the day and there were either no spare aircraft, or no spare crews. In the time it is late one could fly from MEL or SYD to SIN, KUL, MNL, DPS or CGK. With VA only having four scheduled flights on the route today and it not being a true public holiday (albeit school holidays in NSW) there would likely have been insufficient available seats (even via ADL, BNE or MEL) to accommodate the delayed passengers, so a plane had to be eventually allocated,

I hope that those who are delayed receive some Velocity FF points as compensation should they complain. In the last two or three years, VA discontinued handing out meal vouchers for non-lounge passengers, which if it occurred today is pretty poor.

VA1727 from PER to KTA was two hours late today but whether that is related is unknown. I could not see any PER to east coast flights delayed.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA is having a shocker of a Friday evening tonight with multiple flights more than an hour late, or very close to it. Examples include VA1332 from MEL to HBA, VA346 (the 1755 hours from BNE to MEL), , VA880 (the 1845 from SYD to MEL running more than 70 minutes late) and the following VA882, the 1900 ex SYD that is about 65 minutes late on its run to MEL.

VA140 from BNE to ADL is more than an hour late and not due at ADL until about 2245, close to the 'witching hour.'

While not every VA flight is affected, did it have some sort of a systems outage tonight requiring manual boarding pass checking? QF and to a slightly lesser extent JQ have many flights on time tonight,.

Oh for an international standard, super reliable high speed rail line along Australia's lower east coast!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I'm surprised CNS was not on the list.

Absolute pea-soup conditions flying in from the north down to a few of hundred metres. My congrats to all pilots and airlines who can navigate those conditions.

I'm assumed ILS is in Cairns? I was certainly hoping so!

 

[Melburnian1]

With the inclement weather in BNE today, VA334 (the 1455 hours from BNE to MEL - VH-VOX) is about 85 minutes late, due in MEL about 1845. VA376 from TSV to BNE is about 45 minutes late, due at the gate at about 1710. Some other flights are similarly late.

 

[Melburnian1]

As JessicaTam helpfully pointed out in the QF delays and cancellations thread, 'VA basically gave up on (SYD) to OOL from 1500 this afternoon.'

She is absolutely correct. VA536, VA544 and VA546 southbound (the timetabled 1705, 1905 and 2005 departures) have all been cancelled. As VA512 at 0905 this morning had also been cancelled, that makes almost a 50 per cent cancellation rate for the nine scheduled flights. Not good, especially when QF and JQ to a fair degree ran their timetabled flights (although punctuality was variable to say the least.)

The 2105 hours to CBR (VA1646) is also cancelled.

VA746, the last VA flight at 1650 this arvo to MEL also did not run.

There must be a big rush on Gold Coast hotel rooms tonight from stranded travellers, whether or not VA is paying.

 

[Melburnian1]

Due to fog in CBR, VA257 (VH-ZPQ) is still in a holding pattern to the southwest fairly close to Tumbarumba. This 0700 from MEL to CBR did not take off until 0830 and is forecast to touch down at 0953 when it should be at the terminal in CBR at 0805, so it is now badly late. VA259 (VH-ZPH), the 0830 from MEL has joined it in the same holding pattern.

Since Australia lacks the reliability in interstate transport that a properly built high speed railway would bring along with many other huge benefits, those on board with appointments to see bureaucrats or politicians have a little more time to reflect on how we could advance if high speed rail was built.

 

[Milefest]

Since Australia lacks the reliability in interstate transport that a properly built high speed railway would bring along with many other huge benefits, those on board with appointments to see bureaucrats or politicians have a little more time to reflect on how we could advance if high speed rail was built.

"We will be in our 70s by the time it is built!"
- Australian Politicians

 

[Melburnian1]

With the earlier fog in SYD this morning and many planes in a holding pattern approaching SYD, many VA flights are significantly late. VA807, the 0630 from MEL looks to be about an hour late, while VA908 (VH-VUP), the 0600 from BNE is about 70 minutes late and VA813, the 0715 from MEL to SYD is in excess of half an hour late.

There are also delays arriving in MEL so VA304 (VH-YFG), the 0555 from BNE is forecast to be 26 minutes late into the Victorian capital. In turn, these delays and congestion in both MEL and SYD will inevitably delay many mid morning flights.

 

[Melburnian1]

Tonight's VA100 from MEL to CHC is delayed from 1830 to a forecast 2115 hours in its departure, making for an uncomfortable 'small hours' arrival in the Canterbury (NZ, not NSW) area. VA1101 is also exactly three hours late and expected in MEL at 2045. It will be surprising if it can be turned around in half an hour.

 

[Mattg]

Tonight's VA100 from MEL to CHC is delayed from 1830 to a forecast 2115 hours in its departure, making for an uncomfortable 'small hours' arrival in the Canterbury (NZ, not NSW) area.

Still better timing than JQ's MEL-CHC flight!

 

[Melburnian1]

On a day with mostly benign weather along Australia's east coast, VA1593 from MEL to NTL has been delayed in its departure from 1225 to a forecast 1400 hours.

 

[Intra]

Anyone else affected by the I.T Problems had today across the VA Network; My flight out of CNS was delayed an hour, which worked out for me - Another hour spent with friends - But with me now not getting into bed til past midnight, I'm not looking forward to trying to wake up for an 8am start at work Monday.

 

[SponsorSFC]

Was booked in J on VA683 MEL-PER originally scheduled for an A330 at12:30pm today but it was subbed out for a 737.

Was offered a credit to the value of my flight and a J seat on the delayed VA679 A330 service 'due to depart within the hour' I get to the new gate to be told there is an engine issue with the plane and this one will now be downgraded to a 737.

Looks like I may well be bumped again to the VA693 18:10 departure.

Not great but could be worse looks like people in Y are getting routed via Brisbane.

 

[Melburnian1]

Well SponsorSFC, at least you receive dinner free from VA! However in all seriousness this is a very long delay for you and others; in Europe EC207 would kick in for say an equivalent international flight and you would receive significant compensation.

 

[SponsorSFC]

The saga continues. My seat was changed J to Y but I was not told, nor paged. Apparently some people were put on a Qantas flight.

Ended up boarding a flight to Sydney on standby as that was oversold as well but sitting in the Sydney lounge with a J boarding pass clutched in my hand.

Slightly stressed after what should have been a relaxing flight and meal.

Moral of this story, don't get voluntarily offloaded if you want to be sure of getting what you were promised.

 

[Pele]

Gday

The IT system outage stuffed me and a few hundred others heading back from Melbourne to Sydney last night after the A league grand final. VA895 scheduled to depart at 2030 was cancelled. Had to stay the night in Melbourne and got put on the 0645 this morning. It was the icing on the cake of a cough day.

I think they handled it reasonably well with a couple of exceptions. The two biggest issues were the late notification- 1922 for a 2030 flight and the slowness in dealing with the passengers in the customer service queue. I will see how the refund of my expenses goes.......

Pele.

 

[CaviAck]

Well SponsorSFC, at least you receive dinner free from VA! However in all seriousness this is a very long delay for you and others; in Europe EC207 would kick in for say an equivalent international flight and you would receive significant compensation.

Are you talking about EC261/2004? Cause I have no idea what EC207, nor can I google it. And under EC261/2004 Sponsor SFC wouldn't get any compensation either cause the flight was not delayed, cancelled nor was the pax involuntarily denied boarding.