Virgin Australia Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Winds continue to be quite strong at MEL on Saturday 14 April morning with gusts to 54kmh.

VA1507 (0930 hours MEL - MCY, B738 VH-VUY) took off at 1032 so arrival is predicted as 1236 hours, 46 minutes late.

Colleague VH-VBY on VA1615, 0945 hours MEL up to MQL was airborne shortly after at 1033, so is more than half an hour late.

VA679, the 0845 hours MEL - PER (A332 VH-XFJ) was still several minutes from takeoff at 1037 with CA, CZ and JQ jets ahead of it queuing, plus others. It will be at least 80 minutes late into PER.

 

[flydoc]

The shenanigans continue on VA’s delay-prone ADL-ASP-DRW route, operated by a F100 in both directions 4 days a week. VA1741, the north-bound service operated by VH-FNJ, arrived in ASP almost 4 hours late last night and appears to have terminated there, presumably due either to crew duty hours or a mechanical issue. With the cancellation of the ASP-DRW sectors, there is some service recovery in the form of VH-FNN, which positioned PER-ASP this morning and is scheduled to form the south-bound VA1576.

 

[Melburnian1]

Delayed by a downpour and winds, VA1593, the Saturday 14 April 2018 scheduled 1215 hours from MEL up to NTL took off at 1301. B738 VH-BZG should arrive at 1422 hours, 37 minutes late.

The SYD - MEL VA834 (1100 flight that was in the sky at 1148 with B738 VH-YFP) should arrive at 1326 hours, 51 late as it was in a hold above Marysville.

VA9912 (ATR72 VH-VPI, the 1130 hours that was only about 10 minutes late in becoming airborne at 1154 hours) looks to be arriving at 1342, 47 late as it too experiencing a holding pattern.

The ADL - MEL VA218 (VH-VUC) should arrive at 1357 hours, 32 minutes behind time.

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on an eventful Saturday 14 April, VA471, the 1715 hours PER - BNE that took off at 1807 (B738 VH-VUG, an uncomfortable conveyance for this length of flight) should arrive at 0032 on Sunday 15, 52 minutes tardy,.

 

[Melburnian1]

Sunday 15 April 2018 has VA753, the 1720 hours MEL - (B738 VH-YIF) that was airborne at 1937 likely to arrive at 2129 hours, 124 minutes behind the timetable. After arriving a little early in SYD as VA1282 ex HTI, the plane then took off on VA858, the 1600 hours SYD - MEL at 1648 (about half an hour late) but did not arrive in MEL until 1834, 59 late, and then had to operate VA753.

VA874 (1800 hours SYD down to MEL that took off at 1924 hours, B738 VH-VUS) looks to be arriving at 2036, 61 minutes late. VA878, the following 1830 hours was airborne at 1935 so its arrival should be at 2049 tonight - 44 late - with VH-YFZ.

VA888's MEL arrival should be half an hour late at 2105. This is the 1900 hours ex SYD with VH-VUL.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA86 from HKG down to MEL on Monday evening 16 April 2018 was scheduled to depart at 1950 hours but did not take off until 2337. A332 VH-XFG is arriving at about 1018 hours, 178 minutes tardy.

 

[Melburnian1]

Thursday 19 April 2018 sees VA555. the morning 0905 hours SYD - PER - nicely timed for leisure travellers - not having become airborne until 1108 hours. A332 VH-XFC is predicted to arrive 90 minutes late at 1345 hours. No obvious reason for the delay as the aircraft had arrived SYD at 0616, only 11 minutes late on VA572, the redeye from PER.

In turn this will delay VA690, the 1400 hours PER across to MEL and then tonight's VA697, the 2045 hours MEL - PER, assuming the roster does not change.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA868 (1715 hours SYD - MEL, B738 VH-VUX) took off at 1858 so arrival should be at about 2008 hours, 78 minutes tardy.

The 1625 hours PER - GET, VA1793 (F100 VH-FNU) took off at 1825, about 105 minutes late. Arrival is estimated as 1912 hours, 107 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

B738 VH-VUY on VA319 (0900 hours MEL - BNE, Friday 20 April 2018) took off at a very late 1046 so expected arrival has become 1256 hours, 106 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Saturday 21 April 2018, VA314 (B738 VH-VUR, the 0755 hours morning BNE down to MEL that took off at 0841 hours) was in a hold above Tocumwal NSW so is arriving at about 1102 hours, 42 minutes tardy.

With the weather not great at MEL apparently, VA1615, the 0945 hours MEL up to MQL (B737 VH-VBY) took off at 1053. Arrival will be at about 1140.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with the somewhat foggy conditions in MEL on Saturday 21 April 2018, VA262 (1015 hours CBR down to MEL that was not in the air until 1144) should arrive at about 1238 hours, 73 late with B738 VH-VUS.

VA1365 from LST to MEL, the 1050 hours took off at 1150 with VH-VUE. Arrival looks to be 56 minutes behind schedule at 1246 hours.

 

[Melburnian1]

Due I assume to fog, VA164 from AKL to MEL (B738 VH-YIH) on Saturday 21 April had diverted to ADL. It is nearly at MEL with arrival suggested as 1255 rather than the scheduled 0840 hours.

 

[mel-world]

On Friday 20 April, both of my flights - VA 815 the 0730 MEL-SYD and VA 862 the 1630 SYD-MEL were cancelled. The aircraft due to operate the services (VH VUA and VH YFY) both flew elsewhere within an hour of the cancellations so the 'operational reasons' remain a mystery to me.

I am more concerned about the service failures in notifying me about the second cancellation. There was good service recovery though by the staff in the VA lounge in SYD as I mention in the note below I have sent to VA today. I'll report if I get a response (other than a standard form reply).

"I am a Velocity Member (Silver) but was flying using my Platinum level SQ PPS Club Card. My original morning flight (815 MEL-SYD) was also cancelled but I received an SMS message the night before even though I was never re-booked and your Android App still had my original boarding pass showing. I was, however, able to fly in time to make my appointments in SYD.

On returning to the SYD Lounge, my Boarding pass was checked prior to going through security and again the App still had my valid boarding pass for 862 at 1630. During an hour in the Lounge no announcements were made about the cancellation this flight to MEL. I received no SMS or Email message and did not see the change until checking the gate number on leaving the lounge around 1600. The desk agent was helpful but could offer no explanation on why I had received no notification of this second cancellation. It took some time to find that I had been re-booked some 2 hours later as all my documentation still showed a valid boarding pass for the original flight.

The Lounge Manager also had no real explanation but did manage to accommodate me on the only available seat on the VA874 at 1800. This was excellent service recovery as it was a Business seat and the food and on-board service were International standard.

Please improve your notification and re-booking procedure when flights are cancelled. Send a change notification also via the Virgin App. Also tell me if I would be better using my Velocity card when booking as I do not get any benefits as an SQ Platinum before I arrive at the airport (eg seat selection, fly ahead or priority standby). I am semi-retired so having to maximise and extend my benefits on fewer cards."

It proves that remaining civil when chasing up a service failure can sometimes deliver a positive outcome, even on a Friday night in SYD domestic.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Friday 20 April, both of my flights - VA 815 the 0730 MEL-SYD and VA 862 the 1630 SYD-MEL were cancelled. The aircraft due to operate the services (VH VUA and VH YFY) both flew elsewhere within an hour of the cancellations so the 'operational reasons' remain a mystery to me.

It proves that remaining civil when chasing up a service failure can sometimes deliver a positive outcome, even on a Friday night in SYD domestic.

Could we hazard a guess that low bookings (at both ends) compared with the number of flights timetabled was the reason in both cases?

Great report. Excellent detail. Yes, a good lesson to me and others that we must try to remain calm in such circumstances. The temptation is to blow one's top.

 

[Melburnian1]

Sunday 22 April 2018 has VA853, the mid afternoon 1500 hours MEL up to SYD (B738 VH-VUT) airborne at 1548. Expected at gate arrival is 36 minutes tardy at 1701.

VA719, the 'half transcon' from ADL across to PER that took off at 1456 (F100 VH-FNR) looks to be arriving at 1641, 31 minutes behind schedule.

 

[theoracle30]

Any info about tonight's VA470 BNE-PER which was downgraded from an A330 at the last minute, then subsequently delayed by at least 3 hrs (at the time of writing)?

I had booked 4 friends to travel on this flight in Business. The A330 Business cabin was full, with 20 people. Two of the friends got transferred to the 737 Business cabin, two got moved to tomorrow's 12:50pm flight, but decided to switch to the original flight with a downgrade to Economy.

Needless to say, it isn't a pleasant experience for them at the airport right now . This was supposed to be their exciting first ever Business class experience with 5.5 hrs of the excellent A330 seats and service.

 

[Melburnian1]

With poor weather in MEL on the morning of Monday 23 April (fog), the fourth consecutive morning that to some degree operations have been adversely affected, VA810, the 0715 hours SYD down to MEL (B738 VH-VFU) was only moving from its SYD gate at 0838.

It will be at least 75 minutes late arriving in the southern capital.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with what has been a foggy morning in MEL (Monday 23 April 2018), VA214, the 0935 hours ADL - MEL did not take off until 1039. Arrival of B738 VH-VUT should be at 1217 hours, 52 minutes late.

The SYD down to MEL VA830 (VH-YID) should arrive at 1216 hours, 41 late. This is the 1000 hours SYD - MEL that took off at 1046, about 25 minutes behind time so even with the slow gate-to-gate 95 minute timetable, it has still lost yet more time.

VH-YFQ on VA1614 from MQL down to MEL, the 1125 hours that took off at 1229 should arrive at roughly 1318 hours, 53 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

In more on Monday 23 April 2018, VA742 (B738 VH-VOT, the 1400 hours OOL - MEL that was airborne at 1509) should arrive at 1705 hours, 40 minutes past the allotted.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA36, the 2210 hours Monday 23 April redeye from DPS down to SYD (B738 VH-YIY) that did not become airborne until 2320 is arriving on Tuesday 24 at around the 0651 hours mark, 31 minutes tardy.