Virgin Australia Delays/Cancellations

[straitman]

VA184 from NAN to MEL is timetabled to arrive at 2140 hours this evening (Monday 28 September) but is badly delayed and will not be at the gate until an estimated 0330 on Tuesday 29. That is about the worst time to arrive at an Oz capital city airport: sleep at perhaps 0530 if one lives in middle distance suburbs, no all-the-way public transport if one is looking to save money (it's a Monday night, not a Friday night) and worst of all (one has to feel sorry for any such individuals) imagine going to bed at 0530 knowing that at 0630 or 0700 one has to rise for work.

Hmmm.

It's now due into MEL at 0350.

I hope it's a lot more on time tomorrow as we are on the flight.

 

[Melburnian1]

straitman, while I cannot vouch that it is the same aircraft (as I do not have the VA roster in my pocket), from the alleged gate number - 2 in both cases - the arrival may be forming the 0945 VA185 back to NAN ex MEL on Tuesday morning.

So if that is the case and it sticks to an 0350 hours arrival in MEL, in theory it should be on time tomorrow with the much longer than ordinarily required turnaround. Let's hope for your sake that Murphy's Law does not appear tomorrow.

Depending on how much notice they had (and even if they had quite some), the crew as well as passengers would stand a good chance of being pretty tired landing at that hour.

Many others have to be awake at 0350 working - nurses, ambulance drivers, freight train drivers, suburban train drivers in some cases, policemen and women, garbologists, truck drivers, nightclub DJs and security guards to name a few - but while a minority might have to work away from home and hence not sleep in 'their' bed, none other than airline employees couple that stay away from home with the unnatural effect of being in the air so much. Unsociable hours in the air must eventually take their toll on at least some airline employees' health, even if on the surface many appear robust, fit, gregarious, intelligent and all those other attributes so much sought after in Western society.

 

[Melburnian1]

Given what one news website said was rain 'pounding Brisbane' (although I can only see on the Bureau site that five millimetres has fallen between 1530 and 1730), it is unsurprising that there are some delays. The amount does not on face value look intense but 'Mexicans' like me may well have a different view if we were standing unprotected at the time.

VA1716, the 1730 hours BNE arrival on Tuesday 29 September 2015 has been cancelled ex GLT. So has VA1248, the 1755 hours arrival into the Sunshine State's capital from ROK, or 'Rocky' as it is better known.

 

[Iain_QFF]

VA30 Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Sydney (SYD) on Wed 7th October, departure moved 10.35am to 7.35pm... will be arriving at 6.00am from LHR with bags so have to wait at AUH till 4.00pm to check in at VA. Aaargh!

 

[docjames]

VA30 Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Sydney (SYD) on Wed 7th October, departure moved 10.35am to 7.35pm... will be arriving at 6.00am from LHR with bags so have to wait at AUH till 4.00pm to check in at VA. Aaargh!

If you are inbound on Etihad then i'd say you can check your bags all the way through. Spend the day wandering around Abu Dhabi (go an visit the Grand Mosque, Waterfront, shopping malls etc) and you're already "checked in" so would just show at the airport.

Do you have lounge access? You may want a shower before your flight as it'll be HOT in AUH......

 

[Iain_QFF]

If you are inbound on Etihad then i'd say you can check your bags all the way through. Spend the day wandering around Abu Dhabi (go an visit the Grand Mosque, Waterfront, shopping malls etc) and you're already "checked in" so would just show at the airport.

Do you have lounge access? You may want a shower before your flight as it'll be HOT in AUH......

Am arriving on BA so don't think there is interline to VA so am guessing stuck outside with bags.

 

[Melburnian1]

A330 VH-XFH, which doubtless has carried many AFL footy fans in the last few days, did the ceremonial 'run past' the Melbourne Cricket Ground given VA's 'official carrier' status, passing above the 'G' at about 1408 on Saturday 3 October.

It appears to have taken off from MEL at 1304 and then been in a lengthy holding pattern over AVV prior to flying towards the 'G.'

Was this seemingly early departure merely insurance to ensure that it could fly above the sports ground at the exact appointed time in the afternoon's pre-game festivities or was there some technical operational reason?

The flight number was VA9900. It then flew over Heidelberg and Eltham before turning to fly southwest via Noble Park and Mordialloc, so it was a real 'Cook's Tour.'

 

[RooFlyer]

I noticed that on Flight Tracker's flight paths. Wondered what the heck was going on!

 

[Melburnian1]

RooFlyer, you doubtless know more about Australian Rules than I do (would not be hard) but there was a purpose to all this flying around the suburbs:

Airline stunt on AFL grand final day criticised on social media

Note how the Fairfax press as usual prominently features the views of global warming alarmists! Ironic that much of Australia's wealth (and certainly Victoria's) has been built on cheap, abundant and empowering fossil fuels such as brown coal and natural gas.

These clowns, however, want to bite the hand that feeds them. Yet China, India and numerous other countries need our energy. Electricity makes a huge, positive difference to Indian villagers. Coal (admittedly black thermal and not brown) is indeed King for millions in the emerging economies even if prices have declined (perhaps temporarily).

I don't have a problem with VA engaging in a bit of fun on a major sporting day, irrespective as to whether individually we are interested in AFL. Good on the company for showing some imagination - especially the flight planning section (based in AFL-scarce Brisbane?)

 

[esseeeayeenn]

RooFlyer, you doubtless know more about Australian Rules than I do (would not be hard) but there was a purpose to all this flying around the suburbs:

Airline stunt on AFL grand final day criticised on social media

Note how the Fairfax press as usual prominently features the views of global warming alarmists! Ironic that much of Australia's wealth (and certainly Victoria's) has been built on cheap, abundant and empowering fossil fuels such as brown coal and natural gas.

These clowns, however, want to bite the hand that feeds them. Yet China, India and numerous other countries need our energy. Electricity makes a huge, positive difference to Indian villagers. Coal (admittedly black thermal and not brown) is indeed King for millions in the emerging economies even if prices have declined (perhaps temporarily).

I don't have a problem with VA engaging in a bit of fun on a major sporting day, irrespective as to whether individually we are interested in AFL. Good on the company for showing some imagination - especially the flight planning section (based in AFL-scarce Brisbane?)

The plane also overflew Mount Disappointment Forest, perhaps a new destination for the Eagles.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Coal (admittedly black thermal and not brown) is indeed King for millions

Oh I can see the sparks will fly when we meet!

The "Kings" crown has thankfully slipped and if "clown" politicians keep out of it, it will never reside aloft again.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA231 from MEL to ADL is forecast to be 71 minutes late should it depart as predicted at 1646.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA302 from BNE to MEL was timetabled to arrive at 0825 on Wednesday 7 October but pulled in at the southern capital at 1547, a more than seven hour delay or in total journey time a journey that took any passengers booked and still accommodated on that flight four times as long as advertised. One would hope that most passengers would have long been transferred to empty seats on other BNE - MEL VA (or at a stretch, TT) offerings.

VA308, the 1020 arrival from BNE also allegedly arrived at exactly the same minute at the VA terminal in MEL - 1547. Weather problems?

While possibly restricted to fewer flights than JQ's problems today, these VA delays are much longer than any I saw this afternoon affecting JQ - not that either could particularly hold its head up high.

 

[Melburnian1]

The 2100 hours VA897 from MEL to SY took off at 2141 this evening (Tuesday 20 October 2015) and is therefore not due into SYD until about 2250, not far short of the curfew 'witching hour.'

VA1179, the 1635 hours from ABX to SYD took off at 2145 and hence is due in SYD at 2239 not 1755. The flight is operated by ATR 72-600 VH-FVN. Did this aircraft fail earlier today?

From what I have seen, QF and JQ are (notwithstanding the above very serious late running by VA) worse affected than VA and TT in delays in and out of SYD tonight (perhaps due to stormy weather in NSW?) AFF member Pushka rather cryptically posted about a lack of gates for aircraft at the QF terminal.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA677, the 0715 from MEL to PER has been delayed on Monday 26 October to a 1305 departure, not a good start to the day for any passengers with appointments (or flight or surface travel connections) in PER.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA677 departed MEL at 1323, more than six hours late.

This afternoon (Mon 26 Oct) VA has cancelled northbound MEL to SYD flights VA865 (the 1645 hours departure) and VA871 (the 1730.)

This is another example of airline practice that an AFFer such as MEL_Traveller may rightly criticise. An airline advertises a good frequency, yet cancels flights at short notice and puts you on the next one, sometimes due to low bookings. If commuters using suburban or country trains, buses, trams or ferries had this occur, they would rightly be annoyed with some inevitably complaining. With the airlines, passengers barely make a murmur.

Yes, we should worry about the things we can control and not what we cannot, but an airline such as VA makes great play of its supposed frequent flights on the most lucrative and well patronised air route in Australia (and usually about number four in the world) yet the reality does not always live up to the hype. ACCC, anyone?

Some surface transport providers have been forced by governments to have specific compensation schemes (and in Europe, there is also an airline one.) Yet in Australia there is no such scheme for air passengers.

 

[Boris spatsky]

VA677 departed MEL at 1323, more than six hours late.

This afternoon (Mon 26 Oct) VA has cancelled northbound MEL to SYD flights VA865 (the 1645 hours departure) and VA871 (the 1730.)

This is another example of airline practice that an AFFer such as MEL_Traveller may rightly criticise. An airline advertises a good frequency, yet cancels flights at short notice and puts you on the next one, sometimes due to low bookings. If commuters using suburban or country trains, buses, trams or ferries had this occur, they would rightly be annoyed with some inevitably complaining. With the airlines, passengers barely make a murmur.

Yes, we should worry about the things we can control and not what we cannot, but an airline such as VA makes great play of its supposed frequent flights on the most lucrative and well patronised air route in Australia (and usually about number four in the world) yet the reality does not always live up to the hype. ACCC, anyone?

Some surface transport providers have been forced by governments to have specific compensation schemes (and in Europe, there is also an airline one.) Yet in Australia there is no such scheme for air passengers.

So can we open a thread for everytime that we arrive early??

 

[Mogul]

Melburnian1 see the weather in Sydney this afternoon. Plenty of delays for all airlines.

 

[Melburnian1]

Not doubting that Mogul, but weather related delays still attract compensation for passengers with some surface transport operators. In comparison, if air travellers receive anything, it's left to the discretion of the airline personnel or company policies. A marked difference, but I am wary of going OT too much as this is a delays and cancellations thread.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA100 from MEL to CHC this evening (29 October) was meant to depart if following the timetable at 1835 but has been altered to leave at 2115, resulting in a true 'small hours' arrival in the South Island.