Virgin Australia Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

VA712 (Friday 31 August, the 0530 hours early start F100 VH-FSQ from PER across to ADL that took off at 0600) should arrive at 1020, half an hour late.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Saturday 1 September, VA1 (0930 hours SYD - LAX) took off at 1057. B773ER VH-VPD should arrive same day at 0710, 65 late.

Passengers on VA1174 (0805 hours SYD - ABX) have not had a good time with takeoff of ATR732 VH-FVP at 1216. Expected arrival is 1334 hours, 244 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA185 (Sunday 2 September 2018, the 0945 hours MEL - NAN that took off at 1114 hours with uncomfortable B738 VH-YIS) should arrive at 1749, 254 late.

B738 VH-VOQ on VA837 (1100 hours MEL - SYD) was in the sky at 1150 so expected arrival is 1304, 39 minutes behind the schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA811 on Monday 3 September is the 0700 hours MEL up to SYD with A332 VH-XFC that did not take off until 0816. Arrival should be at 0930 hours, 65 late. The aircraft had been five minutes early arriving in MEL this morning at 0510 on VA698, the redeye ex PER so no obvious reason for the delay to 'the 811.'

 

[JohnK]

Received an SMS ~1:00pm Friday that my 7:05pm flight VA544 OOL-SYD had been cancelled. Not long after I received an email that I was rebooked on VA546 at 8:05pm and went from 9D to 25D.

I needed to call VA about another matter and asked about the cancellation. Apparently it was due to maintenance.

On board VA546 it was quite clear why VA544 was cancelled. Many vacant seats. I'm not sure too many on VA544 would have made it to airport earlier for the 5:05pm flight. Maybe they did. On arrival into SYD noticed another VA flight from MEL cancelled and a JQ flight also cancelled.

 

[Melburnian1]

Received an SMS ~1:00pm Friday that my 7:05pm flight VA544 OOL-SYD had been cancelled. Not long after I received an email that I was rebooked on QF546 at 8:05pm and went from 9D to 25D.

I needed to call VA about another matter and asked about the cancellation. Apparently it was due to maintenance.
....

JohnK, you may mean '...rebooked on VA546' not '...QF546...'

Why do airline staff lie so much? Does management not like to admit 'insufficient bookings?'

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on Monday 3 September, VA690, the 1400 PER - MEL took off at 1530 with A332 VH-XFC (noted this morning as late, so it hasn't regained time during the day). Arrival should be at 2056 hours, 86 late, a further loss of about 20 minutes since it was reported upon this morning.

 

[JohnK]

JohnK, you may mean '...rebooked on VA546' not '...QF546...'

Why do airline staff lie so much? Does management not like to admit 'insufficient bookings?'

Yes it was VA546. Not sure why they are fed the lies but "we have merged 2 flights into one flight" does not sound good. There were others around me that were making the same comment.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Wednesday 5 September during the evening, VA9918 (the morning 1045 hours PQQ down to MEL that did not take off until 1858 tonight with ATR72 VH-FVZ) should arrive at 2157 hours, 432 minutes behind schedule.

I can't establish from the flight tracking third party sites if this was a special (i.e. charter) flight for a select group, or whether it's an empty ('ferry') flight to bring the aircraft down for maintenance. One site doesn't list any flights for this aircraft for the last two or three days and implies it was grounded in Port Macquarie.

AviatorInsight, could you please enlighten me?

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on 5 September, VA694, the late afternoon PER across to MEL did not take off until 1915 hours, so expected arrival for B738 VH-VFF has become 0040 on Thursday 6, 100 minutes tardy.

 

[Melburnian1]

On the afternoon of Thursday 6 September 2018, VA674 (B738 VH-VUZ, the 1500 hours CBR - MEL that was in the sky at 1556) should arrive to a rainy, perhaps thundery reception at around 1703, 53 late. In current conditions a hold may be imposed further south.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA878 (Thursday 6 September 2018, the 1830 hours early evening from SYD down to MEL) did not become airborne until 1939. Arrival is likely at 2055, 50 late.

The 1930 hours SYD up to BNE, VA985 (B738 VH-VUZ) was in the sky at 2029 hours. Arrival should be at 2149, 49 late.

Southbound VA352, the timetabled 1855 hours from BNE down to MEL took off on the dot at 2000 hours, so at gate arrival should occur at 2214, 54 late. The B738 VH-VUT.

 

[Melburnian1]

Friday 7 September 2018 passengers on VA859, the 1600 hours MEL - SYD that took off only five minutes or so late at 1620 must count themselves unluucky as the flight made it to teh Sydney suburbs but due to lightning threat/very heavy rain, the aircraft B738 VH-VOT is diverting to CBR with arrival likely at around 1917 hours. This flight was due in SYD at 1725.

VA1179 (1630 hours ABX up to SYD, ATR72 VH-FVP that was airborne early at 1637 - good work) has had a most unusual trip with numerous FR24 'squiggles' as far north as just west of Gosford NSW, but is diverting to CBR where arrival may be at about 1942. This aircraft should have been at its SYD terminal at 1750.

The 1045 hours PER - SYD VA556 with comfortable A332 VH-XFJ took off at a much delayed 1310 hours. Unlike lunchtime opposition QF580 that is diverting to CBR, VA556 circled above Gunning (NSW) for a while but is diverting down south to MEL where arrival should be at around 1945 instead of the 1655 hours it should have been at its SYD gate. Perhaps CBR was full with all gates and available apron spaces occupied or to be so.

Northbound VA877, by comparison, the scheduled 1815 hours MEL up to SYD has got off relatively lightly in taking off at 1907 hours with B738 VH-BZG. While this may be an underestimate of the delay given the traffic into SYD, arrival is suggested for 2021, 41 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with a very bad weather-wise Friday 7 September night in SYD (earlier, the possibility of lightning strikes and more recently hail, plus heavy rain, some of which led to many aircraft being held) VA660, the 1705 hours SYD - CBR took off at 1947 with B738 VH-YFJ. Arrival should be at 2045 hours, 160 late.

VA428, the 1610 hours afternoon SYD across to ADL with B738 VH-VFU was in the sky at 1950 hours. Arrival should be at 2113, 198 minutes past the schedule.

The 1700 hours SYD down to MEL, VA866 was airborne at 1957 with B738 VH-YIE. Arrival should be at 2120 hours, 165 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Very late on Friday 7 September, VA992 (2005 hours BNE down to SYD that took off at 2144) is arriving at 2259, 79 late with B738 VH-YVD.

VA895, the 2030 hours MEL up to SYD that was in the sky at 2150 should be at its destination gate at 2300 hours, 65 late with VH-VOS.

B&38 VH-VUQ on VA999, the 2130 hours SYD up to BNE took off at 2308 so it must have a dispensation from the Federal Minister's delegate.

VA989 (2000 hours SYD up to BNE, B738 VH-VUG) had not departed by 2312 hours, but its transponder was on, indicating it may have a Federal Ministerial delegate's curfew dispensation.

 

[Silvia]

VA756 was cancelled last night. VA476 cancelled this morning.
VA572 arrived 7 48am (103 min late). VA34 also delayed, arrived 8 50am (85 min late). VA1313 is delayed, now arriving 9 22am (82 min late).

 

[AviatorInsight]

On Wednesday 5 September during the evening, VA9918 (the morning 1045 hours PQQ down to MEL that did not take off until 1858 tonight with ATR72 VH-FVZ) should arrive at 2157 hours, 432 minutes behind schedule.

I can't establish from the flight tracking third party sites if this was a special (i.e. charter) flight for a select group, or whether it's an empty ('ferry') flight to bring the aircraft down for maintenance. One site doesn't list any flights for this aircraft for the last two or three days and implies it was grounded in Port Macquarie.

AviatorInsight, could you please enlighten me?

Sorry for the late reply, I missed this post. Closer examination of the history of this aircraft shows it operated VA1191 to PQQ then the return got cancelled. This seems to me that the aircraft was subsequently grounded and attempts to rescue the aircraft for maintenance to MEL were also cancelled (possibly for lack of crew and/or it was a major defect).

 

[Melburnian1]

VA185 (Saturday 8 September 2018, the scheduled 0945 hours SYD - NAN with A332 VH-XFJ) took off at 1030, so claimed arrival is 1703 hours, 38 late.

 

[Silvia]

VA182 NAN-SYD (VH-XFH) left at 7 21pm, 201 tardy, arriving in SYD at 10 06, 186 late.

VA782 (CNS-BNE) left at 4 45pm (240 behind), landed at 6 31pm, 216 behind

 

[Melburnian1]

Sunday 9 September 2018 has VA882, the evening 1900 hours SYD - MEL airborne at 1951 with B738 VH-VOL suggested as arriving at 2107, 32 late.

B738 VH-YIS on VA99 (scheduled 1830 hours early evening MEL across to CHC that was pointing skywards at 2010 hours) is anticipated to arrive at 0123 hours, 93 minutes behind time on Monday 10.

This aircraft had been out of service since the evening of 6 September so not sure why it was delayed this morning.

Consequently, the 0935 hours SYD across to PER (VA555) will be at least slightly tardy.