Virgin Australia Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Due to the strong northerly wind and associated holding into MEL, VA804 on Thursday 20 April (B738 VH-VUL), the 0630 SYD - MEL that took off at 0700 (about 15 minutes late) will not arrive until 0839 hours, 34 minutes tardy.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA827, the 0900 hours MEL - SYD has been cancelled on Friday 21 April.

VA824 (0900 hours SYD - MEL, B738 VH-VUK that took off at 0946 hours) should arrive at 1106 hours, 31 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Friday 21 April, a number of flights from Melbourne have been cancelled including VA231, the 1535 hours to ADL, VA337 (1600 hours up to BNE) and VA279, the 1655 hours to CBR.

VA869 (1715 hours to SYD), VA753, the 1745 hours to OOL and another SYD-bound flight in VA879 (the 1830 hours) have also got the gong.

Potentially, that is around 1100 passengers adversely affected if every seat was booked. What happens to them all? VA has low frequency to CBR, for instance.

 

[Melburnian1]

Much later on Friday 21 April, VA1336 (B738 VH-VUW, the 2140 hours MEL down to HBA that took off at 2221 hours) is likely to arrive at 2329 hours, 34 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Sunday 23 April has VA1375, the 1700 LST - MEL that was airborne at 1742 (B738 Vh-VUU) likely to arrive at 1841, 41 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

In the very small hours of Tuesday 25 April (Anzac Day), VA1465 (B738 Vh-YFL) should pull in to DRW at about 0028 hours, 33 minutes late after its journey north from MEL.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Wednesday 26 April, VA327 (1200 'high noon' MEL - BNE) and VA269, the closely following (at least on the tarmac) 1205 hours from MEL for the relatively brief hop to CBR will be cancelled.

VA8 is coming in from LAX (B773ER VH-VOZ) 86 minutes late at a predicted 0816 hours.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA698, the redeye from PER into MEL on Wednesday 26 April (A332 VH-XFC) should arrive 63 minutes late at 0618.

Opposite number VA697 is worse (VH-XFJ) as PER arrival will not be until about 0221 hours, 196 minutes late.

VA319 (0900 hours from MEL up to BNE, B738 VH-VOQ that was airborne at 1003) wil hopefully arrive at 1158, 48 minutes past the mandated.

The 0900 hours MEL - SYD (VA827) is having a shocker of a day with B738 VH-VUX not taking off until 1130 hours; arrival is predicted for 1251, 146 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Friday 28 April sees VA834 (1100 hours SYD - MEL that departed at 1215, B738 VH-VUZ) likely to arrive at 1326, 51 minutes tardy.

 

[Melburnian1]

The first of the morning VA204 (0605 hours Saturday 29 April 2017 from ADL across to MEL, B738 VH-VUJ) took off at 0711; arrival is expected at 0845 hours, 50 minutes behind schedule.

VA259, the 0830 hours from MEL up to CBR is predicted to depart at about 0950 hours.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA973 (the SYD - BNE scheduled at 1800 hours that was in the sky at 1850 tonight, E190 VH-ZPO) should arrive 40 minutes behind schedule at 2010.

 

[moffat39]

Had booking on VA 328 BNE to MEL at 12.55 tomorrow. Received text/email to say changes to flight and now booked on VA 332 which leaves at 13.55. Email said I will need to check in for new flight and link in the email to check in on line.

Tried the link which and after I put in booking number response was I can only check in by contacting the call centre.

Have others had this experience?

 

[Melburnian1]

Had booking on VA 328 BNE to MEL at 12.55 tomorrow. Received text/email to say changes to flight and now booked on VA 332 which leaves at 13.55...

Because this cancellation is on a Friday afternoon, it is less likely that it has been cancelled due to low bookings (as typically these need to occur both ways, or be down over several flights in both directions to allow passengers to be 'consolidated' - in plain English, for us to be delayed.) Perhaps an aircraft has become defective and VA knew about this sufficiently in advance to cancel some flights.

VA827, the 0900 MEL - SYD is also cancelled on Friday 5 January, as was VA804, the 0630 hours southbound from SYD to MEL.

moffat39, the domestic air travel passenger numbers on quite a few routes (and overall) are close to stagnant at present. While that doesn't stop one of our four domestic airlines, or more, stealing market share and hence bottoms on seats from the others, it suggests that we may see even more cancellations as the airlines practice what AFF member Quickstatus delightfully calls (most appropriately) 'capacity management.' I call it 'inconvenience' and 'delay.'

Imagine the outcry if Sydney Trains, Sydney Buses, TransPerth, Yarra Trams or Metro Trains Melbourne cancelled trains, buses or trams regularly - and witness the public outrage in Brisbane over Queensland Rail's huge problems lacking and not training sufficient train drivers with resultant numerous trains cancelled.

The airlines might not be cancelling as many flights as say Queensland Rail is trains, but the principle is the same. In this case, VA says it will get you to Melbourne at say 1500 hours or so, and does not. In the contract of carriage, VA has all the rights and you and I few: for instance, many airlines do not even contract to get us to our destination on the same day.

As if I recall MEL_Traveller said on AFF, we need much better consumer protection in Australia for flights. There is some consumer protection available in Victoria for public transport (free tickets and the like) and while that may or may not be appropriate in the airline situation, passengers like you may be relying on VA in this case to get you down to MEL for an appointment, wedding or funeral and it has not done that even though previously you got the impression from booking that it would. It can't blame the weather!

 

[moffat39]

Have no problems with flight being cancelled - is only an hour later but Virgin on line check in not working and had to phone Virgin twice to sort out seat selection. Paid for exit row on line after first call and still not sorted after second call

 

[Melburnian1]

Saturday 6 May 2017 has VA324 (1055 BNE - MEL that did not take off until 1252) likely to arrive at 1507 into a wet Melbourne, 107 minutes tardy. Aircraft is B738 VH-VOQ.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 7 May, VA182 (VH-YIM, a B738, the 1715 hours from NAN down to SYD that was airborne at 1828) should pull in at around 2047 hours, 32 minutes tardy.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA808 (B738 VH-YFH, the 0700 hours SYD - MEL on Monday 8 May 2017 that was in the air at 0749) should arrive at about 0909 hours, 34 minutes late.

VA814 on the same route and in the same direction, the 0745 (VH-VUY) was not airborne until 0830 so arrival is suggested in a wet MEL at 0954, as luck would have it also 34 minutes behind the eight ball.

The BNE - CBR VA1206 (E190 'threatened species VH-ZPQ) should arrive in the national capital 58 minutes late at 0918 this morning.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Monday 8 May 2017, VA657 (ATR72 VH-FVN, the 1605 hours mid afternoon CBR - SYD that did not become airborne until 1715) should arrive at 1811 hours, 66 minutes behind schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Thursday 11 May 2017, VA901, the 0600 SYD - BNE (B738 VH-VUZ) had an autumnal lie-in with takeoff not until 0731. The result is that arrival in the Queensland capital has been delayed until an expected 0846 hours, 76 minutes behind schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

Much later on Thursday 11 May, the KTA - PER VA1728 (F100 VH-FSW) took off at 17 00 hours despite its 1620 timetabled pushback, so arrival should be at about 1859 early this evening, 34 late.