Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

On Monday 16 January, QF775, the 0710 hours early morning MEL - PER has been altered to depart at 0750.

QF151, the 2335 hours MEL - AKL on Sunday 15 has been delayed overnight and should commence pushback at 0930 hours on Monday 16. Any businessmen travelling will be unable to attend early morning appointments in AKL. One wonders if a few in such situations cancel their trips and obtain full refunds.

 

[jb747]

The international 332 could operate it (only 2 of these) but the other 333 frames don't have sufficient crew rest areas.

There are ways around that for either of these destinations.

 

[docjames]

Landed ~8:30pm ... I was watching out the window as my EK407 was taxiing and was surprised to see a Qantas 744 at a gate so looked up the tail number on Flightaware.

(Is it sad that I am aware that a Qantas aircraft type being at MEL at a specific time is unusual?)

When i pass similar comments to mrsdoc (eg. "look there's QF94 passing over the cbd"), her response is typically "Yes Rainman......"

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Monday 16 January, A333 VH-QPE, the 1055 hours from SYD up to PVG departed at approximately 1242, almost two hours late. QF130 back tonight from PVG to SYD will inevitably be tardy.

The PQQ - SYD QF2165 (Q300 VH-TQH) was timetabled to depart at 1000 but took off at 1200; arrival should be at about 1307, 107 minutes behind schedule.

 

[Quickstatus]

Tornado warning for DFW area tonight local time

https://www.wunderground.com/US/TX/119.html

 

[Melburnian1]

Tornado warning for DFW area tonight local time

Nothing beats having a reporter in the same country.

On Sunday 15 January, QF8 unusually departed DFW at 2151, 106 minutes tardy. Tuesday 17 SYD arrival is suggested as 0755 hours, 110 minutes behind schedule.

Locally, Monday 16 sees QF545 (1605 hours BNE down to SYD, B738 VH-VXB that was in the sky at 1701) likely to arrive at its designated gate at 1924 hours, 44 minutes late.

The overnight delayed QF30 from HKG to MEL (which has happened more than once in recent days), A333 VH-QPH was airborne from the Asian major financial centre at 0746 on Monday 16. It is arriving MEL at roughly 1942 hours this evening, 687 minutes (11 hours 27 minutes) behind schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

There are ways around that for either of these destinations.

Many love a mystery, but oh - the suspense.

Pray tell, if it is not a company secret.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Wednesday 17 Ianuary QF129 (A333 VH-QPE, 1055 hours SYD up to PVG) did not take off until 1336, so predicted arrival has become 2020 tonight instead of 1830. In turn, QF130 back from PVG to SYD overnight will be delayed.

Stablemate VH-QPH on the 1220 hours MEL - SIN QF35 was airborne at 1342; arrival is predicted for 1755, half an hour behind.

QF580 (1120 hours PER - SYD, A333 VH-QPF) took off at 1223; arrival should be at 1905, 35 minutes late. While Tuesdays is the slackest day for QFi in terms of flights operated and this may explain it, some might consider operating an A333 on this route wasteful if the aircraft could be employed on a suitable jaunt to southeast Asia and back.

Cancellations during the evening of Tuesday 17 January include QF462 (1900 hours MEL - SYD) and from the same airport but to LST, QF2289, the timetabled 1905 hours departure. QF2061 (1915 hours MEL - DPO) has also got 'the boot.' It is fairly unusual for three domestic flights, albeit two of them QantasLink, to be cancelled in the space of 15 minutes.

On Wednesday 18 January, QF2281, the 0900 hours MEL - LST is also not running.

 

[JohnPhelan]

Many love a mystery, but oh - the suspense.

Pray tell, if it is not a company secret.

At a guess - given the comment was about insufficient crew rest areas - I'd guess the workaround involves blocking a couple of J seats?

 

[Melburnian1]

At a guess - given the comment was about insufficient crew rest areas - I'd guess the workaround involves blocking a couple of J seats?

I have seen at least one other airline routinely blocking six Y seats (the two-seaters, in three rows one behind the other) and running a curtain around the area.

The Monday 16 January QF12 (B744) from JFK to LAX arrived 35 minutes behind schedule at 2130 hours, but the connecting QF12 (A388) from LAX to SYD departed 85 minutes late at 2355. However Wednesday 18 January SYD arrival is expected to only be half an hour late at 0900.

Earlier on Tuesday 17, QF7 from SYD departed an unusual 70 minutes late at 1615 hours with arrival suggested as 1405, 35 minutes tardy.

QF27 (B744) from SYD to SCL was 136 minutes late in commencing pushback at 1506 hours mid afternoon. Same day arrival is estimated at 1255, 105 minutes late. Inevitably QF28 will be delayed, though it might pick up some time on a gate-to-gate basis. This flight often forms QF25 from SYD to HND so assuming there are no untoward events, the latter on Wednesday 18 should be fine given the relatively generous allowed turnaround.

 

[Melburnian1]

Wednesday 18 January sees QF81, the 1115 hours MEL - SIN (A333 VH-QPI) having departed 71 minutes late at 1226. Arrival is estimated as 40 minutes late at 1710.

The identically timed departure, but from MEL of QF93 to LAX (A388 VH-OQJ) occurred 64 late at 1219. It should arrive at 0720 hours same day, 45 minutes late.

QF29 from MEL to HKG commenced pushback 71 minutes tardy at 1211, with arrival suggested as half an hour behind schedule at 1810. VH-QPC is the A333.

Longhaul QF7 from SYD to DFW, which has a very good reputation for on time operation - superior to the LAX flights QF operates from BNE/ MEL/ SYD - is unusually delayed from 1505 to 2200 in its departure on Wednesday 18 January. Consequently its Texas arrival will be at 2010 rather than the timetabled 1330 hours. This will delay the Wednesday 18 QF8 from DFW back to SYD as it is scheduled to commence pushback at 2005. A likely time of departure if all goes well would be around 2200 hours DFW local time, but it might be able to pick up time on the gate-to-gate schedule.

The more recently introduced of the two SYD - HKG own metal offerings, QF117, is delayed on Wednesday 18 in its departure from 1325 to 1430 with arrival pushed back to a suggested 2030 hours HKG time instead of the timetabled 1950.

 

[Quickstatus]

At a guess - given the comment was about insufficient crew rest areas - I'd guess the workaround involves blocking a couple of J seats?

Somewhere where the crew can actually sit down in a seat that is not those rear facing ones durINT takeoff and landing. For these flights they don't need to lie down?

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Wednesday 19 January, QF475 (A332 VH-EBJ, the 1135 hours MEL - PER) did not take off until 1319. Expected arrival is at 1414 hours, 94 minutes late.

milehighclub may be kind enough to fill us in as to why QF7 today is delayed. That's quite rare.

 

[kermatu]

All QF link flights to/from northern Tasmania were cancelled yesterday afternoon and evening. All wer to be on the Q400s so possibly a fleet problem? I was to fly DPO-MEL then on to CBR. Flight cancelled, bussed to LST where we waited several hours. A Jetstar flight was chartered to MEL at 9pm but too late for most connections. Accommodation in MEL very tight (presumably due to tennis). Very, very poor communications from QF link staff. Most pax had no idea if accommodation was found. Had to traipse from JQ end of the earth, collect bags, walk to T1, at 11pm. No QF staff on hand to help. JQ staff were good, however. May write up a full account when I am a bit more settled!

But more back on topic looked like more of the QF link flights were cancelled this morning.

 

[Melburnian1]

kermatu, fantastic report: please write more 'once settled.'

Not only would accommodation in Melbourne be 'tight' thanks to the tennis but in most cases it would be priced highly.

I advised yesterday of some of these QantasLink cancellations but did not capture every such inoperable flight.

Yes, logic would suggest it's either a fleet problem or (unreported) an industrial relations one. It would be fascinating to know more.

 

[docjames]

FJ use the block of three seats on the starboard side of the last row of their 738s as crew rest for their NAN-MEL-NAN rotation. The cabin crew do the return trip each night, whereas I believe the flight crew do one leg only (happy to be corrected on that one).

I have seen at least one other airline routinely blocking six Y seats (the two-seaters, in three rows one behind the other) and running a curtain around the area.

.

 

[kermatu]

kermatu, fantastic report: please write more 'once settled.'

Not only would accommodation in Melbourne be 'tight' thanks to the tennis but in most cases it would be priced highly.

I advised yesterday of some of these QantasLink cancellations but did not capture every such inoperable flight.

Yes, logic would suggest it's either a fleet problem or (unreported) an industrial relations one. It would be fascinating to know more.

A few more of the delay details - our flight was 2pm and at 12:30 was advised there'd be a 1 hour delay. 2pm comes and advised plane still hasn't left MEL and was in hands of engineers. About 30 minutes later advised it was likely we'd be bussed to LST for a special JQ charter to MEL. We were advised to take this as no guarantee flights would operate from DPO next day. That's when I first suspected it was bigger than one aircraft.

This was confirmed when we arrived, as two QF link flights out of LST had been cancelled there as well.

Some pax were able to get on JQ flights to SYD or BNE before our 9pm special.

Our JQ special went on to operate another JQ flight when we landed at 10:15pm which explains why we disembarked at T4 rather than T1 as I had hoped - this delay and need to collect bags alone caused some folk to miss international connections. From here my story is one of complaint so will leave that to a separate thread if I can be bothered.

 

[TheInsider]

I advised yesterday of some of these QantasLink cancellations but did not capture every such inoperable flight.

Yes, logic would suggest it's either a fleet problem or (unreported) an industrial relations one. It would be fascinating to know more.

Qantas cancels flights after planes grounded

 

[kermatu]

Qantas cancels flights after planes grounded

[FONT=&quot]'Disuption has been minimal,' the spokesman added.[/FONT]

BS,I added.

 

[docjames]

That's a poor effort from QF if "technical compliance" has been missed.