Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Flyerqf]

Friday 16 June's QF8 from DFW to SYD is now suggested as departing at 2215 on Saturday 17 June, meaning a forecast of Monday morning 19 June arrival at 0610 hours. This is much later than the 1440 hours estimated departure to which milehighclub referred to above.

The scheduled Saturday 17 June 2215 hours QF8 has been altered to depart at 0015 on Sunday 18, suggesting Monday morning arrival at 0750 hours.

All three A388 departures ex SYD on Sunday 18 June (QF11, QF7 and QF1) are showing as punctual at this stage.

The delayed Saturday 17 QF9 referred to by Bundy Bear departed at 0109 on Sunday 18 with DXB arrival estimated as 0900 hours, 115 minutes late. LHR arrival is forecast for 1535, 85 minutes late.

Due to the late arrival of QF94, QF93 on Sunday 18 is predicted to commence pushing back at 1000 rather than 0915 hours.

QF11 will be operated by a 744 today as a result.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Sunday 18 June, QF93 departed MEL 59 minutes late at 1014 so same day LAX arrival is forecast for 0725 hours, 50 minutes late.

Advice from passengers booked on this morning's QF11 and unable to be accommodated on board due to the change from the usual A388 to a B744 (VH-OEH) would be great as to any alternative flight arrangements, hotels, meals, transfers and so on.

 

[Melburnian1]

The overnight (Friday) delayed QF8 departed DFW at 2259 hours on Saturday 17 June with Monday 19 June arrival in SYD predicted as 0620 hours, 1455 minutes late (or one day 15 minutes.)

The timetabled Saturday 17 QF8 departed DFW at 0031 on Sunday 18 so arrival is predicted in SYD at 0825 on Monday 19 June, 140 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF11 will be operated by a 744 today as a result.

Flyerqf, milehighclub or others, given that on six days a week (exception is Tuesdays) the only B744 crews staying in LAX are ordinarily rostered to work QF11/QF12 LAX - JFK - LAX and QF16 back to BNE, how does QF find a flight and cabin crew for the return QF12 on Sunday night from LAX to SYD (B744)?

Wouldn't there be a problem with at least the flight crew having had insufficient rest hours if QF tried to 'pinch' them from say the next day's QF11 across the USA?

 

[Quickstatus]

The return QF12 on 18th June will be operated by an A380. The next QF12 to be operated by a B744 will be on 20th June

 

[coriander]

The delayed Saturday 17 QF9 referred to by Bundy Bear departed at 0109 on Sunday 18 with DXB arrival estimated as 0900 hours, 115 minutes late.
LHR arrival is forecast for 1535, 85 minutes late.

The delayed QF9 referred to by coriander was delayed from 1245 to 0109 because of a sick passenger. Landed at DXB ~0845, departing about now (1020 DXB time) - #1 son has just turned phone to flight mode.

 

[Melburnian1]

The delayed QF9 referred to by coriander was delayed from 1245 to 0109 because of a sick passenger...

coriander, my apologies for referring to you as Bundy Bear! Many thanks for letting us know about the delay, and the great update.

By the way you may mean 'from 2255...' (hours) because that is normally the scheduled departure time of the often late running QF9.

QF suggests that this delayed QF9 will be in LHR at about 1535 hours, 85 minutes late but sometimes the delay can become a little greater as the QF flight status tends to adjust timings once the plane has take off and is at cruise.

UPDATE: QF has adjusted the LHR arrival time to 1450, only 40 minutes late so the A388 must have had a fairly quick taxi and takeoff at DXB.

 

[coriander]

By the way you may mean 'from 2255...' (hours) because that is normally the scheduled departure time of the often late running QF9.

My mistake - I actually meant 0045 (the original delayed departure time) - they had closed doors and had, or were just about to move when the additional "sick passenger" delay was announced: my son was upstairs in Y so couldn't see what what was going on, but finally departed at 0109 and took off about 0135. He more recently reported being disappointed at only ~30 mins in DXB EK F.

 

[coriander]

QF has adjusted the LHR arrival time to 1450, only 40 minutes late so the A388 must have had a fairly quick taxi and takeoff at DXB.

Final update: texts from son that QF9 landed at 1457 (1157h AU); his next text at 1532 (0032h AU) reported that he was in a cab heading for Croydon - not bad through border security for Y passenger with 24kg suitcase. Taxi fare ~AU$314: glad the company is paying!

 

[Melburnian1]

On Monday 19 June 2017, QF7 (1230 hours SYD - DFW long haul) departed at 1328 and was airborne at 1347 with A388 VH-OQB. Arrival should be at 1355, 55 minutes late (same day.)

QF73 (1300 hours SYD - SFO) departed at 1336 with suggested arrival at 1005 hours, 35 minutes behind schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

Apologies for the delayed posting of this, as I have only just noticed that the Sunday 18 June QF9 departed MEL at 2321 hours (26 minutes late) but diverted to DWC where it spent (on Monday 19) from 0729 to 0848 hours. Was this due to fog at DXB (although FR24 indicates from the route that a decision to divert was taken when the aircraft was quite close to DXB - so was it simply 'traffic?')

It then was at DXB from 0951 to 1158 and should arrive at its LHR airport allocated gate at around 1625 hours this afternoon local time, 135 minutes late. Touching wood, this should not affect the Monday evening QF2 back to DXB and on to SYD.

Sunday 18's QF12 departed JFK 138 minutes behind schedule at 2028, arriving LAX at 2334 hjours, 164 minutes tardy. QF12 then departed the movie capital at 0045 hours on Monday 19, also 135 late with Tuesday 20 arrival in SYD projected as 0825, 125 minutes delayed.

Meanwhile QF16 (ordinarily formed by the arriving QF12 ex JFK) commenced pushing back in LAX at -159 on Monday 19, 159 minutes late with Tuesday 20 June BNE arrival forecast at 0835, 145 minutes past the allotted. This may at least slightly delay QF15 ex BNE on Tuesday 20, as it is due out at 1020 hours.

QF93 on Monday 19 from MEL to LAX was off its blocks at 1029 hours, 74 minutes tardy; estimated same day LAX arrival is at 0745 hours, 70 minutes late. This may well delay QF15 which itself is a suggested half an hour late and likely to be at its stipulated airport arrival gate at 0630 hours, ready for what should but may not be an 0820 hours transcontinental departure from LAX for JFK.

Unfortunately the relative tightness of these schedules, complicated by the 'three into one' connection eastbound or the reverse westbound makes it challenging to avoid some unpunctuality if one of the three leaving Oz is anything more than half an hour late. AFFers such as Flyerqf have pointed out that if the B744 on QF11 is delayed into JFK, further time tends to be lost on the ground, presumably waiting for ATC clearance to push back.

And this is summer in the USA, not what most of us might consider was the more challenging wintry weather at JFK.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Wednesday 21 June, QF81 (1025 hours SYD - SIN, A332 VH-EBR) departed just five minutes late but arrived 35 late at 1725.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Thursday 22 June, Canberra may be foggy at its airport as QF804, the 0700 hours MEL - CBR (B738 VH-VZE) that took off early at 0707 may have had a missed approach at about 0754. It looks to be doing circuits southeast of the airport as at 0801.

QF1461, the 0650 hours SYD - CBR (Q400 VH-QOA) that took off at 0704 hours has been in a holding pattern for longer in a similar general location. Its timetable calls for an 0745 hours arrival so it will be at least 25 minutes late into the terminal should it be able to land.

UPDATE: QF804 landed at 0813. QF1461 took a lot longer, but landed at about 0830 hours.

QF1464 (Q400 VH-LQF, the 0715 hours CBR - SYD) did not become airborne until 0824 so arrival in SYD is not expected until about 0900, 50 minutes tardy. Departure delays are not uniform.

The 0615 hours BNE - CBR (B717 VH-NXR that was airborne at 0623, if anything - early) has diverted to MEL where arrival should be at about 0854. This flight normally arrives CBR at 0805 so even with the famous AFFer Quickstatus' 'splash and dash', passengers are unlikely to be in CBR much before 1100 this morning (assuming that the fog does not recur.) They might well consider themselves unlucky as flights like QF1461 from SYD as above eventually managed to land at CBR.

The SYD - CBR QF1463 (Q400 VH-QOB) is half an hour late with arrival likely at 0855.

 

[jb747]

And this is summer in the USA, not what most of us might consider was the more challenging wintry weather at JFK.

Oh, I don't know....thunderstorms are pretty challenging.

 

[jb747]

Apologies for the delayed posting of this, as I have only just noticed that the Sunday 18 June QF9 departed MEL at 2321 hours (26 minutes late) but diverted to DWC where it spent (on Monday 19) from 0729 to 0848 hours. Was this due to fog at DXB (although FR24 indicates from the route that a decision to divert was taken when the aircraft was quite close to DXB - so was it simply 'traffic?')

The fact that the diversion happened close in means very little. Basically the position from which they have diverted is the normal holding position, so historically, a large percentage of all diversions would be from about that spot. Dubai World is not able to accept a great deal of diversion traffic (I don't know why), so the decision to divert can become tactical. Going early not only beats the rush, but avoids being forced to other diversion ports, which may be much less convenient. Once any fog appears, the traffic flow slows dramatically, so the outcome may have very little to do with the low vis capability of aircraft/crew/airport.

SPECI OMDB 190114Z 19005KT 160V240 4500 2000NW HZ SCT002
29/27 Q0997 TEMPO 0500 FG BKN001=

 

[Melburnian1]

Although Thursday 21 June's QF29 departed only a minute late at 1021 from MEL, it is not expected in HKG until 1835, 35 minutes tardy. Unusually, the FlightAware website claims (in contrast to QF's) that the flight is about 15 minutes early. More often than not, the FlightAware, FR24 and similar websites overestimate delays rather than underestimate them.

 

[jb747]

Although Thursday 21 June's QF29 departed only a minute late at 1021 from MEL, it is not expected in HKG until 1835, 35 minutes tardy. Unusually, the FlightAware website claims (in contrast to QF's) that the flight is about 15 minutes early. More often than not, the FlightAware, FR24 and similar websites overestimate delays rather than underestimate them.

Interesting spread of guesses. The ETAs range from 17:40 to 18:30. Adding the departure time to the flight plan, and you end up with an even earlier time. Allowing for ATC, I'd expect it to be slightly earlier than scheduled. Let's see how 17:50 goes.

 

[Melburnian1]

Interesting spread of guesses. The ETAs range from 17:40 to 18:30. Adding the departure time to the flight plan, and you end up with an even earlier time. Allowing for ATC, I'd expect it to be slightly earlier than scheduled. Let's see how 17:50 goes.

I am adding a nominal five minutes to allow for landing to gate taxiing time, so that's why I've said that the QF website quotes '1835' even though it says '1830' as latter is the time QF expects it to land, not be at the terminal. At many international airports the taxiing time is more than five minutes (including every time I've arrived at HKG or SIN) but I chose 'five minutes' for consistency.

I will endeavour to look at what time it actually arrives to see 'which was correct.' Class leader A333 VH-QPA is the aircraft. This flight was a B744 for a while earlier this year but it has reverted to the smaller, though pleasantly refurbished internally, A333.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF577 (1250 hours SYD - PER, A332 VH-EBS) was airborne on Thursday 22 June at 1343. Estimated arrival is 52 minutes late at 1647 hours this afternoon.

B717 VH-YQU (1200 'high noon' SYD up to OOL, QF1568, that did not become airborne until 1336) is arriving 75 minutes behind schedule at 1440 hours. This aircraft was originally scheduled to operate QF1562, the 0625 hours from CBR up to BNE, but it was cancelled, so it instead ran QF1514, the 0845 hours CBR - SYD that presumably due to fog (see earlier posts) did not become airborne until 1205 early this afternoon, arriving in SYD at around 1240. Quicker to travel by train on this occasion, but no one would have much foreknowledge of this delay.

 

[Melburnian1]

...The 0615 hours BNE - CBR (B717 VH-NXR that was airborne at 0623, if anything - early) has diverted to MEL where arrival should be at about 0854. This flight normally arrives CBR at 0805 so even with the famous AFFer Quickstatus' 'splash and dash', passengers are unlikely to be in CBR much before 1100 this morning...

This diverted B717 departed MEL at about 1050 hours as QF1528, landing in CBR at 1144 hours. QF1529, the 0845 hours CBR - MEL was cancelled as a result, but the B717 then operated QF1546, the 1205 hours CBR - BNE that was airborne at 1234.