Jetstar Delays/Cancellations

[moa999]

Think everyone is having issues after storms in both MEL and SYD and a number of diversions

 

[jakob01]

A bad day for JQ MEL-PER route today Friday 6 November as well. Both runs across (JQ972 and JQ976) were cancelled, originally at 0640 and 1600. Of course the returns PER-MEL (JQ977 and JQ961) at 0825 and 1745 also cancelled. There had been a change to these schedules a few weeks ago and was looking promising with on-time performance until now. Perhaps passengers are ferried across to the QF flights departing around these times, which is about the only thing to make this bearable. I expect the JQ change to MEL T4 will only make these updates more disruptive.

 

[Melburnian1]

jakob01, is your comment at the end about 'more disruptive' because you believe with (from 10 November 2015) JQ being in the new T4 at MEL and QF about 350 - 400 metres north at T1, it will be 'harder' for passengers (especially the elderly or those with small children, or perhaps lots of luggage) to walk between the two terminals (and within them, as the latter distances can add more hundreds of metres) if say a JQ passenger is placed on a QF flight because the Jetstar one is cancelled?

 

[Melburnian1]

One of the worst delays today (6 November) is JQ407, the 1045 from OOL that took off this evening, Queensland time, at 1831 and is due in SYD seven hours and 25 minutes late at 2040 hours. VH-VGN is the A320 operating the flight.

 

[Melburnian1]

The delayed JQ425, the 1920 hours from OOL to SYD that took off 90 minutes late at 2050 tonight (6 November) looks like it will make the SYD 2300 hours curfew by about five minutes with touchdown at approximately 2254. It is behind VA544 which is about an hour and 40 minutes late from OOL, while QF494 from MEL is also late but a little ahead of VA544.

Close call!

 

[Melburnian1]

On a bucolic day for flying, JQ946 took off from MEL at 1226, 71 minutes after it was timetabled to be off blocks, with arrival in CNS delayed until 1413, an expected 38 minutes behind time. Aircraft is VH-VGT.

 

[sinophile888]

I have just come across this thread and feel amazed I haven’t seen it earlier.

My daughter has booked a number of JQ flights, having been temporarily seduced by the much lower cost of them.

Every flight she has booked has had at least one time change and the majority have been cancelled. The latest was yesterday morning.

Only one return flight left in February and this one she cannot use. It will be the very one they get right, as she wants to cancel it.

Never again, JQ.

 

[Melburnian1]

sinophile, while none of us want to exaggerate, these changes to flight times must go on a lot.

A friend booked his family on a JQ daytime Thursday flight from MEL to OOL. JQ wanted to change them to a fairly late Thursday evening flight: this was unacceptable to the travelling party so they asked for a Wednesday evening flight, meaning that they had to shell out for an additional night's accommodation.

This same friend suggests that lately his Tigerair flights have been altered by the airline at most by five minutes in respect of timetabled departure time. He is one of many who a few years ago regarded TT as the pits as a carrier for domestic travel.

Doubtless JQ has benefited many Australians with cheap fares, but even though the media no longer report it much, JQ seems to constantly change passengers' flight times for the airline's convenience. It could be due to the company's apparently 'tight' situation with regards to crew rosters, low bookings whereby it is cheaper to amalgamate flights despite the massive drop in oil prices, weather or a host of other factors, but whatever, it is most unsatisfactory for travellers.

Far as I'm concerned if these airlines advertise and sell seats for a flight, it should operate barring dramatic weather. If they can't fill it at an acceptable yield per seat or in terms of the number of travellers on board - that isn't my or your daughter's problem.

These low cost airlines are happy to advertise that they are the next best thing to sliced bread, and are very happy to charge you a credit card fee that is well in excess of what their financial services provider(s) charge the airline, but when it comes to sticking to their promise of a departure from X city at Y time on day Z...well, they just do what they like in some cases.

Bear in mind though that many airlines' contract of carriage with us does not guarantee that we will be conveyed on the day we booked a flight. Hard to believe, but it is a condition of carriage that we accept this.

Such a contrast to the generally good way that surface transport operators worldwide often treat passengers.

 

[Melburnian1]

JQ764 (VH-VGF) took off from LST almost three hours late at 2102 on Sunday 8 December and is due in BNE at 2218 instead of 1918. Makes for a late night for Sunshine State-bound travellers.

For the second time in three nights, some aircraft are cutting it fine to make the SYD 2300 hours curfew. JQ827 (VH-VGY) is due in SYD at 2215 but will be there at just before 2300 hours, so it may land with about five minutes to spare.

 

[Melburnian1]

JQ is marking its final day in 'the alleyway' at MEL (prior to its move tomorrow, Tuesday 10 November 2015, to the new T4) by cancelling the 0825 hours MEL to SYD, JQ504 and the 1040 hours also northbound, JQ510.

 

[Melburnian1]

To use 'pleasure' when discussing an office workplace move is using that word advisedly. Missing documents, PCs that don't operate properly, subtly expressed disagreements because Bill received an office with a better view than James...

So we can generously ascribe JQ's MEL late running today to first day teething problems.

JQ476, the 1540 hours to NTL took off at 1715. JQ440, the 1555 to OOL was not quite as late, taking off at 1705 on Tuesday 10 November 2015.

Little different from previous operations at 'the alleyway.'

 

[Melburnian1]

The new MEL terminal (T4) appears to have made little positive difference to JQ's timekeeping, at least to and from 'Mexico.'

JQ464, the 1015 to BNK took off at 1657, an extraordinary six and a half hours late. I have noted once or twice before that when there is a shortage of A320s due to planes becoming defective or other problems, BNK passengers - presumably even more a leisure route than MEL - CNS, for example - appear to be the lowest priority.

JQ474, the 1205 from MEL to NTL took off at 1447, almost three hours behind time. JQ711, the 1450 hours to HBA took off from MEL at 1538. I observed JQ514, the 1515 to SYD today (Friday 13 November 2015) with all its passengers lined up for boarding 'soon' but something must have then gone awry as it has been subsequently altered to a forecast departure time of 1800 hours. JQ476, the 1540 from MEL to NTL took off at 1637, about 40 - 45 minutes late. JQ703, the 1550 from MEL to HBA took off at 1738 - not long ago from when I write this.

JQ942, the 1610 from MEL to CNS took off at 1718.

JQ566, the 1800 hours from MEL to BNE has been cancelled, as has JQ741, the 1905 hours from MEL to LST. Earlier a MEL - PER flight was cancelled.

While JQ may be largely a point to point carrier for passengers, this abysmal weekday timekeeping must have at least a bit of a ripple through other parts of its nationwide network as for instance airport terminal gate numbers are finite, so if a couple of MEL to SYD flights run late they may take a gate that was meant to be used by a JQ flight from SYD to another airport, especially if the delayed flights ex MEL are operating at a busier time of the day rather than say 1300 hours when it is somewhat quieter.

The delays continue, as tonight's MEl to HBA JQ715, the 1945 hours departure is not forecast to be off blocks until 2200 hours while JQ778, the 1825 hours to ADL is suggested as being 115 minutes late in a revised departure time of 2020 hours this evening.

And while it is Friday, it is not school holidays, so passenger numbers are lower than during the holidays.

While many JQ passengers seem to be wedded to that carrier because of its heavy advertising and at times cheap fares, one wonders if a few are beginning to look wistfully at TT with its smaller 14-strong Australian fleet and conclude that TT is now - heaven forbid - more likely on balance to get a passenger to where he or she is travelling reasonably close to what the published timetable states, and JQ is not all that likely to be able to do that.

How on earth will JQ cope in MEL during the pre or post Christmas rush with even more children (who, much as we love them, tend to slow down boarding and alighting) travelling?

 

[Melburnian1]

Whether related, one cannot be sure, but flagship JQ1, the 1700 hours MEL to HNL did not take off on Friday 13 November until 1807 and is expected to arrive 51 minutes late today at 0706 under the registration of B788 VH-VKF.

JQ722, the 1615 from HBA to SYD did not take off until 1758 and is not due in SYD until 1936 hours in lieu of 1755. JQ608 from AVV to SYD is almost an hour late and should be in the Harbour City at 1957 rather than the scheduled 1900 hours. JQ519, the 1620 hours from SYD to MEL took off at 1851 tonight and is forecast into MEL at 1953, 118 minutes late.

VH-VKJ, a B788 is operating JQ7995 from BNE to maybe MEL. It took off from the Sunshine State capital at 1727 hours. Is this an empty working?

 

[Melburnian1]

JQ163, the 0045 Sunday 15 November 2015 redeye is to be delayed until 0130 in departing from MEL for that windy city across the Tasman.

 

[Melburnian1]

JQ162 on Sunday 15 November 2015 took off from WLG at 0805, 65 minutes after its pushback time, and is therefore due in MEL at 0943 instead of 0850 with VH-VFN doing the honours.

JQ& (VH-VKB, a B788) took off from MEL at 1349, about an hour and 25 minutes late (departure time was meant to be 1210) with arrival in SIN expected to be 75 minutes late at 1805 on Sunday 15 November.

JQ864 this morning, the 0940 hours to AYQ ex MEL did not take off until 1150. This afternoon's 1540 hours to NTL, JQ476 is expected to depart 50 minutes late. JQ778, the 1825 hours from MEL to ADL is not expected to depart until 2100 tonight - more than two and a half hours late.

 

[Melburnian1]

JQ519, the 1620 hours from SYD to MEL took off at 1942 on Sunday 15 November and should arrive at 2053 instead of 1755. JQ778 that I noted above was amended to depart at 2100 this evening for ADL will be further delayed in pushing back in MEL to a suggested 2130.

Unfortunately with JQ delays of this nature on the SYD - MEL - SYD route, Australia's busiest, are all too common although unpredictable. In the last few months JQ has been the poorest in punctuality Australia wide of our four main domestic airlines.

 

[Melburnian1]

JQ35, the 1845 hours from MEL to DPS on Sunday 15 November has just taken off from MEL at 0839 on Monday 16 November, a little less than 16 hours late. The aircraft is B788 VH-VKG. No doubt holidaymakers or returnees in both directions will be pleased to see an aircraft actually running, and unlike VA conveying passengers in both directions.

One wonders how many thousands of passengers have either been stranded in Bali or unable to depart from Australia on that route, or had to cancel their holiday due to the volcanic eruptions.

The 0730 hours JQ560 from MEL to BNE took off at 0837 and with the minus an hour time difference is about to arrive in BNE at 0925 instead of 0845, with A321 VH-VWU operating the flight.

 

[docjames]

You missed the last flight of the day JQ SYD-AVV on 13/11.

Made it out just before curfew (Sched 2115, dep 2230ish).

 

[Melburnian1]

Thank you docjames.

It often surprises me that a few more of these late night flights ex SYD (there are three or four international 'candidates' that I can think of, not just domestics) do not fail to make it out before curfew and, lacking the requisite 'excuses' are not permitted by 'the delegate' (of the Minister) to depart until at least 0600 the next morning.

There are indeed some close scrapes: occasionally flights fail to make it.

 

[docjames]

Thank you docjames.

It often surprises me that a few more of these late night flights ex SYD (there are three or four international 'candidates' that I can think of, not just domestics) do not fail to make it out before curfew and, lacking the requisite 'excuses' are not permitted by 'the delegate' (of the Minister) to depart until at least 0600 the next morning.

There are indeed some close scrapes: occasionally flights fail to make it.

It's pretty rough on the airlines when there's quite significant weather event (thunderstorms).

A number of the "last flights" out of SYD (to MEL/AVV) were cancelled Friday night (pax shunted onto earlier flights I assume).