Middle East Airspace Diversions/Cancellations

[dajop]

Well VA doesn’t have any slots so that’s even worse.

Although could they maybe organise to lease some in the short term from QR if QR weren’t using them ?

Basically when people talk about QR, EK or EY flying via a different port it seems that QR has the least hurdles to do so, ( other than slots), using the VA arrangement.

 

[AuSammy]

Mulling over the length of impacts from the current mess. If flights through the ME airports are usually say 90% full. For each full day of airport closures, then surely it will be something like 10 subsequent days for delayed passengers to ripple out of the system. That's not counting the time taken to reposition planes / crew back to where they are needed.

 

[LionKing]

May I ask if any passengers on the diverted VA1/QR8400 - 28 Feb managed to get back to Sydney or they are still stranded in Melbourne?

 

[LionKing]

It appears airlines were unable to find accommodation for stranded passengers in Sydney due to a major event and they are sleeping at Sydney T1 overnight as the result:

Major Gulf airports damaged as airlines suspend flights

Australia's airports peak body has warned of "significant disruptions" to global aviation in coming days after the Middle East erupted into conflict and flights to the region were cancelled.

www.abc.net.au

 

[justinbrett]

Although could they maybe organise to lease some in the short term from QR if QR weren’t using them ?

Basically when people talk about QR, EK or EY flying via a different port it seems that QR has the least hurdles to do so, ( other than slots), using the VA arrangement.

It would be much simpler for QR to fly the route in their own right. VA brings nothing to the table.

 

[IrishPete]

Mulling over the length of impacts from the current mess. If flights through the ME airports are usually say 90% full. For each full day of airport closures, then surely it will be something like 10 subsequent days for delayed passengers to ripple out of the system. That's not counting the time taken to reposition planes / crew back to where they are needed.

One of the reasons I'm not in a rush to cancel my flights through Doha. I have seats for now, and I'm holding onto them.

 

[markis10]

It appears airlines were unable to find accommodation for stranded passengers in Sydney due to a major event and they are sleeping at Sydney T1 overnight as the result:

Major Gulf airports damaged as airlines suspend flights

Australia's airports peak body has warned of "significant disruptions" to global aviation in coming days after the Middle East erupted into conflict and flights to the region were cancelled.

www.abc.net.au

Accomodation was at a premium this week for Sydney even with the Mardis Gras done and dusted, Wednesday night city hotels are averaging $400-600 a night, the InterCon wanted $800.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

It appears airlines were unable to find accommodation for stranded passengers in Sydney due to a major event and they are sleeping at Sydney T1 overnight as the result:

Major Gulf airports damaged as airlines suspend flights

Australia's airports peak body has warned of "significant disruptions" to global aviation in coming days after the Middle East erupted into conflict and flights to the region were cancelled.

www.abc.net.au

An important question here is why the airlines aren’t booking passengers on flights operated by other airlines particularly if their final destination is not the Middle East. Yes this kinetic storm in the Middle East may but outside their control but they must take all reasonable measures to mitigate disruptions under Article 19 of the Montreal Convention which would include booking on other airlines

 

[lovestotravel]

I fly in about a week MEL-DXB..... Was meant to be EK Gamechanger F but who knows.... The rest of the family is on SQ ... I cancelled my J a few months back to get F on EK ....

I've just booked a backup plan MEL-ICN on Asiana and then a points booking on AF J ICN-CDG - At least it's the A350 and I've never seen ICN before...

Can cancel Asiana for about $200 I think, not sure it's so confused
Can cancel AF for 70 EU

 

[lovestotravel]

I was going to suck it up and fly SQ in Y on the same flights as the family but it was $2560ish in Y... I spent about $3,000 for the MEL-ICN in Y and then ICN-CDG in J....

Of course, SQ MEL-SIN is pretty much fully booked for the next week now as well

 

[Tiki]

I'm booked to go through Doha in 4 weeks, and I'm relaxed. 6 weeks should be fine for you. If the war goes on for more than 2 weeks I'll be amazed but if it does, then I might start asking my travel agent for options. After the war, the ME should be safer than for many years.

It's more an issue of when the transiting countries get taken off the Do Not Travel list because travel insurance won't be valid. I may personally feel safe to transit through the ME but I don't want my travel insurance to be invalidated.

 

[Tiki]

Sorry, can you remind me when your travel is?

We're booked to return to Australia via Doha on Saturday, and I was going to wait and see a bit longer. One of us' flight is Velocity points and the other paid with Qatar. If the airlines are willing to cancel already, maybe I should be looking at alternative ways home already?

3 weeks

 

[kangarooflyer88]

It would be much simpler for QR to fly the route in their own right. VA brings nothing to the table.

Status credits?

 

[I love to travel]

It's more an issue of when the transiting countries get taken off the Do Not Travel list because travel insurance won't be valid. I may personally feel safe to transit through the ME but I don't want my travel insurance to be invalidated.

Yes need to read up on whether it invalidates T I for whole journey or just transit bit

 

[MEL_Traveller]

An important question here is why the airlines aren’t booking passengers on flights operated by other airlines particularly if their final destination is not the Middle East. Yes this kinetic storm in the Middle East may but outside their control but they must take all reasonable measures to mitigate disruptions under Article 19 of the Montreal Convention which would include booking on other airlines

Good luck finding premium seats out of australia in the next couple of days! Economy seems ok, but premium is a different story.

Automated rebooking processes would satisfy MC99 obligations for airlines, and remember that for Aussie pax, you’d have to go to court (not small claims) to get your money back… no certainty there.

 

[MooTime]

Personally if I was flying thru ME within next 4 weeks for leisure I'd cancel in a heartbeat.
I'd pick a spot here in Aus for a holiday.
Life worth more than a trip abroad.
I don't mind taking risks, but flying thru or close to said area id be a touch nervous leading upto as would my extended family knowing.

Waiting for the potential s$&t to hit the fan then to try to cancel along with a million others, good luck.

Hope it works out for your family @Seat0B, tough one there.

 

[elanshin]

Yes need to read up on whether it invalidates T I for whole journey or just transit bit

TI is invalidated for the region if its caused by war most of the time anyways or your travel is disrupted by a war (aka if you can't fly home on a NE carrier because of war).

 

[elanshin]

An important question here is why the airlines aren’t booking passengers on flights operated by other airlines particularly if their final destination is not the Middle East. Yes this kinetic storm in the Middle East may but outside their control but they must take all reasonable measures to mitigate disruptions under Article 19 of the Montreal Convention which would include booking on other airlines

There's probably tens of thousands of passengers that they need to figure out solutions for. Not something that can be done quickly.

 

[Pushka]

So when will the Melbourne FI get cancelled....

 

[pauly7]

I fly in about a week MEL-DXB..... Was meant to be EK Gamechanger F but who knows.... The rest of the family is on SQ ... I cancelled my J a few months back to get F on EK ....

I've just booked a backup plan MEL-ICN on Asiana and then a points booking on AF J ICN-CDG - At least it's the A350 and I've never seen ICN before...

Can cancel Asiana for about $200 I think, not sure it's so confused
Can cancel AF for 70 EU

One of our group MDs was scheduled to go Tuesday to EU via Dubai on a QF code Emirates JV flight, has been automatically rebooked on QF metal ex Sydney via SIN.

Unfortunately one of her reports flying a day later same route but on EK code (for some reason) is SOL so far. They called Emirates who tried to rebook them onto QF but appears QF are holding and moving their own code/premium/FF passengers booked on the QF/EK JV onto their own QF flights first, which makes sense I guess if they have to triage.

Emirates reportedly looking at options to do some temporary re-hubbing via Asian ports but how long would that take to organise I wonder?