My cancelled flight appeared to operate

[tuapekastar]

Leaving AFF Gathering #3 in SYD on Sunday, there were a number of flight delays for the AFFers gathered in the J lounge at SYD.

My own flight (455 to MEL) was already delayed 50 mins (presumably the delays were all related to the thunderstorms in SYD earlier in the day), when there was an announcement that 455 had been cancelled, please approach the service desk. Did so, was xferred smoothly to 459, which was scheduled to leave 20 mins later than the time 455 had been rescheduled for. No problem.

serfty (consulting his web sources) was suggesting that 455 looked like it was still operating. I was going to approach the desk out of curiosity but the monitor still advised 455 cancelled, approach staff at gate 13 (where 459 was departing from), so I let it go. All this time the plane that was supposed to be operating 455 could be seen at the gate (6?).

Anyway I got home without incident and checked the QF website and according to it, 455 did operate (there were dep and arr times for it anyway), and departed SYD, arrived MEL, 18 minutes before 459!

I'm not fussed about getting home a bit later, and the flight was fine, but I certainly could be fussed if I had been fibbed to by QF, even if there was underlying good intent.

Possibly only speculation until I ask QF about it, but has anyone else experienced something similar (i.e. being told their flight was cancelled, only to have it operate)?

What reasons could there be to potentially resort to subterfuge? Does anyone know for sure if 455 did operate? Or have I drawn a wrong conclusion from the info on the QF website (which I have recorded, but not here with me)?

PS. Points have not credited for 459 yet, I suspect because of the xfer from 455.

 

[Mal]

With only a 20 min delay, I would probably let this one go.

The only assumption I can make is that one of the following occurred:

- The flight was overbooked and they needed to offload some pax.
- Qantas had planned to cancel the flight, but at the last minute changed their mind (eg they weren't able to get another plane in position at the destination or another plane somewhere went mech, there was too much freight etc).
- Someone got confused as to which flights were cancelled and not cancelled.

 

[markis10]

QF may have operated the flight with no pax, moving the cabin crew to another flight to make up a shortfall and taking the pax with them, resulting in an a/c that just had to get technical crew and possibly some dead heading (sic) crew who needed to be elsewhere. That way they got the AC to where it needed to be ready for the next flight without the complications of passengers.

I have flown in a 747-400 with just technical crew - its a weird feeling seeing all those empty seats!

 

[odysseus]

Can't help with Qantas, but I've had the equivalent thing happen with Cityrail...

 

[JohnK]

Happened to me BNE-SYD on a Friday night a few months back. I posted something about it on AFF. If I remember correctly I was on the last flight of the night and when I got to the airport they moved me on to an earlier flight saying that the last flight will more than likely be cancelled.

From what I understand the flight I was on was full and my original flight still operated with a few passengers and arrived in SYD roughly at the same time. Who knows what happened? Perhaps they could not get everyone on to earlier flight(s) or decided they still needed the plane in SYD that night.

 

[Davo70]

...Does anyone know for sure if 455 did operate?...

tuapekastar - according to flightstats.com 455 did operate.

Track Flight Status for (QF) Qantas Airways 455

As for the chopping and changing - not sure.

 

[Mal]

QF may have operated the flight with no pax, moving the cabin crew to another flight to make up a shortfall and taking the pax with them, resulting in an a/c that just had to get technical crew and possibly some dead heading (sic) crew who needed to be elsewhere.

Yeah, this is quite logical. However, doesn't Qantas normally renumber the flight to avoid confusion?

 

[oz_mark]

Anyway I got home without incident and checked the QF website and according to it, 455 did operate (there were dep and arr times for it anyway), and departed SYD, arrived MEL, 18 minutes before 459!

I'm not fussed about getting home a bit later, and the flight was fine, but I certainly could be fussed if I had been fibbed to by QF, even if there was underlying good intent.

I certainly don't recall a boarding call for your original flight (and I am sure you would have noticed had there been one!).

Possibly only speculation until I ask QF about it, but has anyone else experienced something similar (i.e. being told their flight was cancelled, only to have it operate)?

Yes, although in my case the flight in question left after the one I got moved to. I have suspected that they managed to fix whatever was wrong with the aircraft (were actually boarded on it at one point in time), and decided to get it to its destination airport.

 

[oz_mark]

Yeah, this is quite logical. However, doesn't Qantas normally renumber the flight to avoid confusion?

I thought they only renumbered them if it gets delayed sufficiently (like a whole day), such that there would be two flights with the same number.

 

[tuapekastar]

Thanks, some interesting possibilities raised as to why it operated (without pax is something I had not considered)!

Flightstats (thx Davo70) makes interesting reading, lots of rescheduling but never a mention of cancellation or subsequent resumption.

I may politely inquire if I can be bothered (without necessarily holding out much hope of an answer, straight or otherwise - that'll avoid disappointment) - beyond that I may just, as suggested, 'let it go'.

 

[serfty]

I never saw "Cancelled" on the monitor - I did see something like "PAX refer service desk G13".

Later I saw "Flight Closed" in reference to it and shortly afterwards ZXA pushed back.

It arrived into MEL an hour late before operating QF492 back to SYD later that evening (30 minutes late). Monday morning it operated the 0705 BNE flight on time.

I personally believe it was ridiculously oversold and with the weather delays Qantas needed to unload some passengers and QF455 flew with PAX.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing - I should have checked the loadings.

 

[serfty]

The only assumption I can make is that one of the following occurred:

- The flight was overbooked and they needed to offload some pax.

This is the most likely reason. Maybe we should have sent a posse to the gate to find out.

- Qantas had planned to cancel the flight, but at the last minute changed their mind (eg they weren't able to get another plane in position at the destination or another plane somewhere went mech, there was too much freight etc).
- Someone got confused as to which flights were cancelled and not cancelled.

There is no indication of ANY Qantas flight from SYD to MEL being actually cancelled that evening.

OGO had been scheduled to operate this flight. This was changed around 1510 to ZXA with the knowledge that it would be ~2 hours late in from BNE as QF533.

 

[tuapekastar]

Maybe I did not see the word 'cancelled' on the monitor - unsure now. Certainly there was the reference to gate 13.

Would all monitors throughout the airport say 'go to gate 13'? That'd be lot of QF455 pax wandering to gate 13 and being redirected to gate 6 where ZXA was.

I've asked the question of QF - will see if I get a response.