Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[jb747]

While weather and airline traffic (congestion) conditions are far from identical every day, this rather begs the question: If QF expects that 64 minutes can be taken out of the schedule on this complete gate-to-gate trip, why aren't the timetables adjusted to reflect these achievable faster journey times?

What time would you adjust the schedules to? That which you achieve 10%, 50%, 85% of the time? Or some other variation.

We've discussed this before. The times are not padded, for many reasons. An obvious one is planning for crew rosters. Even adding a relatively small amount to each and every planned flight could have a profound effect on flight time limitations. Whilst you need to ensure crew don't exceed limits, there is no point to underusing them because of poor planning. Looking back at many years of my rostered times, versus the actual, and I find that they balance out very closely...which wouldn't happen if they were being padded.

Yes, you can make up time. Normally not much, but if preplanned, and you don't mind using the large amount of fuel required, you might find another 20 knots of ground speed. Multiply that over 13 hours or so, and you made a lot of time. Of course, Dubai (in particular) will just throw that away with holding when you arrive, but you never know. Of course, if you're on a route with other aircraft (most of the time), you can't just rip along .03 mach faster than everyone else. ATC will eventually have something to say about that. Nor is it all that smart near any sort of bumps.

Over the last couple of weeks, QF94 has had some really nice fast flight times. Pure luck of the draw. They've not been flown any faster than usual...but the winds have not been as adverse as normal.

Historically, flight times were actually shortened to look better. In the days of TAA and Ansett, they ultimately reached the strange situation of scheduled 737 times that were not achievable using the faster 767. The theory was that the passengers would book with whomever said they were faster. I wonder if that really worked?

 

[Melburnian1]

Earlier on Monday 3 April, QF61, the 1055 hours BNE - NRT departed two minutes earlier at 1053, but arrived 42 late at 1952.

 

[Melburnian1]

Tuesday 4 April has seen QF79 (0935 hours MEL - NRT) depart at 1046, 71 late; arrival is predicted as 1950, 50 minutes late.

QF9 departed MEL at 2342 hours on Monday 3 April, 47 minutes late but arrived DXB at 0739, 34 minutes late. It then departed at 0914, only nine minutes late and should arrive LHR at 1339, 31 minutes early for a nett blocks off to blocks on gain of 78 minutes for the complete two sector trip.

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on Tuesday 4 April, QF1585 from SYd down to HBA is expected to arrive 54 kate with B717 VH-NXI.

ROK is closed as advised above:

http://www.rockhamptonregion.qld.gov.au/CouncilServices/Rockhampton-Airport

 

[Melburnian1]

Wednesday 5 April sees QF565, the first of the morning at a timetabled 0600 not having taken off until 0710. A332 VH-EBJ should arrive at around 0932, 32 minutes behind schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on 5 April, QF79 (0935 hours MEL - NRT) departed at 1008. Arrival is suggested as 1940, 40 late.

 

[Quickstatus]

whats the time reliability of the 717 fleet these days M1?

 

[Melburnian1]

whats the time reliability of the 717 fleet these days M1?

A good way to look at this is to examine the monthly domestic airline punctuality by route statistics put out by the Commonwealth Government's BITRE.

These are only publicly released where on a particular domestic route there are at least two airlines.

Obviously we can't yet see March 2017's results.

My impression - and bear in mind none of us can monitor every flight - is that the MEL - HBA and SYD - HBA routes have improved as regards the B717 timekeeping.

I do not observe a large enough number of the Queensland flights to assess it.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Thursday 6 April 2017 QF15 from BNE to LAX departed at 1256, 156 minutes tardy - most unusual for this flight as it is normally punctual or close to it. Same day arrival is suggested as 155 minutes late at 0835 hours, presumably delaying its onward leg, the 0820 hours LAX across to JFK QF11. The returning flight from JFK back across the USA (QF12 B744 leg) will also be highly likely to be delayed, as might Thursday 6's connecting QF12 from LAX to SYD and of course the continuation of the B744, QF16 from LAX to BNE.

QF94 is unlikely to be delayed as in most cases when 'the connector' QF12 from JFK is late, QF places Melbourne-bound passengers ex JFK on QF12 to SYD or perhaps occasionally QF16 to BNE. This is because of QF94's limited time for turning around in olde Melbourne town to return as QF93 on (in this case) Saturday 8 April.

The motto is that QF94 can be very good for passengers originating in LAX as it is given the green light to depart on time even if QF12 is late from JFK, but conversely travelling from JFK to MEL via LAX can be a bad choice timewise if QF12 is late because one may suffer a delay of some hours in having to transfer in SYD or less often in BNE for a domestic leg, a tiring process after many hours in the air across the Pacific.

 

[defurax]

QF12 (LAX-SYD) on 5 April has been delayed 16 hours with new departure time from LAX at 14:30 Thursday 6 April with estimated arrival at 22:00 on Friday.

I have a colleague on that flight. I'll try to find out how QF handled the delay, food, accommodation.

Edit: I hope QF will change catering to fit with the new departure time. I would hate to have the QF horrendous "supper" service on a mid-afternoon departure.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF12 (LAX-SYD) on 5 April has been delayed 16 hours with new departure time from LAX at 14:30 Thursday 6 April with estimated arrival at 22:00 on Friday....

defurax, great pickup: many thanks.

Provided spare seats were available, one might expect many passengers ticketed to SYD to be placed on QF16 and (if the problem was known prior to QF94's departure) on it as well.QF16 departed 24 minutes late ex LAX on Wednesday 5; QF94 for MEL was punctual in its LAX pushing back.

Interesting that QF1, QF7 and QF11 on Friday 7 April ex SYD are all showing as 'on time' at this stage.

On a recent previous occasion, AFF member the redoubtable milehighclub (a very kind QF staff member) advised us that one of the outbounds from SYD, if I recall QF11, had its normal A388 replaced with a B744, meaning fewer available seats.

A 2200 arrival on Friday (or any day) is too late to form a departure ex SYD prior to the 2300 hours curfew unless 'the (Federal Ministerial) delegate' determined that super-extraordinary circumstances prevailed. This would be pretty jolly unlikely.

 

[defurax]

defurax, great pickup: many thanks.

Provided spare seats were available, one mightr expect many passengers ticketed to SYD to be placed on QF16 and (if the problem was known prior to QF94's departure) on it as well.QF16 departed 24 minutes late ex LAX on Wednesday 5; QF94 for MEL was punctual in its LAX pushing back.

Interesting that QF1, QF7 and QF11 on Friday 7 April ex SYD are all showing as 'on time' at this stage.

On a recent previous occasion, AFF member the redoubtable milehighclub (a very kind QF staff member) advised us that one of the outbounds from SYD, if I recall QF11, had its normal A388 replaced with a B744, meaning fewer available seats.

A 2200 arrival on Friday (or any day) is too late to form a departure ex SYD prior to the 2300 hours curfew unless 'the (Federal Ministerial) delegate' determined that super-extraordinary circumstances prevailed. This would be pretty jolly unlikely.

Initially QF had predicted a 2AM departure for QF12, that might explain why PAX were not actively moved to QF16. Also I imagine checked bags can be problematic...

 

[Melburnian1]

Initially QF had predicted a 2AM departure for QF12, that might explain why PAX were not actively moved to QF16....

A further problem (not related to QF16) would be that if the QF12 delay was continually 'extended', eventually the SYD-bound flight crew would 'run out of hours.' That can't be helped.

One has to feel sorry in these circumstances for passengers (especially older folks and mums travelling with babies or small children), flight and cabin crew because it must be stressful (even if for passengers, free hotel accommodation is arranged, logistics may take a few hours.) One always wonders in these circumstances how much 'proper' sleep the crew get, even though they'll be back in 'their (LAX) hotel' for another (late check-in) night. Most crews who have worked on such long haul flights for a while will have had similar happen previously, but that does not take away the annoyance of not arriving home (i.e. back in SYD) when their roster said they would, let alone travellers with an urgent need to be at their destination.

The most peeving instance must be when engineers are working on fixing something that is defective with the plane and they keep saying 'yeah, we're fairly confident we can fix it in the next 90 minutes' only to then again revise the expected completion time for any repairs or maintenance.

 

[Melburnian1]

Also earlier on Thursday 6 April, QF73, the scheduled 1300 hours SYD - SFO B744 did not become airborne until 1454. Same day arrival is suggested as 1115 hours, 105 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Wednesday 5 April overnight delayed QF12 about which AFF member defurax informed us above has had its LAX departure time for Thursday 6 altered to 1510 with an anticipated 2245 hours arrival in SYD.

However it appears at 0755 AEDT on Friday morning (1455 hours Thursday LAX time) that it is yet to depart, imperilling its ability to touch down in SYD before the 2300 hours curfew, although recent flights in the air - not gate-to-gate - have taken as little as 13 hours and 42 minutes. With a typical taxiing of say 25 to 30 minutes at LAX, that gives a total elapsed time to SYD touchdown of a little above 14 hours, but one other recent flight took 14 hours and 36 minutes in flying time.

Further advice from defurax or others as to what has and is occurring(ed) in LAX would be terrific.

UPDATE: QF12 (A388 VH-OQE) departed LAX at 1521 on Thursday 6 April. It took off at about 1544 for the run to SYD.

QF is now estimating touchdown at 2230 tonight in SYD; FR24 (which sometimes exaggerates delays) claims 2307 hours as touchdown time.

FR24 seems confused as there are two 'large aircraft' images of a QF12 and a QF12D side by side southwest of LAX.

A388 VH-OQJ came in to SYD on Thursday 6 April ex MNL maintenance, and as far as I can see VH-OQB, VH-OQF and VH-OQI are all in SYD this morning with VH-OQB not having been used since arriving in SYD early on Thursday 6 April ex DFW on 4 April. If correct this explains why despite VH-OQE's predicted extremely late arrival in SYD tonight, QF11 does not have to have a B744 substitute today.

Often another A388 would be then sent up to MNL for maintenance but perhaps with busy Easter upon us, all 12 A388s are required to be operating passenger flights.

FURTHER UPDATE: QF12's touchdown time in SYD tonight has been further revised by QF to an expected 2250 hours, so it's sailing close to the bone.

 

[defurax]

The Wednesday 5 April overnight delayed QF12 about which AFF member defurax informed us above has had its LAX departure time for Thursday 6 altered to 1510 with an anticipated 2245 hours arrival in SYD.

However it appears at 0755 AEDT on Friday morning (1455 hours Thursday LAX time) that it is yet to depart, imperilling its ability to touch down in SYD before the 2300 hours curfew, although recent flights in the air - not gate-to-gate - have taken as little as 13 hours and 42 minutes. With a typical taxiing of say 25 to 30 minutes at LAX, that gives a total elapsed time to SYD touchdown of a little above 14 hours, but one other recent flight took 14 hours and 36 minutes in flying time.

Further advice from defurax or others as to what has and is occurring(ed) in LAX would be terrific.

UPDATE: QF12 (A388 VH-OQE) departed LAX at 1521 on Thursday 6 April. It took off at about 1544 for the run to SYD.

I've heard back from my colleague, so QF12 was finally "cancelled" at 2:30AM yesterday and he was offered accommodation at the Marriott hotel near LAX. Since his final destination is MEL and to avoid another hotel stay in SYD, QF has put him on QF94 tonight.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Thursday 6 April QF12 from JFK across to LAX departed at 2006, 116 late, with arrival estimated at 2255, 115 minutes late.

On Friday 7 , QF581 (1010 hours SYD across to PER, A332 VH-EBM) took off at 11`15 with arrival suggested as 1342 hours, 32 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Thursday 6 April's QF12 from LAX to SYD departed at 0014 hours on Friday 7, 104 minutes behind schedule. Saturday 8 arrival is projected to occur at 0730 hours, 70 minutes late.

QF16 followed shortly behind with an 0032 hours departure (72 minutes late) from LAX, bound for BNE where the Saturday 8 blocks on time is estimated as 0720, also 70 minutes late.

 

[Flyerqf]

QF12D is due in at 2311 after the curfew.

 

[defurax]

QF12D is due in at 2311 after the curfew.

So might end up in BNE I guess