Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Flyerqf]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Anyone know what happened at Syd today? A bunch of planes diverted to bne including qf8 and 2x United 777s. Looks like they unloaded and ferried onwards on domestic. An incident / traffic, or just headwinds/fuel?

i believe it was fog at SYD.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF8 from DFW to SYD departed two minutes early at 2238 on Sunday night (4 April 2015) but was diverted to BNE arriving at 0712. After an extremely lengthy stay, far beyond what might normally be expected if fog lifts at say 1030, it isn forecast to depart BNE in a few minutes at 1045, arriving SYD at 1205. In turn QF7 back to DFW is expected not to depart SYD until 1630, three and a half hours late.

QF12 from LAX to SYD departed on time on Saturday night at 2200 but was similarly diverted to BNE where it spent a lot less time (0557 to 0708) and managed to arrive SYD at 0853, 2 hours and 43 minutes late which in the circumstances is quite creditable. The later (and unlike the others, 744 operated) QF18 perhaps fortuitously departed LAX 85 minutes late at 0120 on Sunday 5 April and gained two minutes enroute, arriving SYD 83 minutes late at 0903 this morning and not having to be diverted. Sometimes the tortoise wins after all.

QF11 back to LAX ex SYD is therefore delayed until a forecast 1400 - again somewhat optimistic - and will be close to four hours late when it arrives in LAX should the forecasts prove accurate.

 

[Flyerqf]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Melburnian1 - given DFW is a longer flight than LAX to SYD, my guess is that QF8 required a crew change due to hours being exceeded, and they probably had to position the crew from Sydney, hence the longer delay than QF12.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Flyerqf, a very reasonable assumption, as if the weather 'closed in' (fog) unexpectedly (if I recall it was not forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology last night for Sydney), a standby tech and cabin crew would have had to have been rustled up at short notice and found seats on a SYD - BNE domestic flight, then get themselves to the international terminal in BNE.

This is one of airlines' many 'hidden' expenses: a standby crew (or at least giving them all a call at their homes and asking them to report for duty within two hours or so) of more than 15 to man an Airbus A380. Little wonder when fuel prices are at 'normal' (not presently cheap) levels, many so called legacy airlines easily make losses.

QF8 (VH-OQD) is approaching SYD but the QF website expects it not to be at the gate until 1226, as it has to land from the south. Just why it cannot be turned around in two hours and depart as QF7 at around 1430 - not the retimed estimate of 1630 - is not clear.

 

[Flyerqf]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF8 (VH-OQD) is approaching SYD but the QF website expects it not to be at the gate until 1226, as it has to land from the south. Just why it cannot be turned around in two hours and depart as QF7 at around 1430 - not the retimed estimate of 1630 - is not clear.

Different aircraft. OQD is operating QF11 at a revised departure time of 1410.

My guess is that the delay to QF7 is again due to crew. The crew that were scheduled to operate QF7 probably positioned to BNE to operate the BNE-SYD sector of the diverted QF8. As a result they probably had to call in a standby crew for today's QF7, which won't be a quick process - some may be based in MEL.

 

[JessicaTam]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Whilst QF laud their on time performance, it would be interesting to see it listed by aircraft type. The A380 performance would be pretty woeful this last few weeks.

 

[Flyerqf]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Whilst QF laud their on time performance, it would be interesting to see it listed by aircraft type. The A380 performance would be pretty woeful this last few weeks.

They don't report international OTP, do they? Agree A380 would easily be the worst, mainly due to the increased utilisation and tight turnaround times.

Sydney's weather just keeps on giving. QF11 still hasn't departed and a large storm is about to hit Sydney. I'd suspect there will be significant delays at SYD.

 

[Kefci2000]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Whilst QF laud their on time performance, it would be interesting to see it listed by aircraft type. The A380 performance would be pretty woeful this last few weeks.

i have never left on time on an A380 (always 0.5 to 1.5 hours late) and found out the hard way not to have tight connections

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

And SYD airport is closed again and as it always is, due to electrical storms.
Does Badgerys Creek have any of these sorts of storms as caused by being so close to the coast?
Delayed flights from now on till tonight.

 

[love_the_life]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

So you're stuck there on your NZ jaunt, AP? At least you will have the lounge.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF11 took off about half a minute before 1500, and is now forecast to be at LAX at 1045, four and a quarter hours late. This makes it a very long trip for anyone connecting to JFK or most other USA cities.

There have been quite a few examples of late where the A380s lose time on the DXB- LHR and even DXB - Oz sectors, presumably at least partly due to airport congestion with accompanying lack of available slots in which to land. Fog at DXB has also been previously noted as a cause of delay on occasion.

The A380 operated longer routes between SYD or MEL and LHR or LAX don't have a great on time record of late, although it's highly variable and unpredictable. The DFW route seems more reliable, although not today.

Asian airlines operating through major or developing hubs such as SIN, NRT, HKG, ICN, MNL, BKK and KUL to name a few may not be perfect but they appear to run more punctually than QF can manage.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

QF7 (VH-OQI) finally took off and is now due at DFW at about 1630, three hours behind time. QF1 (VH-OQL) is also late (as on the non AEDT timetable it is due out at 1600 hours) and is waiting for a stream of domestic arrivals such as TT252 from MEL to land, but should be on its way shortly, hopefully picking up time en route to DXB.

 

[Flyerqf]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Looks like there could be more fog tomorrow morning in Sydney.

 

[milehighclub]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Different aircraft. OQD is operating QF11 at a revised departure time of 1410.

My guess is that the delay to QF7 is again due to crew. The crew that were scheduled to operate QF7 probably positioned to BNE to operate the BNE-SYD sector of the diverted QF8. As a result they probably had to call in a standby crew for today's QF7, which won't be a quick process - some may be based in MEL.

The QF8 was ferried to SYD. It did not have passengers.

It is much easier and faster to get those passengers on a domestic flight than call out a full crew compliment and wait for them.

You can also get passengers that are travelling further than SYD on their way quicker too. So a PER bound passenger can simply fly BNE-PER instead of an additional flight to SYD.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

milehighclub, what about passengers' baggage in the hold? Passengers would have had to clear customs in Brisbane, so that would take time, perhaps sufficient to have bags accompanying them.

It mystifies me how there would be 200 or more seats spare on domestic QF (or JQ) BNE - SYD flights at such short notice, assuming that the majority of passengers had SYD as their final destination. The QF frequency during the middle of the day is also only hourly, so even if there were 50 seats spare on the first flight, it could be another three or four hours before sufficient spare seats became available, unless a spare domestic aircraft (requiring crewing) was found.

You may also mean 'full crew complement.' Maybe QF's standby crews are always complimentary to passengers, but of equal importance is that they are a full complement. Ah, the English language.

 

[milehighclub]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

milehighclub, what about passengers' baggage in the hold? Passengers would have had to clear customs in Brisbane, so that would take time, perhaps sufficient to have bags accompanying them.

It mystifies me how there would be 200 or more seats spare on domestic QF (or JQ) BNE - SYD flights at such short notice, assuming that the majority of passengers had SYD as their final destination. The QF frequency during the middle of the day is also only hourly, so even if there were 50 seats spare on the first flight, it could be another three or four hours before sufficient spare seats became available, unless a spare domestic aircraft (requiring crewing) was found.

You may also mean 'full crew complement.' Maybe QF's standby crews are always complimentary to passengers, but of equal importance is that they are a full complement. Ah, the English language.

You'd be surprised at how many passengers connect to other flights from the QF8. If an extra aircraft was required, it is easier to source it from a domestic perspective as crew do airport standby, so can be on the aircraft in minutes.

Also, they won't send an entire crew complement (shouldn't post jetlagged!) when the passengers can be put on domestic flights. That's a minimum of 18 cabin crew and 2 pilots you would lose from your standby resources. If something was to happen to the QF11/7/1 and you've sent all your standbys to BNE, those flights will either operate short crewed, or be delayed.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

Thank you, milehighclub. Your points are logical, because QF8 is not 'complemented' (that word again - apologies!) by nonstop flights from DFW to either BNE or MEL, so on reflection it really would be a 'round Australia microcosm.' QF's AJ has also previously suggested that the DFW flights have been successful because many passengers bound for elsewhere in 'the States' want to avoid transferring at LAX.

I hope for QF's sake it does not have multiple problems with A388 flights on the same day. It can often cope with one problem affecting one aircraft, but the small size (12) of the fleet and fairly intensive use makes it difficult if much goes wrong beyond that. One wonders if problems will bedevil the B744 fleet when those seasonal flights to YVR commence. Flyerqf suggests fog is on its way to SYD overnight, not the best news for airline operations staff.

 

[Boris spatsky]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

prince harry!

Nope, twas the fog

 

[Flyerqf]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

The QF8 was ferried to SYD. It did not have passengers.

It is much easier and faster to get those passengers on a domestic flight than call out a full crew compliment and wait for them.

You can also get passengers that are travelling further than SYD on their way quicker too. So a PER bound passenger can simply fly BNE-PER instead of an additional flight to SYD.

interesting. Why would it ferry as QF8, rather than a QF6000+ flight number, which are usually used for ferry flights.

 

[Quickstatus]

Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion

The QF8 was ferried to SYD. It did not have passengers.

It is much easier and faster to get those passengers on a domestic flight than call out a full crew compliment and wait for them.

You can also get passengers that are travelling further than SYD on their way quicker too. So a PER bound passenger can simply fly BNE-PER instead of an additional flight to SYD.

and i think some/many actually have BNE as their final destination.

If all passengers deplaned in BNE, it suggests a large contingent do not have SYD as a final destination - probably because the flight from DFW is unique in that it only has SYD as destination, unlike the LAX to OZ flights. BNE is a big enough hub to cater for many permutations including NZ, North QLD, west coast etc.

wife and Son was on QF94 earlier in the year in F deplaned in SYD due to fog in MEL. They were part of only 10 pax who actually deplaned, so their bags had to go the long way via MEL-SYD as searching for a small number of bags in an aircraft hold carrying a full load of passengers would have delayed the aircraft further. Though 10 bags of 12 that we had were on her flight. (The other 2 pax in the family were on QF12 and somehow only 2/12 bags were on the flight).