Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

The Thursday 5 November QF81 from SYD to SIN departed 58 minutes late at 1213 and should arrive at 1835, 65 minutes behind the eightball. Thankfully the turnaround times should minimise the chance of any late flights back overnight.

QF93 departed MEL 31 minutes late at 1151 on the same day and unusually will lose a fair bit of time across the Pacific with LAX arrival for this A388 predicted at 0740, 65 minutes tardy.

The adverse effects of Melbourne's stormy weather earlier today continue to be felt with QF454, the 1730 hours MEL to SYD and QF482, the 2045 hours on the same route being cancelled as punters return to SYD ex Melbourne's famous Oaks Day races.

 

[Mattg]

Tonight's QF25 SYD-HND service has been delayed overnight.

This appears to be related to the very late arrival of QF28 from Santiago. This flight diverted to Christchurch for some reason while en-route to Sydney, and ultimately arrived at 10.25pm. That would not have allowed enough time for the aircraft to turn around and depart for Tokyo before the 11pm curfew kicked in.

 

[Melburnian1]

Mattg, many thanks: QF25 is now rescheduled to 1100 on Friday 6 November for an 1815 hours arrival at HND. Although crew availability or other factors may be the 'driver', at least the out of towners put up in a Sydney hotel overnight will be able to rise at 0700 or so for brekky and then transport to the airport, rather than having to do both at sparrows'. This retiming assumes that the northbound flight gains 45 minutes on the schedule if my maths is correct.

Doubtless unrelated but the Wednesday 4 November QF26 ex HND did not depart until this morning, two hours and 19 minutes behind time at 0019, arriving SYD at 1130 instead of 0935.

This is another example of how QF's decision to sell those two old 747s may have been unwise. A few AFFers who know more about that than me apparently regard 'unwise' as an understatement. It is particularly relevant here because most of the time one might expect spare aircraft of the A388 or B744 variety (if either existed, which essentially they do not) to be in SYD.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Melbourne Airport - Flight Information, Shopping & Parking website indicates that this morning (Friday 6 November) QF2050 (coming in to MEL at 0941) has served both DPO and LST.

 

[Melburnian1]

The overnight delayed QF25 from SYD took off at about 1133 for HND, and is expected there at 1828 on Friday 6 November in the shape of B744 VH-OJS. This should no, fingers crossed, delay tonight's QF26.

VH-QPC from SYD to BKK (flight QF23) is still sitting at Kingsford Smith. The QF website said its departure was delayed from 0955 hours to 1135 but it pulled out at about 1141. This will mean tonight's QF24 may be delayed, although perhaps not by much as it is not due to depart the Thai capital until 1815 (2215 hours AEDT.)

Another QF A330 flight, QF129 from SYD to PVG (VH-QPE) has only just departed from its gate at 1131, 41 minutes behind time. QF's site suggests that the return QF130 will be a quarter of an hour late departing PVG at 2020, but that depends on the sort of run QF129 gets as it is about to queue for departure and there are at least five aircraft ahead of it.

The B744 operating QF63 from SYD to JNB has been delayed departing from 1135 to a forecast 1230, arrival being predicted at 1730 in lieu of 1630 hours. The return flight, QF64 is timetabled to depart at 1850 hours so Bob's your uncle that it will be tardy away from the South African major centre.

There are quite a few days when most QFi flights perform well in punctuality: today (thus far) was not in that league.

 

[flychrisfly]

The B744 operating QF63 from SYD to JNB has been delayed departing from 1135 to a forecast 1230, arrival being predicted at 1730 in lieu of 1630 hours. The return flight, QF64 is timetabled to depart at 1850 hours so Bob's your uncle that it will be tardy away from the South African major centre

QF63 was just delayed again to 2pm. Reasoning "late release from maintenance"

 

[Melburnian1]

QF519, the 0955 from BNE to SYD had its crew request a diversion to CBR about 10 minutes ago with VH-XZL, a B738, certainly heading in the direction of the National Capital. No reason was given that I could ascertain: many other flights are landing (and taking off) in or from SYD.

 

[Dean351]

QF574 is now 3 hrs and 50 minutes late leaving Perth,they have boarded several times and is currently still at the terminal.
perth to Sydney,but the $10 voucher makes it worthwhile

 

[Melburnian1]

QF63 in the form of B744 VH-OJU finally departed at 1510 on Friday 6 November and should be in JNB, ex SYD, at 1955 hours instead of 1635. In turn QF64 is expected to depart JNB at 2200 hours with arrival in SYD on Saturday 7 November at 1830., two hours and 50 minutes late. All this is predicated on both flights improving on the schedule.

In turn on Saturday night, 7 November this is likely to delay QF17 that is timetabled to depart SYD for LAX at 1825 hours. This is not likely to alter in punctuality's favour because QF may not have a spare B744 in Sydney, as both it and the A388 fleet, allowing for planned maintenance, are generally fully committed.

The delayed QF574 referred to above should arrive in SYD in less than an hour, at 1651 - nine minutes shy of four hours late. Probably because of this, QF577 from SYD to PER departed 61 minutes late at 1501 today and will gain a whole one minute en route to the Golden City of the West, QF expects.

 

[Himeno]

I have HEL-LHR-DXB-LHR-PVG on Sun/Mon. AY-QF-QF-BA with only 3 [planned] hours in DXB between QF10 and QF1.
Just to make sure I have this right...
I should check for any delays to QF1 ex-DXB (Sat AU departure) before leaving HEL indicating possible issues with QF10, then QF1 ex-SYD (Sun AU departure) while at LHR to check for possible delays at DXB?
If everything is ontime, it's 3 hours between AY831 and QF10, 3 hours between QF10 and QF1 and 7 hours between QF1 and BA169.

 

[Melburnian1]

Himeno, yes, I think that's correct because the arriving (LHR) morning QF1 normally forms QF10 at 1205 hours, while the arriving (now at 1255 UK time) QF9 normally forms QF2 at 2035 hours.

On some days there will not be any problems to speak of but as you know better than I, DXB has some very busy airspace above it with many A380s in use, not just from QF but EK, and so all you need is a departure an hour late ex say LHR and then some severe weather at DXB (of which there does not seem to have been any very recently, but some weeks ago sandstorms or fog was occurring) to throw things an adverse way for you.

Remember that QF recently slowed most of these flights so while that may be the bane of many travellers, in your case it will help to maintain punctuality. Sometimes now flights such as QF9 into LHR can run early, such is the genrous timetable that QF has recently provided.

Navigating security at DXB may add to the transfer times: last time I did it, there was quite a queue and the staff were fairly officious. DXB airport is grossly inferior to SIN, ICN, HKG, KUL and (I know a controversial view) even T3 at MNL for transferring between international flights, and the public areas are a pale imitation of Changi. Notably DXB doesn't seem to make Skytrax' top ten worldwide airports, voted upon by millions of passengers.

You are keen (presumably to gain status credits) or you have a lot of money looking for a home!

 

[Himeno]

You are keen (presumably to gain status credits) or you have a lot of money looking for a home!

DONE3 with spare sectors to use up. Paying the same if I use them or not.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF2037 from DBO to SYD this morning (Saturday 7 November) is delayed by an expected 130 minutes, being now due in SYD at 0955.

 

[Melburnian1]

The delayed QF63 from SYD arrived at JNB at 2002 with QF64 departing at 2212.

Hence it will not arrive SYD until an expected 1836 tonight (7 November.) QF17 to LAX is expected to be delayed until 2030, being the second consecutive night it has been more than 45 minutes late.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I have HEL-LHR-DXB-LHR-PVG on Sun/Mon. AY-QF-QF-BA with only 3 [planned] hours in DXB between QF10 and QF1.
Just to make sure I have this right...
I should check for any delays to QF1 ex-DXB (Sat AU departure) before leaving HEL indicating possible issues with QF10, then QF1 ex-SYD (Sun AU departure) while at LHR to check for possible delays at DXB?
If everything is ontime, it's 3 hours between AY831 and QF10, 3 hours between QF10 and QF1 and 7 hours between QF1 and BA169.

I think if there are delays, the only option will be to cancel the LHR-DXB-LHR turn-around? EU261 almost certainly won't kick in to assist you, with the exception that you might get compensation if the LHR-DXB is delayed. But it won't assist you with the return back, or the delay after that getting back to AU.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Friday 6 November 2015 QF2 arrived 13 minutes early on Saturday 7 November at 0722 in DXB but there 'the music stopped.' Instead of departing for SYD at 0935, it has just departed at 1108 meaning arrival will be at 0745 on Sunday 8 November, 75 minutes late, or perhaps a tad later if it is slow in receiving ATC permission to take off from the Middle Eastern sands.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF23 from SYD to BKK on Sunday 8 November departed 48 minutes late at 1043 and will not according to QF gain much on the schedule with arrival predicted 38 minutes behind time at 1613 this afternoon (2013 AEDT.)

 

[Melburnian1]

Coincidences can occur when one is not expecting them.

I was watching on the advertising-filled (to extremes) Channel 9 feed of the QF television show where the lady who was the passenger services manager was unimpressed about a 20 minute delay to QF7 due to offloading a lady who was inebriated or affected otherwise by drugs (with her husband who appeared sober, not that this is easy to judge on a TV screen) when lo and behold, today's QF7 departed 76 minutes late at 1621 from SYD to DFW.

QF expects DFW to be reached at 1415 instead of the usual 1335. As mentioned above, this flight (and its return QF8) are some of the better QFi punctuality performers but oddly this is the second delay to hit QF7 in the last few days.

 

[Melburnian1]

While it might be counter-intuitive if one did not examine turnaround times in the schedules - because SYD is 'busier' in our minds than MEL (although there is little difference in domestic passenger numbers, and MEL's international passenger numbers are rising and starting to close the substantial gap with SYD's), QF1 out of SYD for DXB and LHR seems to perform better in a timekeeping sense than QF9 ex the southern capital. A fair bit of this may be because of the two hour turnaround time between QF10 and QF9.

That said, today's 1645 timetabled departure of QF1 did not take off until 1811 (8 November 2015) so it is due in DXB at 0152 on Monday 9 November not 0050 hours.

It may still however arrive at LHR on time due to the generous, slowed schedule from late October even taking the UK time change into account, and the ability to sometimes reduce the timetabled stay in DXB. Aircraft is VH-OQC.

Himeno, no doubt you will take note as it is 'your' flights on the line. Happy travelling!

 

[Himeno]

That said, today's 1645 timetabled departure of QF1 did not take off until 1811 (8 November 2015) so it is due in DXB at 0152 on Monday 9 November not 0050 hours.

It may still however arrive at LHR on time due to the generous, slowed schedule from late October even taking the UK time change into account, and the ability to sometimes reduce the timetabled stay in DXB. Aircraft is VH-OQC.

Himeno, no doubt you will take note as it is 'your' flights on the line. Happy travelling!

I just checked it. Due in here (DXB) in a little under an hour.
My QF10 down here arrived more or less on time, despite sitting around at the LHR ramp for a while.
Wifi was out at the T3 BA lounges (looked like someone hacked the SSL cert, so devices refused to load the BA load in screen as keys didn't match) so couldn't check the status out of SYD.