Re: General Qantas Delays/Cancellations/etc. Discussion
Steady, your optimism was a trifle misplaced as at 2210 the QF653 that you have graced with your presence still had not departed, 100 minutes after it should have been off blocks.
However your experience may turn out to be mild in comparison to SYD - PER patrons this afternoon. The 1530 to PER ex SYD, QF567 did not depart until 1846 while QF569, the 1630 finally departed SYD at 1954. The delay for the following QF571 (the 1730 departure) was comparatively small at "only" 84 minutes down when off blocks.
Although not SYD weather related, our old friend QF10 on Saturday 6 December departed 28 minutes late from LHR, arrived DXB 51 minutes late but spent more time than allowed there, departing at 0330 (135 minutes behind time) meaning that it is forecast to arrive in MEL two hours and five minutes late at 2340. QF predicts an 0130 departure on Monday 8 December for QF9 (95" late) with a suggested DXB arrival of 0800 and a way too optimistic prediction of only half an hour on the ground there. Sometimes the QF computer is slow to adjust these onward timings when human observers can see that it would be required. It will be interesting to see if the worst part of winter in a month or two in the UK is matched by more late running from QF10 (and the normally punctual QF2, the latter being an evening not an afternoon departure.)