QF1350 and QF1351

[Melburnian1]

Yesterday (3 April 2014) I noted QF1350 (a B744) arriving in MEL (ex SYD) at about 1540.

Today QF1351 departed MEL at about 1130, being operated by B744 VH-OJL.

The QANTAS Source | suggests that QF1350 was a passenger carrying extra flight.

Today's QF1351 was not on the public timetable as far as I could see.

Is it simply a school holiday extra to provide 350 plus extra seats, or is it an empty working ('ferrying') of this large aircraft back to SYD?

Did any AFFers travel on it - were they able to travel in J for instance as an op-up?

Is this the only instance of April 2014 of a B744 being timetabled to operate a SYD - MEL or VV domestic QF rotation?

If it was the same aircraft, it seems inefficient for it to travel to MEL one day and then not go back north 'home' until the next day.

 

[Mattg]

Yesterday (3 April 2014) I noted QF1350 (a B744) arriving in MEL (ex SYD) at about 1540.

Today QF1351 departed MEL at about 1130, being operated by B744 VH-OJL.

The QANTAS Source | suggests that QF1350 was a passenger carrying extra flight.

Today's QF1351 was not on the public timetable as far as I could see.

Is it simply a school holiday extra to provide 350 plus extra seats, or is it an empty working ('ferrying') of this large aircraft back to SYD?

Did any AFFers travel on it - were they able to travel in J for instance as an op-up?

Is this the only instance of April 2014 of a B744 being timetabled to operate a SYD - MEL or VV domestic QF rotation?

If it was the same aircraft, it seems inefficient for it to travel to MEL one day and then not go back north 'home' until the next day.

Don't know the reason for the extra flights but I can tell you that they were both operated by VH-OJL. Occasionally they do put on extra flights; I recall there was an extra scheduled SYD-MEL-SYD rotation on one of the football grand final weekends last year using a 747. It wouldn't have been a positioning flight as these are numbered QF6xx_.

 

[mannej]

QF1350 is generally used as the flight number for a charter flight.

Search through the Qantas Source and you will see it has been used a fair number of times.

http://www.theqantassource.com/?s=QF1350

 

[TheInsider]

It was a charter flights for a new major company which has just entered the Australian market.

 

[Melburnian1]

The only one I can think of is a women's fashion retailer called (I don't know anything about them) H & M.

So presumably there are lots of Sydney trendies on board, although I thought that the Melbourne GPO store was opening to the public on Saturday. Perhaps the 'A List' were there for a "sneak preview."

Thanks partly to the carbon tax, there aren't too many companies entering Australia at present - more are scaling down or leaving. High costs in unionised industries such as coal mining certainly aren't helping either, as one major minerals company boss pointed out earlier this week.

So good luck to the new entrant. Perhaps all those flying to SYD were at some Melbourne GPO soiree last night with free booze...just their luck.

 

[Brettmcg]

It was a charter flights for a new major company which has just entered the Australian market.

Indeed it was a special charter for H&M who celebrated the opening of their new Melbourne store with a party for celebs last night. Official store opening is tomorrow 05APR I believe.

 

[Melburnian1]

Thank you to all above for the inside knowledge or detective work.

I notice with these special flights that Flightradar24.com - Live flight tracker! never seems to provide the timetabled departure and arrival times, but instead gives the bare bones details. At least however one can still see the plane's progress.

The 1130 or so start would have allowed the darlings to sleep in until 0830 at their luxury Melbourne hotels, enjoy a sumptuous breakfast and catch a chartered limousine (no route 901 bus from Broadmeadows station, Skybus or even charter coach for us....pleazzzze!) in time for a 1045 checkin. How they must look down from afar on doddery old pensioners like me!