QF15 delayed 8 1/2 hours mon 27/4?

[Tejas]

accorinf to qantas.com qf015 was massively delayed monday:


scheduled depature at 11:05 didn't depart until 19:30 . was schduled to arrive at 07:00 but arrived at 15:16

anyone know why? equipment change?

 

[Evan]

If nobody actually knows i think it is very safe to assume it was a mechanical issue. It happens. I prefer it fix or replaced and be safe and late than on time to die !
One of the hazards of flying, just like getting caught in peak hour traffic and being late for work due to some un-expected road works or an accident.

Hope you had lounge access ! i know any delays now i am WP are a lot less stressful sitting in the Flounge

 

[mannej]

I second that Evan. Having been on one of these flights that was delayed 10 hours, Lounge access (even just QP at PER) is a god send. Not fun for the ones outside, but that is their problem!

Qantas pilots tend to err on the side of caution, while it may result in a delay, it is probably not the worst thing in the world that could happen.

 

[Tejas]

If nobody actually knows i think it is very safe to assume it was a mechanical issue. It happens. I prefer it fix or replaced and be safe and late than on time to die !
One of the hazards of flying, just like getting caught in peak hour traffic and being late for work due to some un-expected road works or an accident.

Hope you had lounge access ! i know any delays now i am WP are a lot less stressful sitting in the Flounge

i wasn't on it - i'm booked on qf15 as part of my USA trip starting tuesday and ki'm keeping an eye on all my legs of that trip

 

[Evan]

Arrrhhh then don't worry to much, you never will know what happen on your day, probably like 90% of the other days and everything just runs on time as planned.
The aircraft used on the USA routes are the newest and best maintained of the whole fleet so really they should have the least failures.

I have been unlucky enough to get 2 6-8hr delays on QF9/QF10 this year but it was probably about the only 2 big delays that flight has had all year. Not much i could do about it, sure it ruined everybodys connection and my day but no point stressing.

 

[NM]

The aircraft used on the USA routes are the newest and best maintained of the whole fleet so really they should have the least failures.

I am not sure about the comment regarding being the newest aircraft. QF15/16 is a 2-class operation and the 2-class 744s in QF's fleet include VH-OJA, VH-OJB, VH-OJC, VH-OJD and VH-OJE, which happen to be the first 5 QF 747-400s delivered in 1989 and 1990. The other 2-class birds are VH-OJI and VH-OJJ delivered in 1990 and 1991. Of course the age of the aircraft has little to do with the quality of the maintenance process or the reliability of the particular aircraft.

 

[docjames]

I am not sure about the comment regarding being the newest aircraft. QF15/16 is a 2-class operation and the 2-class 744s in QF's fleet include VH-OJA, VH-OJB, VH-OJC, VH-OJD and VH-OJE, which happen to be the first 5 QF 747-400s delivered in 1989 and 1990. The other 2-class birds are VH-OJI and VH-OJJ delivered in 1990 and 1991. Of course the age of the aircraft has little to do with the quality of the maintenance process or the reliability of the particular aircraft.

Agree with NM about age of aircraft - the 744s are getting on in age to equal some of the 763's!

Having said that, my perception (may / may not be accurate) is that the US flights (and all o/s to some extent) are less delayed ex-Australia than some of the others, as it's a bit simpler to do LAX-BNE-LAX-etc, with long flights allowing more opportunity to make up time, than a day spent in a 738 doing SYD-MEL-ADL-SYD-BNE-SYD etc etc.

eg. we were over an hour late leaving BNE last time we did BNE-LAX (was -OJJ by the way!) but made the time up and arrived into LAX on time.

 

[Evan]

Arhh, i was thinking all the USA flights were 3 class and mostly GE engined birds, the 6 ER's + the other 3. (how very MEL/SYD centric of me)

But anyway the logic about being better maintained was that the flights are long but not many take/off landings and that they have good time in the USA to do maintiance at there LAX base.

Anyway the actual age really does not make a lot of difference. And i would prefer a 20 year old 744 than some other newer planes flown by some other airlines that don't maintain them well.

 

[docjames]

Well, I may actually be wrong now thinking back, I think we took OJJ LAX-JFK actually, as it was a two class 744 (BNE-LAX).