QF32 Heathrow\Singapore\Sydney

[strife]

Been reading these forums for awhile time for my first post

The a380 had to return to Heathrow about 2 hours or so into the flight. Apparently the window seal in the coughpit had become dodgy.

After inspection on the the tarmac for about an hour,we are camped at Heathrow for the night.

On the way out asked the captain to we get the points for the miles but he couldnt answer

 

[whereishome]

And the journos in 3, 2, 1...

 

[djfuzz]

Damn, I was on that flight last week - luckily all we ad were busted toilets.

Something wrong with the plane, or dodgy LHR maintenance?

 

[strife]

Can only post what the captain announced, seal issue in the coughpit window. Which would seem to suggest plane issue. I would have throught they would be to big to get through at that altituded but who knows.

Not sure if it made the news over in Oz but it also looks like T5 at Heathrow at a major meltdown again today due to a luggage conveyer issue.

On the way across the a380 in Business Class had the refrigeration fail in business class (no big deal impact was they couldnt serve warm breakfast as they couldnt keep the food under a certain temp) and after landing the automated guidance system to air bridges failed so we had to wait for ground crew to have it guided in manually.

The LCD screen didnt work in business class and the chap in other side screen wouldnt eject which would have made for a cough flight anyway

 

[WTL]

And the journos in 3, 2, 1...

Why the skepticism?

 

[medhead]

I would think that you are fully entitled to the points for the flight based on my discussions with qantas. Without too many boring details, the discussions involved the question of when points are earnt. When the flight takes off or when it lands. A critical question when your flight takes off on the last day of your FF year and lands on the first day of the new year.

Anyway qantas told me that earning points is based on you being on the flight when it takes off. And that it doesn't matter what happens after that. i.e. If i left a syd-lhr flight in sin because I didn't want to wait 6+ hours for the plane to be fixed then I would get points for the whole flight.

Such an illogical response from qantas highlights the lengths that they go to so that everything favours them. So i'd be interested to see what ruling that make on your case.

 

[Dave Noble]

Assuming that you get on the diverted flight when it does depart again , then you are entitled to 1 set of miles/points for the journey undertaken from LHR-SIN. The miles for LHR-LHR-SIN is the same as LHR-SIN anyway

You should not get 2 sets of points

Dave

 

[Tooner]

Can only post what the captain announced, seal issue in the coughpit window. Which would seem to suggest plane issue. I would have throught they would be to big to get through at that altituded but who knows.

Clearly confined to A380s then

Same thing happened in March this year on a 738 to ZQN. 3 hour delay. Didn't make the newspapers trumpeting massive problems with the 738 fleet

 

[strife]

Clearly confined to A380s then

Same thing happened in March this year on a 738 to ZQN. 3 hour delay. Didn't make the newspapers trumpeting massive problems with the 738 fleet

sorry didnt indend to make it sound like a fleet issue

 

[medhead]

Assuming that you get on the diverted flight when it does depart again , then you are entitled to 1 set of miles/points for the journey undertaken from LHR-SIN. The miles for LHR-LHR-SIN is the same as LHR-SIN anyway

You should not get 2 sets of points

Dave

According to the advice I got from qantas, the first attempted flight would be treated as LHR-SIN with full points earning. Or even LHR to Australia if one the single flight number. If they then switch you to a different flight then by qantas' own advice to me double set of points should be earnt.

I can only wish that I was in this situation because I'd love to rub their face in their own previous (stupid) advice. (not that I'd expect to win)

 

[jb747]

Quite funny. The Captain wouldn't have a clue about points. I know that I don't. Ask him about fuel, or weather, but points?????

All aircraft with windows that slide open can give problems. Basically there is no way of testing the integrity of the seal whilst on the ground, and if there's the tiniest of gaps the noise it sets up will be deafening. Mostly the cure is to simply open the window and clean the seal. It happens mostly on 737 and 767, as their windows are opened pretty regularly. Mostly the 380 windows are left shut...for good reason. 747's don't open.

The noise can be bad enough to interfere with coughpit communication, and in some cases to cause permanent hearing damage.