QF9 / 10 retiming in November 2014

[Virgin Bart]

Hi all

Any further details on this? Small fish compared to today's announcements, I know.

So far I understand the retime will be significant (in order or 6-12 hours) and due to take effect in Nov.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Purely speculative but they may make QF9 an early-morning departure, so as to arrive in LHR around 7pm, turn it around as QF2 back to SYD. QF1 would turn around as well as QF10 departing LHR mid-morning arriving MEL late afternoon. Would allow SYD-HKG-SYD to go daily A380 I think.

 

[docjames]

Late night departure (old QF29 timing) would allow a ~midday arrival into LHR and then depart in the evening with shorter turn in LHR. Would be more attractive than an early morning departure from MEL as it would allow connections from ADL/HBA etc.

Might also need to look at the "banks" of EK flights to Europe and how it would connect with those in DXB as that would be a factor.

 

[serfty]

There's no mention of Sydney in the statements, so I'd suggest it would affect 9/10 only.

• Qantas services between Melbourne and London will be re-timed in November 2014 to reduce A380 ground time in Heathrow (second quarter FY15). There are no changes to overall capacity on London flights.
• The Melbourne-London service change frees up an A380 for additional flying, and Qantas will evaluate opportunities to use the aircraft on other routes.

Current January timings are:

QF 9 -> MEL 16:15 - DXB 23:25.. ... DXB 01:20+1 - LHR 05:10..
QF10 -> LHR 21:15 - DXB 08:10+1 ... DXB 10:55.. - MEL 07:55+1

I too am thinking mainly a later night departure from MEL to use up some of the 16 hours ground time with little change ex LHR.

Allowing for a minimum 4 hours ground time, it could leave MEL as late (early?) as 7am to arrive at LHR 5pm same day - that gives 20 or so hours ex MEL "to play with"

However, I suspect as per docjames that a Midnight (±2 hours) departure from MEL for a Noonish LHR arrival would be better, at least enabling more day time for connections. This reduces that "play with" time to around 12 hours.

 

[willjd]

24 hours on and still no annoucement. Checked timetables up to Jan 15 and still listing the same departure times for QF9 / 10. Surely if they are going to change they should do this now rather than waiting for more bookings to occur which they potentially have to change?

Purely selfish view but i want to book for Jan 15 and don't want to yet until i know what time i will have to leave Mel / LHR.

 

[willjd]

24 hours on and still no annoucement. Checked timetables up to Jan 15 and still listing the same departure times for QF9 / 10. Surely if they are going to change they should do this now rather than waiting for more bookings to occur which they potentially have to change?

Purely selfish view but i want to book for Jan 15 and don't want to yet until i know what time i will have to leave Mel / LHR.

Correction - Just recieved the following reply from QF "Hi William, we will be publishing the amended schedule for the Melbourne-Dubai-London service over the coming weeks"

 

[markis10]

Correction - Just recieved the following reply from QF "Hi William, we will be publishing the amended schedule for the Melbourne-Dubai-London service over the coming weeks"

I think they need time to renegotiate the slots at LHR.

 

[willjd]

I think they need time to renegotiate the slots at LHR.

:shock: You'd have thought they would have done that before announcing it.... imagine if they cant renegotiate??

 

[Virgin Bart]

24 hours on and still no annoucement. Checked timetables up to Jan 15 and still listing the same departure times for QF9 / 10. Surely if they are going to change they should do this now rather than waiting for more bookings to occur which they potentially have to change?

Purely selfish view but i want to book for Jan 15 and don't want to yet until i know what time i will have to leave Mel / LHR.

That's exactly why I started this thread! I have MEL-DXB-LHR booked for 14 Dec 2014 and LHR-DXB-MEL for 14 Jan 2015.

It just so happens I'm on an AA F flight with some complicated connections after/before the long haul flights, so I'm a little worried about AA changing me to a BA 777 "to accomodate me". We shall see.

 

[IGetAround]

In order to create one new aircraft (ie minimise A380 fleet layover by 24 hours per day) the following timings are most likely:
- LHR 1200 MEL 1900 +1
- MEL 2200 LHR 1100 +1
This gels with Qantas' old Heathrow departure slot (used by QF32) and departure slot (used by QF29) and aligns with EK departure banks in both northbound and southbound directions.

Total daily layover at LHR falls by 16 hours - from 30 hours (6am to 9pm) to 14 hours (6am to 12pm and 11am to 9pm).
Total daily layover at MEL falls by 8 hours - from 10 hours (6am to 4pm) to 3 hours (7pm to 10pm).
This results in an "extra" A380.

 

[markis10]

In order to create one new aircraft (ie minimise A380 fleet layover by 24 hours per day) the following timings are most likely:
- LHR 1200 MEL 1900 +1
- MEL 2200 LHR 1100 +1
This gels with Qantas' old Heathrow departure slot (used by QF32) and departure slot (used by QF29) and aligns with EK departure banks in both northbound and southbound directions.

Total daily layover at LHR falls by 16 hours - from 30 hours (6am to 9pm) to 14 hours (6am to 12pm and 11am to 9pm).
Total daily layover at MEL falls by 8 hours - from 10 hours (6am to 4pm) to 3 hours (7pm to 10pm).
This results in an "extra" A380.

There is no such thing as a Melbourne layover, the aircraft dont run back to back LHR flights, but feed into the LAX schedule or deadhead to Syd. Therefore the LHR layover is the only one that matters.

 

[under the radar]

many airlines change schedules ... for MANY AND VARIED REASONS...I certainly wouldn't 'consult' this forum for unbiased info... my advice will always be to contact the airline involved to discuss/work out your options...I read SO many posts/questions on on here that can be easily be resolved by contacting the airline directly/or logging onto the airline website...if I have a particular issue/problem with a QF..or any airline..or any company.. I go directly to the company.. the public have become so lazy/stupid nowadays that they think taking 3 or 4 steps is easier than taking 1 or 2 steps to get to the same point!!!

 

[IGetAround]

There is no such thing as a Melbourne layover, the aircraft dont run back to back LHR flights, but feed into the LAX schedule or deadhead to Syd. Therefore the LHR layover is the only one that matters.

Regardless of the 94>9 and 10>93 swap, total layover at MEL would fall by 8 hours under the above schedule. Given that MEL-LHR-MEL is the only route being rescheduled, , I can't see any other way to reduce total A380 worldwide layover by 24 hours without a daylight LHR-MEL and nighttime MEL-LHR.

The QF93/94 schedules are fairly inflexible as they need enough layover at LAX for the LAX-JFK-LAX leg. My guess is that QF94 will need to form QF93 or position to SYD.

My experience is mainly in rail, any reason why aircraft position between MEL and SYD rather than swapping at LHR/LAX?

 

[markis10]

My experience is mainly in rail, any reason why aircraft position between MEL and SYD rather than swapping at LHR/LAX?

Qantas carries an operational spare A380 most times, or the aircraft needs line maintenance.
Having said that its fairly rare, QF10 does the QF93 if its not deadheading.

 

[madrooster]

My experience is mainly in rail, any reason why aircraft position between MEL and SYD rather than swapping at LHR/LAX?

As markis10 has said, it is fairly rare for them to deadhead between SYD and MEL. They do usually swap at LHR and LAX, for example QF1 -> QF10, QF9 -> QF2, QF93 -> QF12 etc. This is generally to ensure the A380s rotate through SYD so that line maintenance can be done.

 

[AirKat]

We're booked early Dec and I am quite worried about this. I really do love the current flight time, it allows us to go out for breakfast, pack in a leisurely fashion, get to the lounge early for lunch and spa. I can handle evening but if it moves to early morning I'd be tempted to fly via Sydney. Which is probably what they want!

 

[pm3207]

A QF10 departure from LHR around 11am or so would slot in quite well with the EK flights. There seems to be a useful gap between EK8 (STD 9.10am) and EK2 (STD 1.35pm). The corresponding arrival times into DXB are 8pm and 12.35am, so an intercalating QF10 would have an attractive arrival time for pax taking that sector only too.

 

[dajop]

A QF10 departure from LHR around 11am or so would slot in quite well with the EK flights. There seems to be a useful gap between EK8 (STD 9.10am) and EK2 (STD 1.35pm). The corresponding arrival times into DXB are 8pm and 12.35am, so an intercalating QF10 would have an attractive arrival time for pax taking that sector only too.

Not to mention the potential for onward feed at DXB into QF10. There are about 20+ arrivals into DXB from Europe/ME/Africa between 2200 & 0000 and another 10 or so in the 30 mins after that. If travelling to MEL, they currently feed into the EK DXB-KUL-MEL service that leaves at 3am and arrives into MEL at the rather unattractive time of 2am. A well timed QF10 with EK codeshare could trim 4+ hours from the overall journey.

 

[IGetAround]

Not to mention the potential for onward feed at DXB into QF10. There are about 20+ arrivals into DXB from Europe/ME/Africa between 2200 & 0000 and another 10 or so in the 30 mins after that. If travelling to MEL, they currently feed into the EK DXB-KUL-MEL service that leaves at 3am and arrives into MEL at the rather unattractive time of 2am. A well timed QF10 with EK codeshare could trim 4+ hours from the overall journey.

There is an EK A380 DXB-SYD at this time that arrives at SYD just before the curfew; the arrival forms the 0600 SYD-DXB service. As you mentioned, the DXB-KUL-MEL flight also leaves towards the later end of the same bank.

 

[JessicaTam]

A later departure of QF9 from MEL would mean extended F lounge hours. Nothing wrong with that.