Thank you QFlink - you write the book when it comes to disruption recovery.

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markis10

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Had an interesting night last night with a CNS DRW service, got notification that it was running 5 hours late due to a 717 being offline needing a new windscreen ( which takes a while for Cobham to replace when there are no spares in country - Cobham do the maintenance but QF are the spares holder/ supplier). Collegues decided to catch the CNS GOV DRW service which subsequently went tech at Gove and we ended up leaving CNS to go via GOV as well at 1109.


[TABLE="width: 760"]
[TR]
[TH="class: flightNo, bgcolor: #F0F0F0, align: left"]Flight No.[/TH]
[TH="class: from, bgcolor: #F0F0F0, align: left"]From[/TH]
[TH="class: to, bgcolor: #F0F0F0, align: left"]To[/TH]
[TH="class: scheduled, bgcolor: #F0F0F0, align: left"]Scheduled Status[/TH]
[TH="class: current, bgcolor: #F0F0F0, align: left"]Current Status[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="class: first-sector"]
[TH="class: key, align: left"]QF1874[/TH]
[TD="class: from, align: left"]Cairns[/TD]
[TD="class: to, align: left"]Darwin[/TD]
[TD="class: scheduled, align: left"]Cancelled[/TD]
[TD="class: current, align: left"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: sectors more-sector"]
[TD="class: from, align: left"]Cairns[/TD]
[TD="class: to, align: left"]Gove (Nhulunbuy)[/TD]
[TD="class: scheduled, align: left"]Departure22:45 (Wed)
Arrival[/TD]
[TD="class: current, align: left"]23:09 (Wed)DEPARTED
00:27 (Thu)LANDED[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: sectors last-sector"]
[TD="class: from, align: left"]Gove (Nhulunbuy)[/TD]
[TD="class: to, align: left"]Darwin[/TD]
[TD="class: scheduled, align: left"]Departure
Arrival00:50 (Thu)[/TD]
[TD="class: current, align: left"]01:56 (Thu)DEPARTED
03:06 (Thu)LANDED[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


Landed not GOV to find our Collegues looked Ok albeit with plastic seat bottom discomfort from the luxurious fittings at GOV, the only airport in Australia with a control tower that was built but never used! After 90 minutes we were all accommodated on the 717 that we flew in on and departed for Darwin arriving at 3 AM as opposed to the normal 9 PM departure.

So why do I think QF in conjunction with QF link wrote the book on recovery in this instance:

1. All the status flyers were moved to a service to arrive in DRW earlier than the original QF1874 service without being requested to.
2. QF on realising they could not contact all passengers made arrangements to keep the lounge at Cairns open regardless despite it being a 4 hour extension.
3. The lounge manager kept us informed at all times.
4. The QFlink team on the ground at GOV made sure the earlier flight was looked after while waiting for us to rescue them with food and water bought in from town which must have been an effort at short notice.
5.The crew on the earlier stranded service who had to then deadhead back to DRW did everything to make sure everyone got a seat home including nursing a baby for a mother so a seat could be used for another passenger ( well done to DRW based crew member Sarah on her help there), and the ground crew took the time to ensure every bit of luggage was loaded. The deadheading crew also took middle seats throughout the cabin.

While we passengers were not all happy campers to get to our rooms by 4 AM complete with checked luggage, we arrived safely and in the knowledge that at every step of the way, we had been looked after at all times with every effort made to recover from what was an unavoidable situation, well done Qantaslink, as far as I am concerned you really show how it's done compared to the other QF group members.

As a postscript to our journey, it was somewhat ironic to find on arrival we could not collect our hire car from Avis as they could not be bothered waiting after the last DRW departure of 2 AM, so much for Avis - " We try harder".
 
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Good story. Well doen to QFLink. Makes you wonder why all flight recovery cant be done this way, but potentially also reflects job happiness and pride in their brand that seems lacking at times in other parts of the QF world.

/OT/
Got an Avis advert below your post ironically (no doubt google ads picking up on the avis reference - oops!).
 
Sounds like you were looked after, I have just spent 5hrs in the QC in Adelaide waiting for my flight to Melbourne and due to my need to check baggage due to restrictions on my incoming leg (the first time in ages) I have been stuck, I just want to get home tonight!
 
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