Unusual flight - QF865 NTL-SYD B737-800

[justinbrett]

Due to QF841 (DRW-SYD) diverting to NTL last night due to storms, the aircraft remained overnight.

It's now flying out today as QF865. Curious as they've given it a proper flight number and it's not a extension of QF841 from yesterday.

NTL never sees QF mainline flights so it's quite unusual to have this flight today. There's also a QLK flight today to SYD (the Wagga flight diverted from yesterday) but this one is not appearing in the timetables.

QF865 (QFA865) Qantas Flight Tracking and History 02-Dec-2020 (NTL / YWLM-SYD / YSSY) - FlightAware

Track Qantas (QF) #865 flight from Newcastle-Williamtown Airport / RAAF to Sydney

flightaware.com

 

[Christoo]

I was on QF465 last night Sydney to Melbourne 8pm, we were delayed an hour due to the storms, then we were told we were waiting the connecting passengers from Darwin on QF865 who had diverted to Newcastle because of the storms.

The Newcastle flight was delayed 4 times, then the storms eventually hit Newcastle and shut down the airport, so they decided to go without the connecting passengers. We ended up leaving Sydney at 10:30pm.

Most frustrating was that they asked us to leave the lounge at 8:30 because the plane was ready for imminent boarding and they closed the lounge behind us and we couldn't go back when the flight was delayed.
I know they cannot help the weather, but it was overall a pretty poor display from an airline that will rely on customer loyalty to get through the next 12 months. Closing the lounge before the flights departed was inexcusable in my book.

 

[justinbrett]

I know they cannot help the weather, but it was overall a pretty poor display from an airline that will rely on customer loyalty to get through the next 12 months. Closing the lounge before the flights departed was inexcusable in my book.

Agreed. Also when the timetables were limited and often you were forced to fly JQ (eg ADL-SYD), the ADL lounge would kick you out after the last Qantas flight left.

But spare a thought for the pax on QF841 - after a 5 four flight they were stuck on the aircraft for an extended period due to the storms (no handling while there is lightning). I'm unsure how long they were there but from a friend who works at the airport said it was a couple of hours.

 

[Blackadder]

I was on QF841 last night, all started with a go around at SYD. Apparently just as we were about to land , the wind gusts behind us suddenly increased beyond the safe threshold , so a go around and up to the Hunter to initially wait things out in a holding pattern, but then it became fuel issue so a decision was made to land at Newcastle,(unbeknown to the cabin supervisor who said Welcome to Sydney when we touched down, and was corrected by some passengers.). That’s when the fun and games started, initially told it was just a refuelling stop, then it became a issue of too many planes not enough ground crew, so the wait was extended to the point we were told we would be having the Night in Newcastle.
We were told the Storm was headed our way, but they would try to get us off to the terminal, and see ground crew for accommodation information, but just as we were about to disembark the Storm hit, so another delay.
Eventually we were told Buses had been organised to take us to Sydney, we began disembarking again much to my surprise, as lightning was still all around us. I was in J , so one of the first off (thankfully didn’t check in my bag at DRW) , so with lightning all around made my way to the Terminal, I believe after I disembarked that they must’ve held the passengers on board again.
In the end it sort of worked out well for me, living in Northern Sydney I asked if I could be dropped off closer to home , which after a few minutes checking was no problem.
So after leaving Darwin around 30mins late I walked in the door around 1AM.

Post automatically merged: Dec 2, 2020

Agreed. Also when the timetables were limited and often you were forced to fly JQ (eg ADL-SYD), the ADL lounge would kick you out after the last Qantas flight left.

But spare a thought for the pax on QF841 - after a 5 four flight they were stuck on the aircraft for an extended period due to the storms (no handling while there is lightning). I'm unsure how long they were there but from a friend who works at the airport said it was a couple of hours.

Closer to 3-4 hours.

 

[justinbrett]

I was on QF841 last night, all started with a go around at SYD. Apparently just as we were about to land , the wind gusts behind us suddenly increased beyond the safe threshold , so a go around and up to the Hunter to initially wait things out in a holding pattern, but then it became fuel issue so a decision was made to land at Newcastle,(unbeknown to the cabin supervisor who said Welcome to Sydney when we touched down, and was corrected by some passengers.). That’s when the fun and games started, initially told it was just a refuelling stop, then it became a issue of too many planes not enough ground crew, so the wait was extended to the point we were told we would be having the Night in Newcastle.
We were told the Storm was headed our way, but they would try to get us off to the terminal, and see ground crew for accommodation information, but just as we were about to disembark the Storm hit, so another delay.
Eventually we were told Buses had been organised to take us to Sydney, we began disembarking again much to my surprise, as lightning was still all around us. I was in J , so one of the first off (thankfully didn’t check in my bag at DRW) , so with lightning all around made my way to the Terminal, I believe after I disembarked that they must’ve held the passengers on board again.
In the end it sort of worked out well for me, living in Northern Sydney I asked if I could be dropped off closer to home , which after a few minutes checking was no problem.
So after leaving Darwin around 30mins late I walked in the door around 1AM.

Post automatically merged: Dec 2, 2020

Closer to 3-4 hours.

Thanks for the update. My contact left the airport at 10pm and the pax were still onboard when he left. I went to bed around 11pm and we still had a light show around that time.

I wonder if any pax stayed the night? Curious they didn't use a repositioning flight number today, the normal flight number indicates they had pax booked on it. Maybe for the pax who had already missed their connections - may as well put them up in Newcastle and fly them out rather then subject them to a bus ride on top of that.

 

[Blackadder]

Yes I know the lady next to me was meant to be connecting through to Melbourne.
From the information I was told there were 3 Coaches going to Sydney, there was also a Virgin Australia flight diverted there, as it seems most on my Coach were from that flight , plus a VA ground crew member at the bus loading point.
Sounds like those connecting to Melbourne were accomodated overnight, and the rest bussed to Sydney.

 

[motef]

Thanks for the update. My contact left the airport at 10pm and the pax were still onboard when he left. I went to bed around 11pm and we still had a light show around that time.

I wonder if any pax stayed the night? Curious they didn't use a repositioning flight number today, the normal flight number indicates they had pax booked on it. Maybe for the pax who had already missed their connections - may as well put them up in Newcastle and fly them out rather then subject them to a bus ride on top of that.

I wonder if those that stayed the night were accommodated at Mercure Newcastle Airport or bussed into town (Newcastle CBD)

I have noticed many times flight crew being bussed into town instead of staying at the Mercure

 

[Bundy Bear]

I was on a flight that was diverted to Sunshine Coast after meant to be flying to Brisbane from Adelaide.
If the storm is moving northernly you know you are in for a wait.

We ended up being bussed to Brisbane.