Virgin Australia Delays/Cancellations

Saturday 14 of May 2022 sees VA1029 MEL-MCY (B738 VH-YFT) divert to BNE. The flight arrived on 11 03, 143 min behind schedule.
VA475 SYD-MCY was cancelled this morning.
VA738 OOL-MEL (B738 VH-VUS) has a revised arrival at 17 18, 118 min tardy.
 
'Herald Sun' online is reporting that MEL is in chaos during Wednesday 25 May early evening due to a complete power failure, throwing the airport into darkness.

There are photos of check-ins, with one appearing to show some emergency lighting operating (from a ceiling?)

The article says that up to 17000 passengers could be affected (but this must include inbound and outbound, and seems a lot for this time of the evening). Apparently up to 20000 nearby homes (suburbs such as Essendon) have been affected.

Airline delays appear to be building.

Most of us wouldn't normally pack a torch for a domestic trip, I'd hazard to suggest.
 
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Saturday 28 May 2022 has seen VA181 (0945 hours SYD - NAN) take off at 1103 with B738 VH-YIH, the third consecutive day this plane has run this service. Arrival was 1708 hours, 78 minutes tardy. It didn't do anything else on these previous two days, so quite low aircraft block hours utilisation.
 
Am onboard VA559
Scheduled 1315 Syd per service

Originally flight time advised as 4hr 50m but about 1330 advised by captain “technical glitch” discovered means a new flight plane required to be filed. About 1400 advised by captain still waiting on fuel truck to top us up with more fuel for longer flight plan. Advised new flight plan 5hr 28m.
 
Am onboard VA559
Scheduled 1315 Syd per service

Originally flight time advised as 4hr 50m but about 1330 advised by captain “technical glitch” discovered means a new flight plane required to be filed. About 1400 advised by captain still waiting on fuel truck to top us up with more fuel for longer flight plan. Advised new flight plan 5hr 28m.

Your aircraft, B738 VH-YFL ended up taking off at 1426 hours with suggested at gate arrival to be 1726 hours, 56 minutes behind schedule. The plane had been in SYD since 1136 this morning.
 
Originally flight time advised as 4hr 50m but about 1330 advised by captain “technical glitch” discovered means a new flight plane required to be filed. About 1400 advised by captain still waiting on fuel truck to top us up with more fuel for longer flight plan. Advised new flight plan 5hr 28m.

I see no technical glitch, just the classic avoid Victorian airspace manoeuvre.

Screen Shot 2022-05-29 at 7.01.32 pm.png
 
AFF stalwart and QFi employee milehighclub informed us that SYD was going onto 'single runway operations' today (east west runway) and so it remains approaching 1700 AEST on Tuesday 31 May.

VA1593, the 1525 hours SYD - NTL (why would VAd operate such a short flight?) was yet to take off by 1655. Aircraft is B738 VH-VOL.
 
SYD again seems to be on restricted runway operations during the mid to late evening of Wednesday 1 June 2022, an unwelcome operational start to winter.

VA888 is contrary to its numerical sequence not having much luck, as B738 VH-YIM on this 2000 hours SYD down to MEL took off at 2208, so arrival at gate will be at 2315 or thereabouts, 100 minutes tardy.
 
Thursday 9th of June sees VA814 SYD-MEL (B738 VH-YIJ) with a delayed arrival at 10 15, 55 min tardy.
VA515 SYD-OOL (B738 VH-YIL) has a suggested arrival at 12 23, 43 min late.
 
Silvia also pointed out winds and restrictive operations in SYD are hampering flights.

True for VA866, the 1700 hours down to MEL that took off at 2103 (B738 VH-IWX) and is shortly arriving at 2224 hours, 229 minutes late.
 
Silvia also pointed out winds and restrictive operations in SYD are hampering flights.

True for VA866, the 1700 hours down to MEL that took off at 2103 (B738 VH-IWX) and is shortly arriving at 2224 hours, 229 minutes late.

I was on VA866 last night and would like to ask a couple of questions that I got to think about during the 4 hour delay.

First a little background: I am only a VA Gold because of Family Pooling and the recent double Status Credit promotion, although I used to be a true 'road worrior' while based in Europe and in Asia so know a bit about delays. At least we were not loaded and then told of a 2 hour delay waiting for a landing slot.

VA, with a few exemptions, are a one plane fleet (B737-800) so, theoretically, the seat plan on every plane is the same (8 business, some Comfort X and the rest standard Y).

Weather delays are a fact of flying life so was expecting some delay yesterday but as the App was still showing an on-time departure and I had recieved no notifications, I was hopeful. In fact, I never recieved any notificaitons, including a gate change, and the App showed an on-time 1700 departure until around 1900. Surely it must be simple for a bit of code to be written to allow the App to be updated in near real time? FR24 was much more up-to-date.

When I arrived at the (very full) Lounge and hour or so before the scheduled departure, the board was still showing 1700 but FR24 showed VH-IWX was still incoming to BNE from PPP and had not been anywhere near SYD all day so not affected by their weather. Even when the board was updated, intitially to 1930, simple maths would show that the aircraft would not land until after then - it landed SYD at 1944 then there was a crew change.

I did not observe any passenger anger at the delay - maybe SYD pax are just used to long delays - but the lack of information in the lounge, at the gate or even after boarding was none existent. I could not hear any PA in the Lounge.

My question - Between 1700 and 2103 (when VA866 finally departed), there were 6 VA 737-800s scheduled to leave between 1715 and 1900 (although all delayed by various amounts of around an hour) that could have taken us to MEL sooner. I can understand on other routes there is not the same flexibility, but on the MEL-SYD-BNE triangle, do the schedulers think it okay to delay 150 or so pax for 4 hours rather than everyone for a lesser amount of time? We could have easily have been uploaded onto an earlier aircraft - catering should not be an issue as VA does not do special meals as far as I know.

I know VA would blame the weather yesterday but airlines should really have some obligation, like EU261, so they think about their customers as well as aircraft utilisation and crewing, as important as these are as they rebuild their business. (Rant over).
 
I was on VA866 last night and would like to ask a couple of questions that I got to think about during the 4 hour delay.

...
When I arrived at the (very full) Lounge and hour or so before the scheduled departure, the board was still showing 1700 but FR24 showed VH-IWX was still incoming to BNE from PPP and had not been anywhere near SYD all day so not affected by their weather. Even when the board was updated, intitially to 1930, simple maths would show that the aircraft would not land until after then - it landed SYD at 1944 then there was a crew change.

I did not observe any passenger anger at the delay - maybe SYD pax are just used to long delays - but the lack of information in the lounge, at the gate or even after boarding was none existent. I could not hear any PA in the Lounge.

My question - Between 1700 and 2103 (when VA866 finally departed), there were 6 VA 737-800s scheduled to leave between 1715 and 1900 (although all delayed by various amounts of around an hour) that could have taken us to MEL sooner. I can understand on other routes there is not the same flexibility, but on the MEL-SYD-BNE triangle, do the schedulers think it okay to delay 150 or so pax for 4 hours rather than everyone for a lesser amount of time? We could have easily have been uploaded onto an earlier aircraft - catering should not be an issue as VA does not do special meals as far as I know.

I know VA would blame the weather yesterday but airlines should really have some obligation, like EU261, so they think about their customers as well as aircraft utilisation and crewing, as important as these are as they rebuild their business. (Rant over).

You raise important points, and many on AFF agree re introduction of a similar standard to EU261. If we had true high speed rail on the 'Golden Triangle', maybe the airlines would pull up their socks (notwithstanding weather delays) but you can bet behind the scenes they lobby Federal MPs/Senators and dismiss HSR as a 'fantasy', 'too expensive' and so on (despite for instance QF receiving about A$2 billion in govt largesse between February 2020 and today, some of it even from state govts).

One problem with your suggestion is VAd might then have to 'cascade' numerous (several hundred) passengers on to other flights (assuming you were able to travel on the 'first available' as you imply you'd like). This would cause problems with luggage not arriving on the same flight if unable to be transferred from those passengers' "original" flight to their "rebooked" one. Doubtful that VAd would have the manpower to manually transfer potentially hundreds of bags from flight X to Y, Y to Z, Z to A and so on.

It would also muck up others' connections: these can be fairly tight, and are problematic when routes have limited frequencies as we move into the evening. Airlines don't like to have to accommodate passengers at an intermediate stop overnight: costly and takes organisation, plus annoys many travellers.

The airlines aim to maximise aircraft utilisation to minimise losses or make a gross profit. If (haven't checked to see if true) the B738 fleet still isn't being used to the maximum, perhaps VAd (and QFd) ought have one plane at major airports SYD - MEL and BNE as 'standbys'. (Presumably the airlines would say 'impractical - needs to be at a gate and when there's delays all gates are quickly occupied' or some other negativity').
 
One problem with your suggestion is VAd might then have to 'cascade' numerous (several hundred) passengers on to other flights (assuming you were able to travel on the 'first available' as you imply you'd like). This would cause problems with luggage not arriving on the same flight if unable to be transferred from those passengers' "original" flight to their "rebooked" one. Doubtful that VAd would have the manpower to manually transfer potentially hundreds of bags from flight X to Y, Y to Z, Z to A and so on.

It would also muck up others' connections: these can be fairly tight, and are problematic when routes have limited frequencies as we move into the evening. Airlines don't like to have to accommodate passengers at an intermediate stop overnight: costly and takes organisation, plus annoys many travellers.
Thanks for your considered reply. I think you misunderstand me though on my key point. I'm not talking about rebooking some passengers, I'm suggesting just moving the entire load onto the next available aircraft.

For instance, the 1715 flight, VA 868 was operated by VH-YFZ that arrived from MEL at 1718 and departed again at 1834. It could have carried all the pax and baggage for the VA 866 service. The luggage would move through in departure order and all pax would be delayed, but by a consistent amount and the aircraft and crew just resume their previous schedule once they arrive in MEL.

I feel sorry for any pax booked on my flight - VA866 - as they would have missed any connections after arriving after 2230, as I feel sorry for the pax waiting in MEL for my aircraft to arrive as they departed for BNE at 2323. I wonder how VA handled any connecting passengers (on the same PNR) going to HBA off my flight or any others travelling further north after they arrived in BNE at 0115 on VA 35?

The schedulers would probably hate the extra work, but I contend that delaying all pax a little on these truck routes is better PR than delaying some pax while 6 flights leave to the same location while they wait getting more annoyed at the airline.
 
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Looks like I got the short end of the stick :(
VA 743 MEL-OOL first delayed from 13:10 to 13:45 and then cancelled
Rebooked on VA9851 20:15->22:15.
VA9851 doesn't exist in the schedule, so I reckon I've actually been rebooked onto JQ450 which matches exactly. Nice smokescreen there VA!

Worse, I was supposed to be in J!
1654923808642.png

I can see the aircraft that was supposed to run VA743, VH-YIE, out the lounge window. Hasn't moved yet.
 
VA9851 doesn't exist in the schedule, so I reckon I've actually been rebooked onto JQ450 which matches exactly. Nice smokescreen there VA!
I'd say you're probably right. Oddly though the seatmap for VA9851 does show a 737-800.

Let us know how you get on.
 
The schedulers would probably hate the extra work, but I contend that delaying all pax a little on these truck routes is better PR than delaying some pax while 6 flights leave to the same location while they wait getting more annoyed at the airline.

Most would agree with the above, but while perhaps I'm wrong at the end of a lengthy, cold, wintry day, luggage and connections complicate any such moves by airlines. So I'm unsure that what you suggest would work in practice.
 
I'd say you're probably right. Oddly though the seatmap for VA9851 does show a 737-800.

Let us know how you get on.
It is JQ450. Went up to the lounge desk asking what the mysterious VA9851 was and the lady said "That's Jetstar! Thank god you came up now"
Asked if I was told it was Jetstar.. "Umm no, she (other lounge rep) didn't tell me", turns to the other lady at the desk who wrote VA9851 on my BP at the time, said she was pretty sure she told everyone it was.
Maybe I didn't hear it or she didn't know it was a JQ# at the time.

Anyway, had to retrieve my bag from downstairs and trudge down to T4 and check in.
The Jetstar rep was pretty helpful in printing my new BP and bag tags when I told them I was a rebook.
 
Anyway, had to retrieve my bag from downstairs and trudge down to T4 and check in.
Curious what extras VA has added to your booking, I assume just luggage but it'll be interesting to see if they offer you any food.
 
Curious what extras VA has added to your booking, I assume just luggage but it'll be interesting to see if they offer you any food.
It was just checked luggage. According to the Jetstar booking system, VA paid Jetstar $175 to ferry me to OOL (vs the $600 I originally paid for the sector)

I've just sent VA a message asking for a partial refund due to business class amenities/service not provided. Not expecting to get the entire amount back but I think a good portion would be reasonable (+original status credits/sectors/points into my Velocity account).
 

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