What is with flights into Melbourne tonight? All delayed

[A330 driver]

Qantas's LVO exemption from CASA is 75m for CatIIIb under EX115/12, is it lower under NZ regs? (Not that there is much difference in reality between the two).

Yes you're quite right, I knew there was something not quite right about it when I typed it and that's it. I just reviewed the QRH and 75m RVR it is. As you say, not much in it. NZ may be different, but we operate to our own requirements unless there is a state requirement.

By the way, a quick review of the qantas internal blog shows the reason why so many flights were delayed into and out of melbourne is because ATC were only allowing 10 aircraft PER HOUR to land. Don't know the reason behind this yet.

 

[markis10]

By the way, a quick review of the qantas internal blog shows the reason why so many flights were delayed into and out of melbourne is because ATC were only allowing 10 aircraft PER HOUR to land. Don't know the reason behind this yet.

Damn ATCs holding up aircraft just for fun again .

I suspect it might be staffing, although 10 an hour is a very low rate. No doubt the sector controllers had them stacked and racked.

 

[Orca]

Damn ATCs holding up aircraft just for fun again

Damn them indeed... Bloody ATC's , such pests (just ask my fiancé)

 

[serfty]

There were certainly no auto lands in Australia back then, what you saw was a simulated auto land but in reality a visual approach.

Certainly a fine clear morning with great visibility ... BUT certainly no aircrew input from approach until after touchdown. The pilot certainly called it an autoland and they had to arrange permission from ATC.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF637 (like so many others) is badly late, having departed BNE at 2016, 66 minutes late and supposedly now altered to arrive MEL at 2239, 64 minutes behind time.

However what is unusual is that this flight tracked to the east of Muswellbrook in NSW, flew more or less over SYD airport, then tracked slightly east of CBR and did a holding pattern over Lake Dartmouth (Vic) and then tracked via Mt Buller.

I have not seen this route taken before, which isn't to say it hasn't occurred before. Normally BNE - MEL flights go via the 'inland route.'

 

[Orca]

QF637 (like so many others) is badly late, having departed BNE at 2016, 66 minutes late and supposedly now altered to arrive MEL at 2239, 64 minutes behind time.

However what is unusual is that this flight tracked to the east of Muswellbrook in NSW, flew more or less over SYD airport, then tracked slightly east of CBR and did a holding pattern over Lake Dartmouth (Vic) and then tracked via Mt Buller.

I have not seen this route taken before, which isn't to say it hasn't occurred before. Normally BNE - MEL flights go via the 'inland route.'

Just diversions due weather. Took up diversions to the LOT (left of track) in Northern NSW and subsequently continued such diversions (nearly) overhead Sydney. Nothing to see here...

 

[JohnK]

This is hilarious and I made the wrong decision again.

I was on VA540 OOL-SYD connecting to VA894 SYD-MEL.

As it turned out VA540 departed at 7:41pm (1hr36m late) and arrived in SYD at 9:12pm (1hr42m late) and VA894 departed 10:09pm (1hr9m late) and is enroute to MEL. So I would have easily made that connection. Worse case scenario I could have gone home and returned back to airport tomorrow morning.

And as it turns out there was a later SYD-MEL flight VA898 which departed at 10:48pm (1hr18m late). I asked at OOL if there was a later SYD-MEL flight and I was told no and I was on last flight SYD-MEL.

Why do they have to keep lying? Yes they are under stress but that is a simple question. Serves me right for flying Virgin. This would not happen on Qantas....

 

[Melburnian1]

No Cookies | Herald Sun has a story tonight about 'chaos' at Melbourne Airport. It's currently about five stories down from the lead story.

 

[Orca]

I suspect it might be staffing, although 10 an hour is a very low rate. No doubt the sector controllers had them stacked and racked.

10 per hour (or 1 every 6 minutes for those mathematically challenged) is a terribly, terribly slow rate even if there were "staffing restrictions". I suspect the info may be slightly incorrect tbh - an arrival rate of 6 mins/360 secs is just ludicrous, even when short staffed.

 

[Brettmcg]

I was (meant to be) on the QF463 last night. At around 1530 I received a notification that there had been a delay of approx. 60 mins due to the late arrival of the operating aircraft. Meant I didn't have to leave the office until around 1700 rather than 1600 as originally planned. Upon my arrival at the airport I noticed boarding had been pushed back to 1935 and then about half an hour later to 1950. As per usual the FIDS flashed up GO TO GATE at 1950 and I headed downstairs. Waited at the gate for about 5 mins before the boarding time was again pushed back by 20 mins to 2010. At 2006 the sign flashed DELAYED and the inevitable cancellation was announced as the operating FO was out of hours.

I scurried back to the lounge and simultaneously phoned the premium desk who were quickly and efficiently able to rebook me to this morning's QF401. I'm currently writing this from the lounge after spending the night at the Menzies Hotel in Sydney's CBD at QF's expense.

Despite the delay, cancellation and resultant inconvenience, I thought QF handled it pretty well (at least as far as I was concerned). Bit tired this morning but just hopeful that these MEL delays of the past few days aren't going to become the norm!

 

[Kefci2000]

So i should be grateful my flight was only 90 minutes late

 

[markis10]

So i should be grateful my flight was only 90 minutes late

You know the answer to that

 

[QFflyermelbourne]

Melbourne was a disaster from early morning on Friday. I was on a QF flight to brisbane at 9am and we sat on the edge of runway 16 for close to 90 minutes waiting for a departure slot. We were 17th in the line when we arrived and the spacings between were very slow. I felt particularly bad for the poor buggers who joined behind us on the qf93. Nothing more frustrating than an extra 90 mins in why when you've got a 15 hour slog ahead of you!

 

[Melburnian1]

QFflyermelbourne, Friday 11 April's QF93 departed MEL 53 minutes late at 1003 and arrived LAX 47 minutes late at 0712 the same day.

It's not uncommon for these eastbound Transpacific flights to pick up half an hour or 45 minutes on the schedule so the flight's 'gain' of only six minutes gives us a probable window into (as you say) how long it must have sat in the departure queue. With most airlines, I find that the cabin crew remain strapped in their seats (as 'prepare for take off') so one is unlikely to be continually refreshed with a drink. However as a pleb who mostly travels in whY I accept it may differ for the priveleged and the paid for by others in J or F.

 

[JohnK]

So i should be grateful my flight was only 90 minutes late

I would have taken a ~90 minute delay.

 

[JohnK]

Deja vu....

 

[Dmac6345]

Gee I'm glad to be sitting down at home with a drink on a Friday night.
Poor John K

 

[straitman]

This is hilarious and I made the wrong decision again.

I was on VA540 OOL-SYD connecting to VA894 SYD-MEL.

As it turned out VA540 departed at 7:41pm (1hr36m late) and arrived in SYD at 9:12pm (1hr42m late) and VA894 departed 10:09pm (1hr9m late) and is enroute to MEL. So I would have easily made that connection. Worse case scenario I could have gone home and returned back to airport tomorrow morning.

And as it turns out there was a later SYD-MEL flight VA898 which departed at 10:48pm (1hr18m late). I asked at OOL if there was a later SYD-MEL flight and I was told no and I was on last flight SYD-MEL.

Why do they have to keep lying? Yes they are under stress but that is a simple question. Serves me right for flying Virgin. This would not happen on Qantas....

Yes it would happen at Qantas and maybe, just maybe the later flight was full.

 

[Anna]

Yes it would happen at Qantas and maybe, just maybe the later flight was full.

My QF experience yesterday was -

30 min delay departing ADL for MEL (scheduled departure 10.40). Spent the time having a pancake in the QP. QP staff made sure the QF meeting room in MEL were aware I would be late. On board I had 4D with a shadow and got my snack long before rows 2 & 3 in J got served.

At MEL the meeting room staff provided free lunch because they still had to charge the same price for the room even though I would get 30 mins less use. It was a delicious lunch too.

50 or so min delay departing MEL due to engineering issue. Spent the time reading the boring reports I hadn't had time to get through. Finished the last one just as we touched down back in ADL. Quite enjoyed my wine and cheese snack too. Had 4C but no shadow. 4E also taken. (4D looked especially disgruntled by that). Row 3 in J were just being served when the crew were told to prepare the cabin for landing.

So I had some minor delays but wasn't really inconvenienced much, and all the QF staff I dealt with were lovely. Also I felt better off in row 4 than if I had been in row 3.

 

[JohnK]

Yes it would happen at Qantas and maybe, just maybe the later flight was full.

The 3 ladies at the OOL customer service counter were struggling with general system knowledge.

e.g How do I see all VA flights out of SYD.
e.g If flights from OOL to SYD are delayed then possibly flights from SYD-MEL are also delayed.

I can assure you the staff at Qantas are much more knowledgeable. They can see inbound aircraft and then workout that outbound is going to be delayed. They definitely have more experience.

Virgin staff are a long way behind.

I was given voucher for taxi to go to hotel in Coolangatta and told there would be a bus picking us up in morning. No mention of meals or anything. But there was no bus picking anyone up back to the airport. We had to pay to get back to airport.

Too amateurish for my liking. If I am going to be delayed I want someone who knows what they are doing. I am dealing with enough stress already without having to worry about the simple things.