Friday strikes: Qantas cancels 18 flights today, delays 27 more

Qantas has cancelled 18 flights for today, Friday October 14, and delayed a further 27 flights – among them six international services — due to a series of four-hour stoppages by members of the aircraft engineers' union.

The flight cancellations and revised schedule will remain even if the union decides at the last minute to cancel their strikes, as has recently been the case.

Qantas has issued a list of all affected services (see below) but suggests that all travellers check the airline's Flight Status page for information on specific flights.

The airline will also trim its regular schedule as of Monday October 17 by cutting an estimated 100 flights per week.

The airlines says these will largely be services which shuttle between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, and is due to the need to ground five aircraft due to a backlog of maintenance caused by the  ongoing industrial action, which includes ban on overtime and a 'go-slow' when on the job.

Cancelled flights for Friday October 14

QF440 Melbourne to Sydney
QF469 Sydney to Melbourne
QF451 Sydney to Melbourne
QF454 Melbourne to Sydney
QF455 Sydney to Melbourne
QF542 Sydney to Brisbane
QF459 Sydney to Melbourne
QF464 Melbourne to Sydney
QF466 Melbourne to Sydney
QF503 Brisbane to Sydney
QF463 Sydney to Melbourne
QF544 Sydney to Brisbane
QF805 Sydney to Canberra
QF560 Canberra to Sydney
QF412 Melbourne to Sydney
QF509 Brisbane to Sydney
QF515 Brisbane to Sydney
QF571 Sydney to Perth

Rescheduled flights for Friday October 14

QF5 Sydney to Singapore
QF13 Sydney to Singapore
QF49 Sydney to Auckland
QF113 Sydney to Auckland
QF117 Sydney to Wellington
QF163 Sydney to Auckland
QF422 Melbourne to Sydney
QF438 Melbourne to Sydney
QF447 Sydney to Melbourne
QF449 Sydney to Melbourne
QF453 Sydney to Melbourne
QF465 Sydney to Melbourne
QF533 Brisbane to Sydney
QF536 Sydney to Brisbane
QF540 Sydney to Brisbane
QF546 Sydney to Brisbane
QF555 Brisbane to Sydney
QF569 Sydney to Perth
QF571 Sydney to Perth
QF576 Perth to Sydney
QF583 Sydney to Perth
QF743 Sydney to Adelaide
QF765 Sydney to Adelaide
QF779 Sydney to Canberra
QF783 Sydney to Adelaide
QF846 Sydney to Darwin

Ticket change policy

If you hold a valid Qantas ticket issued on/before Friday 14 October and are directly affected by cancelled and rescheduled flights resulting from industrial action for travel on 14 October you have the following options. Passengers may, without fee:

• Rebook to alternative Qantas flights (including QF Codeshare flights operated by BA).
• Re-route travel 
  - via the most direct routing using Qantas. 
  - return to the origin port via the most direct routing using Qantas.
• Change destinations: the value of the existing ticket can be used towards the purchase of a new ticket. If the new fare is more expensive than the existing ticketed fare, the fare difference is payable by the passenger. Applicable taxes may apply.
• Retain the value of the ticket in credit for future travel within 12 months from the original ticketed date of departure. If the new fare is more expensive than the existing ticketed fare, the fare difference is payable by the passenger. Applicable ticket taxes may apply.

David Flynn

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.