AC8 HKG to YVR returned to HKG July 29
 

Got two groups of family members who are seniors flying separately on AC8 July 29 & 30. They will then be taking connecting flights to YYC.

The July 29 AC8 has arrived back in HKG for over 7 hours now but it hasn't taken off again so I'm assuming it's not a passenger medical related diversion.

Anyone knows why the flight returned to HKG, and when they might be on their way again?

I wonder how it might affect the July 30 flight as well.

@kerryflyer1

EF shows this
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a393ad5607.png

A FT post from the past explains the comments shown above.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-...n-12-17-a.html

And this post in another thread says the same


Otherwise, AC 8 on July 30 is currently showing as scheduled

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9d728975d0.png


Meanwhile, on AC's Flight Status page.....

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1bd219f55d.png

@24left Thanks for the info on flight being cancelled. And yes, I got a good chuckle off the flight status on AC website showing the flight arrived in YVR this morning. That would have been a 4 hours flight from HKG to YVR. Didn't know until now that AC has such efficiency and fast aircraft!

Probably not easy to recover with 400+ passengers stuck at an outstation.

Why did AC cancelled the flight? So surprised that they would do something like that and then strand people at HKG.

First, crew would not be able to fly because of duty day hours. I would think the flight will leave after the aircraft is cleared and the crew gets the required rest. This happened to me a few years back. AC put me up at the Mariott Airport hotel in Hong Kong.
It shouldn't effect July 30 at all. This flight will be on a different fin which will arrive a couple of hours before the departure time.

It's very easy, but expensive. Flight will most likely be next day, with same aircraft and crew. AC will have more problems with that Fin's future flights for a couple of day.

The July 30 flight is set to arrive YVR in 20 minutes this afternoon.

Those flying on the July 29 flight are heading off to HKG soon from their hotels or residences. Their plane will be departing HKG at 12:30PM Hong Kong time. Approximately a 41 hours delay, if all goes well.

I am not really sure I understand this... Wouldn't any passenger be able to request that AC accommodate them on some other airline/routing to get them to YVR and onward? I know anybody in J could/would/should make such a request, and likely would (in my experience) get that if they were reasonable about it. And there are a lot of routings that could get you where you are going faster than a 41 hour delay. Like just about anything East or West bound out of HKG to Europe or to the West Coast of Canada or USA...

July 30 departed 100% full, likely with a lot of the 29th pax, resulting in "only" a 24 hour delay.

I don't know who would have remained for the 41 hour delay, but I suspect it was because they didn't ask. What's the new flight number? AC 2000?

If so, it's departing pretty light.

And especially with all the capacity AC has to Asia these days - nevermind UA et al.

.
It's called a mechanical and every airline experiences them at some time or another. I've had my share over the years, thankfully they have been few and far between. At the very least inconvenient for most and granted, some are handled better than others (as validated by various FT posts). "Strand" infers that Customers have been left high and dry at the airport, and as we usually share the odyssey together I'm able to gauge what the Customers have endured through observation and direct solicited feedback. Every effort is made to provide accommodations, meals, transport, etc. which is no small feat unexpectedly for 400 pax. On a recent delay departing Europe, Customers were very complementary on the facilities/services provided as well as the handling by the local contract staff.

Yes, for sure most frequent flyers or biz flyers would likely have found good solutions rather than waiting out the 41 hours(now 43 hours) delay. My family members on that flight though are in their late 70s, non-frequent flyers and using Economy tickets.

According to them but I can't verify if it's true or not, there were opportunities for some passengers to get on UA to SFO or LAX flight the next morning(July 30), but they never requested it because one person in the party does not have a US visa and worried in case she gets stuck there. They also couldn't get moved to the AC July 30 YVR flight because they're low priorities.

Yes it is AC 2000 and on route now. Scheduled to take off 1230 but got delayed to 1428 due to Typhoon signal number 8 in Hong Kong. Hope it wasn't too bumpy a ride. These folks have had their original flight returned to HKG after 3.5 hrs, lost almost 2 days of their trip waiting for the next flight, not having good enough energy and mobility to get back in to town in Hong Kong due to the political unrest which created tons of havoc in the transit system and traffic jams on the road, and then have their flight delayed again due to typhoon.

Probably just a small blip on the radar for seasoned travelers, but a bit of a rough start to their family reunion journey especially for these non-frequent travelers.

@kerryflyer1
Thanks for the updates. It is an unfortunate confluence of events and things that happened to cause extensive delay to your family members, and understandably, they faced multiple challenges. Glad to hear they are on their way.

Huh it actually departed pretty damn full. Interesting.