ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES   Customer Reviews and Passenger Trip Reports

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ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES review :  23 January 2009 : by S Wilkinson  (Australia)

Brisbane to London Return. The best food of any airline I have flown. The entertainment system worked on every leg bar one where the personal unit just wouldn't go, but I was able to watch the overhead TV. On time for every stop and the cabin crew could not have done more. I was a little concerned about 767s and the extra stop in Dubai - however it turned out to be a great thing. That 1.5 hour stop in Dubai is a lifesaver. Stretch the legs, wander in a big space, shop for 20 minutes. I felt like a new man for the final leg and my young kids benefited greatly having that little break. On the plane seating is 2x3x2, so my two kids sat in front and my wife and I behind. No climbing over strangers to use the loo. We had the same seats on every leg. With a smaller plane the getting on and off took hardly any time. It made a big difference to our bottom line - $3000 is a lot of money when you are taking a young family away for 6 weeks.

ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES review :  20 January 2009 : by C Parry  (UK)

I hadn't heard of them when I booked my flight from the UK to Brisbane - went on the cheapest available and Brunei was the cheapest by a good stretch. Left LHR on time landed at Dubai for a refuel - through security back to the gate and back onboard the plane. Was a bit annoyed had to do all that just for a refuel. From there to Bandar seri Begawan - had an hour at that airport, nice and clean. Plane with PTV's - straight to BNE. The meals were okay - both myself and 14yr old son ate them. Iknew it was a dry flight so that didnt bother me - cabin crew always coming round offering soft drinks. From BNE was a bit disappointed there were no PTVs, only the pull down screens, and for a 6.5 hr journey with a 14yr old its not great fun! We were in the middle of the plane for this stretch - a bit squashed in all. At BWN had a 4hr stop there which went pretty quick for such a small airport - left there on time and hoping this plane would have PTV's which it did. We had window seats, we had the quick re-fuel at dubai and back to London on time. Again the food was fine, not great. Cabin crew were a nice friendly lot. All in all a great flight and great airline.

ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES review :  13 January 2009 : by G Koo   (Malaysia)

We had a 26 hour delay in Dubai Airport en route to which was managed very badly and the ground staff were rude and unhelpful. The driver employed to take us to the hotel caused an accident. Absolutely no compensation whatsoever. The hotel was full and some people had to sleep by the poolside, on loungers. Passengers had to negotiate with other airlines to gain access to the business class lounges because there was not enough seating for the elderly and infants while waiting.

ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES review :  9 January 2009 : by Liam Murphy   (Australia)

We travelled to Heathrow from Perth via Brunei and Dubai. We chose RBA because it was miles cheaper than other better known airlines. Perth to Brunei leg on a relatively new and clean A320 and from Brunei onwards a retro-fitted 767. The 767 was clean and in reasonably good shape, on demand entertainment with a decent selection of movies and the seats on all flights were no less roomy or comfortable than other long-haul flights I have been on before. Cabin crew friendly and attentive and the food was generally very good although scrambled eggs on the last leg were pretty ropey. Stopovers in Brunei and Dubai were ok with no delays. Although RBA aren't as polished or glamorous as the major airlines they certainly have the same principles - to get their passengers from A to B as safely and comfortably as possible. The only downside for me, which might make me consider using one of the major carriers is the longer travel time with RBA. Despite this I would most use them again and would recommend them, particularly if you are on a budget.

ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES review :  8 January 2009 : by John Edwards   (Australia)

Brisbane - Auckland, flight on time both ways. Access to the Qantas Club Lounge at both airports. Comfortable seating 2x1x2 and ample space. Food was ok, nothing marvellous, and coke & ice was readily available to mix my duty free bourbon in with. FA's busy but responsive and pleasant. IFE was alright too, even if a little limited. No sign of any comfort kit for this short flight of a touch over 3 hours.

ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES review :  6 January 2009 : by B Ambrose   (UK)

BWN to HKG in Business Class. The meal was plentiful and quality high. I was treated courteously by cabin crew who work with care and diligence. I would recommend flying Royal Brunei as long as you don't mind the no alcohol policy.

ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES review :  31 December 2008 : by P Sommers   (New Zealand)

AKL to LHR with a 15 month old baby. We cannot speak highly enough of the flight and the airline. Even though our son was technically too big for the bassinet we were given it on the basis it was at our risk. This was great as he got loads of sleep on all legs of the journey. The food was good and ample, and our push chair was waiting at the door at both Brunei and Heathrow when we arrived. The stops on the way seemed to help with the child as he was able to toddle about at each airport and was then happy to get back on the plane. We didnt see much of the movies etc as we slept whenever our child was asleep but all was working okay with our screens etc. Communication at each airport was good and staff were pleasant without overdoing it.

ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES review :  11 December 2008 : by R Rippingale   (UK)

DXB-PER. The service was superior to other airlines and we would have no hesitation in using them again. The cabin crew were friendly and professional. Due to the flight delay I cannot award them top marks, however as soon as we arrived in Brunei for our connecting flight which we had missed, we were put up in a hotel with drinks / meals paid for by the airline.

ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES review :  11 December 2008 : by R Pirie   (UK)

Business class LHR-Perth via Dubai and Brunei, return. Planned stopovers at Sheraton Utama Hotel Brunei in both directions (homeward-bound at Royal Brunei's expense!). Overall the trip was an enjoyable experience for such a long journey - provided you're not time-constrained. Attentive, cabin staff and excellent food, but few if any passengers appeared to use the 'eat when you like' option. Airline's dry policy no problem to us - and on one occasion purser happily chilled small bottles of bubbly we'd carried on. Airbuses between Brunei and Perth were fine, with small business class cabins and comfortable seats. Lounge facilities at Perth unavailable, so A$50 voucher for refreshments was provided. Long-haul 767 cabin layouts (23 seats in 2x1x2 configuration) were spacious. But occupant of front centre seat appeared to be interrupted constantly by 'toilet traffic'. SkyDreamer sleeper seats excellent. IFE equipment worked. All flights (with one exception) more or less on schedule, with efficient meet and greet and transfers to and from hotel in Brunei. Sheraton Utama a well-run and comfortable hotel with good food, friendly staff and a welcome outdoor pool area. Only significant flight delay was on return journey after re-boarding following one hour fuel stop in Dubai. Replacement crew found fuel computer fault (this after an apparent incident when takeoff of the previous day's flight had to be aborted - with passengers offloaded and accommodated locally - due to a technical problem. As our captain himself said: "It's not been a good week." Fortunately, due to absence of (probably exhausted already) local ground staff, off-loading of us and our luggage was delayed, by which time the fault had been rectified and the flight was able to continue - arriving LHR more than two hours late. On this leg we had been joined from some passengers from the previous day's flight. We would certainly fly Royal Brunei Airlines long haul business class again. For us, the airline delivered what it promised, and great value for money. However, to maintain customer confidence and remain competitive, it really ought to replace its small fleet of ageing Boeing 767s with something more modern and reliable.

ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES review :  29 November 2008 : by S Wallace   (UK)

London to Brisbane return, stopovers in Dubai and Brunei. The aircraft on each journey was clean and tidy. IFE has a decent selection of films but had seen most of what was available. I'm a tallish guy (185cm) and always ask for exit row seating - on the way over I got such a seat for London - Brunei. On the return journey I wasn't so lucky (the flight starts in Auckland and was full by the time it got to Brisbane), so for the most part the trip back was pretty hellish with very little sleep as there is little legroom for us tall people. Inflight service adequate, if not a little robotic, and nothing to rave about. But if you are in the centre seat-centre aisle you may as well be invisible to the cabin crew. Food and drink was plentiful but a little stodgy, I was craving real food by the time I got off the flights. NB: if you are traveling TO Australia with RBA watch out for the restrictions on duty free - I had done my research beforehand and didn't buy anything enroute. BNE - LDN the rules are a little more relaxed but duty free OVER 100ml has to be security sealed or it will be confiscated in Brunei (so buy it in Dubai and you shouldn't have any problems). I personally wont fly RBA again - next time I will pay the extra £100/200 for an airline that has a more direct route, bigger plane and none of the duty free hassle. If you are looking for a bargain, of average height and don't mind the extended route and extra journey time - RBA could be what you're looking for.

ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES review :  29 November 2008 : by A Perr   (UK)

I was pleasantly surprised by this airline. Punctual, comfortable seat, entertainment system worked fine, food was OK, plenty of attendants, good value for money.