Royal Brunei Airlines

Not Verified | I'm a regular traveller to Europe and gave Royal Brunei Airlines a try based on price and a recommendation from our travel agent for a quick trip trip to Europe with my teenage son to attend a football game. Beware one may save some dollars over flying alternative airlines but you have to consider last minute changes and delays which appear to be a common thread travelling Royal Brunei Airlines. It's so true you really do pay for what you get. Melbourne London and return with Royal Brunei Airlines to travel around Melbourne Cup week. Booked business class, told 3 weeks later we would be flying on a 3rd party airline but don't worry it will have flat beds travelling on an A340 etc. Checked at Melbourne only to be told our first leg would be flying on an A320 with what could be best described at premium economy, not ideal for an overnight flight. All 4 flights to and from London were either late departing or late on arrival (in most cases both). A reasonable compensation proposal was forwarded to Royal Brunei Airlines with the airline declining our request stating some of their standard T&C's. I will be directing my custom elsewhere and would advise anyone thinking of flying Royal Brunei Airlines to reconsider.

✅ Trip Verified | Our experience with Royal Brunei was appalling - we were given our boarding passes to fly from Manila to London via Brunei without any staff mentioning they knew there was a technical fault with our connecting flight so they had delayed the time on the boarding pass of the connecting flight by 3 hours. We arrive at Brunei and are left to wait 4 hours until 4.30am before anyone came to tell us there was a problem with the plane and we couldn’t fly. They advised they’d organise accommodation in Brunei and we would fly at 10am. By 7am we are finally in a hotel after waiting hours to be checked in as Royal Brunei had not contacted them in advance. One hour later we were expected to leave and return to the airport. At the airport we were denied entry into the Royal Brunei lounge despite having entry cards as you can’t re-enter within 24 hours even though they forced us to leave the airport. And the best part - our 1 hour in a hotel was considered our compensation in full for what was a 12+ hour delay and no food or water was offered at all in this time. Avoid at all costs, they failed to show any understanding of what was going on and gave us no direction on when to leave the hotel etc. Pay more, fly another airline, you won’t regret it.

✅ Trip Verified | Brunei to Taipei on A320 on Business Class with my Infant child. At the J class check in desk, Is waited for over 15 min before they check me in. At check in, I had a baby stroller and requested to check in, and the check in staff told me to leave it at the over size baggage area, I asked if can someone help me he is reluctant and shout at one of the desk baggage helper to move my baby stroller. Visited the Sky Lounge, a big disappointment, it was morning and there were a very limited selection of breakfast, and there were only two main course (and the serving was left 20% ). No waiter were to be seen and cleanliness around buffet area was poor. Onboard the crew were very polite and the aircraft is new. a disappointed with J class seat, not a full recliner and for the IFE, very limited selection with older films. They served my meal when my child went to sleep, but when he wakes up, i ask for an infant or child meal, but the crew told me I have to request that when I booked my flight. So I feed my child with the biscuit I brought with me. I ask for a bread roll, the crew said they have none left. It was a 3hr 15 min flight, during the half journey, my child want to walk around and i was told by crew "For the Safety, please keep your child seated". we were in a J class and there were only 2 others passenger in this cabin.

✅ Trip Verified | London to Melbourne via Brunei. This was our first time for myself and my partner travelling with Royal Brunei. We were a little apprehensive but it was the best long haul flight we have had in a long time. Great customer service, planes were in good condition and flew smoothly, good food, lots of seat space. All in all a great journey. The price was £1000 cheaper per person than any other airline at the point of booking. I would highly recommend Royal Brunei.

Not Verified | London to Manila via Brunei. Very good and comfortable airline. So much leg room in the plane. Food was amazing and cabin crew were very polite. Cheap ticket. Would definitely fly with Royal Brunei Airlines again. They don’t serve alcohol during the flight though and no smoking area at Brunei airport which is a downside but won’t hinder me from flying with them again.

✅ Trip Verified | Brunei to Singapore. Misleading and poor service. I purchased an economy ticket. A week before my flight, i received an email if i would like to purchase an upgrade. Hence, after reviewing i made an offer with few hundred dollars. Couple of days later, they accepted my offer and charged to my card. My check in flight went smoothly, and proceed to departure gate. I was holding a Business Class boarding card, so i went to the Business Class lounge at the departure hall, after entering the lounge, a receptionist looks very reluctant and I ask her if I can visit the lounge with my upgraded ticket, without any hesitation, she answer very rudely and say 'No'. So I ask her again if my frequent flyer Silver can be used here, she just said I have to pay. So, i have to walk away embarrassingly with other 'real' business class pax behind me. After security check, i proceed to the aircraft, i was given a window business class seat, but I was surprising to find out, this is not the kind of business class seat i paid for. I was offered a larger and much comfort with longer leg room seat on my email ( with pic shown ), but they have not mentioned the business class seat picture was taken from a B787 aircraft.the sector flown was an A320 aircraft. The business class seat was smaller, when front pax seat reclined (and its not a flat bed as advertised ), it took out much of my forward space and I have to consistently adjust my IFE when the seat in front make any movements. The service was not that expected on a business class level, the crew did not address the name of the pax, drink service only once offered, special meal request not mentioned but to serve directly to me. when meal served, did not ask pax if drinks need to top up or offered. overall, not the type of the business class level / service that i was expected. Imagine if i was paying a full business class fare, this would have been not worth it!

✅ Trip Verified | On my first leg from Bandar seri Begawan to Singapore on a new A320Neo aircraft, the cabin was very fresh and clean. The flight leave on time with no issue, but the IFE was not working. Shortly after take off, the IFE was not working, i tried to inform the crew about it, but the senior crew was busy chatting with the crew in the back galley. 30 minutes later, i told one of the crew about the IFE, he said he will inform his superior. On my way back from Jakarta to BWN, a new A320Neo, once again everything seems good about the cabin, the IFE was working before the aircraft push back from the stand in CGK. Took a little time to browse the IFE. I fly with RB every month since July. The TV guide and other movie list / channel has never been change or refresh. The movies and TV channel were very out dated and its getting bored to watch the same film or tv program again and again. I finally get the chance to select a movie and the flight into an hour later, the IFE restart itself! I think this airlines has the ability to provide better products and the services, including the crew (dealing with problems) need more training in customer service.

✅ Trip Verified | I travelled from London to Melbourne via Dubai and Brunei in 26 hours and returned Melbourne to London via Brunei in 23 hours. I thought the return flight was scheduled to stop at Dubai (3 flights of approx 7 hours each on way out was a very easy way to travel) so my concerns of travelling on a 14 hour flight was turned on it’s head. As we flew out of Melbourne in the evening we chased the night. The whole journey back was in darkness so it was ideal to sleep whenever you wanted. Last time I travelled with Royal Brunei (6 years ago) was not a great experience. This time it was so much improved. The comfort of the reclining seat and back rest was good for economy. The food was better than most plane food although not excellent. My last trip to Melbourne on Cathay Pacific three years ago was an awful experience in food and staff. The staff on Royal Brunei could not be faulted. They were attentive and helpful always with a smile. The journey was not interrupted by constant messages from the captain so it was relaxed and peaceful. The toilets were always clean. Downside was that there was not a great choice in new films. I had seen most films on offer as they were older films. The strict rules of Brunei airlines means that films are adapted to remove sex, bad language and too much violence. This obviously restricts choices. Secondly, the plane running from Brunei to Melbourne and back is not a Royal Brunei but a partner airline. All was much the same but the plane was older and Seats did not recline as well as the Royal Brunei plane and it only had a few film choices (less than 10) which were the same on both outward and return flights. On my outward journey, fatigued, I managed to leave my Kindle Fire on the plane. After landing at Melbourne I contacted Royal Brunei thinking that I would never see it again. Within a week they contacted me and told me it was at Brunei and I could collect it on my return. When I arrived at Brunei on the way back I was helped by a wonderful lady who personally took me to Lost and Found and sorted out the return of my Kindle. As there was a fast turnaround time of about 40 minutes between flights. She deserves a special mention as I don’t think anybody in any other airport would be as kind and helpful as she was. I paid £660 for the return flight which I felt was best available. For the money I can’t fault it. I have travelled back and forwards to Australia 9 times in the last 18 years and this 23 hour return is the fastest yet.

✅ Trip Verified | Business class Flew from Melbourne to London. Aircraft - old and very outdated internal fit out, down to the entertainment technology. Latest movies is a loosely used term. No movies currently showing at the cinemas are available - in fact, nothing ‘new’ from the past few years, apart from 1 (‘Adrift’) . Food - above average if we had been travelling in economy, below for Business Class. Flight attendants - as always, it’s a mixed bag. First leg the crew were almost military-like in their procession of serving and clearing away the meal in record time. And then the only time they were seen was when they performed almost half hourly cleans in the toilets (not complaining about that). Second leg it’s hard to comment as I was asleep for most of it although it was quickly obvious that the staff in charge of cleaning the toilets were no longer onboard as they were not in a great condition when I went to freshen up after my nap. Final leg - not outstandingly good or bad - but service crew who ‘refreshed’ the plane during the stopover in Dubai. Missed the toilets (NB 2 hrs out from London and no one has cleaned them since Brunei). Overall, it feels like the staff who serve in Business Class find it a nice treat to have a smaller area to work within but none were particularly motivated to assist with making the journey ‘special’ for passengers. Right down to the distribution of the ‘fast track’ pass through customs. My travelling partner was somehow recorded as travelling on a UK passport so ineligible. Despite clarifying that it was actually an Australian passport and a mistake by the airline, there was ‘nothing they could do’ because there was only a specific allocation of these cards! Seats fully recline as promised. Rock hard and unforgiving in any co figuration. There is a seat massager - didn’t work on any of out seats in any leg of the journey. Passenger amenities - no effort out into these packs. They are almost as good as what is distributed to economy passengers on other airlines. Socks, ear plugs and an eye mask that smells so much of the plastic it is made from you cannot wear it for any length of time. The blankets were thin and inadequate. Overall - Royal by name. Budget (at best) in actuality.

✅ Trip Verified | Got upgraded via the online offer system - paid just under 1/2 of the fare to fly Business class so I understand that my review is not for the full fare on this route. This was my only experience flying anything besides economy class - so I don't really have much to compare it too. Upon boarding I got the rearmost row to myself, as there were only three other people in the cabin. The most noticeable thing was the lack of an IFE system in the seat, instead you get given an iPad (in a rather nice RB branded case) with a selection of films and TV shows. The quantity of content wasn't as comprehensive as Emirates or Qantas, however what was there was good - and easily enough for a ~2h flight. Might be worth mentioning that the particular episode of a TV show I ended up watching was censored pretty heavily - I've seen lines being cut before but it makes you wonder what the point of having a show like that is if most of the comedy has to be cut/blurred out. The main point I would like to really commend on is how welcome I felt, as a backpacker who just wanted to try Business for the experience on the cheap I really appreciate how despite obviously not belonging there (considering how well dressed the other passengers were) the cabin crew made it seem normal and relaxing. Even though I didn't get to use the lounge in Singapore it was definitely worth the extra for that flight - however the economy on their A320's isn't too much of a downgrade for me at least, especially considering it would have been nearly 3x cheaper than the full business fare.