Bandar Seri Begawan Airport

Does anyone know if the first stage of redevelopment is completed? I was there in August and although the airport was small and under going work it was clean and the staff were very friendly. The only thing missing was a smoking room so would love to know if they have opened one yet.

BWN is a small airport currently being upgraded into a larger facility. The current situation is terrible. The check-in area is too small even for the modest number of flights. There were bottlenecks at check-in and at immigration. I didn't have time to check out the few small shops or the dining options.

There are major alterations at Bandar Seri Begawan airport. They are enlarging by double the size. Some allowance must be made for this but the organisation was good. There is a total different section for business class passengers to check in which is a great idea. Will be an excellent airport after renovations.

This airport makes very little sense and it would appear that some of its operational standards are in violation of IATA codes. I can live with the tiny size (not unlike a small-town bus station) and near-total lack of food outlets entertainment or newsagents. But every time I'm leaving Brunei and trying to check in for a flight I am met with locked doors and need to 'figure out' how to gain access to the check-in area. Sometimes ground staff won't even let passengers into the building until the last minute. Once you are allowed in right away you will find yourself walking through a metal detector with your luggage trolley. On my last trip my flight to Brunei was delayed because "VIP movements" apparently necessitated the closure of the entire airport terminal for several hours. For the return journey my departure time coincided with Friday prayers which meant all shops were closed from 12pm to 2pm.

With only 55 minutes to connect in BWN I wasn't sure what to expect as this is usually below the minimum time for most carriers. I need not have worried as I haven't seen an airport this small in decades. Despite most passengers being in transit as well security was a breeze and I went straight to the gate as the connecting flight was already boarding. From what I saw the airport didn't have a lot to offer but they say that they are refurbishing at the moment (whatever that means?). Most of the pax seem to be flying to Melbourne and with the savings made the lack of facilities at BWN didn't appear to be an issue for them.

We read the reviews and got some Brunei money before leaving but the small restaurant took credit card. Yes it is small the toilets are fair at best but overall not too bad and we had a 4 and 3 hour transits. The restaurant provides free wifi at end of the terminal which was slow but did work. A couple of duty free shops a couple of souvenir shops and about 3 food spots. Be warned about the tour touts if you are just transiting.

Good airport but very small by international standard. Which is an advantage in that you don't have far to walk. As there is no alcohol in Brunei there is also no alcohol at the airport. There is no duty free that I can see.

Wish I had read this info prior to my two recent transit stops at Brunei. The facilities are very poor particularly the unclean toilets. I fail to understand how a wealthy country can possibly offer facilities such as these to potential tourists. Such a shame Royal Brunei doesn't have an alternative airport facility as I would have flown with them again but not while they are connected to this airport. I also had problems with duty free goods I had purchased in Dubai. The security officials stated that Australia was very strict and I would not be able to take the goods back home when I know I could take them in.

Travelled again with Royal Brunei (Brisbane-Brunei-Manila return) this month and found a vast improvement in this airport. Both the male and female toilets were certainly a lot cleaner than the disgraceful condition that we found in March. The general appearance is also improved.

This airport is small with limited facilities. The toilets are dirty and the shower facilities are bad. Airport staff were unhelpful and only interested in selling you city tours which were expensive. The shops don't accept cards so it is best to take currency that you can change at the airport exchange bureau albeit at an unfavourable rate. If you are due to spend 11 hours in transit like myself it would be best to book a transit hotel or at least take the 2 hour city tour.