Royal Brunei passengers travelling from Melbourne to London will shave five hours and 15 minutes from their trip when the airline's current two-stop route via Brunei and Dubai becomes a one-stop journey via Brunei only, from October 28 2018.
The Brunei flag-carrier says its Boeing 787s "are presently undergoing modifications by Boeing to enable them to fly from Brunei to London Heathrow direct" without the need for today's refuelling stop at Dubai.
As part of the change, the airline’s flights to both Melbourne and London will be re-timed from October 28, while a dedicated Brunei-Dubai-Brunei service will launch from October 29 for passengers travelling to the UAE.
From late October, flight BI6 from Melbourne to Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) will depart at 6:30pm daily, arriving at 10:40pm local time. Passengers continuing to London will connect to flight BI3 at 12:15am, touching down at 6:50am, one calendar day later than when departing Melbourne.
On the return journey from Heathrow, BI4 is wheels-up at 5:05pm daily, landing in Brunei at 2:40pm local time the next day, with the airline’s Melbourne-bound BI5 flight jetting off at 7pm to reach Melbourne at 5am one extra day later.
These flights will continue to be served by Royal Brunei’s Boeing 787-8 aircraft, on which 18 business class seats take pride of place up the front, adopting a 2-2-2 layout…
… with business class passengers offered access to the Marhaba Lounge in Melbourne…
… to Royal Brunei’s new flagship business class lounge while on the ground in Brunei…
… and when departing London, to Gulf Air’s Falcon Gold Lounge in Heathrow Terminal 4, which regular UK travellers may have previously visited when flying Etihad during the period when Etihad's own lounge was being refurbished:
As of October 29, the airline’s services from Brunei to Dubai will run at 12:20am on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays under flight BI7, arriving in Dubai at 5am the same day, with journeys back operating at 6am for a 6pm arrival in Brunei.
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
30 Nov 2015
Total posts 729
That is very good news.
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1208
BWN-LHR is just over 7000nm. 787-8 has an adverttised range of 7300nm. It will be interesting to see if the westbound sector has payload restrictions.
24 Jun 2015
Total posts 12
BWN-LHR is 6,096nm not 7,000 nm...
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Oct 2012
Total posts 133
Really good news! Ive used this carrier in J in the past and great to see their lounge has been updated also. Great fares also however keep in mind that its a dry service carrier (no alcohol)
24 Apr 2014
Total posts 269
Great news, the 2 stops put me off. They are very cheap too, no booze though.
03 May 2017
Total posts 26
The new departure time ex MEL doesn't work well for Asian connections. Also means a plane on the ground all day in MEL and LHR. But great to shave off 5 hours 🙂
15 Dec 2017
Total posts 10
I believe they are scheduled to receive a fifth 787 shortly.
17 Sep 2015
Total posts 371
I understand BI offers STPC (free hotel overnight plus transfers and probably meals) given that northbound the Asian connections are no longer same day, but this will appeal to very few who want to get to southeast or northeast Asis same day.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Apr 2017
Total posts 132
Hopefully they keep their prices low. Flown them many times when I could only afford the cheapest, and they're an excellent airline. Brunei Airport is still a problem though, so you'd still want to leave the airport on the return journey.
Would welcome a return to Brisbane.
17 Sep 2015
Total posts 371
It's small but also extremely boring. Hardly any available food (I wasn't in the lounge.) No atmosphere at all: like being in a GP's waiting room.
01 Jun 2016
Total posts 58
Leaving the airport isn't a huge deal. Visa on Arrival is $5 BND/SGD. The fact they don't accept AUD is annoying though
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Apr 2017
Total posts 132
Yup, nothing about the airport is good. I try to stay a night in Bandar if I have the choice and that usually is still cheaper than other carriers.
10 Oct 2017
Total posts 5
Yeah, I find it really annoying when I cannot use SGD or USD in Australia. So backwards! /rolls eyes
01 Jun 2016
Total posts 58
Point taken, but BND is not an easy currency to get.your hands on. Lesson for the future I guess
15 Dec 2017
Total posts 10
SGD is parity with BND and can be used interchangeably.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Feb 2015
Total posts 387
@Dredgy, watch this space. Expect them to announce BNE very soon using the soon to arrive A321.
17 Sep 2015
Total posts 371
That was prescient given David Flynn's January 2019 article. Still no same day connections to Asia, and it remains a dry airline. Combined (including no pork) it's an airline I won't be again patronising, having done so twice.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 May 2018
Total posts 8
Great news. The two stops always put me off.
15 Dec 2017
Total posts 10
another hour earlier would mean arriving in melbourne at 3 am during winter.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
05 Jan 2015
Total posts 17
Flying to London with no grog!
No thanks!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
22 Jul 2015
Total posts 219
Make up for it in the pubs in London...
10 Oct 2017
Total posts 5
It seems like the aircraft spends upwards of 10 hours on the ground both in MEL and LHR. Seems really bad aircraft utilization.
17 Sep 2015
Total posts 371
It is, but there are other considerations such as connections - mind you, with the new schedule, they're ditching immediate Asian connections from Melbourne,
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
03 May 2013
Total posts 24
Probably 10 ground hours in MEL is to provide the minimum 8 hours crew rest time necessary for Royal Brunei to use the same crew to fly back again to BWN rather than stationing a 2nd crew in MEL to take over from them for an immediate return flight.
17 Sep 2015
Total posts 371
In a recent delay when the aircraft arrived in MEL in the afternoon instead of its scheduled morning on blocks time, it departed MEL on time in the early evening back to BWN.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Dec 2011
Total posts 95
I know people who fly RB because it is a 8hr, 8hr, 8hr route.
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