Brunei International Airport BWN

Brunei International Airport is currently undergoing a major upgrading of the passenger terminal. The terminal is rather dated and so the upgrade is welcomed.

The sight of the crane indicates the ongoing construction

A totally new facade

Currently only the Arrival concourse is open. Now it is a large, airy and pleasant area to meet and greet arriving passengers.

Meanwhile the departure check-in area is undergoing the finishing touches during my visit. Departing passengers are dropped-off on the upper level.

The departure drop-off area

The check-in area is bright and airy with a lot of natural light, keeping intrend with the current design of new terminal buildings around the world. This is certainly a huge improvement from the current cramped check-in area.

New departure 

Current departure area

Currently BWN is not the kind of airport where you would like to have a long transit. There is really NOTHING after passport control. The duty free area has really nothing as there is only perfume and chocolates on sale. F&B options is a small shop selling drinks or the saving grace...The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Cafe. It has Wi-Fi and so it is the most busy corner of the holding area. However is you are lucky to fly First or Business, there is the RBA lounge.

The Coffee Bean cafe 

One end of the departure is area is undergoing a facelift and so I hope there will be more to keep passengers entertained once all is completed.

The current holding area

 Maybe once this is all done, BWN would be a more transit passenger friendly airport.

This is how it will look once phase 1 is completed

 The is no clear view of aircraft once in the departure area until you are called to the gate. For spotters, there is a viewing gallery on the landside of the terminal, so you have to do that before security and passport control.

The only time to get a close look is once at the gate

DLB which was my ride to BWN taken from the viewing gallery

Another shot from the viewing gallery

This is the second airport that I visited in November that was undergoing major renovation. The other was the Denpasar airport in Bali. That would be a beautiful airport once completed.

The Brunei Hotel

I always love discovering a good hotel that has character and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. A cheap hotel is not really an easy find in expensive Bandar Seri Bagawan. After checking with reviews on Tripadvisor and Agoda, I decided on the Brunei Hotel. This little hotel is a old as Malaysia. It opened it's doors in 1957 but has had 3 major renovations since then, with the last one in 2011.

It has a good location in town with the waterfront just 5 minutes away and a shopping mall about a 10 minute walk. The bus station is just behind.

The owners have given it a nice contemporary interior design. Just love the look of the lobby.

The rooms are small but well appointed. Just love the extra touch of a complementary mini bar with 2 cans of cola, 2 wafer biscuits and a pack of nuts besides the normal coffee/tea and water. Plus bring your own movies as the room comes with a DVD player too.

There is wi-fi in the room and the breakfast was ok, nothing spectacular. The staff however where wonderful. Cheerful and friendly. There is also a shuttle service to the mall in Gadong. Overall it is good place to stay on a budget.

A Betterfly on the RBA 787 Dreamliner part 3

Both flights had a very light load. To BWN there were around 70 passengers including a rugby team and the return just 41. In fact I had the whole zone C and 3 crew to myself!

Me, myself and I plus 3 cabin crew at the back

On the flight out there was only the safety card in the seat pocket....seemed like they have forgotten everything else. Luckily on the way back the usual can be found, the inflight magazine and the entertainment guide.

The was no safety video, the safety demonstration was done manually.

 

The crew on the two flights were like night and day. On the KUL-BWN sector there was only 1 female crew. While the crew were by no way rude, they seemed just disinterested at best. The rugby team kept asking for extra food etc and they entertained them but didn't try to be friendly at all. Most could hardly break a smile, only after I made an effort to break the ice did they warm up. Only one crew walked around with a smile and was very welcoming. Apparently just been flying for 3 months....that must account for the enthusiasm.

The crew that was the best on the KUL-BWN sector

On the return flight the crew were friendly and seemed to enjoy what they were doing. From the moment I stepped on board you knew they were going to make the flight a good one. I told them the reason for my trip was just to fly on the 787 and to my delight and surprise, after landing the crew said they would like to invite me to the cockpit to meet the captain!

A pleasant surprise to be invited into the cockpit

The lovely crew from the return flight

Meal service on both sectors was good. Delicious and substantial meals that would make any passenger happy. The meal carts had a good selection of drinks minus alcohol as RBS is a "dry" airline.

A green jelly desert and seafood pasta salad for starters

A spicy beef rendang with rice and lentils dinner

 This wasn't the best but nothing to complain about. Only the jelly desert was a bit bland.

Mains of Chicken Masala with Briyani, seafood salad and coconut mouse

This meal on the KUL-BWN flight was delicious. Warm bread and hot coffee made the difference.

The business class seat

I would not hesitate to fly RBA again, the product was good and the 787 would be the tie breaker. While the crew were inconsistent, they were pleasant nonetheless. Sure they are a "dry" airline but I can survive without the alcohol. A 5 star airline? No not yet but a 4 and a half star for sure and much better than the so called 5 star Malaysia Airlines.

A Betterfly on the RBA 787 Dreamliner part 2

FIRST IMPRESSION

Boeing marketing was selling the idea of a grand archway entry that the 787 was to welcome it's passengers.......Well the accountants in the airlines made sure that this wasn't going to happen, like always you walk through a galley at door 2L of the 787. Turn left into the economy cabin and ...... errrr nothing really. A very bland looking economy cabin with nine abreast seating in sets of three's. RBA has chosen a boring light blue fabric for it's economy seats. Was hoping to see a more vibrant colour design.

Boring blue

I sit down in my seat and find great leg room. The slim seats and 32" pitch makes it comfortable for me.

Good legroom

What I love about the seats is the power socket between each seat and that below the seats in front there is no seat legs between the window and middle seat giving you a lot more space. There is also no IFE box to take up legroom.

 

The seat has a TV monitor but the selection of movies is limited, no where close to the ICE of Emirates. The weird thing is that the crew call is now located on the TV screen so during the flight there is the constant "bing" of the call button as the passengers hit it by mistake when using the IFE.


The best best best innovation on the dreamliner has to be the electro-chromatic dimmable windows. Simply press the button and the window will change from light to dark cutting out the sun but you still get to see out.

                                            50% and 100% tint
The larger window are also another plus for me because when I fly, I hardly watch the IFE but instead I can stare out of the window for hours. 

So let's check the advertised reasons why the 787 is better according to RBA.

1. Dynamic LED lighting for smoother transitions from day to night across time zones. Well I didn't travel across time zones so can't really judge it but the LED lighting was nice.

                                           pink lighting during meal service

2. Power-up on board. Yes love the power points.
3. 9 inch touch screen with USB. The selection is limited.
4. 30% larger windows provide a clearer view with 5 tint settings. Superb
5. Quieter flight. Yes it wasn't as loud as older planes.
6. Smooth ride technology. Yes it was smooth but when we did hit turbulence and we still got bumped up and down
7. Spacious design bins. Yup larger luggage bins
8. Less cabin fatigue. Too short a flight to gauge it.

Finally I have to say I have fallen in love with the 787...it was love at first flight!

A Betterfly on the RBA 787 Dreamliner part 1

Image from RBA 

Royal Brunei Airlines is the first South-East-Asian airline to operate the B787 Dreamliner and of course I was interested in planting my bum on a seat and trying out the plane that has been making headlines of late for all the wrong reasons. Being a long-haul aircraft that is going to change the way we fly, I can't afford a long-haul flight right now but luckily RBA decided to use the 787 for a month to KUL, BKI, SIN and MNL before launching the flights it was intended for, to DXB and LHR.

Image from RBA 

RBA offered tickets on the 787 to BWN from KUL at RM99 one-way plus taxes so of course I grabbed the lap-top and made a booking. On the morning of 12 November I arrived at the KL Sentral city terminal to drop my bag and have my documents checked. This was done by Malaysia Airlines as they are code-share partners on this route. I was like a kid in a candy store when this beautiful plane came into view as I travelled on the aero-train to the satellite building of KLIA

Parked at gate C4 is the second 787 for RBA - V8-DLB. You have got to love the sleek lines of the 787.

If the A380 is a big huge ugly "HE", this lovely beauty is a "SHE". Boeing sure knows how to make a plane look good.

A lady at the wheel today as we wait to board and will it be a Betterfly?

Image from RBA 

Part 2 coming soon........

They Need Your Help

We all love flying to some far off destination, enjoy ourselves and then take back with us gifts and memories. What do we leave behind? I once came across this web site Stuff Your Ruck Sack that invites travelers to take some stuff with them on their holiday and help a local charity. They via their web site, help put travelers in touch with those who need help the most.

Once again on my latest trip to Bali I put some time aside to visit Yayasan Kasih Peduli Anak a home for children rescued from the streets of Bali by a wonderful lady called Ibu Putu. They were saved from a life of crime, physical and sexual abuse and are given a fresh start with education and TLC.

There are about 24 children from various religious backgrounds at the current moment, from toddlers to 17 year olds, some with disabilities taken care by Ibu Putu. As always I buy some basic needs like rice, oil, eggs and some apples for the children.

However I was shocked to see the current situation of the home. They had to change the roof as it was leaking badly but have run out of funds to finish. There is no electrical wiring done so the girls room have only one light and the bathroom has none. Their compound is full of construction debris. They really need assistance to complete the roof/electrical wiring and to clean up the home.

Please go to their web site and see how you can help it's http://www.ykpa.org/ if you are planing a trip to Bali try to drop by. Go also to www.stuffyourrucksack.com to find out about other charities around the world for your next trip.

With Ibu Putu next to me and some of the children

Thank you in advance for taking a step to help them. God bless you.

The Malindo Experience part 2

Malindo boast of free refreshments. Don’t expect much. On the out going flight we got a Kaya Bun with mineral water. The bun was dry and really something that you would find at a 7-eleven or some cheap bakery.

Nothing much but better than nothing

 While on the way back it was a little pack of 3 Oreos.

Blue LED mood lighting and blue packaging

They however fared better with the buy on board food. I got a Chicken Beriyani by Nasi Kandar Kayu which was very good but not as good as the AirAsia one.

Made by Kayu Nasi Kandar and just to remind you who really owns the airline, cutlery from Lion Air

Nice fluffy basmati rice with the chicken curry

A least a full cutlery set with sugar/creamer/salt/pepper

On the return it was Nasi Ayam Bertutu which was good.

Batik Air cutlery this time

Ayam Bertutu, steam rice, Fish Satay Lilit and stir fried french beans

Each meal cost RM12 and were delicious but not as cheap as the AirAsia buy-on-board. The main problem was that when I booked the ticket, the buy-on-board option was not yet available and I couldn't book later as their "manage booking" system didn't allow me to do it later unlike AirAsia. So I used my charm to convince the crew on both flights to "reserve" food for me. Luckily they did that as they ran out of food fast. They also had NO menu on board. How hard is it to put a copy in the seat pocket? Helps in speeding up service.

The crew on both flights were friendly and enthusiastic but clearly inexperienced. On the flight to Denpasar, the seatbelt sign was switched on half way through the flight due to bumpy weather but the crew didn't hear the cockpit making a PA announcement to "prepare for landing" at the top of decent. I had to alert the crew that we were on finals to landing and to make the landing announcement and check the cabin! They thanked me later!

One crew lacked "communication skills", when the passenger across the aisle asked for another bun as she was walking pass with a tray full of buns, she just snapped "can you wait!". The white guy was shocked and turned to his SPG (Sarong Party Girl i.e. slutty local girl with white guy) asking if she heard how rude the crew was.

In fact everytime that crew entered the galley she would complain loudly about passengers, about how they needed more crew etc. Even during the hour long delay on ground in Kuala Lumpur we were "entertained" to a long and loud conversation about their boyfriends, about how bad the management was.......etc. You get the picture right?

So the verdict? The ground handling was poor, in Denpasar the staff only turned up at the gate 6 minutes before departure time that resulted in a 50 delay in departure. The gate also was change 3 times and no announcement was made, I realised the change myself when I saw the aircraft was at another gate and just walked there on my own.

The crew lack professionalism. Just being polite and smiling isn't enough. The out going flight was just chaotic in service. Have you ever heard of walking and handing out a straw to each passenger and coming back 10 minutes later with the bottled water?

They however get an A+ for the comfort and facilities on board their plane. They have what will be an excellent product once they iron out the kinks. Low fare with this level of comfort would draw away many passengers from AirAsia and MAS. However I have doubts that they would be able to sustain and survive with the low fares and I am sure higher cost. Time will tell. Would I fly with them again? Sure. I would take their 737-900 anytime over the sardine cans that MAS flies.  

Imagine their product with the focus and professionalism of AirAsia.....that would be a huge game changer to the Asian aviation arena.