Cheap return fares on Royal Brunei during June School Holidays MEL to BKK

[joyvee]

Yesterday these Y fares were over $950 and today they range from $695.42 to $744.42
You will be able to enjoy the new Dreamliner aircraft which is more spacious and has lower pressurisation. Stop over in Brunei on way over of 55 mins and longer stop over on way back to MEL. Not much to do at airport.

BONUS If you leave BKK about 20.40 on Wednesday night the airline will provide you with a hotel stop over and transfers for a day stop over.A day is ample time to see a lot of Bandar Seri Begawan. Very small place - hire a taxi for the day.
You arrive back in Melbourne early 04.50 on Friday in time to connect with other flights or freshen up and go to work!

Royal Brunei is a "dry" airline - no alcohol is served. Have always found the service excellent. JoyV

 

[Fruitcake]

You will be able to enjoy the new Dreamliner aircraft which is more spacious and has lower pressurisation.

The PR team should check out BI's own website, it says that 788 Y is 17.2in wide at 32 inch average pitch, whilst the 772s which currently operate the service have 17.5in wide seats at 33 inch pitch in Y. And the 787 has higher pressurisation than most comparable airliners, not lower!

 

[joyvee]

Sorry I did not check those stats on those sites. Also much was made of the ability of Y seats to slide forward 15 cms. Will put in posting after I see it on April 3. My pressurisation facts came from Boeing Utube promo.
When i flew on Qatar's Dreamliner last June I was impressed with windows and did not seem to get so jet lagged. Also enjoyed the lighting effects.

I think that the fit out of each company's craft will be different. Certainly J looked more opulent in Qatar and had the arm rests which dropped down during take off and descent - my guess to make it easier to leave in emergency.
RI are using 2x2x2 in J while Qatar used 1x2x1 so is obviously more spacious in J. Seating configuration in Y seems to be 3x3x3 and other airlines are using 3x 4 x3 . Nevertheless this is good price for full service airline during school hols. I am only a passenger, parting with my hard earned money is the only relationship I have with Royal Brunei. JoyV

 

[Fruitcake]

Apologies joyvee, parts of your post read like they were copied from a publicity piece about the sale - people who should be expected to get numbers right. But if you have flown on a Dreamliner and found that it felt more spacious despite really being a little smaller than obviously Boeing and BI have done a good job with the fitout - ultimately perception and passenger experience are what's more important than the dimensions.

Regarding the pressurisation, the air pressure inside a 787 is higher, which makes the cabin altitude lower.

Thanks for highlighting the sale!

 

[mannej]

Which airlines are using 3-4-3 on the 787?

Remind me to avoid them.

 

[Fruitcake]

Which airlines are using 3-4-3 on the 787?

Remind me to avoid them.

The "good" news is you should be safe - 3-3-3 is as tight as it gets. I don't think anyone other than JAL and ANA has gone with the more spacious 2-4-2... and ANA has announced they will be switching to 3-3-3.

 

[eastwest101]

Which airlines are using 3-4-3 on the 787?

Remind me to avoid them.

None that I know of, and as Fruitcake points out 3-3-3 is as tight as you can go on a B787 - I think joyvee may have been referring to another aircraft entirely like a B777 where she may have seen 3-4-3 config in Y class.

The arrival time of 04:50AM in MEL does not really appeal to me either.... but the fares seem OK prices. I also can't see too many people taking the kids on school holidays to BKK at the moment given the turbulent political situation there. I would imagine that stuff would be affecting demand for airfares into BKK at the moment.

 

[joyvee]

Fruitcake, maybe I have missed my real career path as a PR person? would have been much more lucrative than a chalkie.
Only know the price reduction as am trying to persuade son to join us in trip to BKK in June and checked fare last night and again today. An unbirthday present so I have real interest in current prices. He has to organise time off work too.
Think I read that Emirates was 3x4x3 but maybe wrong and hope someone will correct me if I am wrong. I also looked at Jetstar on youtube promo and it could have been 4 but couldn't make definitive decision.
Have only flown on 787 twice, Dohar to FRA return. J in Qatar is fantastic especially in window seat. A one off experience for me. I get to look inside RI's 787 on April 3 before its first flight from MEL to Brunei. will report back. JoyV

 

[mannej]

Emirates are 3-4-3 but in their 777, as they don't have any 787's.

 

[eastwest101]

Fruitcake, maybe I have missed my real career path as a PR person? would have been much more lucrative than a chalkie.
Only know the price reduction as am trying to persuade son to join us in trip to BKK in June and checked fare last night and again today. An unbirthday present so I have real interest in current prices. He has to organise time off work too.
Think I read that Emirates was 3x4x3 but maybe wrong and hope someone will correct me if I am wrong. I also looked at Jetstar on youtube promo and it could have been 4 but couldn't make definitive decision.
Have only flown on 787 twice, Dohar to FRA return. J in Qatar is fantastic especially in window seat. A one off experience for me. I get to look inside RI's 787 on April 3 before its first flight from MEL to Brunei. will report back. JoyV

joyvee - you would have read about Emirates having 3-4-3 in economy on their B777 aircraft here on AFF somewhere. Please take a photo or two when you are on the Royal Brunei B787 and post it in the trip reports section - many of the people would like to see that and always appreciate a trip report (especially with photos) - whether its business class or economy - always good to see.

 

[joyvee]

I was in BKK in November 2013 and again at end of Jan - Feb this year. Both times i felt perfectly safe and would recommend people to travel there. Now there is only one demonstration site being used now, Lumpini Park and things seemed to have quietened down. Both times I was there i was able to move around safely, only problem was from taxi drivers wanting exhorbitant prices because of "the Mob". Just had to be patient until found one who was reasonable. My sister and I caught skytrain and went to "Cabbages and Condoms" restaurant near a demonstration site in Sukumwhit and all was well while we were there. Going back in June and taking friends for first time visit. Just need to keep up with local news and be prudent. JoyV

 

[Melburnian1]

None that I know of, and as Fruitcake points out 3-3-3 is as tight as you can go on a B787 - I think joyvee may have been referring to another aircraft entirely like a B777 where she may have seen 3-4-3 config in Y class.

The arrival time of 04:50AM in MEL does not really appeal to me either.... but the fares seem OK prices. I also can't see too many people taking the kids on school holidays to BKK at the moment given the turbulent political situation there. I would imagine that stuff would be affecting demand for airfares into BKK at the moment.

Early arrival times (before 0630) are a problem during winter at MEL.

Because the airport lacks a curfew, airlines can quite easily schedule arrivals in the dark which I like to avoid if possible. If it's light when I'm coming in after an overnight flight, it just 'feels' better (that may be irrational, but it's perception).

While SYD has a couple of international passenger flights allowed to arrive before 0600 (the first may be at around 0510), the curfew's end at 0600 means it may be a bit harder for every foreign airline that may so desire to land just after 0600 as flight paths may be taken by competitors.

Business travellers arriving at MEL may like the pre 0600 arrivals as they can beat the peak period traffic jams on the Tulla Freeway and CityLink, but for lesiure travellers other considerations can be more important.

 

[joyvee]

One new thing I discovered it that RI will allow you to fly one way Y and the other way J which suits me. I am happy to fly MEL to BKK in Y with stop over of 55 mins during day time.

Have booked J on return leg BKK -MEL with overnight in Bandar Seri Begawan and will stay in same hotel as friends.

I know other airlines have mixed class fares but that seems to be J on longer segment and Y on shorter or daytime segment.
Is RY unique in offering the above type of fare? I saved over $500 by doing this. usually I just fly Y and have no stop over. JoyV

 

[JohnK]

One new thing I discovered it that RI will allow you to fly one way Y and the other way J which suits me. I am happy to fly MEL to BKK in Y with stop over of 55 mins during day time.

Have booked J on return leg BKK -MEL with overnight in Bandar Seri Begawan and will stay in same hotel as friends.

I have looked at Royal Brunei airfares on a few occasions. As an economy airfare the saving on Royal Brunei is negligible on what QF, SQ, CX and MH offer at various times.

Also this airfare would only be really suitable to those living in MEL but taking 2 days to return BKK-MEL is a concern. And another concern for me is a dry airline.

 

[joyvee]

you are correct, RI fares work well if you live in MEL. There may well be better deals from SYD on the airlines you mention. There seems to be a much higher volume of flights from there. I understand about the MEL or SYD departure point. I would have loved to take advantage of recent taxes only AirAsia premium class return flight SYD to KUL for $256!

I have once found a $700 fare on Malaysian Air and QF fare the Expedia Br fare when they have sales can be slightly cheaper. Generally it is about $200 dearer on other airlines. I have become an airline fare hunter as I love travel and lack $$'s.
RI is usually about 10 hrs with one hour stop over and arrive in BKK at 8 pm which is civilised. I prefer day time flights to night time flights. There is a longer 2 hour stopover on way back to MEL.
RI does not have flights everyday of the week and you need to check that you take the almost direct flights . Luckily I can be flexible in my travel dates. My cheapest fare was $530 with RI which was almost as good as the error price on TG for about $520 which was fantastic for a direct flight at a civilised times. ( Another Ozbargain find.)

I am choosing to stop over in Bandar Seri Begawan as friends want to see it and one day will be adequate. It seemed a good deal as RI provide accommodation and transfers and brekky.

RI would not be suitable for those who like a tipple unless they were willing to make it one of their alcohol free days! Had a great trip on Qatar J class and have no idea how one most interesting woman managed to stand up, let alone walk off plane as she so enjoyed the free alcohol. She had a great flight.

I enjoy reading your comments especially ones on MH 370. I enjoy lurking on lots of threads on AFF as people are so knowledgeable in an area which is so new to me. JoyV

 

[Cafe Specific]

A day is ample time to see a lot of Bandar Seri Begawan. Very small place - hire a taxi for the day.
You arrive back in Melbourne early 04.50 on Friday in time to connect with other flights or freshen up and go to work!

Royal Brunei is a "dry" airline - no alcohol is served. Have always found the service excellent. JoyV

Having been to BWN more times than I wish to remember, hiring a taxi for the day is NOT a good idea- taxi fares here aren't even remotely cheap like other places in SE Asia.

 

[dajop]

Early arrival times (before 0630) are a problem during winter at MEL..

We are all different and all have our own preferences, early arrivals won't be a problem for everyone. If going to a hotel they are definitely a problem as usually one can't get into a hotel room straight away (unless paying for the night before). However in winter I find the early arrivals better than in summer in fact the earlier the better, as I can reach my partner's mothers place before sunrise and go to bed for a few hours as it is still dark when going to bed. It's more difficult to do this in summer as usually the sun is up . 2-3 hrs sleep and I'm ready to go! I'd prefer to arrive at 4:30am or 10am (in this instance better sleep on plane as plane departs around my normal bedtime so easier to sleep on plane) than arriving at 7am.

But, as I said we're all different and In the grand scheme of things unless doing these trips on a regular basis, most people arriving home from a once or twice a year trip won't really care one way or the other.

 

[joyvee]

You are right about pros and cons of early arrival. Another is the time it takes to go through customs. Friend of mine arrived a few days ago at about 10 a.m. and said so many planes arrived at same time she took 3 hours to clear immigration and customs. When you arrive so early and maybe first arrival that morning it is really quick. JoyV

 

[drivatruk]

you are correct, RI fares work well if you live in MEL. There may well be better deals from SYD on the airlines you mention. There seems to be a much higher volume of flights from there. I understand about the MEL or SYD departure point. I would have loved to take advantage of recent taxes only AirAsia premium class return flight SYD to KUL for $256!



I am choosing to stop over in Bandar Seri Begawan as friends want to see it and one day will be adequate. It seemed a good deal as RI provide accommodation and transfers and brekky.
. JoyV

Make sure you do a water trip to take in all the stilt housing built over the water.

 

[zainman]

Make sure you do a water trip to take in all the stilt housing built over the water.

I am looking to go to BWN for a couple of days in June.. What would you recommend seeing/doing if one was there for say 2-3 days?