The Dreamliner Chronicle

 RB, a boutique airline

I love the fact that Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) are bringing in Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to Brunei Darussalam and being a jet setter myself, I can’t wait to be a passenger on the 787s. There are only less than a 100 Dreamliner flying worldwide right now but with orders of 930 worldwide. This means the respective airlines are queueing up for their deliveries within the next few years. The first airline to officially fly the Dreamliner is All Nippon Airways (Japan). However, the biggest customer so far for Boeing is the International Lease Finance Corporation with a high order of 74 Boeing 787s followed by All Nippon Airways with 66 orders. I’m proud to say that RB has ordered five Boeing 787s from Boeing Company and did you know that RB will be the first airlines in South East Asia to own a Dreamliner? Amazing!!!

You may have read my previous posts on the Dreamliner a few weeks ago during my three night stay at Seattle, Washington. For me, it was an educational trip as I learnt so much about the Boeing company and the team behind it as well as the operation side of it. You may have read about all the issues with regards to the batteries (lithium ion ones) but in actual, there are also other problems suffered by different types of airplanes. But just because Dreamliner is a new brand and with many positive vibes prior to the incident, it’s an easy target for the media to address the issue and create headlines. For now, the batteries have been modified with three additional overlapping protection methods.

What made me more confident about the Dreamliner is the Boeing Operations Center which monitors every Dreamliner at any given time and place and even on air. The Boeing Commercial Airplanes Center’s role are very crucial to their airline customers and RB is one of their clients too. Their role is not as easy as it seems – to monitor the technicality of the Boeings if the planes need urgent attention or if they have engineering issues and these guys work around the clock 24/7. They can monitor things such as the cabin pressure, the electrical brakes, fuel system and many more and they will alert the airlines before any of the components reach critical level which is a good precautionary measure.

According to RB’s statement, “We remain confident that Boeing’s internal analysis and monitoring process will identify and resolve such issues prior to our first expected B787 Dreamliner delivery. RB would like to reassure all our passengers that the safety of our operations is and will remain at all times the main focus of our attention.”

RB’s Boeing 787 being assembled at the Everett Factory of Boeing in Washington, USA.

I can’t wait to be in this plane one day

The interior feel of the plane. It will be a 220-240 seater plane if I’m not mistaken with a 3-3-3 seating format for the economy class with a better leg room space

This is where the 777s are being assembled. The production capacity (if I’m not mistaken) is at a rate of 10 (777) planes per month

Anyway, before I carry on further with my post on the Dreamliner, I will touch on RB’s strategic planning with the delivery of the 787 Dreamliner in line with RB’s rebranding program which has kickstarted October last year. I still remember the when Royal Brunei Airlines rebranding launch at the Hangar 1, Brunei International Airport and they introduced a new logo RB and that was the beginning of a new era for RB. And it’s no surprise that with the changes that they are going through in terms of rebranding, RB has taken a step further in ordering five Boeing 787 Dreamliners. 

Azhani Abu Daniel, RB Head of Corporate Communications, held a presentation on RB’s rebranding programme, at the Boeing office, Seattle. She said that the arrival of 787 in late September (if no delays) will be the highlight of the RB’s rebranding programme. The other good news is that 787 will fly regionally meaning that passengers can enjoy the services of the 787 heading to the likes of Singapore or KL or Hong Kong. The long haul flights with the Dreamliners will be available in the next few months and hopefully all the 787s will be in the country.

Azhani also said that RB will repositioned itself as a “boutique” airline and it aims to put Brunei back on the map. She said that the airline will focus more on the values that the passengers can relate to RB that represents Brunei. These are definitely exciting things to look forward to for RB.

Currently RB operates B777, A320 and A319 and some of the leased planes will be returned by phases when the new 787s arrive in Brunei Darussalam. Congratulations RB on your rebranding programme and thank you, Azhani and Muaz Al Rashid for hosting us from Brunei to Seattle for the Boeing trip 😀 You guys have tremendously put a lot of work into this trip and it was also great to meet up with the people from Boeing Company. The management of Boeing Company were high praises for RB saying that Royal Brunei is a visionary airline (company) as they are the first to operate the 787-8 in Southeast Asia.

Azhani Abu Daniel, RB Head of Corporate Communications, during her presentation on RB’s rebranding program at the Boeing Customer Experience Centre, Washington.

Daniel Schull, Sales Director, Southeast Asia Sales, Commercial Planes, Boeing Company, hosted us during the briefing 

Marul showing Daniel how popular Boeing is on social media. Daniel admitted that Boeing hasn’t taken social media very seriously but he hinted that he might look in this matter.

 Keeping track of the 787s 
We had a quick tour at the Boeing Operations Center last week

Now the trip to the Boeing Operation Center. I have to say this is like the “play room” for the Boeing that are in operation around the world. The Boeing Commercial Airplanes Center’s role are very crucial to their airline customers and Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) are one of their clients too. Their role is not as easy as it seems – to monitor the technicality of the Boeings if the planes need urgent attention or if they have engineering issues and these guys work around the clock 24/7 with great customer support of a current fleet of some 12,000 Boeing… Amazing!!!

So paid a visit to one of the operation center that handles the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and we were briefed on how each of the departments have their specific role on the different aspect of the 787. For instance, they can monitor the quality level of the component and they will inform the client even way before it hits critical level so their clients will be aware of what needs attention. Boeing 787 has been using new braking system and it’s electric compared to the previous types of brakes. Hence, the operation center will be able to detect should some of the components of the brake if it needs to be attended to or replaced.

I guess that’s the awesome part about the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Not only that Royal Brunei are getting the Dreamliners but they will be enjoying the perks of the after-sale service such as the around-the-clock customer service on the conditions and also maintenance for the Dreamliners. That service alone is a clear winner and it’s no surprise that there are many orders for the Boeing 787 from different countries.

It was definitely a privilege to actually witness behind-the-scene of the Boeing Operation Center for the Dreamliner. Thank you, Boeing, for the insightful tour.

The director who oversees the operation of the Boeing 787  
The 787s that in operation at that time of the moment 
They can even check the crew oxygen pressure from the control room. Amazing!

Even WWE superstars congratulated them on their milestone last year The Boeing factory
The media in the ASEAN handshake after the sneaks of RB’s 787 Dreamliner

One of the highlights of my Seattle trip is the Everett Tour. This is the assembly point for the Boeing planes that we see flying around the world. I love it!!! I’m just in awe and I don’t know how to describe the feeling at all. I shared my thoughts with the Boeing management on how amazed I was with the Boeing’s Everett Factory where is the home to the 747, 767, 777 and of course the 787 Dreamliner production lines.

Did you know that the Everett Factory is the biggest plane factory in the world? We were fortunate that we were able to take photos and videos at the Boeing factory so that was definitely an awesome experience. It was quite a long tour because the factory was just massive and you will be awe on how the production lines work there.

We managed to see two Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) planes in the midst of production at the Everett Factory and they are half way from completion and they should be ready by mid-August or early September in time for the delivery of RB’s first Boeing 787 to Brunei by end of September or early October 2013.

Did you know that Brunei Darussalam will be the first country in South East Asia to fly the Boeing 787? That’s a significant milestone for a small country but this really shows what Royal Brunei represents and the delivery of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is also in line with their rebranding strategy. RB is really taking their vision and rebranding seriously and they are slowly paying dividends and gaining back the confidence from the public.

Anyway, my next post will be the press conference and the presentation by Azhani Abu Daniel, RB’s Head of Corporate Communications and you will know more in depth on RB’s direction and their take on Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. The proudest moment for me then was stepping on the first RB’s 787 while it was still in production.

Thank you Boeing and RB for giving us the opportunity to explore the Everett Factory as well as viewing RB’s 787 Dreamliner. Soon, it won’t be a dream as you will be able to experience as a passenger on the 787 😀

Our Boeing passes prior to entering the factory
The Everett factory is humungous to say the least. It’s the biggest plane factory in the world.
The working office environment at Everett factory
Dress in white
The top angle view of RB’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
It’s amazing how they can build airplanes in just a short span of time
There’s still no exact news on when the Dreamliner will make its way to Brunei in Sept/Oct 2013
The internal components of the wings. This sight made me more appreciative of the wings of any airplane
The media in the ASEAN handshake after the sneaks of RB’s 787 Dreamliner
The media in the ASEAN handshake after the sneaks of RB’s 787 Dreamliner
The interior of RB’s 787 Dreamliner
The internal parts of the turbine
The deck station of the Boeing 787
Proudly present to you RB’s 787 Dreamliner
The other side of the factory which produces tons of the Boeing 777 

From my posts on RA and Instagram, you are probably aware that I’m in Seattle, Washington, right now and the purpose of my trip was to experience the operations, the marketing and behind the scenes of the Boeing company that makes, well…. Boeing planes and in this case, I will be focusing on Boeing’s latest product which is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Of course, we also have the privilege to sneak preview Royal Brunei Airline’s Dreamliner at the Everett Factory. All of this experience won’t have been possible if it wasn’t for Royal Brunei who brought along with them the print media as well as the bloggers from Brunei Darussalam.

Also during the trip, RB will be having their own press conference for the media to gather more information on how the Dreamliner ties in with their re-branding strategy and what impact it will have on the RB’s vision and also their customer. I shall touch on that on the next post. But for now, let me focus on the 1st Day itinerary of our RB trip which is located at the Dreamliner Gallery.

We were introduced to Casey Goelzer, Regional Director of Product Marketing, Boeing Commercial Planes, who spent 10-15 minutes on the presentation of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. I actually read some of the features and technology of the 787 online but the explanation by Casey gave me more cool insights about the 787s and I was already amazed by 787 planes.

Ok, since the information I have learnt is overloaded, I will quickly brief what is so freaking amazing about the Boeing 787s. Even listening and engaging on Casey’s presentation, it just made me become more eager to experience the 787 which is just 6-8 weeks away from being delivered to Brunei Darussalam. So here it just a quick recap and I will point out one or two points that is the drawing factor for me as a consumer.

• Full market coverage from 100-500 seats. It’s most likely RB will be taking 220-240 seats which is economically viable for RB’s long term plans.
• Environmentally progressive. It reduces CO2 emissions because of the fuel efficiency improvement and even building the planes have reduced the usage of hazardous chemicals and overall wastage.
• Quieter. In a sense that there’s less noise pollution as this is very common in other Boeing models and yes, we do get accustomed to the noise but imagine that being reduced by a significant amount which will make your flying experience a better one.
• Long-range, fast and reliable. This due to the fact of the new composites used on the planes and plus Brunei capacity load of 200ish passenger loads makes the journey slightly faster and smoother. Did you know they are 7% better in aerodynamics than today’s airplanes?
• Smoother flight experience. This is because of the improvement of the wings and with a more advanced sensor, 787s are able to counter the air level of fluctuations which cause the bumpy rides.
• Low operating cost because of the cost effective maintenance as well as lower fuel consumption by 20% than other airplanes. This can prove vital for RB’s economic growth as a national carrier.
• Better passenger experience. This is one thing that I would like to highlight more as I learnt during the presentation by Casey’s on the 787s and their strengths. Perhaps one of the awesome feature is the electronic dimmable windows which I will explain further. There’s also more humidity inside the plane and of course, more leg room for the comfort of the economy passengers. I shall do a full depth review of the experience once the RB’s Dreamliner is making its way to Brunei in late September tentatively.

Casey was more than happy that Royal Brunei haven taken that extra edge and chose to invest in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner which have been creating many positive waves in Brunei and hopefully outside Brunei Darussalam too.

“My First Day on the Job” experience at the Dreamliner Gallery in Seattle

Casey Goezler, Regional Director, Product Marketing of Boeing, gave us a comprehensive view of 787 Dreamliner features and how Royal Brunei is heading on the right track

The presentation of RB’s 787-8 Overview

The improvements of the 787 Dreamliner

Royal Brunei’s 787 Dreamliner model standing out from the pack

Next up was Mark Larson, Technical Manager of Boeing Company and he is stationed at Boeing’s Dreamliner Gallery. This is where he deals with Boeing’s clients in terms of choosing specifications for Boeing planes such as the galley, the lavatories, the passengers seats, fabrics and many more. He toured us to different parts of the Boeing Dreamliner Gallery and I was simply amazed how thorough the process was that every component has its own dedicated showroom. He is a private pilot too which gives him an advantage on what’s best for their clients (airlines).

So basically the 787 Dreamliner Gallery streamlines and centralizes the 787 configuration experience. If you want to design your 787 or configure it to your specifications, this is the place. It’s like a one-stop centre as you will be able to experience the quality of the different types of components they have. It is so detailed that you as a client will be able to see a mocked up scenario on how the interior of the plane feels or looks like on different modes of lighting settings.

Even the discussion rooms are quite inviting and comforting. Boeing are serious about giving their clients the best service so even though it’s a private environment for meetings, it still can be done in a more composed, relaxed surrounding.

Thank you Casey and Mark for the briefing of the 787 Dreamliner and the tour of the Dreamliner Gallery respectively. A big thanks to Wilson Chow, Communications and Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, for handling the logistics of the Brunei delegate. You have taken good care of us since Day 1 and I really appreciate your help on that. My next post will be focusing more on the Everett Factory where the Boeings are being assembled (another mind blowing experience).

Wilson introducing Mark Larson to the Brunei delegates 

The new windows of the Dreamliner was so awesome that they have a mocked up version of it at the Dreamliner Gallery. The windows are now slightly positioned at head level and it is longer than before. This is to give a better experience of the passengers sitting in the middle of the planes to have a good view outside as well.

Another impressive feature of the window is that you can control the tint level of the window from clear to fully tinted with a press of a button and you can also choose the level of tint you desire. Isn’t that awesome??

Mark showing us the different types of galleys to choose from

Did you know that lighting inside the plane does make a huge difference to customer experience? You might not be aware of it but you will be surprised on how lights do make a much better experience on any flights.

One major difference of the 787 Dreamliner is the size of the cabins.. There are hugeeeee and have more space than other airlines. They also have a good indicator to alert the cabin crew from a distance if the cabin is not properly close. 

This room reminds me of Fabrica back in Brunei and it’s a place where the client chooses what kind of fabric or color they want for the interior of the 787. Awesome, aye?

The choices of the interior they can choose from

So what’s your favourite color?

Samples of the lavatories and the food equipments for the planes

One of the innovative part of the 787 is the braking system which moves from hydraulics to electric. This reduces the mechanical complexity which can be easily monitored. This image is the actual brake component used in the 787s.

Haadi in “sakai” mode trying out the Busines Class seats for 787s. They have different types for the clients to configure and choose.

Marul and Azhani trying out the Business Class experience for the 787 Dreamliner and this is the one that Royal Brunei will be using for their Business Class passengers. Thumbs up!! 

We were being jobless and trying out the different types of economy seats

I also had the experience on how the cockpit deck feels like in the Dreamliner. I have new found respect for pilots now 😀

Azhani getting some taste of being a pilot