Royal Skies (Royal Brunei Airlines): tiers and miles

How do you qualify for Royal Skies Silver or Gold?

Royal Skies membership begins at a base level carried on a blue membership card and rises through two elite tiers.[3] Qualification is measured over a calendar year, which runs from 1 January to 31 December.[3] Only flight miles and Class of Service bonuses count towards elite qualification; other bonus miles and partner miles are excluded.[3]

Elite membership lasts from the day of qualification to the end of the qualifying year plus twelve months; the expiry date printed on the card falls one month after the end of that membership period.[3] Members who fly the required miles or sectors again in each calendar year keep their tier, while a Gold member who does not requalify moves down to Silver and a Silver member who does not requalify returns to the base level.[3] Elite benefits apply on all scheduled Royal Brunei flights and not on charter, non-scheduled or code-share flights, and travel agency, industry reduced-rate, subload and free staff tickets in E or I booking classes carry no elite benefits.[3]

How do you earn Royal Skies miles?

On Royal Brunei flights, members earn a minimum of 50 miles or the actual flight miles on all regular scheduled flights where an RB flight number is entered on the ticket.[3] Miles are based on great-circle distance, the shortest route between two points on the globe, rather than the distance flown, and on trips with a change of flight number or a stopover each segment earns separately.[3]

The percentage of that distance credited depends on the fare family and booking class, as of 18 October 2026:[3]

The extra 50% and 25% credited in Business and Business Saver are Class of Service bonuses, calculated on the purchased class of service rather than the class flown, and they count towards elite qualification.[3] The RB Value rate has applied since 1 October 2014 and the RB Saver rate since 11 March 2016, with the V booking class added to the 10% rate on 2 October 2017.[3]

Several ticket types earn nothing: free or non-revenue tickets in E, P and I classes, reduced-rate companion fares, prize and group fares in G, charter and non-scheduled flights, code-share flights marketed by RB, infant tickets and miles-and-money tickets.[3] Purchased but unused tickets and award tickets do not accrue miles, while travel on an upgrade award earns in the purchased class of travel.[3] Miles go to the passenger named on the ticket whoever paid for it, and each flight can credit to one programme only.[3]

Ground earnings come from Royal Skies partners in hotels, dining, car rental, financial services and lifestyle, and from the Royal Brunei Visa credit and debit cards issued by Baiduri Bank.[1] Partner rates and conditions are set by individual agreements between Royal Skies and each partner and can change, so eligibility needs checking at the time of booking.[3] Missing credit is claimed through a Missing Mileage Credit Form sent to the Royal Skies Service Centre with the original boarding passes and a ticket receipt, within three months of departure.[3]

How do you redeem Royal Skies miles?

Miles can be spent on award flights, award upgrades, extra baggage allowance and Sky Lounge access at Brunei International Airport.[1] Lounge access costs 4,500 miles for an adult and 3,600 miles for a child.[3] A one-way award requires 65% of the round-trip level in the same booking class, and every upgrade award is one-way, so a round-trip upgrade takes two one-way upgrade awards.[3] Award tickets are valid for six months on Economy and Business Award Saver bookings and twelve months on Award Standard bookings.[3]

Awards can be booked online, through the Royal Skies Service Centre, the RB call centre or the nearest RB customer service centre, and requests must be made at least five working days before departure.[3] Travel agents are not authorised to book or issue Royal Skies awards.[3] There are no blackout dates, but Royal Brunei may limit award seats on any flight and in any class, and seats may be available for sale without being available for redemption.[3] Taxes, fuel surcharges and airport and regulatory charges are the member's responsibility.[3]

Fees are charged in US dollars or the local currency equivalent, as of 18 October 2026:[3]

Changes of routing, class of service or passenger name need the old award re-deposited and a new one issued, a process that allows at least seven working days.[3] Members can nominate up to five family members or friends to receive awards, and each nominee must already hold Royal Skies membership; changing or deleting a nominee costs USD 30 or 3,000 miles.[3] When an account holds at least 70% of the miles an award needs, additional miles can be bought in blocks of 1,000 at USD 20, must be used within 72 hours, are non-refundable and cannot be used for upgrade awards.[3]

When do Royal Skies miles expire?

Royal Skies miles are valid for three years and expire at the end of the equivalent month in which they were earned, so miles credited in July 2015 expired on 31 July 2018.[3] Miles not used by that date are forfeited and cannot be extended or reinstated.[3] To spend miles close to expiry, the flight award request must reach the service centre before the expiry date, with the first sector departing within six months of the request.[3]

Miles due to expire for the first time can be extended once per calendar year for USD 30 or 4,000 miles, and the extension lasts six months from the original expiry date; the request must arrive two weeks before expiry, and miles that have already expired cannot be extended.[3] Gold members are exempt — since 1 October 2014, miles do not expire as long as Gold tier status is maintained.[3]

Account activity is a separate requirement. A membership stays valid while at least one flight or partner transaction worth 500 miles or more is recorded in a 36-month period; if no activity is recorded, Royal Brunei may close the account and cancel all unused miles.[3]

Exceptions and practical limits

• Royal Skies awards are valid for travel on scheduled Royal Brunei flights only and are not available on flights operated for RB by its code-share partners, so an award itinerary cannot continue onto a partner's aircraft.[3]
• Royal Brunei may alter or change the number of miles an award requires, withdraw an award or impose a period in which no award is available, at any time and without notice.[3]
• Earning with airline and non-airline partners runs on each partner's own agreement and terms, and only one programme can be credited per flight or transaction.[3]
• Membership is open to individuals aged at least two, with applications by minors under 12 signed by a parent or legal guardian; companies, trusts, families and groups cannot join, and each person may hold only one account.[3]
• Because awards stay inside Royal Brunei's own schedule, the programme's reach follows a network the airline describes as more than 30 destinations across Asia, the Middle East, Australia and the United Kingdom.[2]
• Miles are awarded only once a member's number is in the reservation and proof of travel is kept; RB flights post within two weeks, partner activity within six weeks.[3]

Frequently asked questions

How long do Royal Skies miles last?

Three years from the end of the month in which they were earned, after which unused miles are forfeited.[3] One extension of six months is possible once per calendar year for USD 30 or 4,000 miles, and Gold members' miles do not expire while Gold status is maintained.[3]

How many miles do you need for Royal Skies Silver?

Silver requires 25,000 flight miles or 20 RB Flexi mileage accrual sectors within one calendar year; Gold requires 50,000 flight miles or 40 sectors.[3] Only flight miles and Class of Service bonuses count.[3]

Can you use Royal Skies miles on partner airlines?

No — awards are valid on scheduled Royal Brunei flights only and are not available on flights operated for RB by code-share partners.[3] Partners are used for earning miles, at rates set by each partner agreement.[3]

Can a travel agent book a Royal Skies award?

No. Travel agents are not authorised to book awards or issue award tickets on behalf of Royal Brunei.[3] Members book online, through the Royal Skies Service Centre, the RB call centre or an RB customer service centre, at least five working days before departure.[3]

Can you buy Royal Skies miles?

Only as a top-up, once an account holds at least 70% of the miles an award requires, in blocks of 1,000 miles at USD 20.[3] Top-up miles must be redeemed within 72 hours, are non-refundable and cannot be used for upgrade awards.[3]

Related pages

Compare Royal Skies with other carriers in best airline programmes for Asia, or read how to choose your main programme and status thresholds at major programmes. Background terms: elite tier ladders and the frequent flyer glossary.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It covers Royal Skies only; other airline programmes, and the partner lists of other airlines, are not covered here.

1. Royal Skies programme page, Royal Brunei Airlines, checked 18 October 2026
2. Royal Brunei Airlines — Royal Skies programme and network information, checked 18 October 2026
3. Royal Skies terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026