• Beond, an all-business-class airline, launched in November 2023 with a 21-year-old Airbus A319 plane.

• The Maldives-based airline flies to Europe and Asia and aims to expand routes with an Airbus A321.

• Critics doubt the strategy, but Beond hopes it can poach business from bigger-name competitors.

Maldives-focused airline Beond is a largely unknown startup.

The “premium leisure” carrier launched in November 2023 with a single, 21-year-old, all-business-class Airbus A319-100 that flies from the Maldives to Europe and Asia.

Beond recently added a 22-year-old A321-200 to its fleet, which has more capacity but slightly less range, to fly to new destinations like Bangkok. By 2025, it wants to have 32 of the longer-ranged narrowbody Airbus planes in its fleet.

Despite its grand plans, the cards are stacked against Beond. Other airlines, including British Airways, Qatar Airways, and Singapore Airlines, have tried to fly premium-only planes long-haul only to cut them because of high costs and strong competition.

Such a small fleet also leaves Beond with little flexibility should things go wrong. Plus, most of its “nonstop” flights have a fuel stop in Dubai, and other carriers have more frequency options by comparison.

I flew the airline for the first time in July 2024 to see how it compares to other niche business-class-only competitors like La Compagnie.

Beond has a 44-seater A319 and a 68-seater A321.

Both aircraft are previous-generation planes that are less efficient and with smaller ranges than modern Airbus airliners.

The planes power a growing route map with nonstop flights from Male to Milan, Riyadh, Dubai, Zurich, and Munich. Beond also has fifth-freedom permission to carry passengers between Zurich and Dubai.

As it grows, Beond hopes to acquire the next-generation A321neoLR and A321XLR aircraft, which could open longer flights to places like Perth, Australia, or Seoul.

Flights to Europe require a fuel stop in Dubai.

Beond’s narrowbody planes are limited in their range, flights between Male and Zurich, Milan, and Munich stop in Dubai to refuel.

The fuel stop lasted about an hour during Business Insider’s July flights between Milan and Male. There was a crew change and catering, but passengers didn’t have to deplane.

The total flight time, fuel stop included, was shorter than what it would take to fly the route on a mainline competitor. Qatar, for example, would take at least an hour and a half longer, require a layover, and be more at risk for connection problems.

The planes only have lie-flat business seats.

Beond’s premium-only business model promises beds for all passengers at a discounted rate compared to other airlines. Roundtrip tickets start around $2,000.

For example, the cheapest Milan-Male roundtrip fare on Beond is about $3,000 in February. By comparison, Qatar and Emirates’ websites show the same business-class itineraries for about $4,000 and about $3,500, respectively, and include a layover in Doha and Dubai.

The fare difference widens during the holidays, with business class tickets costing upward of $10,000 on Emirates in late December but only $4,000 on Beond.

The footwells are narrow.

The lie-flat bed on Beond is padded and comfortable, with extremely soft linens. My five-foot, three-inch self easily fit with room to spare, but I couldn’t get comfortable on my stomach because of the narrow footwell.

Taller travelers may also consider the bed length when booking, as BI’s Pete Syme reported during a media tour in November that those over six feet tall found it tight.

Customers can pay for a special ottoman seat.

Customers who want more space can pay extra for one of eight ottoman seats in the first and exit rows. The ottoman doubles as a companion seat, too.

The special seat is part of a “business-class-plus” trend, in which airlines have created elevated business seats that bring in even more revenue from the ever-important tickets.

JetBlue Airways, Qatar Airways, German carrier Condor, and Virgin Atlantic Airways have all invested in some form of upgraded business-class seat.

Window seats have no direct aisle access.

One shortcoming of the aircraft is its 2×2 layout. This means window-seat passengers can’t freely access the aisle when their neighbor’s seat is in bed mode.

The seats also lack a middle divider.

Beond has iPads instead of seatback televisions.

Unlike a traditional business-class seat with a seatback screen and remote control, Beond gives passengers an iPad for inflight entertainment. It sits on a tablet holder that deploys at eye level in front of the seat and connects to provided noise-canceling Beats headphones.

Travelers who rely on airline IFE will not find a huge selection of movies, but there are some good options, such as Sherlock Holmes and Interstellar. Customers can also bring their own device with pre-downloaded content to prop on the tablet holder.

However, there is no WiFi. The airline targets vacationers with splurge money, so the option is likely a lower priority.

The seats have a universal power outlet but storage is minimal.

The 2×2 layout means there is little room for extra bins or cubbies. Instead, the seats each boast small slots in front of and beside the seats, as well as a small middle table.

Luckily, there was plenty of overhead bin space for the few dozen passengers.

Travelers get slippers and an amenity kit.

The Beond-branded pouch included items like a dental kit, an eyemask, socks, and lotion.

Food options includes things like beef and lobster.

At the beginning of every flight, passengers were served a full meal, including bread, an appetizer, an entrée, and dessert.

I was impressed with the meals’ quality and flavors, which included options like lobster, chicken and pasta dishes, and brisket.

The bread, fruit, and cheeses were nice touches.

Customers shouldn’t expect QSuite-level luxury.

Qatar’s famous QSuite is considered the world’s best business class. The airline pioneered things like double beds and quad-seating, and each seat is like a mini-hotel room with a sliding door and giant flatscreen television.

Most global carriers follow the trend with their own versions of door-equipped business class, like Lufthansa’s Allegris product, British Airways’ Club Suite, and Turkish Airlines’ “Crystal” seat.

Beond has opted for a less luxe configuration with no television and minimal space and privacy compared. Still, the shortcoming may be worth the cheaper ticket.

Beond may struggle to sway its competitors’ loyal customers.

Carriers like Qatar, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and other mainlines flying in the same regions Beond is eyeing already have a strong customer base.

The airlines have more robust operations and more flight options for customers. Beond’s smaller and more restrictive business model could deter those customers from switching — especially if it doesn’t keep its punctuality up.

However, Beond is banking on a market of travelers willing to splurge on its discounted business-class tickets. And, once it gets its longer-ranged planes, it can connect underserved city pairs other carriers don’t fly without the fuel stop in Dubai.

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