Inside Beond — The Luxury Boutique Airline Flying Between the Maldives and Europe

If you are unfamiliar with Beond, the start-up carrier that claims to be the world’s first premium leisure airline, it is understandable. The airline is currently in its infancy stage and has only flown 1 flight from its base in Malé, Maldives (MLE) to its first destination — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (RUH).

However, the luxury all-business Airbus A319 jet is set to take to the skies with paying passengers for only the second time on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, with its inaugural service to Munich, Germany (MUC) from its base in Malé, the Maldives (MLE).

Given the range of the Airbus A319, the jet will make a short stop in Dubai (DWC) to refuel.

We were lucky enough to get a sneak preview of the aircraft’s stunning interior (and exterior) at the Dubai Airshow, and we couldn’t wait to show you what it’s like.

Inside Beond’s All-Business Airbus A319

Unlike other airlines, such as JetBlue, which opted for a 1-1 configuration in business class on their narrow-body jets, Beond opted for a 2-2 configuration for its 44-seat Airbus A319.

It is logical that, considering the aircraft’s dimensions, Beond opted for the 2-2 configuration. A 1-1 configuration would have required half the number of fare-paying passengers, or 22 seats, which would have resulted in a reduction of the airline’s overall profit.

Despite the fact that the entire aircraft is furnished with business class seats, there are 2 seat variants that differ marginally.

Beond’s most exclusive seats are the so-called Ottoman seats, which can be found in row 1 and towards the middle of the plane in the row just after the overwing emergency exits.

The footwell of these seats has a larger surface area, which gives passengers more space to spread out and stretch their legs when in the lie-flat position.

The remaining 36 seats feature a smaller ledge-type surface that connects with the rest of the seat when reclined fully instead of a full footwell. This is because the front seats take up more space, unlike the bulkhead Ottoman seats and the ones right after the overwing exits.

As for the design, the off-white leather seats pop against the dark shells, and the mixed tones of orange for the bedding and its packaging add a subtle and classy touch of color.

More soft tones of orange are weaved through the tableware, which is accompanied by similar glassware to what is used by several other airlines in their business classes.

Regarding technology, each passenger has access to a tablet, which will be handed out after take-off and recollected before landing. Ultimately, this means gate-to-gate entertainment is not an option for Beond passengers as of now. However, the screen quality appears to be excellent.

I had the opportunity to meet some of the crew members, who I believe will enhance the already luxurious and personalized onboard experience when flying with Beond to and from the Maldives.

And there you have it, an exclusive look at Beond’s maiden flight to Europe before it lands in Munich, Germany, on November 15, 2023.

Final Thoughts

It was a real treat to get up close and personal with the luxury jet of a brand new boutique airline only a few days after its inaugural service. Here at Upgraded Points, we’ll be following Beond’s journey closely as it becomes more established as a carrier and, hopefully, launches more routes in line with its ambitious growth plans.