The business-class-only airline expands to London and Paris
Airlines that operate business-class-only flights are always fascinating. La Compagnie is one that springs to mind, flying from France to the US with a fleet of two A321s. L’Avion was another biz-only service that flew from Paris to New York, which ended up being sold to British Airways. Running an airline isn’t easy, and it seems like running a premium-only one is even harder.
Who are Beond?
Founded in 2022 and with its first flight in 2023, Beond operates from the Maldives’ largest airport, Velana. They have two planes operating a business-class only cabin: an A319 with capacity for 44 passengers and a larger A321 with space for 68. On the smaller A319, there are just 11 rows of seats.
Both planes use a 2-2 configuration, with fully lie-flat seats. That layout suits couples best, as the window seats do not have direct aisle access. There are two bathrooms at either end of the plane. Both are standard-sized.
One thing to note: the flights from Europe are not direct. The planes are not of the LR or XLR variety (the Airbus variants that can fly long range) so they have to stop off in Dubai for refuelling. Flights from Europe end in the Maldives; you cannot get off the plane in Dubai. The airline does, however, have separate flights that start in the UAE.
At the time of writing, Beond flies from the following cities to the Maldives:
- Dubai (direct)
- London (with a stopover in Dubai)
- Munich (with a stopover)
- Milan (with a stopover)
- Riyadh (direct)
- Red Sea (direct)
- Zurich (with a stopover)
What market is Beond aimed at?
The airline is positioning itself as a near-private jet experience. Their website mentions that repeatedly, describing its service as a “private jet-like atmosphere” and the “best private jet alternative”.
The seats on board are on par, but no better, than most long-haul business class seats. The food, however, has been noted as being exceptional. Most flights are not at capacity, so the ratio of cabin crew to passengers is high.
Where the planes are lacking is connectivity: there is no wifi on board Beond, at least not yet. That means thirteen hours in the sky without email. For some, that may be a benefit; after all, twenty years ago, that was the norm.
The biggest concern with Beond is its limited fleet size. With just two planes serving a wide range of long-haul destinations, cancellations are too common. It is, however, getting better, and they are going to expand their fleet with further planes this year.
There’s no doubt that flying with Beond is a unique experience. It’s not quite a private jet, but it’s closer to it than any other airline.
When will the new London and Paris flights launch?
The first London flights are bookable from 16th December 2026. The airline will fly on Wednesdays, Thursday and Sundays, with return flights to the capital on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. That gives you some flexibility on how long you stay in the Maldives: three nights, six nights, seven nights and eleven nights are possible.
A return flight from London in December starts at €4,317 (£3,735) per person, which includes fast track, 40kg of luggage, and the airline’s own travel insurance product. That base fare does not include lounge access. That comes with the higher-priced packages.
The Bliss ticket type includes lounge access and free seat selection. The highest priced ticket is the Opulent, which includes everything in Bliss plus a premium transfer. Travelling on an Opulent ticket in December starts at €4,827 (£4,176) per person.
That price difference of £441, which includes transfers, lounge access and free seat selection isn’t ridiculous, but it’s still reasonable.
Paris flights start on the 18th December. They will fly every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday to Male, with return flights on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Pricing for a return flight in December 2026 costs slightly less than flying from London: €4,547 when choosing their best Opulent ticket.
Why would you fly Beyond versus another carrier?
Both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic fly from London direct to the Maldives, without requiring a refuelling stop. Both have a flight time of ten and a half hours heading to Male. Beond, with refuelling, is thirteen hours.
Onboard, BA do operate the first cabin on their flight, as well as their Business cabin with the perfectly decent Club Suite. Virgin use their 787, which is their last plane type that still has an onboard bar.
At the time of writing, for the same flight dates that I used in the Beond pricing example above, Beond is coming out much cheaper than Virgin (£7,451) and BA (£11,186) in Business Class. British Airways First is a staggering £15,360 return. Of course, you might have Virgin points or Avios to reduce that price.
Flying with a Middle Eastern carrier would mean a stop off in Dubai, Qatar or Abu Dhabi. Emirates in Business is £5,596 and their flight time is shorter than Beond (twelve and a half hours with a two-hour stopover). Qatar is £5,733 and Etihad costs £4,784, both have a similar flight time to Emirates.
The advantage with Qatar, Emirates and Etihad flights is that you can start your journey in a regional airport in the UK.
It’s a tough sell: All three ME carriers offer a great onboard experience, plus excellent lounges and large fleets that could handle cancellations or delays much better.
What’s Velana Airport like?
The airport has recently been upgraded. Our only trip to the Maldives was just before the new terminal opened. The old terminal was…an experience. Cramped, with poor facilities, and no lounge access for Qatar premium passengers.
The new terminal is beautiful. It’s also bigger, with more facilities and a better check-in. It can handle up to 7 million passengers a year, versus the old terminal that was bursting at the seams with 1.5 million.
There’s also a brand new airport lounge, which oneworld passengers can access.
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