New Maldives Business-Class Airline Goes Above And ‘BeOnd’ To Be Affordable

The airline market is incredibly competitive with some cramming passengers in like in a sardine can, and others more luxurious with huge ticket prices. A new airline in the Maldives has introduced an affordable, luxury all-business class. Named BeOnd, this airline hopes to shake up the luxury travel market. Imagine seats by Ferrari, headphones by Beats and endless space in the cabin, but at affordable ticket prices.

Going above and BeOnd with this Maldives business-class airline

BeOnd is a new, all-premium airline, offering business-class flights at a fraction of the cost while creating a new niche for itself in luxury travel. Registered in the Maldives, with its headquarters in Dubai, BeOnd took its inaugural flight from Munich, Germany to Malé in November last year.

Eight months later, the airline has launched a new route from Malé to Milan, adding to its existing Dubai, Zurich and Riyadh routes.

The CEO of BeOnd is Tero Taskila, an industry veteran with a 30-year career in aviation working in companies around the world. He believed it was the right time to launch a boutique, all-business-class airline after noting the industry had reached a crossroads. Speaking about BeOnd, Taskila said:

Now we are in a perfect moment in aviation history where the technology is meeting the demand, and we have an opportunity to create something niche for that particular segment and be very focused on that segment.

Meanwhile, in September 2024, BeOnd is set to launch its first Asia Pacific destination – Bangkok, Thailand. The airline’s new route will open a gateway to a major market many airlines wish to capture.

Flying with the new Maldives airline

BeOnd opted for narrow-body Airbus A319s with places for only 44 seats in a plane that could host 157 passengers if it was an economy offering. Moreover, the airline is set to expand its fleet soon to include the Airbus A321, which will seat 68 business-class passengers on a plane that normally hosts 220.

The airline boasts lie-flat seats, designed by Optimares, with seat shells by Ferrari and fine leather fittings from Italy. Passengers will enjoy onboard menus from a team of world-class chefs and inspired by the cuisine of its various destinations.

However, Taskila told Euronews that while passengers enjoy the sleek interiors and fine dining, the most positive feedback received has been about the cabin crew. He said:

Our crew is our biggest loyalty tribe. People love our crew. I recently got the biggest compliment from a client, who said he was extremely impressed by a cabin crew, who knew so much and was very attentive, and who was on his first day on the job.

Meanwhile, even though BeOnd brands itself as a luxury airline, Taskila doesn’t mind it being seen as a “value for money” carrier.

“We don’t need to be outrageously expensive. But we need to be able to, at whatever price we are offering, exceed that value, so we are creating the value,” he said.

What does it cost to fly with BeOnd?

Currently, a return flight from Munich to Malé in October sells for around US$2,800. Meanwhile, the same route with Lufthansa costs passengers upwards of $4,950, with at least one stopover.

Meanwhile,  the airline has opted to do away with the standard embedded screens for in-flight entertainment. Instead, BeOnd offers the latest Apple iPad Pro tables with Beats by Dre wireless headsets.

Moreover, the airline is the first to opt for the Apple Vision Pro on its flights which allows passengers to fully immerse themselves in in-flight content, including movies and games.

Find out more about BeOnd on the airline’s official website here.