A new all-business class airline promising a 'private jet' experience is launching flights to the Maldives using Airbus aircraft with lie-flat beds meet Beond

So far, the carrier has one A319 aircraft.

The company has emphasized it is not a "business" airline targeting corporate travelers, but rather a "luxury leisure" carrier focusing on travel for tourism.

Beond is approaching a pretty niche market with its point-to-point luxury leisure network, which will connect Malé to Zurich, Munich, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, starting in November.

The Riyadh inaugural will depart on November 9, the Munich route will launch on November 15, followed by flights from Zurich starting on November 17.

Milan and Dubai were announced as additional routes on Wednesday, slated to start in late March 2024.

The idea is to create a budget-friendly, yet still high-end experience for luxury-seeking travelers with a little extra spending money.

"We believe in affordable luxury," Beond CEO Tero Taskila told media on Wednesday.

The A319 passenger jet can fit up to 160 people, according to Airbus.

The customized cabin was designed by Italian manufacturer Optimares, which has also designed lie-flat loungers for Four Seasons and TCS World Travel's private jets.

Beond's cabin setup is rare in the airline industry, with France's La Compagnie being the only other long-haul airline to currently use a similar business model, flying Airbus A321neo jets across the Atlantic. Startup carrier BermudaAir also only offers business class but without the lie-flat function.

When the aisle seat passenger extends the bed, the person in the window will not be able to directly access the aisle without waking up their neighbor or stepping over.

This is likely not a big deal for people traveling together. However, it is an issue major airlines have been actively addressing as they introduce new business class seats.

The tablet has a designated slot on the seatback for viewing.

Customers can use the iPad to view food and drink options and watch movies or shows. It also has Bluetooth capabilities.

According to Beond, some routes will fly up to 12 hours — meaning sleep and meals will be necessary to create an elevated long-haul experience.

Travelers can also take advantage of limo transfers and airport lounges, where available.

Airlines like JetBlue Airways and United Airlines fly narrowbody Airbus and Boeing jets across the Atlantic, though they are equipped with both business and economy products.

The smaller single-aisle airliner is particularly convenient for carriers because it allows for a quick turnaround. Beond says it can turn its jet in less than an hour, which will help optimize its fleet utilization.

"We are [in] a unique position that we are without any legacy, we are a startup, we've thought up innovation," Taskila said on Wednesday. "So, we are able to have that cost efficiency that allows us to keep the prices very competitive."

Taskila told media on Wednesday that roundtrip flights from Riyadh would cost $2,000: "I believe that's quite competitive considering the other options," he said.

Beond's pricing is just under Saudia's $2,050 fare for business class between Riyadh and Malé in mid-December, though the Jeddah-based carrier's seats are on its Boeing 787 and have direct-aisle access.

A ticket around the same time on Swiss carrier Edelweiss, which flies the same route, is priced at about $6,400 at the time of writing.

Edelweiss' nearly more expensive flight will not have a fuel stop, though.

Building an all-Airbus fleet will streamline crew and maintenance operations.

Beond is expecting even further costs-savings once its gets its upcoming A321 planes.

This fuel stop at Dubai World Central, which is separate from the city's main international hub, means flights between Malé and both Zurich and Munich will still have a "layover" on the way.

This may take away from the luxury, but Taskila said he believes it is still the "fastest and more convenient" option, "It is a technical stop, just to fuel, in Dubai, and then continue to the Maldives."

A route map published by Beond on its website shows several additional cities that the airline likely hopes to fly to one day.

These include the two aforementioned Asian cities in Korea and Japan, as well as Hong Kong, Taipei, Vienna, Paris, and Astana, Kazakhstan.

However, the inconvenient fuel detours in Dubai and the planned Hanoi are expected to become actual nonstop routes once the A321LR/XLR versions are put into service as they can manage the distance, Taskila told media on Wednesday.

"When you travel to the Maldives, you don't go there for one night," the CEO told media, noting the carrier is starting with two frequencies but could go up to three or four per destination, depending on demand.

"You could be at the destination for four days, you can be there seven days, you can be there 10 days or 14 days," Taskila continued.

Beond is entering a market where already established airlines have a cut of the market share and a base of loyal customers.

Several other carriers already operate the routes Beond has scheduled to launch, like Edelweiss from Zurich and Saudia from Riyadh.

According to Cirium data, there was an average of seven daily roundtrip flights between Dubai and Malé in August 2023, split between Flydubai and Emirates.

"This includes around 12% of those seats in premium class. Competition on that route will be challenging," Morris told CNN in August.

He noted there "may be more opportunity" on the underserved route between Malé and Delhi, India, which is on Beond's list of planned destinations.

"We are a niche carrier in a way that we are operating purely a private jet experience on a full premium class cabin and there are people who appreciate that kind of environment," Taskila told the South China Morning Post in August.

Despite the uncommon strategy, Beond says luxury leisure travel is the industry's "fastest growing market segment" and believes deep-pocket customers will pay for a premium experience to the Maldives.