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Is an all-business class airline worth the price? Flying beyond the ordinary amidst budget airlines
By Anna Akopyan •
Published: 04 Aug 2024 • 14:08
• 2 minutes read
With crowded airports, overspending and endless queues, has flying become a hustle?
What was once a chic and luxurious experience, has now become a commodity as the increase of budget airlines made flying more accessible. Entrepreneurs and dreamers know that there are better potential offers; Beond is one of the few airlines that target an all-business class clientele and are growing their brand amid cheap flight deals. How big is the difference?
Beond an all-business class airline flying beyond the ordinary
Launched in late 2023 from the Dubai headquarters, the modern airline offers premium flights to and from the Maldives, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Asia. Its locations include Dubai, Milan, Munich, Zurich, Riyadh and Male.
Unlike the usual flying experience, with Beond the journey begins with a complimentary chauffeur service, transporting the travellers to the airports stress-free of public transport and talkative taxi drivers. At the airport, Beond´s clients can benefit from the peace of waiting in the exclusive lounge.
Onboard, Beond promotes the offer of flying beyond the ordinary, as the travellers make their way to the lie-flat Italian leather seats, met by the top-trained crew.
Already on the plane, the clients get to experience global flavours with the expansive menu crafted by fine chefs; the best wines, fresh juices, and dishes for every diet are guaranteed. All seats include the comfort of Bluetooth connections, USB port and a power outlet to stay entertained during the flight.
I had a dream of this airline, for this aircraft, and for this experience for passengers. We have created a premium experience coupled with an operating philosophy that is unmatched, said Beond Airlines Chief Strategy Officer Max Nilov.
All-business or budget airlines?
Of course, premium experiences come with a cost but since its launch, Beond has lowered its prices, now providing offers starting at €2,289 tickets. One of the concerns of premium-class airlines, however, is seasonality. From May to November, the Maldives are dominated by rain. When asked about the topic, the company´s CEO Tero Taskila said that seasonal destinations become year-round destinations once there´s enough appeal.
He mentioned that although the airline isn´t subsidized by any resort, they can sell packages offering attractive deals in the off season, as they collaborate with major resorts.
Since its launch, Beond has had to cancel multiple flights with minimal notice; potentially due to the lack of demand. With budget airlines like EasyJet or Vueling, it takes something like a global Microsoft outage to delay flights, and still, they get back to the norm quickly.
Moreover, being a niche category, Beond can only offer a limited schedule, with a single flight to each destination, two to three times a week. While with Beond, travellers would never be able to jump on the plane, like they may with Ryanair, Taskila explained that people are willing to wait, for the worthwhile experience.
Baggage is the biggest concern and decision-maker for most travellers; while travellers curse Ryanair for charging extra, Beond´s best offer, The Opulence Experience, includes an allowance of 60kg of checked bags, 15kg of cabin baggage and free ticket changes. Although the cabin baggage doesn´t differ greatly from Ryanair´s 10kg, the checked-in bags allowance definitely makes a difference.
While the next cheap flight will continue to be in demand, are luxury airlines likely to lead the future?
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From Moscow to Costa Blanca, Anna has spent over 10 years in Spain and one year in Berlin, where she worked as an actress and singer. Covering European news, Anna´s biggest passions are writing and travelling.
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