BEOND | World's first all Business Class leisure airline (flight to the Maldives)
Welcome to Zürich International Airport in Switzerland Switzerland's largest airport is widely celebrated as one of the most pleasant and convenient airports in Europe In 2023, 28.9 million passengers flew through Zürich Airport Beond has its own dedicated Business Class check-in counters at Zürich Airport The passenger area of the airport features over 60 shops, including duty-free shops, restaurants, snack bars, and cafés Non-Schengen flights operate from Zürich Airport's Gates D & E Beond's passengers have access to the Aspire Lounge at Zürich The Aspire Lounge comprises a main area as well as a private room (the latter is reserved for Beond's passengers) The lounge features a self-serve buffet but guests can also enjoy à la carte dining The intimate lounge features a stylish, luxurious design The lounge does not have restrooms or showers, so unfortunately, guests must go outside to use public facilities Starter: beef carcpaccio Main course: butterchicker on rice The lounge is close to the gate that Beond uses for its flights to the Maldives This is the Airbus A319 that will fly us to the Maldives (registration number: 8Q-FBA; ex-Easyjet plane) Beond currently has a fleet of 2 Airbus aircraft: one Airbus A319 (20 years old) & one Airbus A321(22 years old) Beond aims to have a fleet of 32 Airbus A320s within five years to fly to 60 destinations around the globe I am the first passenger to board tonight's flight to the Maldives The aircraft features 44 Business Class seats in a 2-2 layout In comparison, the commercial version of the Airbus A319 aircraft features 110 to 156 Economy Class seats The leather seats are care designed by leading Italian seat manufacturer and Red Dot Award winner, Optimares Most Business Class seats have narrow footwells to the side There are also 8 ottoman Business Class seats, which come with more space for stretching your feet and legs The ottoman seats are located in row 5 (exit row) and row 1 A welcome drink is served during boarding A (very) hot towel is offered as well We're leaving the gate (on time departure at 10 pm local time) The cabin lights are dimmed as we taxi to the runway Takeoff: the A319 is powered by two CFM56-5B5/3 engines Zürich has 3 runways: 16/34 (3700 m or 12100 ft long), 14/32 (3300 m or 10800 ft long), and 10/28 (2500 m or 8200 ft long) Have you ever flown with Beond? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment Let's have a detailed look at the Business Class seat The seat’s center armrest holds the seat controls, a tray table and a holder for the entertainment system (iPad) The tray table can swivel 45 degrees, allowing passengers to get out of their seat Beond offers luxurious in-flight amenities The amenity kit - a black leather pouch - contains a dental kit, earplugs, and Bottega Fiore toiletries Wireless Beats headphones are offered (certainly a step above the typical ones you get on a flight) Bedding amenities include an orange velvet pillow and blanket Let's have a look at the menu Aperitif, served with nut mix Starter: prawn & citrus cocktail Main course: sole meuniere, served with parsley potatoes, lemon caper butter Dessert: lemon meringue tart & fresh fruits The Airbus A319 has two lavatories: one behind the cockpit and one at the rear of the plane Instead of using screens for in-flight entertainment, Beond provides an iPad to every Business Class passenger The IFE selection includes movies, series, flight maps, podcasts, documentaries, sports, music and games Onboard WiFi is currently not offered by Beond The cabin crew switches off the cabin lights after dinner The seat transforms into a fully flat bed at the press of a button The flight attendants put a mattress topper on the seat and wrap the pillow in a cotton pillowcase The ottoman seats have a wide footrest but the bed is only 170 cm (67 inches) long in the lie-flat position The regular seats have a much smaller footrest but the length of the lie-flat bed is longer and more comfortable We're approaching Dubai, where the plane needs to make a scheduled refueling stop at 6 am local time When Beond acquires the longer-range A321neos, the required refueling stopover in Dubai will be eliminated We're going to land at Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International, the emirate's newest airport Dubai World Center - Al Maktoum International opened in 2010 The airport aims to become the biggest airport in the world (accommodating 260 million passengers per year) The refueling stop takes around one hour and there is a crew change but Beond's passengers can stay onboard A refreshing drink is served during the stopover And we're on our way again (local time 7 am) Flight time from Zurich to Dubai is 6 hours and from Dubai to the Maldives 4 hours and 30 minutes Beond was launched in 2022 The airline was founded by former Lufthansa managers, an investor from Dubai and a Maldivian hospitality group We get some nice views of the United Arab Emirates & Oman A 3-course breakfast is served as we cross the Indian Ocean The breakfast service starts with a drink Starter: smoked salmon, herb cream cheese Main course: grilled beef sausage & parsley omelette Dessert: lemon chiboust, mix berries It's time for some more rest ... The plane does not follow a straight path to the Maldives because Beond has not yet received ETOPS authorization The Maldives - one of the world's greatest and most exclusive travel destinations - comes into view
2024-06-02 00:30
