Beond A319 All-Business Flight, Dubai to Zurich

I boarded Beond’s A319 at Dubai’s Al Maktoum Airport for a daytime hop to Zurich. This wasn’t just another premium cabin test. The entire plane was business class: 44 lie-flat seats and no economy section at all. The airline markets itself as “premium leisure,” a phrase that sounds vague until you step inside their black-painted jet and realize they mean it literally.

Ground Experience at Dubai World Central

Dubai’s Al Maktoum Airport felt abandoned when I arrived. My Beond flight was the only one departing for hours. The check-in counter had no line, and the process took two minutes. Security was equally quick. The silence of the terminal was almost disorienting compared with the chaos of DXB. I walked through near-empty halls to the single lounge on site, the Marhaba Lounge.

Marhaba accepts Priority Pass, which made it more practical to enter that way rather than paying extra for lounge access through Beond. The lounge was clean, quiet, but generic. There were a few hot snacks, soft drinks, and plenty of space. Given how empty the terminal was, I could have just as easily skipped the lounge entirely and waited at the gate. Beond’s home base may be in the Maldives, but its Dubai ground setup feels minimalist. I did appreciate the calm. Fewer people meant less stress before the flight.

Boarding and First Impressions

Boarding began late. The aircraft arrived well after the printed time, and with only nine passengers starting in Dubai, there was no rush. A short bus ride took us across the ramp to the jet, an A319 painted in deep gloss black. Few liveries look this sharp: Air New Zealand’s all-black jets are the only close match. The plane used to fly for easyJet, and seeing it transformed into a luxury-only aircraft felt like a Cinderella story in metal and paint.

Climbing the stairs, I noticed how quiet the ramp was. The crew, all Spanish-speaking, greeted me warmly. Most of the passengers were continuing from Malé, so I was among a handful joining mid-journey. That made boarding slightly awkward, almost like stepping into someone else’s private charter halfway through. Still, the welcome drinks, fresh mango juice and a beetroot-carrot-ginger mix, set the right tone. The mango juice was exceptional.

Cabin Layout and Seat Design

Beond’s A319 holds eleven rows in a 2-2 configuration, forty-four seats in total. Every seat is a lie-flat design. Two additional rows at the front and emergency exits have extra legroom, sold for about USD 120 more per sector. The cabin has no bulkheads or curtains between sections, which means it feels open but also less private than widebody business cabins.

I chose the very last row to avoid foot traffic and to film quietly. Sitting behind the wing on a narrowbody gives a distinct perspective; you feel the engines’ vibration and hear the airflow more than on larger jets. Noise levels were high, typical for the A319. The overall design is elegant though: dark gray leather with diamond stitching and gold accent logos. Each seat came with a slim pillow and a patterned blanket that matched the seat fabric. There was AC power and USB-C at every seat, a welcome surprise, but absolutely no personal storage—no side bins, no cubbies, nowhere to place a laptop or headphones once seated. I had to keep everything on the floor or tray table.

Takeoff and Early Impressions

Taxiing out of DWC took a while. Once airborne, the small jet climbed sharply through the desert haze. It was loud in the rear rows, but the sensation of being on an all-business aircraft added excitement. Service began quickly with cool towels and another round of juices. The cabin lighting stayed bright; Beond hasn’t adopted mood lighting or dimmed ambience yet.

In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity

Each passenger received a tablet instead of a built-in screen. The interface looked dated, more 2015 than 2025, but functional. The library held a modest range of films: “I Am Legend” stood out mostly for nostalgia, and a handful of series. One game only. The system also doubled as the drinks and menu portal. There was no Wi-Fi access, only the local entertainment network, which surprised me for an airline calling itself premium. On the plus side, USB-C ports allowed me to power my own devices easily.

The provided headphones were decent, not noise-canceling. I mostly used my own. The map display worked well and showed both flight legs: Malé to Dubai and Dubai to Zurich. Beond could improve this area significantly with built-in screens or at least streaming internet.

Menu and Meal Service

The printed menu covered two routes: Malé to Dubai and Dubai to Zurich. The Malé section looked far more impressive, featuring Wagyu and lobster. My sector’s options were simpler. Still, the paper menu and table setup felt deliberate. The white tablecloth had subtle Japanese-inspired patterns. Table service on a narrowbody is rare; the crew managed it gracefully.

Appetizers

I ordered the Japanese starter, a salad with marinated vegetables. It was light, fresh, and came with excellent focaccia bread. I noticed the catering truck earlier was labeled Emirates Flight Catering, which explained the quality. A second starter followed, artichoke and eggplant mezza with baba ganoush. Both dishes tasted better than expected given the small galley space.

Main Course and Dessert

For the main, I had pasta that looked identical to one I’d eaten months earlier on Virgin Atlantic from Dubai. Portion sizes were small, but presentation was beautiful. The crew served it individually plated rather than in a tray, which added elegance. The dessert course offered fruit or cake. I went with the fruit plate, fresh, vibrant, well cut. It put several European carriers to shame. The total service pace felt relaxed, lasting about two hours.

Amenities and Comfort

The amenity kit was a small square pouch almost identical to Etihad’s older design. Inside were toiletries from the same supplier used in the lavatory, earbuds, a comb, and two sachets of electrolytes. Initially I thought there was no eye mask, but after asking later I received one of the best I’ve ever been given: thickly padded with molded eye wells that block all light. These are the kind sold at high-end sleep stores, not typical airline stock.

Bedding included a pillow and medium-weight blanket. For daytime flights, mattress pads were available on request. When I asked, the crew brought one along with a pillow cover. The bed length was sufficient for my 180 cm frame, though width was tight for side sleeping. Still, comfort was better than expected on a narrowbody. The seat mechanism on my first seat broke, forcing me to move one seat over. It could recline but wouldn’t return upright, which shows the maintenance challenge of complex lie-flat mechanisms on smaller jets.

Lavatories and Cabin Upkeep

There are only two lavatories on the entire aircraft, shared among 44 passengers and the crew. That’s one toilet for 26 people. It’s the lowest ratio I’ve encountered in business class. Despite that, cleanliness remained excellent throughout the flight. The crew refreshed the space after every few visits and stocked it with toothbrushes, air freshener, and pleasant-smelling soap. The cabin itself stayed tidy. Only during the post-meal period did a short queue form.

Service Quality

The crew were the standout feature. Most were ex-Emirates or ex-Etihad and seemed genuinely happy at Beond. They told me they earn more, fly less, and feel valued. Their warmth showed in every interaction. Each introduced themselves by name, remembered drink preferences, and chatted without hovering. When my seat jammed, they handled it discreetly and offered to reseat me. The purser, Aster, and flight attendant Xiao Xiao deserve special mention for their professionalism and humor. Service pacing was unhurried but attentive; closer to boutique hospitality than corporate routine.

Mid-Flight Experience

The cabin settled after lunch. Many passengers reclined to sleep. I used the time to work and read. When I asked for snacks later, only cookies were available, no mid-flight sandwiches or fruit. A small detail, but it limited comfort on a seven-hour sector. Later, the crew handed out face masks, a curious but appreciated gesture reminiscent of some Asian carriers. The rest of the flight was smooth until an unusually close fly-by from another aircraft startled me near Europe. A quick check on flight radar later confirmed it was within normal separation, but it looked alarmingly near out the window.

Approach and Arrival in Zurich

Descent into Zurich was turbulent. Being in a light A319, every bump felt amplified. We touched down roughly but safely. The crew remained cheerful through landing and goodbyes. Disembarking down the stairs, I felt both impressed and puzzled by Beond’s niche. At baggage claim I met two fellow passengers who had flown round-trip Zurich-Malé for CHF 2,500, about USD 2,750 total. That’s roughly the same price I paid one way from Dubai to Zurich. At that fare level, Beond makes perfect sense, a budget-business concept offering solid comfort for the money. At my fare, it’s harder to justify.

Value and Perspective

• Round-trip Zurich–Malé fares start around CHF 2,500, a strong deal for lie-flat service.
• My one-way Dubai–Zurich ticket cost USD 2,160, expensive given the limited amenities and narrowbody cabin.
• Privacy is minimal with no dividers, and seat storage is almost nonexistent.
• Soft product: Crew, catering, amenity kit is strong and thoughtfully executed.
• No Wi-Fi remains the biggest gap for business travelers.

Ratings

After Landing Thoughts

Beond’s A319 all-business experiment works best as a novelty for leisure travelers wanting comfort without the huge cost of first-tier Gulf carriers. The airline delivers warm service, decent food, and striking design. Yet it remains constrained by its narrowbody platform. The lack of Wi-Fi, small lavatory ratio, and limited storage keep it from being a true premium contender. For the right price, though, it’s worth trying at least once. The crew alone make it memorable.