Maldives airline wants to expand and launch business-class-only flights in the US

BeOnd, a business-class-only airline based out of the Maldives, is considering expanding to the United States.

The company announced a new partnership with New Pacific, a charter airline based in the US, precisely for this reason.

The idea is to democratize business class and make it more affordable and therefore available to a wider audience.

But there are a few problems on the horizon.

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BeOnd would become the second business-class-only airline to serve the United States

BeOnd announced a new strategic partnership with New Pacific, a US-based charter airline.

‘Strategic partnership’ is basically a corporate-friendly way of saying you’re offering something another company needs, in exchange for something they have that you want.

BeOnd has a tried and tested business model, and a vague idea of how to make it work.

On the other side of the equation, New Pacific Airlines has planes, which BeOnd desperately needs, and a US presence, which BeOnd wants.

If it all goes well, BeOnd will become the second business-class-only airline to fly to the US after La Compagnie.

BeOnd’s business model is unique.

The airline operates two aircraft – both ex-EasyJet narrow-body Airbus airliners – allowing customers to fly business to and from the Maldives at about half the price of a ‘regular’ business fare.

Now, the idea is to expand and create BeOnd America, offering the same type of service within the United States and, later, to and from the US with transatlantic flights.

There are only a couple of issues

BeOnd bought two Airbus airliners from low-cost carriers, tore them apart, and built them back up as luxury airplanes with nothing but business class seats.

Their planes look tremendous, and the idea is definitely intriguing if you’re a customer, but there are a couple of issues.

First, this airline has two – literally only two – jets at its disposal.

That’s barely enough to cover its active routes to and from the Maldives, and it’s definitely not enough to cover destinations across the US.

And that’s true even if we include the nine planes owned by New Pacific.

The second problem is profitability.

You need a significant chunk of change just to keep the planes running, and even more if you actually want to fly them from A to B because you have to include staff costs, taxes, and so on.

On top of that, a BeOnd jet has fewer seats than a regular airliner, but it does offer more.

Their Airbus A321 has 68 seats – all of them business. And that means they have to offer good catering, bottomless everything, and free gifts like the complimentary pouch you get with a business class ticket.

It’s hardly sustainable.

But the idea is sound.

Hopefully it’ll work.