Air New Zealand Introduces Bunk Beds In Economy On 17-Hour Flights

Travel is becoming more comfortable for passengers flying with Air New Zealand. After introducing Sky Couch - where the footrests fold up to convert three economy seats into a flat surface, allowing passengers to stretch out - the Auckland-based airline is set to begin offering economy passengers four-hour naps in private pods on certain long-haul flights. Air New Zealand, known for operating scheduled passenger flights to 20 domestic and 28 international destinations across 18 countries, primarily within the Pacific Rim, has made the latest addition to its economy class. 

Also Read: Flying To New Zealand? What You Can And Cannot Carry In Your Luggage

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At an event in New York on Tuesday, Air New Zealand unveiled its Skynest pods. It features a series of six sleeping pods illuminated with purple light. The private pods are arranged like bunk beds, one on top of the other. They can accommodate six people at once and will replace five seats on the new Boeing 787-9 aircraft, which will also feature an expanded premium-class configuration.

The airline revealed it will debut the Skynest pods service in November on flights between New York and Auckland. The airline will install its new bunk-bed-like sleeping pods on Boeing 787-9 jets that operate the carrier's longest route, nearly 9,000 miles.

Nikhil Ravishankar, Air New Zealand's chief executive, told The New York Times, “Our geographical location in the world is certainly a motivation to get that right.”

More About The Skynest Pods

Each of the thin but soft mattresses is accompanied by a pillow, a folded dark blanket, a seatbelt, USB-A and C plugs, and a privacy curtain. They are designed with spaciousness in mind and are about 6 feet 8 inches long. Passengers won't need to set an alarm for the four-hour naps. Instead, lights automatically turn on when a session ends. If someone remains asleep, a crew member will wake them. The crew will then take about 30 minutes to change the bedding before the next passenger's pod time begins.

Passengers will need to reserve the pods in advance to avail of the service. Online bookings will begin on May 18 for travel starting in November. With this, four hours in one of the private pods will cost USD 495 (approximately Rs 46,223), on top of a roughly USD 900 (approximately Rs 84,046) one-way economy ticket. Combined, an economy-class ticket with a Skynest pod on Air New Zealand will amount to USD 1,395 (approximately Rs 1,30,272).

Also Read: 5 Things To Do In New Zealand During Spring For An Adrenaline-Pumping Holiday

Other Airlines With Similar Couch Seats

In March this year, United Airlines revealed that it would offer its own version of the couch, called Relax Row, starting in 2027. Vietnam Airlines and Azul Airlines have also adopted versions of the lie-flat economy row. Dark blue aeroplane seats in these configurations can be converted into a couch, complete with a pillow, blanket and sometimes even a stuffed toy.