Have you ever been on an ultra-long-haul flight in economy and wished you could lie down and sleep somewhere, anywhere, even for just a few hours? Come 2024, that will be a reality if you're on select Air New Zealand flights to and from the U.S.
Air New Zealand will debut its new sleep pods, aka fancy bunk beds, for economy-class passengers in September of 2024.
The innovative "Skynest" product — which the airline first announced shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic brought air travel to a halt in 2020 — will have six sleep pods that economy-class flyers can purchase in a four-hour block as an add-on fee to a regular seat.
We now know the price for that four-hour nap: $255-$380 (listed as $400-$600, presumably in New Zealand dollars, on the airline's press release), per the airline. That comes to less than $100 an hour to nap in the sky.
What is the Air New Zealand Skynest?
The Air New Zealand Skynest features two sets of three bunk beds stacked in an outward-facing, V-shaped configuration. It will be between the premium economy and economy cabins.
Each pod will include fresh bedding for each passenger comprised of a full-size pillow, blanket and sheets, earplugs, USB outlet and lighting designed for rest. As the four-hour time block comes to a close, the lights will gently come back on to aid with waking up and heading back to your originally assigned seat.
Of course, if that doesn't do the trick, Air New Zealand flight attendants will be on hand to bring you back to reality; there is just a 30-minute changeover period before the next guest takes your spot.
Related: Take a look inside Air New Zealand's innovation lab
How to book the Air New Zealand Skynest
Each passenger can only book one four-hour block in the lie-flat Skynest.
The Skynest product will roll out in September of next year on routes to and from Auckland and both Chicago and New York.
However, we don't yet know exactly when the add-on will go on sale or how popular (aka tough to book) they may become.
Bottom line
Air New Zealand was already an innovator because its Skycouch product offered economy-class passengers a chance to catch some z’s without paying business-class prices. The Skycouch will remain available.
However, if you want a chance to lie in a "bed" on flights that can approach 16 hours long, you'll be able to buy four hours of rest in the sky starting this fall.
Related reading:
- I flew 14 hours on a ‘couch’ — here’s whether Air New Zealand’s Skycouch was worth it
- On board Air New Zealand’s inaugural flight from NYC to Auckland, the world’s 4th-longest
- Air New Zealand reveals new Boeing 787-9 business-class seat
Ethan Klapper and Summer Hull contributed reporting.
