Thomas Cook is the Latest Airline to Add Sky Couch in Economy
UK-based leisure carrier Thomas Cook Airlines is the latest airline to allow passengers the option to upgrade their onboard experience with the addition of what the airline is calling Sleep Seats. Sleeper Seats are more commonly known as sky couches, a term assigned to an entire row of seats in economy class modified so that the row resembles a couch. The product was first introduced by Air New Zealand in 2010 and the concept has since been included by other airlines on select aircraft. This coming May, Thomas Cook Airlines UK will become the first non-full-service carrier to offer such a service.
Thomas Cook Airlines UK unveiled the Sleeper Seat earlier this month. Sleeper Seats feature a mattress, duvet, pillow and amenity kit in addition to the standard economy class amenities. In an official press release, the airline confirmed that the Sleeper Seats would be available on select long-haul flights beginning May 13, 2019. However, if you're planning a trip on Thomas Cook this summer, the Sleeper Seat is already on sale and can be reserved today.
In the United States, Thomas Cook UK serves the following cities:
- Las Vegas (LAS)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- New York City (JFK)
- Orlando (MCO)
- San Francisco (SFO)
- Seattle (SEA)
To grab a Sleeper Seat, begin booking a flight on Thomas Cook's website as you normally would. Remember that only nonstop flights feature the option to book Sleeper Seats, and codeshare and partner flights like those operated by Condor will not feature Sleeper Seats. Once you have selected your desired flight, select the standard Economy Class fare option. (Though it is not explicitly stated in the press release, it appears that Economy Light fares do not allow you to select a Sleeper Seat.) Once you've selected your desired flight and selected the standard Economy Class fare, click through to the optional add-ons.
Once the add-ons page loads, you will first be presented with a flexibility option. Directly below the flexibility option is the option to select a seat. If Sleeper Seats are available on your flight, an icon that resembles a — what else — Sleeper Seat will appear above the box containing seating information.
Since Sleeper Seats are not a separate class or fare, passengers will select the Sleeper Seat option directly from the seat map when choosing their desired seats. Once you've enlarged the seat map, scroll all the way to the very back of the aircraft. The center seats in the last four rows on long-haul flights (flights operated on an Airbus A330) are designated as Sleeper Seats.
Sleeper Seat pricing varies based on flight duration. We've seen Sleeper Seats priced from £199.99 (~$265) to £399.99 (~$529). For example, a Sleeper Seat is available for $265 one-way between London and Orlando, while a Sleeper Seat costs $529 on flights from Manchester to Seattle. Additionally, all prices are per person, which means if you're traveling with a companion, you will need to either purchase two Sleeper Seats or assign your companion to another seat. It's also worth noting that, unlike most other sky couch products, only one person can use the airline's Sleeper Seats at once.
This new economy class add-on is quite pricey, costing more than the actual price of a one-way ticket. However, a Sleeper Seat might be worth the cost to upgrade for anyone 6 foot or under to sleep or stretch out comfortably.
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