The luxury of being able to lay down flat on a plane is only available to passengers in first class or business — but that’s all about to change.
Air New Zealand will have bunk beds for economy passengers where they will be able to book a session to get some sleep in a world-first move that will launch on some aircraft in September 2024.
The airline unveiled the Skynest sleeping pods in June last year — and now they have revealed a few more key details, including price.
The six sleeping pods will be in a bunk bed configuration located between the economy and premium economy cabins.
They will be featured on ultra-long haul flights, including the 17-hour direct between New York City and Auckland, which ranks among the longest flights in the world.
Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty previously told news.com.au it comes after feedback from customers over the past five years highlighting the importance for a good night’s sleep, more comfort and privacy.
“Skynest was an idea born out of looking at how we could offer a lie-flat option for Economy and Premium Economy travellers, and it’s going to be a real game-changer, adding more flexibility to the economy travel experience,” she said.
How much does it cost?
Passengers will be able to pre-book a session, in four-hour blocks, for an extra $NZ400 to $NZ600 — which is roughly $375 to $565 Aussie dollars.
“We’re still working through the exact details of how the booking process will work, and we have yet to determine the price,” Ms Geraghty said.
“At this stage [we] are looking at around $NZ400 to $NZ600 for the four-hour period.”
There will be 30 minutes between each session to allow cabin crew to change bedding and just before your session is up, lights will gently come on with cabin crew “politely waking up” any passengers who sleep through this.
Each pod will come with a separate seatbelt to ensure passengers can fasten them and stay in the pod should the seat belt sign come on during turbulence.
Each pod will include a full-size pillow, sheets and blanket, ear plugs, a separate reading light, personal device USB outlet, ventilation outlet, and lighting designed for rest.
SkyNest has already nabbed multiple awards – the latest being a finalist in the Crystal Cabin Awards.
“We’re delighted that customers are as excited about this new innovation as we are. Our extensive research and design process, which spanned five years and 170,000 hours, has resulted in a product that we’re confident will revolutionise the in-flight experience for Economy passengers.”