Four hours in Air New Zealand's Economy Skynest will add up to $380 to your ticket price.
Air New ZealandEver since British Airways introduced the first lie-flat seats in the mid 1990s, being able to fully stretch out on a long-haul flight has required ponying up for a first- or business-class ticket.
But next year, Air New Zealand is rolling out what the carrier’s CEO calls “a game changer for economy travelers” with its highly anticipated Economy Skynest sleep pods.
“We wanted to offer our economy customers a lie-flat option and that's how Skynest was born,” said Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran.
Beginning September 2024, a select number of Boeing 787 Dreamliners will be outfitted with six bunkbed-style, lie-flat beds that can be pre-booked for a four-hour slot.
“We’re still working through the exact details of how the booking process will work, and we have yet to determine the price,” said Leanne Geraghty, Air New Zealand’s chief customer and sales officer. “At this stage are looking at around $400 to $600 [New Zealand dollars] for the four-hour period."
That works out to $254-$380 in U.S. dollars for what passengers hope will be a decent nap. Yet, at up to $95 an hour, it’s an add-on that could hike the overall ticket price by about a third, potentially straining passengers’ notion of economy pricing.
Then again, maybe what qualifies as economy seating these days is now just a matter of semantics. While many major airlines now differentiate between basic economy and premium economy, Air New Zealand is now offering three more possibilities for a total of five economy categories at different price points.
Air New Zealand's Economy Skycouch lets you stretch out, but you need to purchase three seats.
Air New ZealandWhat do travelers want when they’re looking down the barrel of double-digit hours in an airplane seat? As the operator of some of the world’s longest flights, Air New Zealand has spent much time and research determining that passengers want to be comfortable enough to get some rest.
“We have zeroed in on sleep, comfort, and wellness because we know how important it is for our customers to arrive well-rested,” said Foran. “It’s a proud moment to finally unveil five years of hard mahi, in what truly is a cabin of possibility. One that will provide customers with options to get some shut eye wherever they’re sitting.”
Air New Zealand’s so-called “cabin of possibility” will test the willingness of economy-minded passengers to pay a steep premium to catch more Zs. Aside from two business-class ticket categories, the carrier now offers a menu of paid upgrades within economy class with a sliding scale of comfort.
Since February, Air New Zealand passengers on some long-haul routes can pay an additional NZ $175 (U.S. $111) for one of the 42 Economy Stretch seats that boast nearly 40% more legroom than a standard economy seat and a 35-inch seat pitch, which is roughly 15% better than the industry average.
For a couple or a parent traveling with small children, the next step up is an Economy Skycouch, These are regular economy seats, except with a special footrest that can be raised all the way up to create a large couch space. Individuals wanting a Skycouch all to themselves have to buy three adjacent seats.
The Economy Skynest sleep pods will be located between the economy and premium economy cabins on certain long-haul routes, including the nearly 18-hour direct route from New York to Auckland and the 16-plus hours from Chicago to Auckland.
Air New Zealand's Economy Stretch offers more legroom than in regular economy.
Air New Zealand“North America is the perfect market for Skynest, as it has a premium segment that values comfort and sleep during long-haul travel,” Geraghty said.
Aglow in pink lighting designed to encourage rest, each Skynest is fitted with a privacy curtain, USB charging port, reading light and a seat belt. Passengers will also receive ear plugs, full-size sheets, a pillow and a blanket. The bedding be changed between uses during a 30-minute transition window.
Yet time in a sleep pod is but a temporary luxury. Each passenger will be limited to one four-hour session, with families travelling on the same ticket able to book a session for each passenger, pending availability.
“Research shows us the first night away from home is the hardest to get a good night's sleep so everything we do onboard is to help create a sense of calm,” said Geraghty.
For some, dreams of in-flight snoozing could end in disappointment. At the end of the four hours in the sleep pod, the lights will come on and a crew member will come by to give passengers a polite nudge back to their seats in regular ol’ economy class.
