Air New Zealand's lie-flat Skynest beds for economy passengers are ready for take off
Air New Zealand passengers will soon be able to book a bunk in the sky for under $500, marking a world-first for economy travel.
The airline confirmed its "Skynest" lie-flat sleep pods will be available to book from May 18, with the first sessions taking flight in November.
Six individual pods have been designed in a bunk-style layout to give economy and premium economy travellers a dedicated space to sleep on ultra long-haul routes.
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Air New Zealand's "Skynest" lie-flat sleep pods will be available to book from May 18. Supplied/Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar said the innovation was designed to make travel to and from a remote country like New Zealand "more manageable".
"International tourism is an NZ$18.1 billion industry, but growth depends on travellers' willingness to spend long hours in the air to get here," Ravishankar said.
The pods will be located on the airline's new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
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The pods will be located on the airline's new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. Supplied/Air New Zealand
Each private space includes a full-length mattress, fresh bedding changed between uses, ambient lighting, and a "Nestcessities" kit featuring an eye mask and ear plugs.
A four-hour session will be priced from $495.
Initially, two sessions will be offered on each flight, designed around natural sleep cycles to allow passengers time to settle and wake gradually.
The product was developed over several years and tested with more than 200 customers before the final design was confirmed.
A four-hour session will be priced from $495. Supplied/Air New Zealand
It follows the airline's previous "Skycouch" lie flat row innovation. Supplied/Air New Zealand
It follows the airline's previous "Skycouch" innovation, which allows economy passengers to convert a row of seats into a flat surface.
Ravishankar said the new option recognised that customers valued "flexibility, comfort and control" on some of the world's longest commercial flights.
This story was originally published by Stuff NZ and has been reproduced here with permission.
