Air New Zealand has gotten serious about an idea it teased last year: an area on its wide-body planes where travelers who don’t have the lie-flat seats of the premium classes can grab a few hours of horizontal sleep.
Called ‘Skynest,’ the feature consists of six pods, in two stacks, with a step ladder for access. The pods are two feet wide, and 6’7″ deep. They are being retrofitted on the company’s existing long-haul fleet and factory-installed on new 787s the airline will be receiving soon.
With many of the airline’s flights to Europe and the Americas lasting into the 17-hour range, it will be possible for three shifts of sleepers to use the pods for four hours each, with a half hour between shifts for crew to change the bedding and freshen the space. Each bed comes with pillow and eye mask.
The four-hour time was chosen by the airline to allow for about two 90-minute periods of deep sleep. Price to use the Skynest hasn’t been set yet, although it will not be cheap. The airline plans to sell time blocks before the flight.
The first flights featuring the Skynest will be in September 2024. In the meantime, Air New Zealand also has Skycouch, an arrangement that allows an economy passenger to purchase all three seats in a row and sleep on a special mattress that spans the seats.
