Economy Class Seats That Allow You to Stretch Out Fully and Lie Down Appear... "Will Be a Game Changer"

Air New Zealand to Introduce on Select Long-Haul Routes Starting 2024

From 2024, Air New Zealand will introduce the economy sleeper seat 'Skynest' / Photo by Air New Zealand, Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] New Zealand airline Air New Zealand will install bed seats for economy class passengers starting in 2024.

According to a report by the British daily The Guardian on the 29th (local time), the bed seats named "Skynest" measure 60 cm in width and 198 cm in length. They will be installed in two tiers on eight Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, which have ample cabin height. Each aircraft will have six Skynests.

Skynest will be available as a paid additional service. Economy class passengers can pay an extra fee to use a seat equipped with a mattress, USB outlets, ventilation, and curtains for up to four hours. Each passenger can use it only once during the flight. The fee has not yet been determined.

Greg Foran, CEO of Air New Zealand, described Skynest as a "game changer" for the economy class travel experience, explaining, "We focused on sleep, rest, and health because we know it is important for customers to arrive at their destination well-rested."

Air New Zealand is preparing to launch an ultra-long-haul direct route covering 14,185 km from Auckland, the capital of New Zealand, to New York JFK Airport in the United States on September 17. This route is expected to be one of the longest in the world, taking 16 hours from Auckland and 17 hours and 35 minutes from JFK Airport.

Previously, in 2020, Air New Zealand introduced the "Skycouch," which connects economy seats to create a sofa-like comfortable space.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.