"Economy Class Can Now Lie Down"... Airline Introduces In-Flight Bed Compartments

Air New Zealand Introduces Sleeping Spaces on Long-Haul Routes
Economy Passengers Can Reserve 4 Hours for an Additional Fee

New Zealand's national airline, Air New Zealand, is introducing bed-type sleeping spaces for economy class passengers on ultra-long-haul routes. For an extra fee in addition to the regular seat fare, travelers can access an in-flight service that allows them to lie down and rest.

Air New Zealand is the first airline to introduce the bed-type sleep capsule seat service called 'Skynest'. Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand Becomes the First Airline to Introduce ‘Skynest’ Bed Capsule Seat Service

According to the Guardian on April 15 (local time), Air New Zealand announced that it will become the first airline to introduce ‘Skynest,’ a bed-type sleeping capsule seat service.

The service will be available to economy class passengers on the ultra-long-haul route between Auckland, New Zealand, and New York, United States. Reservations will open in May, with the service to be implemented on flights from November onwards.

The sleep capsules will be installed in the aisle area of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and will consist of six full-length beds in total. Each capsule comes with fresh bedding, a privacy curtain, lighting, and a kit containing an eye mask, skincare products, earplugs, and socks. Each sleeping capsule is about 203 cm in length, with a shoulder width of about 64 cm that narrows to approximately 41 cm toward the foot end.

Air New Zealand is the first airline to introduce the 'Skynest,' a bed-type sleeping capsule seat service. Air New Zealand

Price: 430,000 won... Snoring Allowed, Perfume Not

Both premium and economy class passengers must purchase a standard seat ticket and can additionally reserve a four-hour session in the sleep capsule. The usage fee is 495 New Zealand dollars (about 430,000 won). Initially, there will be two usage sessions per flight, and each passenger can book only one session.

When using the sleep capsule, passengers will rest in close proximity to others. There is no space provided for sitting inside the capsule. Use by more than one person at a time is prohibited, and eating or bringing children is also restricted.

The airline has asked passengers to refrain from using perfume. However, snoring will not be regulated, and earplugs will be provided instead.

Air New Zealand CEO: “Let Long-Haul Passengers Rest”

Nikhil Ravishankar, CEO of Air New Zealand, explained that for geographically distant countries like New Zealand, “the journey itself is important,” and that “attracting travel demand requires the ability to endure long flights.” He added, “Making it possible for more passengers to properly rest during long-haul flights will make travel smoother.”

Air New Zealand has previously offered the ‘Skycouch’ service, which allows passengers to pay an additional fee to use an entire row of economy seats as a bed.

Meanwhile, other airlines are also expanding convenience services for economy passengers on long-haul routes. United Airlines, an American carrier, plans to introduce a service starting in 2027 that allows three seats to be flattened for use as a bed. Qantas Airways of Australia will provide a ‘Wellness Zone’ (a stretching space) on the world’s longest route between Sydney, Australia, and London, United Kingdom.

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