Air New Zealand has announced a new way for economy travellers on long-haul flights to relax and unwind while in the sky – bunk beds on flights.
Revealed last week, the ‘Skynest’ will feature eight bunk beds at the back of their Boeing 787 and 789 Dreamliner planes.
Bunk Beds on flights
The communal bunk beds will be available for passengers to book when booking seats online, in four-hour slots, allowing a passenger normally restricted to upright sleeping the chance to lie down mid-flight. The beds will feature a mattress and sheets which will be changed after each slot.
Each pod will have a curtain, USB charging ports and ventilation. Five current economy seats are being removed to make room for the new sleeping pods, which Air New Zealand bosses hope will entice more economy customers to fly ultra-long-haul with the airline.
Set to take off in 2024, the pods will be used on the airline’s biggest planes- Dreamliners- on their routes across the Pacific.
New long-haul non-stop flights
And the expansions don’t stop there. This September, Air New Zealand is launching a 17 hour non-stop flight from Auckland to New York.
While the pods won’t be ready for the arrival of this new route, it is something for future passengers to look forward to.
In October, the airline will also relaunch its Auckland to Chicago service- another ultra-long-haul flight across America. With more than 200 seats across regular and premium economy, demand is expected to be high when the pods are installed ready for use in 2024.
Therefore, only one four hour stint will be allowed for each person, in order for more passengers to make use of them. Greg Foran, Air New Zealand’s chief executive said that the bunk beds will be a ‘real game-changer for the economy travel experience’.
Project Sunrise Flights
Other Oceanic airlines have also announced changes to help promote travel to America and Europe.
Qantas’ ‘Project Sunrise’ flights- which are set to be up to 20 hours in non-stop travel -will begin operating in 2025. Qantas has announced ‘wellbeing zones’ for for economy passengers to move around whilst on flights such as this.
The flights from Sydney and Melbourne will fly direct to New York and London, bridging the gap between Australia, the East Coast and Europe.
Similarly, Air New Zealand announced ‘care stations’ for their long-haul flights. As the world reopens from Covid, and more people than ever are moving around the world for business and pleasure, the long-haul flight is a lucrative business opportunity that will see success for Air New Zealand as they move to bring comfort into the economy arena.