If you’ve ever had trouble sleeping on a long flight and just wish you could lie down for a few hours, Air New Zealand might have the solution for you.
And the airline thinks you might be willing to pay close to $400 for the privilege.
On Wednesday Air New Zealand revealed More details on the “Skynest,” a set of bunk beds first announced by the airline last June. The pod includes six bunks, each with a pillow, sheets, blanket, reading light, and a USB port for charging personal devices.
The air Line says The capsules will be available on Auckland-Chicago and Auckland-New York flights from September 2024. Air New Zealand’s flight to the latter destination, at around 17.5 hours, is the fourth longest commercial flight in the world.
But there are a few extra touches for economy passengers who want the luxury of an onboard bed.
First is the price. The Skynest costs in addition to the ticket price, so passengers have to pay extra for a bunk bed. While Air New Zealand says it hasn’t finalized the price yet, it is awaiting a booking cost between NZ$400 to 600 (about US$250 to US$380 at current exchange rates).
Second, a passenger can only book a four-hour slot for the entire flight. When the nap is over, the capsule’s lights “softly come on” to wake passengers and return them to their seats. Get a good night’s sleep and a member of the crew will “politely wake you up”.
The crew then prepares the capsule for the next customer and changes linens during a 30-minute transition period.
Bunk beds aren’t Air New Zealand’s only luxury plans for long-haul passengers. The airline already offers the “heaven couch‘ which allows passengers to book a special row of three seats with special footrests that turn them into a bench.
The airline also debuted a revised business class last September when it started its non-stop flight to New York.
Other airlines are considering additional comfort for long-haul passengers. The Australian airline Qantas, for example, has ordered adjusted airbus Aircraft with extra legroom and a “comfort zone” for passengers on scheduled Sydney-New York and Sydney-London flights from late 2025.
recovery from travel
Air New Zealand is recovering from years of losses due to its home country’s tight COVID restrictions during much of the pandemic. The island nation imposed travel restrictions early in the pandemic, ordered a centralized quarantine on international arrivals and temporarily barred entry to non-citizens and non-residents. The rules gave rise to the country’s international tourism sector – its largest source of foreign exchange before the pandemic – disappear.
The land rose these restrictions last July, and the government is now trying to bring visitors back. The country’s statistics office reported that international visitors joined in January — right in the middle of the country’s peak summer tourist season two-thirds at pre-pandemic levels.
Earlier this year Air New Zealand reported $1.9 billion in revenue for the six months ended December 31, 2022 compared to $713 million for the same period last year. The airline reported net income of $134 million for the same period, up from a loss of $172 million a year earlier. The airline said it was flying at 60% of its international capacity.
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