Air New Zealand offers economy passengers paying a premium to lie-down on long-haul flights

Air New Zealand has revealed how its Skynest sleeping pods will work on long-haul flights and how much passengers will pay to book a spot.

Air New Zealand has revealed details about how its economy Skynest beds will work on long haul flights and what the cost to passengers will be. Picture: Supplied

Air New Zealand is banking on economy passengers being willing to pay between $400 and $600 on top of their fare, for the chance to lie down for four hours on an ultra-long haul flight.

The airline’s innovative “skynest” concept, consisting of a three tiered, double-sided stack of six beds will be rolled out on New York and Chicago routes next year on Boeing 787s.

Positioned between the premium economy and economy cabins, the beds will be available to book for four-hour sessions, limited to one per passenger.

Although the booking process and cost was yet to be finalised, Air New Zealand revealed it was expecting to charge between $400 and $600 for each “sleep session”.

Each bed will include a full-size pillow, sheets and blanket, ear plugs, a separate reading light, personal device USB outlet, ventilation outlet, and lighting designed for rest.

Lights will slowly turn back on after the session to awaken passengers. Picture: Supplied.

Seatbelts are also fitted to the beds to ensure passengers can remain secure throughout their sleep session in the event of turbulence.

At the end of the four-hours, the lights will gradually come on to wake passengers. If that fails, cabin crew will politely wake them up.

Crew will then change the bedding ahead of the next sleep session, with a 30-minute transition time allowed for this.

Air New Zealand chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty said the pods would be a “real game changer” and add more flexibility to the economy travel experience.

“Our 83-year history is marked by a commitment to innovation and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Skynest is the latest example, and we’re proud to be leading the way with this world-first cabin feature,” Ms Geraghty said.

“Skynest has captured the imagination of a global audience and its uniqueness has already been acknowledged by multiple awards – the latest being a finalist in the Crystal Cabin Awards. We’re delighted that customers are as excited about this new innovation as we are.”

The concept had been five-years in the planning, and the pods would be designed and installed in Boeing 787s in New Zealand.

A Skynest pod spot will be available for four-hour bookings.

Ms Geraghty said it made sense for skynest to be available initially to passengers on Auckland-New York flights, of over 16-hours and Auckland-Chicago (over 15-hours).

“North America is the perfect market for skynest, as it has a premium segment that values comfort and sleep during long-haul travel,” she said.

“By launching Skynest on these routes, we are bringing to life our commitment to providing choice, alongside the best possible experience for our passengers, and to continue to innovate and lead the way in the aviation industry.”

At the same time as skynest was being rolled out, Air New Zealand was planning to upgrade its business and premium economy products as well.

Boeing 787-9 aircraft arriving from 2024 will have either eight or four business premier luxe seats; 42 or 22 business premier seats; 52 or 33 premium economy and 125 or 213 economy seats.