Airline will have beds in economy class for passengers to sleep on flights

Air New Zealand will install capsules on some of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which will offer economy class passengers the option to enjoy a flat bed sleeping experience in-flight for the first time.

The Skynest project was first revealed in 2020, a few months before the pandemic. Behold, the plan moved forward, and when the New Zealand flag carrier takes delivery of the new 787-9 Dreamliners in 2024, they will come equipped with the world’s first Skynest.

The pods will be located at the rear of the economy cabin, with three berths on either side of a central entrance. With only six capsules, the experience will not be an option for many passengers, who will certainly have to pay some extra money to enjoy the service. The value has not been announced.

“We wanted to give our economy customers an option and that’s how Skynest was born. It’s going to be a real game-changer for the travel experience,” said Air New Zealand Chief Executive Greg Foran.

In addition to the novelty, the new Dreamliners will continue to feature Air New Zealand’s popular Skycouch, which extends a three-seat economy bench to transform them into a customizable bed or living space, suitable for families with children, for example. There are also new seats with extra legroom and a Premium Economy cabin.

In the Executive

For passengers on a bigger budget, the airline also unveiled a new and improved Business Premier seat, as well as its Business Premier Luxe seat, which offers a little more space, a sliding privacy door and room for two passengers to dine together.

Business Premier Luxe will have four to eight seats per flight, Business Premier will have between 22 and 42 seats, Premium Economy will have between 33 or 52 seats and the Economy section will have 125 or 213 seats. The new cabins will first appear in 2024 on deliveries of the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, but will also be retrofitted to Air New Zealand’s existing Dreamliner fleet over time.

Skynest will not be installed on all Dreamliners, but will only feature aircraft configured to operate Air New Zealand’s longest flights.

The airline has revealed few details about the seats and cabins, but customer director Leanne Geraghty says they are inspired by the uniqueness. Sustainability, she says, will be at the heart of the new designs, including the decision to use modern fabric instead of leather, to save about a pound per Business or Premium Economy seat.