Air NZ reveals launch date, pricing for economy class bunk beds

Economy class Air New Zealand passengers flying to New York will be able to take a break from their seats and sleep on a bunk bed from November, with the airline announcing its “Skynest” concept will be on sale from May 18.

The bunk beds, which will also be available to premium economy passengers, will start from $495 for a four-hour session during the flight. There will be two sessions per flight initially on board the 16-hour (17 hours on return) haul on board the airline’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.

The airline’s New York flights connect to Australian cities through Auckland, as does rival Qantas which also launched a competing Auckland-New York route in 2023.

Air New Zealand chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar said New Zealand’s location meant the airline understood long-haul travel “better than anyone”.

“On some of the world’s longest commercial flights to and from New Zealand, Skynest is designed to make a real difference to the journey. It gives customers the opportunity to stretch out, lie flat and get a few hours’ proper rest in the air,” he said.

The Skynest was developed over several years and tested by more than 200 customers. When first announced in 2020, Air New Zealand planned to launch the beds in 2024.

The Skynest “pods” will feature a full-length mattress, bedding, ambient lighting, ventilation and charging ports. An amenity kit with an eye mask, socks, ear plugs, skincare products and a dental kit will also be provided.

The spaces are about 203 centimetres long, with width at the shoulder about 64cm, tapering to 41cm at the feet.

There will be just six pods on board, so with this version of Air New Zealand’s Dreamliner carrying 172 passengers across economy and premium economy, the sessions are likely to book out quickly.

The announcement comes as the airline’s previous economy class innovation, the Skycouch, where the foot of three seats fold up and lock to create a flat, short bed, is set for a major expansion.

First launched by Air New Zealand in 2010, the design is now being added to United Airlines planes under the name “Relax row” and will be launched in 2027. It will eventually feature on about 200 of the American airline’s fleet of more than 1000 planes.

Air New Zealand last year launched new seats across all cabins on board its Dreamliners, including its premium economy seat, which features a fixed shell so passengers do not recline into the space of the traveller behind them. The seats have received rave reviews from Traveller’s writers.