Yessiree, the days of snoozin’ only for the wealthy who can pay for the lie-flat seats in first and business class are about to end, thanks to Air New Zealand. Introducing the legendary Skynest bunk beds, coming soon to an airplane near you! By September 2024, economy passengers will get the chance to experience sleep pods like a movin’ hostel.
These six magical sleep-inducing cocoons are being added to Air New Zealand’s wide-body planes and new Dreamliners to help long-haul and ultra-long-haul travelers catch some proper Zzz’s. Leanne Geraghty, chief customer and sales officer, shared her wisdom: “Sleep is so important… we couldn’t ignore it any longer!”
Located down under, New Zealand can be a pretty darn long plane ride ā up to 17 hours of fun ā so these revolutionary beds are heaven-sent for the tired traveler. The whole plane will see a sleep-oriented facelift with fancy Business Premier Luxe seats and larger economy seats. But the Skynest trumps them all ā prepare for some intense horizontal relaxation!
Air New Zealand has always been the Willy Wonka of sleep in the sky. Back in 2010, they came up with the Skycouch ā three adjacent seats that turned into a bed! It was bonkers, affordable, and perfect for lovebirds, families, and sleepy solo passengers who wanted to dream in style.
Still, designing the Skynest bunk beds took a whopping 170,000 hours. When you finally see these purple-podded beauties, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a sci-fi European sleeper train. Eighteen wheels? Nope, we’ve got wings! With 6 feet 7 inches of length and 2 feet of width, Air New Zealand boldly goes where no other airline has before.
Each bunk is equipped with a pillow, eye mask, charging USB port, reading light, and ventilation outlet. Want to know something cool? You don’t even need a hush machine! The Skynest’s insulation is so good, you can’t hear the snores from your fellow bunkmates.
Eager to hop into these sky-high bunk beds? You’ll have to reserve your Skynest pod for four-hour blocks. Turns out, four hours is just enough time for two full REM cycles so you can wake up feeling like a superhero! Make sure to book your pod before departure, but fret not if you miss out ā unsold pods could still be available on board.
The million-dollar question: how much will these snuggly sleeping capsules cost? Well, the final price isn’t set yet, but it should be around $400-$500. Start saving up and get ready for some sweet dreams aboard the Air New Zealand Sleepytime Express!
