Get a taste of what it’s like to be at the pointy end of the plane with Air New Zealand’s newest addition.
No, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke.
Air New Zealand has just announced that, after three years of research and development, their ‘Skynest’ sleep pod prototypes could be rolling out in economy class as early as 2021.
Imagine that – stretching out and getting a good night sleep, on an actual bed, in economy class. It’s the sort of thing we could only once dream about – and will be dreaming mid-air soon!
The sleep pods they have in trial phase are essentially full-length bunk beds (measuring at 200 cm long and 58 cm wide), complete with blanket, pillow, USB charging port, earplugs, a privacy curtain, and a reading light. There are only six beds available to paying economy passengers, offered as an extra on top of your fare. That’s right – you get a seat and a separate bed.
There’s no indication as to where exactly in the cabin the Skynest will be but rest assured, this luxury is for the economy class only – a win for the masses!
“We have a tremendous amount of development work underway looking at product innovations we can bring across all cabins of the aircraft. A clear pain point for economy travellers on long-haul flights is the inability to stretch out. The development of the Economy Skynest is a direct response to that challenge,” says Air New Zealand’s Chief Marketing and Customer Officer, Mike Tod.
“We see a future flying experience where an economy-class customer on long-haul flights would be able to book the Economy Skynest in addition to their Economy seat, get some quality rest and arrive at their destination ready to go. This is a game-changer on so many levels.” says General Manager of Customer Experience Nikki Goodman.
The decision on whether the airline will install the sleep pods across their long-haul fleet will be made after a year of running the prototype on their upcoming Aukland-New York route. The flight is set to be one of the longest flights in the world – the perfect testing environment.
For more updates: News
Featured image: supplied
