Understanding that economy passengers want to lie flat during a long flight isn’t groundbreaking, but the engineering to make this happen is; that’s why no other airline has it.
“[Skynest] was really born out of our research telling us that sleep was core to customer experience,” says Leanne Geraghty, chief customer and sales officer at Air New Zealand.
Air New Zealand has a history of putting sleep first: They debuted the Skycouch in 2010, allowing economy passengers to book three adjacent seats that can be converted into a lie-flat experience with a specially designed mattress across the seats. The configuration is ideal for individuals, couples and parents with small children to sleep soundly at an additional cost that remains below business class prices. .
I use the handlebar to pull myself onto the top bunk first, my view of the other bunks immediately obscured as soon as I’m in position. Although I’m not a tall person , there seems to be more than enough space for those who are. A nearly opaque privacy curtain leaves me feeling sufficiently alone on my thin but comfortable mattress. Overall it’s quite cozy, with enough room to turn over.
Though Air New Zealand is working through the finer details, “we will be looking to sell the Skynest pods in four-hour blocks,” Geraghty says. That number isn’t random; the timing is based on sleep research. “We know that most people undergo a 90-minute REM cycle. So, the four-hour block allows them to have two of those REM cycles with time to wind down and then wake back up.” There will be a 30-minute buffer between sessions so the crew can clean and reset the pods with new linens.
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