Air New Zealand revealed the world’s first sleep pods in the sky, called Skynest. From 2024, the Skynest will be used on flights to New York and Chicago. The Skynest will be a six-pod configured sleep zone that offers sessions for economy passengers to lie down when travelling long haul.
Each pod will include a full-size pillow, sheets and blanket, ear plugs, a separate reading light, personal device USB outlet, ventilation outlet, and lighting designed for rest.
Each passenger will be limited to one session, with families travelling on the same ticket able to book a session for each passenger, pending availability. Skynest provides economy passengers another opportunity to lie flat and rest during longer flights.
The Skynest will be located between Premium Economy and Economy, and each pod will come with a separate seatbelt to ensure passengers can fasten them and stay in the pod should the seat belt sign come on during turbulence. The bedding will be changed between each session, and a 30-minute transition time will be allowed for this. The lights will gently come on at the end of each session, and crew will politely wake any passengers who sleep through this.
“We’re still working through the exact details of how the booking process will work, and we have yet to determine the price. At this stage are looking at around $400 to $600 for the 4-hour period.”
The announcement was made at TRENZ – New Zealand’s largest international tourism business event – where a real-life Skynest experience was available for the first time.
