Air New Zealand has made further announcements regarding its revolutionary Skynest. The airline’s new development program is the world’s first which will see sleep pods installed in an aircraft. The airline announced new developments about the program and even displayed a prototype Skynest experience at TRENZ, New Zealand’s largest international tourism event.
The new Skynest program
Air New Zealand announced the Skynest before the COVID pandemic. At the initial announcement, Air New Zealand revealed some basic features of the new structure.
The airline said the Skynest would be a standalone structure for long-haul flights. The structure would feature six separate pods that have fully flat bunk beds allowing passengers to lay flat and stretch out during their flights.
The airline also made it clear that the Skynest experience, when available, could be purchased as an add-on to an economy seat ticket. This is similar to the airline’s already existing Skycouchm, a private row of seats in economy class. These seats are equipped with footrests that fold upwards to create a flat surface and are also supplied with bedding and pillows.
However, whereas the Skycouch can be booked for the entire flight, the airline will allow the booking of each Skynest to four-hour periods. The airline hopes to debut this new add-on next year on many of its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.
New developments to the Skynest addition
At the recent tourism event TRENZ, Air New Zealand revealed several new details for the revolutionary class of seating. The Chief Customer and Sales Officer of Air New Zealand, Leanne Geraghty, announced more of the design and spoke about the product, saying,
“Skynest has captured the imagination of a global audience, and its uniqueness has already been acknowledged by multiple awards – the latest being a finalist in the Crystal Cabin Awards. We’re delighted that customers are as excited about this new innovation as we are. Our extensive research and design process, which spanned five years and 170,000 hours, has resulted in a product that we’re confident will revolutionize the in-flight experience for Economy passengers.”
Air New Zealand announced that the Skynest would be utilized mostly on ultra-long-haul flights, as expected. The initial routes it will be used will be the very popular Auckland to New York and Auckland to Chicago routes. Geraghty continued about the route choice, saying,
“North America is the perfect market for Skynest, as it has a premium segment that values comfort and sleep during long-haul travel.”
The airline also announced that the Skynest will be designed and installed within the country. The installation process will include refitting the Boeing 787 Dreamliners selected for this upgrade.
Air New Zealand said the Skynest will most likely become available in September 2024. The airline also expanded on other additions to the sleep pods. Each pod will come with a full-size pillow, sheets, a blanket, ear plugs, a reading light, a USB outlet, a ventilation outlet, and specific lighting designed for sleeping or resting.
The airline specified that each passenger would only be able to book one session for each passenger, and it will still be offered as an add-on to an economy ticket. The airline is still finalizing cost details, although the early estimates range from $400 to $600 for a four-hour session in the Skynest.
