Most of us have struggled to sleep, let alone sit comfortably, in economy class while lusting over the leg space and luxury of business class. But, thanks to Air New Zealand, business class envy might be a thing of the past. The airline is set to introduce bunk beds on flights that can be accessed by economy and premium economy passengers.
Starting in September 2024, on aircrafts heading out on long-haul journeys, these bunk beds will give you a sweet sleep time of four hours, accompanied by complimentary eye masks and earplugs.
Those who want to have some shut-eye can book the pods at an additional cost to their flight ticket. While the beds are 35,000 feet above sea level, the ‘Skynests’ won’t be very different in feel and appearance from the semi-private passenger train berths on sleeper trains.
What’s the catch? Well, each flight will only have six sleeping pods, so you might have tough competition booking yourself a snooze. And while the official price hasn’t been announced yet, it’s unlikely to be cheap.
Regardless, this is definitely a win for those who fly economy. Imagine being able to stretch out for a couple of hours on a 24-hour flight from New Zealand to Europe? Gamechanger. You’ll still need some extra cash to book some shut-eye, but it does feel like things are getting more egalitarian in the skies.
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