Air New Zealand invites economy passengers to join mile-high sleep club in world first
Socks are mandatory and crumbs, strong perfumes and bed-sharing are forbidden as fliers get cosy with their fellow passengers
Sleep on a long-haul flight in economy class has always been a fantasy for many travellers. Air New Zealand will soon offer a solution that involves climbing into a triple-tier bunk bed wearing special socks.
The airline will soon open bookings for four-hour stints in the Skynest sleep pods and says they will be the first lie-flat beds for budget air travellers. Fliers will get cosy with their fellow passengers, however, so crumbs, strong perfumes and bed-sharing are forbidden.
The planes will service the Auckland to New York route, which is one of the world’s longest commercial flights and leaves economy passengers sitting upright for a marathon 16 to 18 hours.
Travellers will have the option of a pre-booked four-hour spot in a curtained pod, with costs starting from NZ$495 (US$290) on top of the price of their economy tickets.
But use of the six pods, arranged in a triple-bunk style layout between cabins, will put fliers in close proximity to others, prompting the airline to publish etiquette notes.