Air New Zealand is putting bunk beds in Economy Class

Economy Skynest, the latest prototype to stem from the airline’s Hangar 22 innovation center, builds off the success of the airline’s Economy Skycouch, which allows families to transform a row of three economy seats into a single full-size bed.

Lie-flat seats ... in coach? It’s possible, says Air New Zealand, which on Tuesday announced a new economy-cabin concept to be piloted on flights between New York and Auckland starting this October. The new route is the first-ever nonstop between the two cities, taking roughly 16 to 18 hours.

Economy Skynest, the latest prototype to stem from the airline’s Hangar 22 innovation center, builds off the success of the airline’s Economy Skycouch, which allows families to transform a row of three economy seats into a single full-size bed.

If Skycouch is like a futon, Skynest is a small Pod Hotel, with two parallel sets of bunk beds stacked three high. Each mattress will be about 6.5 feet long and 23 inches wide at the shoulder, tentatively fitted with a privacy curtain, full-size pillow, blanket, sheets, and earplugs.

Skynest’s exact position within the cabin is yet to be decided—as is the exact date of its first flight. Its specifications are also subject to change. But according to a statement from the airline’s general manager of customer experience, Nikki Goodman, “an economy-class customer on long-haul flights would be able to book the Economy Skynest in addition to their economy seat, get some quality rest and arrive at their destination ready to go.”

The bar for innovation in cattle class isn’t particularly high. In 2018, Airbus released renderings that showed bunk beds in the cargo hold; this January, a competition called the Crystal Cabin Awards received submissions that allowed economy seats to face one another (like on a train) or to be installed around a communal table (like in a coffee shop). Those came from a Hamburg-based design group and the University of Cincinnati—not from airlines. Perhaps the biggest back-of-plane innovation as of late was Delta’s addition of cocktails, hot towels, and better food to its international economy offering. That hardly compares to a lie-flat bed.

So why focus on the lowest-paying customer?

“Our ability to take a good idea, to execute and deliver an innovation that works in our environment, our market, and for our people and customers gives us an edge,” said Air New Zealand’s head of airline programs, Kerry Reeves.

But just as important, it offers a patentable and trademarkable product that can be licensed to other fleets around the world. (Skycouch, for instance, has been licensed by China Airlines and the Brazilian carrier Azul.) Consider it your latest hack into business class—if only on a very limited basis.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.)

Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter