In fact, it’s happening: Sky berths are now on sale for economy class passengers.
The sale price? $495 for a four-hour nap block.
Starting in late December, Air New Zealand will offer what it calls Skynest: a group of six beds with three heights on each side, flanked by a staircase. These beds can be reserved in blocks of time for napping on select long-haul flights between John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Auckland Airport (AKL).
What is Air New Zealand Skynest?
If this sounds familiar, it may be because Air New Zealand has been working on Skynest for more than six years. (In fact, the airline has been the first to adopt a number of inflight innovations, including elevated sofawhich has now been licensed to United Airlines as its next Relax Row.)
The day for Skynest to go from mockup to takeoff is approaching, as the airline recently showed off a Skynest model in New York City, which TPG tested firsthand.
I’m 5 feet 7 inches tall and fit very comfortably in bed; One man in the media preview was 6 feet 4 inches tall and could also stretch fully, albeit with a much tighter fit. The airline says the bunks measure 6 feet, 6 inches long, which should allow most passengers to lie down. There’s also about 25 inches of width at the shoulders, although the space narrows as you get to where your feet traditionally go.
I found the Skynest mattress comfortable and I have no doubt that lying on it and resting for a few hours will be a lot Better than sitting upright for 18 hours straight in economy class.
That said, when Skynest takes off later this year, I’m interested to see how private the beds feel when up to five other people are lounging at the same time. It will also be interesting to see if other passengers respect Skynest’s rules, such as no eating, no playing audio without headphones, and no shoes. The airline also suggests that passengers minimize getting in and out of beds during their four-hour block to avoid disturbing others.
Given the comfortable spaces and the goal of napping, you’ll likely want to be prepared with noise-cancelling headphones, earplugs, and any other accessories to counteract the snoring of nearby bunkmates.
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Each berth has a USB-A and C charging socket, and passengers will receive fresh bedding, a pillow, a blanket and a ‘Nestcessities’ kit containing an eye mask, socks, earplugs, a dental kit and skincare products from New Zealand brand Aotea.
At the end of your time block, the lights will slowly illuminate and gradually wake you up, although a flight attendant will come to touch your feet if the lights don’t work to return you to reality… and to your normal economy seat.
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SUMMER HELMET/THE TYPE OF THE POINTS
Related reading: What it was like to fly 14 hours on a ‘couch’ in the sky
The Skynest beds will be in the center of the economy section of the plane, in an area where a galley and a row of three seats would normally be.
How much does it cost to book Air New Zealand’s Skynest?
You can now book Skynest as an add-on if you are an economy or premium economy passenger on an eligible Air New Zealand flight between JFK and AKL on or after December 24. The bed costs a flat rate of $495.
You can choose between a four-hour block of time earlier or later in the flight, designated as Session A or Session B. You can also choose in advance which berth you want.
TPG Tip: The bottom bunk, which is essentially ground level, is nicer and cozier than you might think and doesn’t require climbing to access. And the top is at least as difficult to climb gracefully as you’d imagine, but they were actually all pretty comfortable once you were snuggled inside.
Interestingly, in my test searches, the price appears to be $495 whether you book on the US Air New Zealand site in US dollars or the New Zealand site in New Zealand dollars (which is required for flights originating in New Zealand). Currently, NZ$495 is equivalent to about US$288, so that’s something to keep in mind.
In a nutshell
While a four-hour schedule on an approximately 18-hour flight is obviously not the same as enjoying a business class reclining seat All the way, it’s potentially a good way to rest for a few hours to break up the long trip at a much lower price than business class would cost.
It will be interesting to see how relaxing and restorative this period of time really is, and we just have to wait until December to find out.
