The airline that is launching sleeping cabins in tourist class – and how much it will cost

Beds in economy class: the world of aviation is facing a quiet but significant change, when airlines begin to offer economy class passengers solutions that were previously reserved only for the luxury classes. Air New Zealand’s new move may mark the beginning of an era where even travelers on a limited budget will be able to lie down and sleep on a long flight.

Air New Zealand announced that starting this November, it will for the first time operate private sleeping cabins, called Skynest, on the particularly long flights between Auckland and New York, flights that are approximately 17 hours long. This is one of the longest flights in the world, which makes the issue of comfort a central consideration for passengers.

The new cabins are built as a structure of bunk beds inside the fuselage, and are intended for six passengers in each cycle of use. Each passenger will be able to pre-book a four-hour window of time for sleeping, at a cost of about $495, in addition to the price of a regular ticket in tourist class, which is about $900 one way.

Each sleeping compartment has a thin mattress, pillow, blanket, seat belt, USB connections, curtain for privacy and personal lighting. The length of each compartment reaches about 2 meters, but especially tall passengers may feel a little crowded. At the end of each sleep cycle, the flight crew gets about half an hour to prepare the cabin for the next passenger, including changing sheets and cleaning.

Air New Zealand’s move does not come in a vacuum. Already in 2011, the company launched another product called Sky Couch where a row of seats can be turned into a kind of flat bed. Now she is trying to go one step further, and offer a real sleep solution even for those who do not upgrade to business class.

Other airlines are already looking at similar solutions. United Airlines recently announced that starting in 2027, it will offer a product called Relax Row that allows three seats to be turned into a reclining surface. Companies such as Vietnam Airlines and Azul Airlines have also already adopted different versions of seats that open to lie down in economy class.

The reason for the trend is clear, the airlines are looking for ways to increase revenue from passengers in economy class, without dramatically changing the structure of the plane. Ancillary services such as sleeping cabins, spacious seats or comfort packages have become a major revenue engine, especially in an era where ticket prices are eroding and competition is increasing.

However, there are also disadvantages. The introduction of sleeping compartments comes at the expense of the number of seats, in the case of Air New Zealand it is a reduction of dozens of seats in Boeing 787-9 planes. This means a decrease in potential revenue from the sale of regular tickets, so the success of the model depends on the demand for the new service.

Another point is the user experience. Four hours of sleep may sound tempting, but this is a limited period of time, which does not cover an entire flight. Passengers will have to plan their rest time carefully, and switch between a normal seat and the sleeping compartment during the flight.

Despite this, for many it is an interesting compromise, between a crowded seat in economy class and a very high price of business class. If the model proves itself, it is likely that more companies will adopt it, especially on long lines such as between Asia and Europe or between Australia and the United States.