Yes, Air New Zealand has announced it as a world-first, and it truly is. The new product “Skynest,” which will carve its way through the skies by late 2026, is composed of six beds that allow you to fly completely lying down in a capsule-like space located in the airplane’s aisle. Present only on the new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, access to this space will be available for a fee to passengers in Economy and Premium. The six beds, arranged as bunks, include bed linen, a privacy curtain, a seat belt, a reading light, charging ports, and a kit with toiletries, as the airline announced in a press release. Between each slot, the cabin crew will swap the pillows, the sheets, and the blanket.
A Nap by the Hour
The aircraft, a 787-9 Dreamliner, the route, the flights between Auckland and New York, and the duration, 17 hours. Skynest isn’t about a new class, since Premium and Economy passengers will still need to book their tickets in those cabins, but the novelty is that they will have the option to reserve a four-hour session in a bed from NZ$495 (roughly €250). Initially, there will be two sessions available per flight and, for now, only one can be booked, meaning it isn’t possible to spend eight hours traveling in the bunk, which shows that the product is conceived more as an “in‑flight siesta” than as a new way to fly.
Nikhil Ravishankar, the airline’s chief executive, says that for a country as remote as New Zealand, “the journey matters.” He adds: “By giving more people the opportunity to rest properly on ultralong-haul flights, it makes travel to and from New Zealand easier.”
Air New Zealand first announced the development of Skynest in 2020; a product that six years ago looked like science fiction has today become a reality: the bunks will be available for booking starting May 18 for flights that commence in November. These six beds are strictly for sleeping, or simply lying down to rest, so there will be no space to sit. Sharing a bunk is prohibited and eating and drinking are not allowed; children are not allowed to enter, as the product is reserved for adults. The airline’s rules also ask passengers to “moderate the use of perfumes” out of consideration for the next traveler who will occupy the bed.
