Air New Zealand Launches Bunk Bed in Coach: Would You Pay to Sleep in a ‘Skynest’ Pod for 4 Hours?

Four-hour sessions start at $495 and debut on flights between Auckland and New York in November 2026

NEED TO KNOW

• Air New Zealand is launching a new option for travelers to lie-flat during ultra-long-haul flights
• The new “Economy Skynests” feature a cluster of six individual pods, offering private space for customers to sleep
• Passengers can book one four-hour session per flight, starting at $495
• The feature will debut on 18-hour flights between New York and Auckland in November 2026

Air New Zealand is promising a “world-first innovation” in its new commercial aircraft. Beginning May 18, customers will be able to book dedicated time to lie fully flat inside their Economy Skynest pods on long-haul flights. 

On Tuesday, April 14, the Auckland-based airline announced it's offering customers the “opportunity to stretch out, lie flat and get a few hours' proper rest in the air,” according to a press release shared with PEOPLE. 

Its Skynests, built inside the airline's new fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, feature six “meticulously designed pods” providing private space for travelers to sleep. 

The individual alcoves will have a lie-flat bed with a soft mattress, pillow, sheets, blanket and a seatbelt. There will also be USB outlets, a reading light, cooling ventilation and a privacy curtain. The space measures about 80 inches long and 25 inches wide. 

Each session also includes a complimentary kit of “Nestcessities,” including an eye mask, socks, earplugs, therapeutic skincare by Aotea and a dental kit. 

“New Zealand's unique location means we understand long haul travel better than anyone,” Air New Zealand's chief executive, Nikhil Ravishankar, says in a press release. “On some of the world's longest commercial flights to and from New Zealand, Skynest is designed to make a real difference to the journey.”

“It's a simple idea with a powerful impact: swap the headrest for bedrest, and arrive ready to go,” Ravishankar adds. 

Starting next month, customers can book four-hour sessions inside the Skynest pods, with a limit of one session per passenger, per flight. They will initially be offered on the 18-hour flight route between New York and Auckland in November 2026. Sessions will start at $495. 

“It is another example of how we are continuing to evolve and improve the Economy cabin experience,” says Ravishankar. “Skycouch gave customers more choice in how they travel, and Skynest builds on that by offering a new option for rest on our longest flights.”

The airline already offers its Economy Skycouch, which is a row of economy seats that convert to a lie-flat couch space, usable by solo travelers, pairs or families.

While the Skycouch merely requires the leg rests to be fully reclined, Skynest access requires getting in and out of the nest, which may involve bending, kneeling, crawling or climbing to enter. 

Air New Zealand isn't the only company expanding its sleeping options for travelers.

In March, United Airlines introduced its “Relax Row” economy seats that convert into a couch for international flights. The airline says this option is ideal for families traveling with small children, solo travelers and couples. 

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United's new feature debuts in 2027 and will be available on more than 200 Boeing 787 and 777 widebody aircraft by 2030. The Chicago-based carrier has yet to announce how booking and pricing will work, but experts expect to see it operate similarly to its international counterparts.

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