WELLINGTON — Air New Zealand will open bookings this month for four-hour stints in its Skynest sleep pods, which will be available to economy and premium economy passengers on its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft beginning in November. The pods will be offered on long-haul flights, including the Auckland to New York route, which leaves economy passengers sitting upright for 16 to 18 hours.
The four-hour pod spots will cost from 495 New Zealand dollars on top of economy ticket prices. Each arrangement includes six pods in a triple-bunk style layout positioned between cabins. The airline said its lie-flat bunks for economy travelers will be a world first. Seats and couches that convert into beds already exist for business and first class travelers.
Each Skynest berth is approximately 80 inches long and does not allow headroom for sitting up, requiring passengers to bend, kneel, crawl or climb to access the space. The bunks are 25 inches wide at shoulder height, tapering to 16 inches at the foot of the beds. Pillows, blankets and sheets are refreshed between four-hour naps, and earplugs will be provided for snoring.
Passengers must change into specially provided socks to enter the pods, fasten their seatbelts over their blankets, and refrain from snacking or using perfumes or potions inside. Children and additional visitors cannot use the pods. At the end of the four-hour stint, passengers will be woken by a gentle change in lighting, or by a flight attendant if they do not wake in time.
Air New Zealand first announced the development of economy-class bunks in 2020. In March 2026, the airline suspended its earnings outlook due to fuel price volatility and warned that more changes to its routes were possible. The airline also increased fares and cut some domestic flights from its schedule as jet fuel costs rose during the war in the Middle East.