This Airline's New Sleep Pods Lets Economy Passengers Book Lie-flat Beds Starting This Year—Here’s What to Expect

By 

Alison Fox

Alison Fox

Alison Fox is a Travel + Leisure contributor. She has also written for Parents.com, The Wall Street Journal, and amNewYork. When she’s not in New York City, she can be found at the beach or on the slopes.

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Published on April 15, 2026

Passengers in the Air New Zealand Economy Skynest.Credit: 

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand will launch its much-anticipated Skynest in November with travelers able to start booking the beds next month.

The first-of-its-kind lie-flat option for economy passengers, laid out in six individual bunks, will be available to book in two different four-hour time slots for $495 per session, the airline shared with Travel + Leisure. The service will initially be available on the company’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and New Zealand’s Auckland Airport (AKL).

Passengers can book the Skynest starting May 18 for flights in November and beyond.

“We want [a passenger’s] holiday to start the moment they step on our planes,” Air New Zealand’s CEO Nikhil Ravishankar told T+L. “We don't think that we are a means to an end, we're part of the holiday experience. And so a lot of the work we do… everything is really focused around peace, calm, and tranquility that we think is the mindset we want to get our customers into, which is the best way to get off our plane and experience what is a beautiful country at the other end.”

Each bed will include a full-length mattress (which feels more spacious than it perhaps looks at first glance), a blanket, individual USB-A and USB-C outlets, a reading light, cooling ventilation, and a privacy curtain. Passengers will also receive an amenity kit with an eye mask, socks, ear plugs, skincare products by Aotea, and a dental kit.

Additionally, each bunk will feature a crew call button along with a seat belt in case of turbulence.

Passengers will also be able to choose which bunk they book, Ravishankar said.

“We want to win on sleep,” he said, adding, “Giving our customers choice around sleep options in economy class seems indulgent, of course, but we think that it's just the next natural progression.”

Ultimately, Ravishankar said the Skynest is a bit of a gamble.

“When you want to be innovative and when you want to experiment, you should also be open to failing. In other words, we actually don't know how this product's going to perform,” he said. “That's the price you should be willing to pay, and we have been willing to do that. And that's why we've got the reputation of being one of the most innovative airlines.

“I'm confident it will work, but we're going to test and learn,” he added. “That's what we do really well as an airline.”

In addition to the new Skynest, Air New Zealand offers the option to book a “Skycouch,” a row of economy seats with an extendable leg rest that can be raised to a 90 degree angle to create a lie-flat couch. That option is available on the company’s Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

Last year, the carrier also introduced a new Business Premier cabin featuring some seats with a privacy door and the option to dine with a companion.