Air New Zealand to Offer Six Sleep Pods on New York-Auckland Flights Starting November

Air New Zealand will introduce a product called Skynest on flights between New York and Auckland beginning in November. The route is nearly 18 hours long. The product consists of six lie-flat sleep pods arranged in three tiers on the carrier's newest Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

5 feet long and 25 inches wide at the shoulder and includes a pillow, sheets, a blanket, a mesh privacy curtain, and an amenity kit.

Each pod has its own ventilation unit, USB and USB-C charging ports, and a reading light. Jeremy O'Brien, Air New Zealand's chief customer officer, said the design drew from long-distance train sleeper carriages and Japanese capsule hotels. Passengers can reserve a pod for a four-hour session.

Two sessions will be offered per flight at launch, timed between meal services, with a maximum of one session per passenger. Bookings open May 18 for travel starting in November.

Skynest is the second lie-flat product Air New Zealand has offered in economy. The first, Skycouch, was introduced in 2011 and converts three economy seats into a flat surface. Skynest is restricted to passengers 15 and older. United Airlines plans to introduce a similar product called Relax Row on more than 200 Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft starting in 2027 under a patent licensed from Air New Zealand.