Air New Zealand plans to introduce the airline industry's first lie-flat economy beds in 2024.
Called the Skynest, the bunks will be installed on new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. Those aircraft will serve ultralong-haul routes, such as Auckland-Chicago and the Auckland-New York JFK route that Air New Zealand will launch in September.
Air New Zealand revealed that it was considering the Skynest shortly before the pandemic, and says it had researched the product for five years.
Specs revealed in 2020 showed that each Skynest pod would have two rows of three bunks. Bunks would have a length in excess of 6.5 feet and a width of two feet. Each bunk would be equipped with lighting designed for sleep.
"We see a future flying experience where an economy-class customer on long-haul flights would be able to book the Economy Skynest in addition to their Economy seat, get some quality rest and arrive at their destination ready to go," Nikki Goodman, who was then Air New Zealand's general manager of customer experience, said in February 2020.