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Air New Zealand has once again been awarded Best Economy Class for its innovation of the Skycouch and the Skynest beds to be rolled out in mid-2025.
Skynest has captured the imagination of a global audience and its uniqueness has already been acknowledged by multiple awards, says a media release from the 2024 Airline Excellence Awards.
The Economy Skynest will be launching on ultra-long-haul flights, starting with the Auckland – New York route.
The Skynest will be a six-pod configured sleep zone that offers sessions for economy passengers to lie down when travelling long haul. .
Each pod will include a full-size pillow, sheets and blanket, ear plugs, a separate reading light, a personal device USB outlet, a ventilation outlet, and lighting designed for rest.
Each passenger will be limited to one session, with families travelling on the same ticket able to book a session for each passenger, pending availability. Skynest provides economy passengers with another opportunity to lie flat and rest during longer flights. The other option is the very popular Skycouch.
Air New Zealand says Skynest will be located between Premium Economy and Economy, and each pod will come with a separate seatbelt to ensure passengers can fasten them and stay in the pod should the seat belt sign come on during turbulence. The bedding will be changed between each session, and a 30-minute transition time will be allowed for this. The lights will gently come on at the end of each session, and the crew will politely wake any passengers who sleep through this.
The airline also offers the chance for economy class passengers to purchase the seat next to them.
Other winners include Qatar Airways for Best Catering, Virgin Australia Regional for Best Regional Airline, Emirates for Best Inflight Entertainment, Virgin Australia for Best Cabin Crew and Singapore Airlines for Best First Class.
