Air New Zealand to rent bunk beds to long-haul economy passengers for $100 an hour

The six-bed pods - known as Skynest - will be available from September next year. Image Credit: Supplied

Sleep can be almost priceless for passengers jammed upright in economy class on long-haul flights. Now Air New Zealand Ltd. plans to sell it for around $100 an hour.

The airline is installing bunk beds on its ultra-long Auckland-New York and Auckland-Chicago routes in 2024.

Four-hour sessions, only available for travelers in coach, will probably cost between NZ$400 and NZ$600, Air New Zealand said Wednesday. That works out at $64-$95 per hour. The exact price hasn't yet been determined.

Photos: Lie-flat economy class pods are coming soon

skynest8 — The carrier is also overhauling its cabin amenities as a whole, from business all the way back to economy, with lighter-weight designs that are meant to cut back on carbon emissions. Image Credit: Supplied

The six-bed pods - known as Skynest - will be available from September next year. Each bed will have a pillow, sheets and blanket, ear plugs, and a reading light. Passengers will be limited to one booking per flight, and time limits are set to be strictly enforced.

Air New Zealand already has a lie-flat option in economy, called the SkyCouch. It allows fliers to extend specially-designed footrests from all three seats in an economy row, to effectively widen those seats and turn the section into a makeshift bed. It's extremely popular with families, who can lay horizontally across a row they've booked together. Image Credit: Supplied

"Crew will politely wake any passengers who sleep through," Air New Zealand said.

Customers on the 17-hour direct New York flights "- launched in September "- can already opt for Air New Zealand's Skycouch, which transforms a row of three economy seats into an improvised bed.