A lie-flat bed in economy? Yes please! Air NZ reveals new 'bunk' pods

A new era is upon us - one in which you can lie flat in economy class.

Too good to be true, you say? Think again.

Air New Zealand has announced its Economy Skynest, available to book from May 2026.

Economy and premium economy passengers will be able to book the lie-flat bed - reminiscent of pod or capsule hotel beds - for an in-flight sleep session.

The Skynest will operate onboard the airline's new Boeing 787-90 Dreamliner aircraft from November.

But there's just one catch - Aussies will have to travel to New Zealand to experience the Skynest. The concept will initially operate between New York and Auckland only - a 16-17-hour flight.

"New Zealand's unique location means we understand long haul travel better than anyone," says Air New Zealand Chief Executive, Nikhil Ravishankar.

"On some of the world's longest commercial flights to and from New Zealand, Skynest is designed to make a real difference to the journey."

The new aircraft will be equipped with six lie-flat pods in a bunk-style arrangement between the economy and premium economy cabins.

Each Skynest pod is a private space with a full-length mattress, ambient lighting, bedding, charging ports and ventilation. The pod also has a call button, seatbelt, and kit with toothpaste, a sleep mask, socks and an eye mask.

But you can't book the Skynest for the entire flight; rather, you book a Skynest "session", costing $495, on top of your flight ticket.

Two sessions will be offered per flight, and passengers who have booked a Skynest sleep will get up from their seats and use the pod for their designated time.

Skynest sessions go for four hours, allowing you just enough time to settle in and catch some shut-eye - but not enough time that your experience rivals that of Air New Zealand's lie-flat beds in its business class offering.

There is no word yet on when you will be able to hop on a flight from Australia in the Skynest, but Explore has put the question to Air New Zealand.

In the meantime, who's coming to Auckland?

RoundAbout Travel CEO, Anthony Riemann, says while Air New Zealand fans have been awaiting the Skynest since it was first floated by the airline back in 2020, it comes with limitations.

"We would still suggest considering a fully flat bed in business class if you want to sleep or rest on long-haul flights, but if the budget doesn't allow that, then this could be an interesting concept to at least try," Mr Riemann told Explore.

"Time will tell" whether it ends up being a good experience for travellers and worth the extra cost, he said.

He didn't expect to see it come to Australian flights any time soon.

"It's also unlikely that customers would specifically travel to NZ just to try it; it's more likely if they are on an Air NZ flight where this is offered, then they may consider booking a bed," he said.

The main competitor that has announced something similar is United Airlines, which will introduce "Relax Row" from 2027 - an economy class option featuring three seats that convert into a lie-flat bed on long-haul flights, Mr Reimann said.