Sky Industry News

Some travelers believe Skynest will be a significant improvement for long-haul coach travel. In an interview with Travel Age West, Air New Zealand’s general manager for the Americas, Ben Evers-Swindell, elaborated on when Skynest will be available: “We’re launching Skynest on our brand-new Dreamliner that, all going well, we’ll be taking delivery of late next year. It will be a special configuration that’s designed for ultra-long-haul flying on our Auckland to New York service.”

This delivery schedule aligns with management’s February update to investors, which sees the carrier taking two 787s in its 2026 fiscal year (beginning July 1, 2025). Supporting the Skynest program, ST Engineering revealed last year that it had signed a letter of intent with Air New Zealand to help add Skynest via a retrofit program.

Skynest is situated between premium economy and economy cabins and features six sleeping pods arranged in triple bunks. Each pod includes personal ventilation, a reading light, bedding with a full-size pillow, ear plugs, a USB port, and special lighting designed for rest. The pods can be booked for one four-hour session at approximately NZ$400-$600.

The product was initially expected to debut on flights from Auckland to New York and Chicago starting September this year. Meanwhile, Air New Zealand is preparing for a retrofit of an in-service 787-9 that includes its Business Premier cabin product and updated Economy seats.

Geraghty emphasized that the twinjet has been crucial in expanding their network due to its fuel efficiency making it ideal for ultra-long-haul travel. More than 11 million passengers have already experienced Air New Zealand’s Dreamliner services.

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