From 2024, Air New Zealand will offer a new Business Premier Luxe suite, a new Business Premier seat and the world's first economy lie-flat bed, dubbed Skynest.
Air New Zealand states that it has responded to “overwhelming customer feedback on the importance of sleep and need for more comfort and space”.
Air New Zealand's new Dreamliners are due to arrive in 2024, and the airline suggests will provide the best sleep in the sky regardless of the cabin customers choose to fly in.
This includes a new Business Premier Luxe seat, designed for customers looking for more space and privacy, and Skynest, the world's first sleep pods in the sky for Economy travellers.
Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran comments: "New Zealand's location puts us in a unique position to lead on the ultra-longhaul travel experience. We have zeroed in on sleep, comfort, and wellness because we know how important it is for our customers to arrive well-rested. Whether they are heading straight into a meeting, or to their first holiday hotspot - they want to hit the ground running.
"It's a proud moment to finally unveil five years of hard mahi, in what truly is a cabin of possibility. One that will provide customers with options to get some shut eye wherever they're sitting."
For Economy customers, the Skynest concept, first announced in 2020, will be a world-first.
"We wanted to offer our Economy customers a lie-flat option and that's how Skynest was born. It's going to be a real game changer for the economy travel experience."
The airline has also added a Sky Pantry to the Premium Economy and Economy cabins, so customers can stretch their legs, grab a bite to eat and hydrate at their leisure throughout their journey.
Sustainability has been at the heart of the design process. Using modern fabrics, rather than leather, has saved around one kilogram in weight per Business Premier and Premium Economy seat, reducing overall carbon emissions. In Premium cabins, the airline will also switch to serviceware that is 20% lighter, helping to reduce carbon emissions, and in Economy, the new serviceware will reduce plastic dishes used inflight by 28 million every year.
The eight Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners arriving from 2024 and retrofitted current 787-9 fleet will have either eight or four Business Premier Luxe seats, 42 or 22 Business Premier, 52 or 33 Premium Economy, 125 or 213 Economy seats, and specifically on the ultra-longhaul aircraft, six Skynest sleep pods.