Is it possible that airlines are going to try to make passengers flying in the back of the bus more comfortable? One airline is investing big money into overhauling and the redesign of its equipment.
Air New Zealand is the pioneer and is inaugurating the SkyCouch, which is scheduled to make its in-flight debut in a fleet of new Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300s. The first route will be between Auckland and Los Angeles and the next route is slated to be Auckland – Los Angeles – London. Launch time for the first flight is this November, according to Air New Zealand’s CEO Rob Fyfe, who states the airline no longer has a First class section. “The demand just isn’t there.”
When it’s time to sleep, the three adjoining seats can be configured into a couch where two people (weighing no more than 300 pounds – so no fatties please) will be able to stretch out and get some shut eye. Will this be as good as Business class or First class? Not on your life. But, it’s a mega improvement over having to sit upright and uptight on long haul flights. We assume couples who already know one another will be booking these seats. If they’re strangers, they’ll know one another (quasi-intimately?) after snuggling together under polar fleece blankets.
The airline hired the design firm Ideo, that’s always been known for its “out of the box” ideas and for not taking no for an answer. The Ideo team designed the whole travel experience around character types, based on different personalities and how each one would react. They factored in chatty Cathies, social butterflies who can’t sit still, the isolationist who doesn’t want to be disturbed, and of course the person who’s determined to hate everyone and everything about travel.
The airline didn’t stop at the seats converting into a couch. It has also completely redesigned its Premium Economy class, and added new amenities and touches such as meals on demand (within a few time limits) in all classes. The planes will also have child-friendly features such as interactive cartoon characters, plus a children’s menu including chicken tenders and popcorn.
Bring on the completely new in-flight entertainment system that includes iTunes-like interface and video screens, which are among the largest seen in Economy. Even the lavatories are deluxe compared to ones travelers are used to seeing.
SkyCouch (Coach)
· Cost: It’s guesstimated that the lounge option will run Auckland to London and back about $5,000 and Auckland-LAX will cost approximately $3,000.
· Configuration: Each Boeing 777-300 will have 22 SkyCouches in the first 11 rows of economy. The configuration of the plane is 3-3-3, so that means each SkyCouch is a row of three seats on both sides of the cabin. The center rows will not have the capability to be converted “sleepers.”
· Inner Space: Each SkyCouch is only about 1.75 meters long (or just over 5 feet), so passengers will likely need to use the fuselage as a headboard and the bed will approximate a twin sized one.
· Stretching Out: When passengers are ready for some R&R, the foot rest raises up to fill in the gap between the front of the seat and the back of the preceding row, then a thin mattress is placed on top and the passengers are given full-size pillows and polar fleece blankets.
· Target Audience: The SkyCouch is aimed at families and couples traveling together. To book a coach, passengers must reserve two of the seats at full price and then the third seat at half-price.
· Design: Almost as striking as the layout is the new, bold color scheme. Scratch the royal blue classic sky décor. Economy seats in the new planes will be black fabric with white backs that will match the new crew uniforms that were just issued earlier this year.
Premium Economy
· Air New Zealand has also made some major changes to its Premium Economy Class, which, with a 2-2-2 set-up, is undoubtedly going to be a game-changer in the long-haul market.
These seats will be comprised of individual hard shell pods, laid out in a herringbone configuration. As a result, the experience of flying is more personal and private, much like the nicest business and first classes on other premium carriers.
The seats are ergonomically designed to recline with a slightly raised incline in the seats which will be upholstered with custom-stitched leather, reminiscent of the interiors of Bentleys. The major drawback here is that there aren’t leg supports or foot rests…except for a bean bags the airline has jauntily named “Otto.” Experts wonder whether or not this will provide sufficient foot comfort for a trans-Pacific flight. But you can take “Otto” home with you – for free.
No word yet on how much the Premium Economy tickets will cost on the new planes. But the talk is it’s not going to be cheap. Compared to the configurations on other major long-haul carriers, the privacy-conscious layout, the fun new design, and all the extras, the buzz is, that what Air New Zealand will be offering, might make an upgrade worth the extra cost, since it’s bound to be one of the best deals on the LAX-London route.
Air New Zealand is taking the leap. The question is will other carriers follow suit and how soon? Traveling is hard enough but hat’s off to an airline that’s attempting to take some of the pain out of flying.
And let’s see whether or not this revered design team (that invented the computer mouse) will prove there can be both form, function, comfort and fun. It’d be nice for travelers who disembark after hours in the sky feeling as if they’ve been traveling in a sardine can and feel like physical pretzels. Might this signal the beginning of the end of ‘long-haul” cattle class. We can hope.
Karen Fawcett is president of Bonjour Paris
Karen Fawcett loves to travel anywhere. Karen was a founder & president BonjourParis.com while living in Paris for more than 25 years. She has traveled across Europe and the rest of the world. She is now based in Washington, DC.
