Flying Air New Zealand’s skycouch
What makes long haul flying economy better? For many it’s an empty middle row, free drinks, maybe even an exit row for extra leg room. For me it’s the room. I like to fly business as often as I can (mostly on points) and for my flight to Auckland business class wasn’t going to happen at almost $14,000 round trip! But then I found out about Air New Zealand’s SkyCouch.
I decided to fly it for the experience and see if it was worth it for my flight in February from Los Angeles to Auckland. I’m going to go over what’s included, the cost, the experience, and if I think it’s worth it.
What is skycouch?
First launched in 2011, the Skycouch is transforms a row of three standard economy seats into a flat, couch-like surface. By lifting the leg rests and lowering the armrests, you have a space to lie down during the flight. It is an affordable alternative to premium cabins while still having the comfort of laying down. It also comes with bedding, pillows, and a mattress pad, making long flights far more manageable.
What’s the cost & what’s included?
Since I am a solo traveler, it was more expensive. It was an extra $1,000 one way for me to book the couch. If you’re flying with a partner, I have seen the couch for around $300 one way. It’s steep but also no where near the cost of flying business or premium economy.
With the couch, you’re still getting the economy meals, service, etc. Which honestly, I don’t mind. I’ve never had a bad meal in economy but I will say Air New Zealand didn’t provide as much food as other airlines. I normally don’t eat the snacks that I bring, but I did this time. But the service was good and I didn’t have any complaints.
For what makes the Couch special: you get all the blankets and mini pillows that were in your row already but you also get a mattress pad, an actual comforter (comparable to business class comforters I’ve had), and two regular size pillows.
what’s it like?
The Skycouch rows are towards the back of plane on the sides (usually around row 35-42. When you approach, they do look like normal economy seats (the only difference was the head cover had “Skycouch” noted). There was the extra bedding and a guide for how to use the Skycouch. Before take off the flight attendants came around to ask if I had flown Skycouch and if I needed any help setting it up and handed me the required seatbelt. I declined as the guide did a good job of explaining. You are provided an extra seatbelt to go around your waist while laying down that buckles into the middle seat.
Since I had a late flight, right after take off I immediately released the foot rests to make the couch. Maybe an hour or so after we were served dinner and then the lights were dimmed for bed time.
I laid out my mattress, surrounded myself with all the pillows, and made myself a little cocoon. Once I was comfortable and situated it was easy to fall asleep and lay down comfortably. For reference, I am about 5’7” (about 170cm) and could lay down with my knees slightly bent.
was it worth it?
To me, yes! When we got to Auckland, I actually felt well rested and ready to hit the ground running.
When I fly, one of my main things is comfort and being able to sleep. I slept almost the entire way to New Zealand and back to Los Angeles. I would definitely fly Air NZ Skycouch again and plan on doing so when I go back to New Zealand. If you’re looking for the higher service, then maybe this isn’t for you because it is economy at the end of the day.
Just a note, I have heard the couch is popular with families because two kids can sleep next to each other easily and have room to spread out or a couple can have their young child in between them sleeping. I didn’t have any noticeably loud kids on either of my flights (or I slept through it).
