Air New Zealand Skycouch Review
For my 30th birthday a few years ago, Korri and I spent a week in the Cook Islands. I booked the flights on impulse when I got the alert from Scott’s Cheap Flights (now called Going), and we flew Air New Zealand direct from Los Angeles to Rarotonga. That was Korri’s first long-haul flight, and our first time experiencing Air New Zealand’s Economy Skycouch!
I purchased our economy tickets with cash (through a third party…don’t do that, ha). I knew it was going to be an exhausting flight, so when Air New Zealand told us we could purchase the open seat in our row and use the Skycouch, we booked it for both directions. It sounded like an amazing alternative to just sitting upright in economy for 8 to 9 hours in both directions.
Unfortunately, the direct flight to the Cook Islands from LAX hasn’t made its return since it was cut during COVID, but Air New Zealand is still flying its wide-body planes outfitted with the Economy Skycouch on routes between New Zealand and the U.S. (and elsewhere!).
Interested in learning more about the Air New Zealand Skycouch, how it works, and if it’s worth it? Read on for my full review!
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Air New Zealand Skycouch Review
If you’ve ever flown an overnight long-haul flight in economy, you know how uncomfortable it is to try and sleep while sitting upright. It’s also not the most fun sitting next to two other people in the same row. On the flip side, booking Premium Economy or Business class tickets with cash is not cheap.
When Air New Zealand asked us if we wanted to book the Skycouch for our Cook Islands flights, we jumped at the chance, mostly so we didn’t have anyone else sitting in our row. At the very least, we’d have three seats between the two of us so more room to stretch out. We also LOVED the idea of laying flat, though, and were excited to try that feature!
Below, I shared what exactly the Air New Zealand Skycouch is, how it works (and how much it cost us), pros and cons, and if I think it’s worth it.
What is Air New Zealand Skycouch?
Air New Zealand is the only airline in the world that features the Skycouch on some of its wide-body aircraft, which is offered as an upgrade to its economy passengers when available. In an economy row with Skycouch available, all three seats have adjustable leg rests that can be raised or lowered. They can be lifted all the way up to be level with the seat, creating a couch-like experience.
The airline offers pillows and blankets to make your Skycouch more comfortable. As seatbelts are still required, there are special Skycouch seatbelts, including loops for adults and kids and a cuddle loop.
If you enjoy or are curious about the lay-flat experience on a long-haul flight, the Skycouch is the perfect upgrade—at a much lower price point than traditional lay-flat business class seats. It’s a cost effective way to get ACTUAL sleep in economy class on an international flight (with some caveats—more on that below).
Learn more about Air New Zealand’s Skycouch.
How Does Air New Zealand Skycouch Work?
To book the Air New Zealand Skycouch, first you book regular tickets in economy class. We booked our flights together, but if you each want your own Skycouch, I might try booking our segments separately. On the seat selection page, choose a row that offers Skycouch. You may be able to upgrade upon checking out.
We did not upgrade to Skycouch until a couple of weeks before our flight when Air New Zealand informed us via email that it was an option. We were charged $249 to purchase the third seat in our row from LAX to RAR and $349 (total of $598 in USD) to purchase the third seat from RAR to LAX. This was in addition to the cost of the tickets, which were approximately $860 each round trip from Boise to the Cook Islands. (We flew Alaska Air BOI-PDX-LAX and back.)
The cost of the third seat to have the Skycouch was considerably less than booking that third seat outright, so we figured we may as well try it!
Once on board the plane, you’ll notice that the seats in your row will have a solid back from the seat to the floor instead of being able to put your feet under your seat. You’ll also find the Skycouch information in the seat pockets and a couple of bags under the seats in front of you, one with a blanket and one with a thin mattress-type pad to lay over the seats. We also got a few pillows, including a couple of larger pillows!
The foot rests under each seat in the row can be adjusted manually, so you can set them at an incline or all the way up to a 90-degree angle to create the couch. You can set one seat, two seats, or all three seats up to create couches of different sizes.
If you lay flat on the couch, there are special seatbelts that you’re required to wear. A flight attendant will drop those off at your row.
When Korri and I were ready to lay down, we first reclined all of the chairs because the people in front of us reclined all of their chairs, and we did not have any room without also reclining our chairs. We tried to sleep facing each other and then with Korri behind me with our knees bent the same way, and whew, it was a TIGHT fit. I don’t think we got any sleep.
On the return flight, we tried sleeping on opposite ends; Korri had his head at the window, and I had mine at the aisle. That didn’t seem to work much better, unfortunately!
Air New Zealand’s Skycouch is 29 inches in width (and 61 inches in length). For reference, a twin-sized bed is 38 inches wide and 75 inches long. So, Skycouches are considerably smaller and far too small for two adults.
Pros of Air New Zealand Skycouch
A whole row to yourself
The biggest pro of all is having the whole row to yourself! It’s better if it’s just you in the row (and on the couch by yourself), but it’s also nice to have the empty third seat if you are traveling with someone else. It just may not be super comfortable for both of you to lay flat (see the cons below).
Great option if traveling with kids
If you are alone and traveling with one or two small kids, book the Skycouch for them to sleep over two seats, and take the third seat (along the aisle) for yourself. Or, if you are traveling with another adult and two smaller kids, book two Skycouches, pair one kid with one adult, and all of you should have enough room to lay down.
Lie-flat seat in economy > recliner seat in premium economy
If you’re the type of person that sleeps better laying flat than in a recliner, you’ll like the Skycouch better than a reclined premium economy seat. (Prefer a recliner? Go for premium economy instead!)
Inexpensive compared to lie-flat business class
Lie-flat business class seats are a game-changer, but they are expensive if paying for them outright OR difficult to find if you are trying to book something with airline miles. If you don’t care about the other perks that come with business class seats and just want to sleep for as long as possible, Skycouch is the perfect inexpensive alternative.
Cons of Air New Zealand Skycouch
Not enough room for two adults to lay flat comfortably
This was the biggest con for us. It just wasn’t enough room for both Korri and me to feel comfortable and sleep. It was smaller than a twin-sized bed, which we’ve slept on fine before! Next time we fly Air New Zealand, if it’s not in business, we’ll get our own Skycouch rows. There was a woman across the plane from us on her own couch and I think she slept the entire flight!
Can’t sleep stretched out; feet may end up in aisle and get bumped
The length of the three-seat row measures just over 5 feet, so if you are taller than that and/or you like to stretch your legs while you sleep, you won’t be able to do that comfortably on the Skycouch (book business class instead). You’ll have to sleep with your legs bent. The flight attendants will wake you up if any body part ends up in the aisle.
Price depends on flight duration and demand
Purchasing the Skycouch is an additional cost on top of your flight ticket, and the price depends on a few factors. I shared how much we paid above for reference, but the Skycouch can be upwards of $1,000 one-way if the flight is longer and/or there are not as many available.
No extra perks like lounge access, dedicated overhead space, etc.
Some people book business class not just for the lay-flat seats but because of all of the other perks, like lounge access, dedicated space in the overhead bins, more checked bags, better food, restrooms just for business class passengers, etc. You obviously won’t get all of that with the Skycouch upgrade. If you just want a space to lay down and sleep, Skycouch is for you!
Is Skycouch on Air New Zealand Worth it?
Short answer: Yes.
HOWEVER: Don’t book one Skycouch and expect two adults to be able to sleep comfortably on it. It will not happen. If you can afford to, book one Skycouch for each adult. I think you could also pair one small child with one adult. Two kids on one Skycouch would also work.
Even though Korri and I didn’t get any meaningful rest on either flight, we did enjoy not having a third person in our row. And it was nice to put my feet up! That was my first time experiencing the luxury of having a foot rest on a flight, and I loved it.
Which Air New Zealand Flights Have Skycouch?
Air New Zealand offers the economy Skycouch on their Boeing 777 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. The Skycouch is only found on the left and right sides of the aircraft where there are three economy seats to a row, and not every row converts to a Skycouch. Most of them are located in the first economy section over the wings. Check the seat maps to see where exactly the Skycouch is located on each type of plane.