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Air New Zealand turns unsold coach seats into your new bed
Now, an empty seat certainly is worth something, but the airline will take that one step further by turning these empty seats into a lie-flat bed.
The description does not go into too much detail, but apparently by sliding the seats forward and raising the foot rest, the seats will allow you to lie down flat and grab a couple of hours of sleep. The new seat design is the brainchild of Altitude Aerospace Interiors, an Air New Zealand subsidiary.
Empty seats will sell for $150, which is about in line with what I'd be willing to pay for the luxury of sleeping in coach.
According to aviation analysts, the design has the potential of earning the airline an additional $60 million each year.
If Air New Zealand can pull this off, they'll be the first airline to offer lie-flat beds in coach, hopefully starting a trend that other airlines are eager to copy.
Filed under: Oceania, New Zealand, Airlines
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
Valerie Oct 25th 2009 12:15PM
I guess this means no more non-rev
aearthling592aol.com Oct 25th 2009 12:59PM
There is an airline that runs from Malaysia to Australia and there are compartments with bed and bath, just like on the train. It costs a fortune but if you are going to be in the air 12 hours or more might as well sleep it off.
apache67 Oct 25th 2009 1:18PM
Just have a greater reclining pitch. If the person behind you doesn't like it they can recline just as far back.
Linda McCoy Oct 25th 2009 1:24PM
Not only were my two friends subjected to three crying, wild kids on the entire flight from Hawaii (9 hours) but a man a couple of aisles up was coughing and sneezing the entire time not bothering to cover his mouth. Three days later my friend comes down with something that lasted weeks and almost killed him. I think some people are just absolutely insane anymore and just don't give a damn about anything but themselves. I try my best not to fly anymore.
Linda Oct 25th 2009 1:29PM
Betsy, you have a problem, and it isn't your autistic son. I feel as much as anyone for kids OR adults with problems of any kind. It's obvious, though, that you have never accepted your son's gifts for what they are and are taking your lack of acceptance out on anyone who happens to cross your path. I hope that at some point in your life you'll realize that. Your son is probably very gifted in a way that a child without autism is not. When he wins an award of some kind for work in a field in which he is gifted, I hope the award is given to him in a faraway country and that you have to fly all the way there and back seated behind a child who is screaming because her mother and father are trying to "let her cry it out". My love and best wishes to your son. And by the way - you can get away from me. Just don't read my comments.
Mary Oct 25th 2009 7:36PM
How does one vacant and therefore reclining seat affect the person sitting behind it? I'm with JP on this ... people being asked to move because suddenly someone has an extra $150 to spend? Chaos!!
Old-style flyer Oct 25th 2009 2:12PM
I remember flying Air France in the early 90's ... it might have been on a DC-10 ... coach was only partly full, so the flight attendant flipped the seat back of the seat in front of me down ... nice way to put your feet up!
And MULTIPLE little bottles of champagne - Veuve CLiquot, as I remember ... almost a full bottle, by the time I was done!