Is This NEW Airline Seating Option Actually Worth It? We Found Out!

Are you looking to make your long-haul flight more enjoyable?

©Air New Zealand

Not every flight upgrade has to be to first class to be comfortable. In recent years, many airlines have experimented with more legroom, new types of seats, and moderate-level upgrades. We recently tried out one of those offerings — let’s talk about the Skycouch.

Air New Zealand is now offering a feature called the Economy Skycouch. What is this? Their website describes Skycouch as “just like standard Economy seats, except each has an adjustable leg rest that can be raised or lowered individually. Lift the leg rests halfway up for a perfect recline, or all the way up to a 90-degree angle to create a lie-flat couch space.”

©Air New Zealand

This feature is available in select rows of the Economy cabins on 777-300ER and 787-9 aircraft, but not available on 777-367ER flights. These spaces measure 5’1″ long and 29″ wide, and Air New Zealand provides extra bedding, a seat liner, and “Skycouch kit with an adult/child loop and cuddle belt.”

©Air New Zealand

We tried this on a longhaul flight from San Francisco to Auckland, and it was, in a word, magical. The couch setup allows you way more room to stretch out and get comfortable, and we fit an adult and a 13-year-old with just a bit of squeeze. You had to be seated normally during takeoff and landing, but the Skycouch setup was definitely worth the upgrade during the middle portion of our flight. It made relaxing, napping, and stretching out much easier.

©Air New Zealand

The member of our team who flew with the Skycouch was traveling in a party of five. They booked the Skycouch for two of those five seats, and the crew members were very flexible about allowing family members to switch out time in the Skycouch seats — that way everyone could try it. For our particular flight, we paid about $400 to upgrade the seats, and we felt that it was worth every penny.

©Air New Zealand

The main downside here is that once it’s made into a couch, it’s a challenge to access anything in the under-bed area. You’ll have a hard time getting to your bags that are under the seats, so go ahead and get your belongings to more convenient spots before the couch is made up.

So does this sound a little unusual? Perhaps. But is it also a pretty good investment if you want comfort on a long flight? Absolutely! Be sure to keep following DFB for more travel news, tips, and tricks!

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Would you try this upgrade? Tell us in the comments!