It’s not the world’s biggest parental break, but it’s something! Air New Zealand is relieving parents of one of their biggest inflight duties.
The carrier has adjusted its ‘Skycouch’ (a row of three Economy seats that convert into a flat surface for rest) to include an infant pod so that parents don’t need to seat their infants on their lap, but rather lay them down throughout the cruise phase of the flight.
Additionally, the Skycouch, which could only accommodate two adults or an adult and a child, has been updated to allow two children to use it together.
Air New Zealand’s General Manager Customer Experience, Anita Hawthorne, described the new offering as a “real game changer” in the Economy cabin and expects it to be popular with family groups.
“While we initially marketed it to couples, we quickly found the product suited parents with young families especially well.”
Anita Hawthorne, Air New Zealand General Manager Customer Experience
“Parents can relax while their children are able to have their own space and flat area to play without interrupting other passengers.”
Pending regulatory approval, the infant pod will be rolled out over the next few months on the airline’s Boeing 777 and Boeing 787-9 fleet. These improvements will also be made available to offshore airlines which Air New Zealand has licensed the Skycouch to.
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