Lie-Flat Seats Are Coming to Economy Class

Luckily for travelers, the concept seems to be catching on.

If you’ve ever walked down the aisle of the plane, past the plush seats in first class, and felt as if you’re walking toward impending doom, then we have good news: there's now a seat that will turn every row of the economy cabin into a flat bed, allowing all your dreams to come true. It's not just theoretical, however—these "Sky Couches" can already be found on Air New Zealand’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777 wide body jets, and at $150, are about half the price of an upgrade to premium economy. It's not just Air New Zealand that's getting in on the action, however: a new design from seat manufacturer Geven indicates it's a trend that's soon to catch on.

On future flights fitted with Piuma Sofas, when space allows, passengers can “upgrade” their booking (in advance or onboard) to an entire row wide enough for two to sleep. The extra large headrests will detach and snap onto the base of your seat, creating a flat surface which extends right up to the seat in front of you, where your knees and legs would usually go. The clunky armrests fold into the seat, and once the "couch" is in place, cabin crew will put a mattress pad over any bumps or gaps, then hand you a comforting duvet and pillow. All you have to do is lie down.

While this is a great deal for customers, to be sure, what's the incentive forairlines? For them, it's an opportunity to turn half-empty flights into profitable ones. With that in mind, it’s not surprising to see that several airlines, including South African Airways and Air AsiaX, have already signed letters of intent to purchase the so-called Piuma Sofas. Whether the bed is offered up in advance or snatched up as a last-minute offer, for an estimated $200, you get the upgrade for less—and airlines get more. It’s hard to know how airlines will offer up the new seating option, but on flights that aren’t likely to sell out there will be opportunity for a couple—or even a single traveler—to book the extra seats to create the lie-flat spaces for less than the cost of buying multiple seats or paying for an upgrade.

Read full story here: https://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2016-04-26/lie-flat-seats-are-coming-to-economy-class