I flew skycouch in 2023 and really liked it. My only problem was that people try to come and sit in your row after take off. I was lucky as the attendant was in the row behind going through with another customer and told the person that tried to take my seat to go away
@@KiwiSpartan1they don’t realise that it’s been paid for. typically it’s common for people who are sitting in a row full of people to move and sit in an empty row or a row with only 1 person sitting in it since typically no one’s paid for the seat.
The lounge/food/drink is just so ridiculously cheap for the airlines compared to the space on the flight that it makes sense to add it to charge higher prices or catch the few people who actually value it
Very cool video. Worst experience was taking 3 days to get back to NZ (due to flights transfers). Last flight was 11hrs KL to AKL and let’s just say i was stuck in a foetal position in economy due to someone big next to me. This is no joke. Next time it’s business or first class but since you mentioned sky couch, I could try that option next time. Thank you.
Dude, I loved Virgin America! Especially the free booze in premium economy and the variety of snack boxes for sale even on short flights from SFO to SoCal. When Alaska took over, the vibe went from hanging out at your friend’s house with the coolest parents, to going to your other friend’s house where you’re not allowed to use the towels in the bathroom to dry your hands, and the only beverage options was milk or tap water. Oh and yeah, another fun Sunday morning video!
I always envy anyone that can sleep for 8 hours on a flight. I don't think I've ever managed to sleep that long in business class on a flat bed even with a sleeping tablet, let alone an economy class "sky couch".
I was lucky enough on my Scoot flight from Singapore to Berlin in March 2022 to have the entire row of economy class seats to myself in the ScootInSilence cabin. Curled up across 3 seats and slept 9 out of the 12 hour flight. Woke up extremely fresh in Berlin. Sadly the return flight was completely full of travel starved tourists heading towards Singapore to transit to Bali/Thailand.
The sky couch works for an adult and small child . Most uncomfortable if 2 adults try to use the skycouch , also if you try to pay for an upgrade to premium economy, you are unable to do so if you pay extra for skycouch . If you pay for economy and wish to upgrade to premium economy, you can. Hope this helps .
I flew YVR to AKL & return earlier this year in PE. The seat recline was generous with a foot rest integrated into the leg rest. I slept 6 hours out of 14. The seat pitch exceeds Emirates PE. We booked 10 months in advance, the cost nearly doubled 8 mos later. The service and meal made me feel valued. I think the premium cost relative to their competitors, same routing is warranted. ANZ has a great PE product. Thanks for the honest review.
Currently writing this comment on board Starlux buisness class from SFO to TPE and still have 4 hours left of my 13hr flight to Taipei Taiwan definitely the longest flight Ive ever flown
Love traveling virtually with you! I'm mostly housebound, and your videos allow me to "escape" my surroundings for a while via different modes of airline travel.
I travel to NZ about once a year or so. Last time I got a skycouch. I’m traveling again in a week and again upgraded to a skycouch. It’s well worth the upgrade! I actually slept well on my last trip. Much cheaper than upgrading to first class and really really worth it.
I’ve tried all three classes on Air NZ and Skycouch was head and shoulders the best product and the best sleep. It was flat, which Premium wasn’t. It was large, which Business wasn’t. And it was cheaper than both. Solid product and highly recommended. As a solo traveller it was excellent. Flying with my teenage son didn’t work as it was too cramped
I've always been very curious about this airline's economy class seat beds & watched quite a few videos on RU-vid, but this one was really detailed & showed how to do it w thorough explanations !! 👍👍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶✈️💞
Hey there! 👋 I absolutely like your video on the flat economy seats on Air New Zealand's 777s from Auckland to San Francisco. It's so cool to see airlines offering more comfortable options for long-haul flights. Keep up the great work, and I can't wait to see more awesome videos from you! 😊I've just subscribed to your channel! 🎉
The concept is very good and would work well for family travel. However, at 6' 4" the premium economy seat would be a better value for me. At some point during sleep I think that I would extend into the aisle in the "bed" configuration.
Lol. I am 5.3" so...lol. I'm still interested ,but to be very honest ,I don't expect much for the comfort ! Lol. But it's really nice to be able to lie flat on a plane w/ o paying a hefty price for it !! Lol Also,to prevent blood clots . This should be added in the options ! 😅👍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶✈️💞
You used to be able to do something like this on Thai Airways from Bangkok to London in the 90s. The occupancy rate in economy was typically about 30 percent. The divider between seats could be taken out so you could often lie flat across 3 or 4 seats and get a good sleep, all for a standard economy ticket. It’s not easy to find things like this, these days.
14:50, Wow, Air New Zealand, Boeing 777-300ER's in flight entertainment map is identical to United's in flight entertainment map, but the color is different. How cool is that. Hope to fly Air New Zealand next year.
Air nz usually rate very highly for service which is my experience, always exceptions but I am surprised to hear that’s something you heard. It’s 23kg for checked luggage so that shouldn’t be an issue. Based on some of the ludicrous amounts carted on as carry on I suspect they could be a lot tougher on luggage. The infamous herringbone design is dated (it was next level when introduced) and is being replaced from next year but in its defence the sleep experience is top shelf for a plane and most long haul is overnight. As an aside further amenities (toothbrush, shaving kit) is available from the front counter at air nz lounges. Good watch, thanks.
The lie flat economy bed would be my choice, since I have a difficult time sleeping on fights. I also don't imbibe...so alcoholic beverages are not an enticement for added cost of premium, business or first class.
At 6'4'' I'll take that sky couch in an instant. I used to fly from SFO to Singapore nonstop in premium economy, I would have loved a skycouch option there.
As long as you don’t mind your legs curled a bit! Technically you could even fly through Auckland with the SkyCouch to Singapore I believe. I’ve done that premium economy to Singapore from SFO plenty, on Singapore and United and found it plenty. Then again, I’ve gotten much better and sleeping on airplanes
As long as you don’t mind your legs curled a bit! Technically you could even fly through Auckland with the SkyCouch to Singapore I believe. I’ve done that premium economy to Singapore from SFO plenty, on Singapore and United and found it plenty. Then again, I’ve gotten much better and sleeping on airplanes
@@PatrickSheaAviation We are going to try the premium economy non stop via Singapore. What’s your secret to sleeping during flights? I found it difficult to sleep while flying
@@pbfloyd9b I like to show up super early or super late. Basically either get myself tired while I’m at the airport so that I’m ready for sleep before even getting on the airplane (bring eye mask and ear plugs and put em in once you’re on board). If you don’t have time to show up early, then get as tired as you can and completely ready for bed and try to just rock up to the airport and then right on the airplane, minimizing time in the stimulating environment of the airport
Nice video. Between Premium Economy vs. the Skycouch in Economy, I would choose the latter on a 12 hr. flight. I might even select it over Business if the airline's Business class doesn't have lay flat seats. Thanks for the video.
I just spent $8200 on Business Class with ANA from JFK to Haneda to Jakarta to Bali - and then to Singapore - on the return trip. I'm really excited. My best Business Class experience was Emirates from JFK to Maldives via DXB and that same trip to Seychelles.
You mention about it surely being quicker to fly to Copenhagen by travelling west rather than east via SFO. This isn’t the case as you spend 1hr30 less in the air going via North America. Distance is similar but flying east you go WITH the jet stream rather than against it.
Yes, how I miss Virgin America! Used to fly Philadelphia to San Francisco weekly and it was wonderful! I was and still am devastated they discontinued service 😢
I've been thinking about this and would like to see the result. My preference is not to lie down but to stand up regularly. I'd like a nice standing/leaning area, where we can have a drink, maybe mix with others.
Great review Patrick as usual - I noticed you eyeing off their business class - trust me when I say - it’s the worst product out there and it’s expensive as well - so I wouldn’t bother - stay with the Skycouch😊
Agreee- strongly recommend you save your funds mate: Air NZ Business class is not worth it- it's overpriced & lacks privacy. The cost of Air NZ B. class can get you something on JAL / ANA with way better privacy / service/ food / wow-factor. I've flown Air NZ B.class three times- it felt not much different compared to Premium Economy of other airlines to be honest... Did feel lucky flying it- but: Only Fly it if you are Upgraded for free
That business class layout looks identical to the old Virgin Atlantic setup. Reversed herringbone. Might have been revolutionary 20 years back, but by now filed under "what were they smoking" in the annuls of history.
Sorry but Akl - LAX flights on Air New Zealand have been going for around 40+ years, as the flight from LAX used to terminate at LHR. Nz001 and Nz002, we were able to sell both the London L.A. and the London Auckland services. They stopped the London L.A. just before the pandemic.
We flew from Brisbane to Aukland in business class and don't understand why you or anyone callis it "infamous"? We found the seats AWESOME and the service UNMATCHED. We are United Polaris (which is also awesome) but we have to say, the service we received on this relatively short flight (3 hours) was incredible! We didn't even know about the sky couch. I think that's a great idea!
Nice twist on the age-old armrests-up practice when you've got 3 rows to yourself on a long haul. I've actually taken a shower at AKL as well, but at the Qantas Lounge LOL! The breakfast buffet was interesting...besides the usual they were heavy on the beans and muesli. I didn't mind, I love free food no matter what! - Red
I’m going to NZ in 2025 solo, and will be comparing price differences between sky couch and a premium economy seat. Thrilled that Air New Zealand is now offering nonstop service from Chicago. One of the differences to consider is the amount of luggage you are allowed varies between the two classes.
I travelled to New Zealand in 2023, flying to Auckland in skycouch and returning to Chicago in premium economy. Skycouch was definitely the superior product. While the actual seat is preferable in premium economy and the food is better there as well, the lie-flat bed was unmatched. It's 16 hours from Chicago, and being able to spend much of that asleep made for one of the best flights I've ever had.
My wife, and myself, flew from Houston to Auckland sharing a Sky couch. It was worth the extra cost as we took turns in lying down and had the best long distance trip we’ve had! The only downside is flying into and out of Houston! What a bunch of moronic embeciles we encountered while transiting from the UK.
I've flown AirNZ in Economy and Business and enjoyed both with excellent service in both classes of service. Premium Economy on AIr NZ back in 2015 and 2017 was much better then Air Canada as you enjoyed a Business Class meal and beverages and entertainment, along with the more comfortable, roomier seat. (on Air Canada you get an economy meal with a bigger seat in Premium Economy last I checked). AirNZ's Business Class back then was much better then Air Canada's Business Class at that time and the added bonus of the foot rest turning into a seat where you could actually enjoy a meal with your partner. I look forward to your video review of Air NZ's "J" Class Cabin.
I have watched a lot of your videos because I truly do enjoy these types of videos and I love how detailed you get, but most of them have been you flying business or first class, it was only until this video that you’re in economy during the takeoff process there’s a ton of talking by children and I find that hilarious because that was not present in the other videos 😂😂😂
Speaking from experience, it’s a squeeze with two adults. If we book one, I tend to let my wife lie out, whilst I’ll stretch my legs out where I can find space (I’m such a chivalrous gent 😀). It’s still comfortable, but not lie flat for both. You can ‘spoon’ but inevitably you’ll need to move around in your sleep and, given that there’s very little space either side of you both when lying like that, moving around just wakes you both up. Having used the sky couch solo, however, it’s a real treat. Feels like a little oasis in Economy! Just prepare yourself for jealous stares from your fellow Economy passengers 😁 Cost-wise, for flights we’ve used it on (Auckland - Tokyo, Auckland - LA) the Sky couch seems to work out at roughly twice the cost of a premium economy seat. So as a couple, it’s a toss up as to which features you value more. For a solo traveller, in terms of cost it’s basically like an intermediate class between Premium Economy and Business on Air NZ. I struggle to sleep in the Premium Economy seats, so the Sky Couch does give you that for the money. As with everything, just a question of how you want to spend your money. Am looking forward to trying the Air NZ Skynest when they introduce that. It might be the ideal compromise - as long as it is well ventilated…
here's a translation for everything in here, that is Māori! Aroha ; Love or connection Kia ora ; Hello or Welcome (note; in case you are wondering, his plane is the Boeing 777 air new Zealand INTERNATIONAL livery and model, the domestic version of either the 777 or 787 does not have screens) oh and at 10:22 that is the best in flight safety thing ever, the video is so creative! but also if I were on that flight I'd be wondering about that takeoff, no stop is wierd
Nice - looked way more comfy than an economy seat for 14 hours... I flew ANZ CHC - AKL - LAX the AKL stretch in Economy on a 747 via Papeete...this looks a decent option but how much is it compared to Business Class? Surely taking 3 x Economy class seats is getting close to J class money? I may have missed it in the vlog - apologies if I did. Ultimately, any flight over 8 hours is painful in Economy these days - the 'pack 'em hgh and sell 'em cheap' mentality lives on. Note: There are business class 'bucket shops' - they sell cheap J class tickects without flexibility - you are totally committed to that flight with no changes allowed, but if that works for you, you can snag serious bargains. Worth an internet search - you dont' need priority status etc, you can just pick up a reasonably priced business class seat. I did this from LHR - SIN - PER - BNE - SIN - LHR - spent about £1500 over economy - for all that flying, lie flat beds, lounge access it was absolutely worth it.
2-4-2 should be the LIMIT on these planes. If Congress has to keep bailing them out, then they should have some say about their accommodations. Why not fly with fewer people? Why not give people a decent amount of space? We don't all need fold flat seats or minibars, but the 3 - 4- 2 layout is disgusting, even in the A380.
I think the reason that flying from NZ to Copenhagen goes the other way around is because of Russia. A direct flight would spend quite a bit of time over Russia. A layover in Dubai and a layover in San Francisco are actually A LOT closer to about the same distance than you'd think. (Auckland and Gibraltar are _basically_ antipodes).
Sinto falta de São Francisco Thank you for showing the experience on NZ Skycouch. The flight looked packed, how long before departure did you book this Skycouch?
I only booked this about a week before departure and there were only 2 skycouches available still. The last one was booked by upgrade by someone at the airport check in
Another great video but I am wondering if it would just be easier to book business class. I would think that it wouldn’t be any more expensive than buying 3 economy seats.
Back in 1979 I flew A JAL 747 flight from Cairo to London via Rome it was a 3am take off from Cairo so I was ready for a sleep having driven from Suez. I had a center block seat and the 4 seat row to my self. After take off the stewardess asked if I like to lay flat, I sat in another row while she lifted the arms and laid out a bottom sheet pillow and cover. I fell asleep very quickly. I felt a gentle rub and awoke to see the stewardess holding a cup of coffee and she told me I must sit up for the landing in Rome, the bedding was taken away and I looked for my shoes in there place were some slippers. After take off the breakfast menu came round and I asked about my shoes, was told they would be returned before landing in London. They duly were returned highly polished and with socks tucked inside.
I’ve flown internationally in business pods and premium economy multiple times… and I think I’d prefer sky couch due to not having the tray dig into my hips when trying to side sleep, or feel like my feet are constrained in the small foot well (I’m 6’2” and 235 lbs with athletic build so don’t tend to fit nice in really any seat/lie flat bed)
Hey Patrick! Given that you are a aviation enthusiast from the Bay Area, could you please give me a rundown of SFO's parallel runways for a blog on transit + aviation. Don't worry, I will give your credit in the post. Could you give me your insights on how it works, pros and cons as well as other airports that operate like it. If you want, can you send me another article that talks about the matter. And I do agree w/ you, I love that McDonalds @ AKL.
The parallel runways are a fun concept. They draw up approaches specifically for parallel runways like this. You may see a few extra go arounds, but everyone working at SFO has great training on it. It makes for some fun operations though
I think ill take the skycouch over PE. I travelled to SFO from LHR for semi-work purposes and agreed PE, but my flight was empty and I was tempted to go back to economy and nab a free row, shouldve made that call as soon as I got on/after take off instead of trying to get the best of both worlds and have dinner in PE.
So ... if 3 seat spaces are taken up for 1 (or 2???) people to sleep.....where does person number 3 go ? I'd imagine if the space only sleeps 1 (or 2 small people), the fare would be more expensive.
This is a good option if yoy have points to spare or already have status with this alliance. Other airlines like Delta, for instance, charges about the same for their first class lie flat seats.
I wold preferred to pay for premium economy which I think is much more comfortable sleep position. I never reclined my seat to full lie flat position even when I was in business class.
I have to say the skycouch concept is pretty outrageous. I can't imagine having to sit next to someone zonked out in their own row as you sit in a regular coach seat for 10+ hours.
Given the cost, I'd go for the skycouch. I flew business long haul between Canada and the UK and I wasn't impressed with the comfort. Hard to stretch my legs out. The food was good, but that's not my priority when I'm flying. I think the skycouch would be great as you can stretch out and you have room when you're sitting up too. Nobody to disturb or disturb you when the toilet beckons and room to spread out your stuff. Wish other airlines would take it up.
Not going to lie, I reckon air nz’s entertainment screen is far better than emirates. The interface is clean, easier to use and has nice warm tone colour tones. It also has a few more features than emirates but emirates just has more viewable content imo.
At the end you said that people have had 50/50 experiences. I think they just get bad luck to be honest. I fly Air New Zealand Very often as i am based in New Zealand and every time i fly with them the crew is awesome. I have flown countless times and it just doesn't compare to any other airlines. For example the Jetstar crew just get you from A - B and barely speak to you throught the flight. With ANZ they are always coming up to you to check if you okay or need assistance. Its the best I have ever experienced.
The only problem with air nz is the closer to flying date you want the more you pau. For example a last minute trip domestic will cost you $500 one way
Dang that’s steep. That’s somewhat normal of a strategy for airlines unless they really need to sell seats. If it’s more than 3/4 full then you’ll see those price hikes
