A new upsell for economy class is coming to the aviation industry. United Airlines’Relax Row and Air New Zealand’s Skycouches offer a way for premium experiences to be had in economy class. They allow customers to buy three seats in a row, which are then converted into a ‘couch’. This isn’t as comfortable as a business-class lie-flat bed, but it’s a massive step up from the discomfort of trying to sleep on a long-haul flight in economy. It is also a fantastic option for couples and adults traveling with their children.

Read on to discover more about how the similar Relax Row and Skycouch products compare. This article then concludes with thoughts on Skynest, a new-economy and premium-economy class option that New Zealand hopes will revolutionize how budget travelers sleep on long-haul flights.

How Does Air New Zealand’s Skycouch Work?

Credit: Air New Zealand

New Zealand was the carrier that pioneered this type of seating. They are standard economy-class seats with an additional footrest on each. The footrest can be partially lifted to serve as a standard footrest or fully lifted to create a large couch space.

“Use the Skycouch the way you want. Sit, spread out, or lie down and snooze. Share the space with a partner or children, or keep it all for yourself. It’s a world first,” the carrier said.

The Skycouch is a possibility for a range of travelers. It serves as a private row for solo or couple travelers. However, as with Relax Row, it will be a squeeze for two adults to lie down on a Skycouch together unless they are exceptionally petite. The same is the case for an adult joined by one or two children. An extra seat added to the Skycouch facilitates an adult traveling with two infants, who will need an infant harness, or two adults traveling with a child. Meanwhile, two adults traveling with over one child will require an additional Skycouch.

Booking a Skycouch is simple. Passengers need to select the ‘Skycouch on board’ option when booking a long-haul flight. They can then head to the seat map to find an available Skycouch.

United’s Relax Row Is Part Of Its Elevated Cabins

Credit: Channing Reid | Simple Flying

United has announced a licensed derivative of its Australasian partner’s Skycouch, known as Relax Row. The announcement was made as part of a preview of United’s ‘Elevated’ cabin interior design that debuted on the carrier’s Boeing 787-9P. Some legacy Boeing 777s will also receive the ‘Elevated’ upgrade. Specific pricing for the Relax Row remains unknown as it will not launch until 2027. You will likely be able to find it aboard the carrier’s 787s and 777s. Travelers using this service will have a couch similar to Skycouch, along with a mattress pad, a plush blanket, and additional pillows.

United’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Andrew Nocella, spoke at the launch event. He said, “This is coming online next year. It’s gonna be on every single United 787 and a large number of [777s]… by 2030, 200 aircraft will have Relax Rows onboard.”

The table below details the United 787 and 777 fleets, indicating the sorts of aircraft where passengers might be able to access Relax Row, according to Cirium data:

The ‘Elevated’ cabin goes far beyond the introduction of Relax Row, sitting alongside many upgrades United has made in recent years, most of which have focused on premium passengers. For example, Business Class Plus includes the Polaris Studio in bulkhead rows. These studios are 25% larger. They feature a companion ottoman, allowing a second passenger to visit the studio for meetings and dining. A similar philosophy is behind the center dividers in standard business class, which can be lowered if you are traveling as a couple.

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The Aircraft Where You Can Currently Experience Skycouches

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New Zealand Skycouches are available on its 777-300ERs and 787-9s. The carrier has 10 777-300ERs and 14 787-9s. It also has eight more on order, which will be fitted with General Electric GEnx engines. You can find it on all of the carrier’s 787-9s and some of its 777-300ERs.

The table below shows the number of Skycouches and other classes available on these two aircraft:

The 777-300ER clearly has more Skycouch seats available, owing to the 777’s higher capacity. However, it has fewer of these aircraft, which are set to be replaced by the 787-10 in the coming years. For both of these jets, the Skycouch seats are at the front of the economy cabin.

Cost Of Skycouch & Relax Row

Credit: Air New Zealand

For both carriers, this economy option is substantially cheaper than flying in business and a touch cheaper than premium economy, though the extent to which this holds depends on how many travelers use it. The cost is split between a couple but falls on a single set of shoulders for solo travelers.

AFAR reports that a two-person Skycouch upgrade costs $550 to $1,000 per person when flying to and from the US. Solo travelers will have to pay from $1,100 to $2,000 for the upgrade. In March 2024, Simple Flying’s Steven Walker ran a dummy booking. He found that, in addition to the standard economy fare, a Skycouch upgrade from Auckland to New York cost $604. A similar upgrade from Auckland to Singapore costs $665. Simple Flying’s Alexander Mitchell argues that this pricing sits in a sweet spot, where substantial savings from premium economy make it a popular way to elevate the comfort of long-haul travel for customers on a budget. Meanwhile, the cost is high enough to make the product a strong revenue source.

Relax Row is still a year away from launch. As a result, it remains unclear exactly how much the option will cost. However, we can assume United will learn from New Zealand’s price points.

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Skycouch Has Caused Booking Issues In The Past

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Things haven’t always gone smoothly. Skycouch requires passengers to organize booking seats together. In May 2024, Simple Flying’s Gaurav Joshi reported on a US-based New Zealander, Rupert, who had a torrid time rebooking his six tickets from Chicago to Auckland after his initial flight was canceled. Rupert had paid for three Skycouches.

He explained what he required from the new flight, “What I expected is that we would be rebooked Chicago to Auckland with a layover somewhere else, with the sky couch on the US to Auckland leg, or the same number of sky couches that we booked originally.”

Rupert’s customer service experience was as far from this expectation as possible. That was because the aircraft Rupert and his family had been rebooked onto was a leased plane that didn’t have Skycouches available. The carrier suggested that Rupert receive a refund for the upgrade cost and sit with his family in economy class. It took several nights staying up on customer service calls well past midnight, and a weekend with seven hours on the phone, for Rupert to secure the Skycouches.

Skynest: New Zealand’s Latest Innovation

Credit: Air New Zealand

New Zealand hit a winner when it introduced the economy Skycouch in 2011. Alongside the new United product, carriers like China Airlines and Azul Linhas Aéreas have also purchased licensing rights. It hopes to achieve similar success with the launch of the world’s first ‘Skynest’ this November, described as ‘bunk beds in economy’. This option, reminiscent of a youth hostel dormitory, will be lie-flat sleep pods available for economy and premium economy customers. These customers will be able to book four-hour sessions to get some comfortable sleep during their flight.

These private lie-flat spaces will include a full-length mattress, bedding, ventilation, USB charging ports, and ambient lighting. The ‘Nestcessities kit’ will also be provided to customers, including socks, earplugs, an eye mask, and skincare items. However, the four-hour sessions will incur a substantial additional cost of $291.

Nikhil Ravishankar, Air New Zealand Chief Executive, said “[Skynest] reflects the practical innovation New Zealand is known for, and shows how thoughtful design can improve the travel experience. By giving more people the chance to properly rest on ultra-long-haul flights, it helps make travel to and from New Zealand more manageable.” It remains to be seen if other passengers will pick up on Air New Zealand’s idea.