Air New Zealand Turns Sardine Class to Cuddle Class

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From the Hobbit Airline comes another cutely-named product that promises to turn Cattle Class into something a lot more pleasant.  The Economy Sky Couch, nicknamed Cuddle Class, is a specially designed row of three seats that creates a flat, flexible space for adults to stretch out in and children to clamber over (and sleep on).  The Sky Couch was first introduced on Air New Zealand’s daily B777-300 service from Auckland - Los Angeles - London in  2011. It’s now available on the Boeing 777-300 aircraft (NZ1 and NZ2 daily services) between London Heathrow, Los Angeles and Auckland.  Each 777-300 aircraft has 20 rows of Sky Couch. They’re located on the window sides of the plane in Zone C (the first of two Economy Class zones) and there are five 777-300s in Air New Zealand’s fleet.

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The length of the Economy Sky Couch with the side wall armrest up measures 1.55m (5 ft 1 in). The depth of the cushion and leg rest combined is about 74cm (29 in) and there’s a mattress topper, soft blanket and two springy pillows.  As far as fares are concerned, a couple, say, buy their seats at full price and the third seat costs about half price. It’s two-and-a-half times an Economy fare, cheaper than Business Class. And it makes a family holiday to New Zealand more affordable.  Passengers can also upgrade to Sky Couch (on a one-way basis) from £79 (for a family of three) or from £169 (couples) to Los Angeles.

Earlier today, Cheap flights had a quick look and a lie-down on the Economy Sky Couch. It’s certainly roomier than we have been used to in Economy Class and looks like it would revolutionise a 25-hour flight to NZ - definitely not Sardine Class.  tend to have a travel element (or in some cases, are almost entirely travel oriented. We guess that’s because people who like to set themselves goals are the kind of people who enjoy exploring the world.  While it’s a useful exercise for determining the places you want to see and the activities you want to do, there is one glaring problem with bucket lists.  The danger of writing down your hopes and dreams is that those things will remain just that hopes and dreams. Bucket lists become an excuse to wait  to procrastinate. They invite the mentality, I’ll go there do that  sometime in the future.

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Travelers may be better off following the One Place philosophy. On his blog The Art of Non-Conformity, entrepreneur, life-hacker and passionate traveler Chris Guillebeau challenges readers to think of the one place in the world they’d like to visit.  There are only two rules. You have to pick one place, and it has to be somewhere you haven’t been yet.  The idea is to have focus; i.e. pick one place, set a deadline, then form a plan to make visiting the destination by that time a reality.  Guillebeau points out that even the most challenging destinations on earth are realistically reachable for less than £1,700.  If you set a two-year deadline, and your budget is £1,700, that means you’d need to save £71 a month. For alcohol drinkers, that works out as around two less nights out a month.  Guillebeau says taking the first single action is key to the plan. He says: You don’t need to buy a ticket or anything else.  Just go to the bookstore and check out the travel section. Read the travel guide for your place in the café.  If you prefer, look for books about your one place at the library, or ask someone who has been there to tell you about it.   The sheer size and grandeur of a bucket list can be overwhelming. By taking things one step at a time you’re more likely to achieve your goal(s).