Skycouch vs Premium Economy on Air New Zealand – Which is best?
Long-haul travel is an amazing privilege, but it comes with more than its fair share of challenges.
Timezone confusion, jet lag, cramped quarters and more, it’s hard to arrive feeling your best after a long-distance flight – unless you’re willing to shell out for business class fares, that is.
And how many of us can afford to fly business class?!
Fortunately, Air New Zealand have two fare classes that bring a touch of luxury to economy class travel – the Skycouch and Premium Economy.
We’re often asked what the difference between these two options is, and whether it’s worth paying to upgrade your ticket, so we’re going to run you through each experience.
Is it worth the upgrade on a long-haul flight?
Assuming you have the budget, almost certainly, yes.
As for which is the best option?
It really depends on how much the upgrade will cost on your flight and on your preferences…
So, let’s figure out whether a Skycouch or Premium Economy upgrade is the right choice on your next Air New Zealand flight.
Did you know? Economy Stretch is another ticket type offered by Air New Zealand. It’s a newer offering, and isn’t one that we’ve experienced here, so we’re just comparing the Skycouch and Premium Economy. You could consider Economy Stretch if your budget won’t allow you to book one of the others though.
Skycouch vs. Premium Economy at a glance
Economy Skycouch
Premium Economy
Exploring the differences in detail
Economy Skycouch
What to expect
At first glance, an Economy Skycouch looks much like a normal economy seat – in fact, you probably won’t notice the difference unless you go looking.
When you book a Skycouch, you’ll be the only person/people on that row. You won’t ever have a stranger in your row of three.
Instead, you’ll book one, two or three seats (depending on the number of people in your party).
You’ll then be charged an additional fee to ensure any other seats in that row of three are kept free, and to give you official access to the Skycouch features.
When it comes time to use your Skycouch, you’ll find an extra button on your armrest. This button pops the footrest up, extending it right to the back of the seat in front of you, allowing you to lay flat.
You’ll also be given seatbelt extenders, pillows and bedding, so you can get comfy (while still being safe during turbulence).
How comfortable you’ll be when laying down depends on how large/tall you are, how well you sleep on planes, and how many people you have sharing the space.
And of course, you don’t have to lay down the whole flight.
If you don’t want to use your Skycouch fully-extended, you can pop the footrest up half way, providing support for your legs while resting in a seated position.
The biggest disadvantage? We didn’t find the seats as comfortable as a normal economy seat when the footrests were down and tucked away – though only marginally.
Did you know? Though it’s officially called an ‘Economy Skycouch’, these special seats are often just referred to as a ‘skycouch’.
Stats
Sitting up
Pitch: 32 – 33” (81 – 83cm). This is the amount of space between one seat and the next.
Recline: 4.72″ (12 cm).
Laying down
A Skycouch is 1.55m long (5ft 1″) when the window armrest is raised. When made up, it’s 74cm (29″) wide.
That makes it about 30cm (1 ft) shorter than a standard single bed and 20cm less across.
Who is a Skycouch best for?
Skycouches are generally best for people that are smaller and shorter. Also for people who don’t mind snuggling up.
This makes them great for couples (assuming nobody is particularly tall or wide) and for parents travelling with small children.
They are also great for people that really value the ability to lay down to sleep while flying – though I can’t lie, they still don’t make for a great sleep.
Finally, a Skycouch is a great way to increase your comfort without blowing the budget – assuming you’re travelling with at least two people.
Jump to: Real-life price comparisons between a Skycouch and Premium Economy.
If you’re on the taller or bigger side, you might find Premium Economy more comfortable than a Skycouch. Premium Economy is also significantly more affordable (generally) than a Skycouch if you’re travelling solo.
How to book a Skycouch
Book a normal economy class ticket when purchasing your long-haul Air New Zealand flight.
Ensure the flight you’ve chosen says ‘economy skycouch available’. They are only available on 777-300 and 787-9 aircraft – not on 777-367ER.
Initially you’ll be given a normal economy-class seat, but as you move through the booking process, you’ll be given a quote to upgrade to a Economy Skycouch.
How much does a Skycouch cost?
The upgrade price on a Skycouch depends on how many people will be using it. If one person books a Skycouch row the price will be higher than if it were occupied by two people, for example.
Prices also vary based on demand and the route you are on.
Travelling between New Zealand and Singapore, we’ve paid approximately NZD500 extra to share a Skycouch – remember, that’s in addition to the price of your normal economy ticket.
Premium Economy
What to expect
Positioned between business class and economy (both literally and financially), you’ll get some significant perks when flying Premium Economy on Air New Zealand.
For the price of your ticket (or upgrade), you can expect:
- upgraded premium economy menu and drinks
- premium (faster) check-in
- priority boarding
- premium headphones
- amenities kit
- seat request
- a luxurious, more spacious seat, including a footrest
- additional luggage allowance – both carry on and checked-in
- higher Airpoints status accrual and earn rate.
Basically, you’ll get more room to spread out and lay back (and you’ll have your own seat each – no need to share a couch), but you won’t have the option to lay flat.
Plus you’ll get a bunch of other perks – but just how much value those have to you will depend.
Stats
Relax in a roomy leather seat that’s 19.3″ (49cm) wide. You’ll also have 5″ (12.7cm) wide armrests.
Pitch: 41″ (104.1cm). This is the amount of space between one seat and the next.
Recline: 9″ (22.9cm) – that’s 50% more than you get in economy, and it really is noticeable.
Extra foot room and comfortable foot rests are both big perks of Premium Economy.- Nathan and I enjoying our Premium Economy upgrade.
Who is Premium Economy best for?
If you’re tall or a little bigger, you’ll probably find Premium Economy more comfortable.
It’s also a better option if you’re travelling by yourself (as it’s often more affordable than having an entire Skycouch to yourself) or if you’re not that close with your travel companion.
Your Premium Economy ticket also comes with a number of bonuses, including premium check-in, an amenity kit, an upgraded meal and drinks service, and an increased baggage allowance – so if those things have value for you, they’ll go a long way to making Premium Economy more appealing.
A Skycouch, by comparison, is just a better (and innovative) economy seat.
How to book Premium Economy
When booking your ticket, you’ll notice the option to purchase a Premium Economy fare – it’s the middle fare class on Air New Zealand.
How much does Premium Economy cost?
Costs vary based on demand (for both economy and Premium Economy), so as a general guide, you can expect to pay approximately double the price of a standard economy fare.
Keen to book? Check the Air New Zealand seat map to choose the best seat for your needs on your specific plane.
Comparing prices in reality
Both of the following tests were run on adult fares.
The Skycouch for three adults automatically quoted one Skycouch + 1 additional seat (so four seats in total, allowing two adults to lay down side by side, while the third sits in a normal seat).
I’ve bolded the cheapest option in each case, and have included the price of a standard economy fare so you can compare.
As you’ll see, there are massive variations in price for solo travellers.
One leg Auckland, NZ to Los Angeles, USA
Booked on short notice.
| Per person | Economy | Skycouch | Premium Economy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 adult | NZD 1,535 | NZD 4,595 | NZD 2,285 |
| 2 adults | NZD 1,535 | NZD 2,300 | NZD 2,285 |
| 3 adults | NZD 1,535 | NZD 2,045 | NZD 2,285 |
Premium economy is significantly more affordable than the Skycouch for solo travellers and marginally more affordable for people travelling in a pair.
The Skycouch becomes more affordable when booking for three adults.
However, the difference between the Skycouch and Premium Economy for two or three adults isn’t significant.
One leg Auckland, NZ to Singapore
Booked with moderate notice.
| Per person | Economy | Skycouch | Premium Economy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 adult | NZD 787 | NZD 1,887 | NZD 1,700 |
| 2 adults | NZD 787 | NZD 1,062 | NZD 1,700 |
| 3 adults | NZD 787 | NZD 970.33 | NZD 1,700 |
Again, Premium Economy is more affordable for solo travellers.
A Skycouch is significantly more affordable on this route for people travelling in groups of two or three.
Skycouch vs Premium Economy – Which do we prefer?
Honestly, it depends how I’m feeling at the time.
A year ago, I’d have said the Skycouch. I like to be able to lay down as I really struggle to sleep on planes. And Nathan and I are both only average height, so the shorter length isn’t a big problem for us.
We’ve also been lucky to get an additional Skycouch two out of three times we’ve flown with them… that means only once have we had to snuggle up – a big bonus!
But, even with my own Skycouch, I didn’t sleep a wink on my last flight.
By comparison, our Premium Economy upgrade saw me nod off to sleep a few times (and that was a daytime flight).
The foot rest, extra space and increased incline must have combined together to make me significantly more comfortable than I ever am in economy.
These days, if prices are the same or similar, I would upgrade to Premium Economy over the Skycouch – particularly if it’s a daytime flight.
But, if we can save significant money by flying on a Skycouch, we’d also do that…
Anything to get out of those cramped economy seats!
💻 Join the conversation: Which do you prefer and why?
