Air New Zealand Premium Economy v Skycouch Review

Have you heard of Air New Zealand’s Skycouch? It’s a row of three economy class seats from the window to the aisle, that you can book just for yourself or two people, and put the foot rests up parallel with the seats to lie down.

Air NZ designed and patented it back in 2011, and now United Airlines has announced Relax Row, launching in 2027 on their 787s and 777s.

But is it really big enough to get a good sleep? And how does it compare to Premium Economy seats which don’t lie flat, but do recline and come with the fancy Business Class meals and service?

I put the two seat types to the test on a recent visit to the United States. I flew to Houston on Premium Economy and home from Los Angeles on the Skycouch – with all three seats to myself.

I was so excited knowing I was going to have my own personal lie-flat “bed” to fly home, that I even looked forward to the 12+-hour flight.

Before I give you my verdict, we need to look at the benefits and price difference.

I just picked a random travel date to crunch numbers, comparing both seat types and their costs, because prices vary day to day.

On the dates I chose, Economy class from Auckland to Los Angeles is NZ$722. Premium Economy on that flight is $1922. The cost to have a single person in the three skycouch seats is an extra $600 per seat, in other words, paying for an extra two seats is an additional $1200 on the $722, totalling $1922.

As you’ll see it’s exaclty the same to fly Premium Economy on this flight. But another few that I looked at, the cost difference is around NZ$1000 between Economy class and Premium Economy v $1200 extra for the Skycouch. (Sometimes Premium is a lot more, depending on season and demand).

What do you get in Premium Economy Class?

On these AKL-LAX flights you’ll be in Air New Zealand’s 777-300. They have leather seats in Premium. On some flights, Air New Zealand is still flying leased aircraft and the seats are not as spacious.

However they are wider than a normal Economy seat, they have a leg rest and a foot rest and recline seven to nine inches (17-22cm) – as opposed to the five inches in Economy, but with the foot and leg rest your pitch is a lot more.

Plus you get a very nice meal experience (not quite Business Class meals with their a la carte service). You also don’t get the glass of wine or bubbly upon boarding that your pointy-end sisters are getting!

You also get a big squishy pillow (on the floor in the below pic), a comfy blanket, a bottle of water and an over-ear headset (not as good as my own noise-cancelling headphones). They have a little amenity kit with socks and a toothbrush and toothpaste, but I think most people left those behind.

However, on the AKL to Houston flights, you’ll be on the leased aircraft where the Premium Economy seats are not leather and not as lush, but still comfortable and still recline.

What do you get in the Skycouch?

The ideal scenario for the Skycouch to really come into its own is to have all three seats to yourself. Other combinations are two adults (not really possible to lie down and spoon unless you’re both very skinny!) or a child and an adult, or two children.

How the Skycouch works is each of the three seats from window to aisle has a full leg rest that can be lifted up into a flat position, thereby extending the width of the seat area to the back of the seat in front of you. That’s 74cm (29 inches) wide.

See what I mean about two adults lying within 74cm??

You also get a cover sheet to lie across the seats and two of the bigger Premium Economy squishy pillows, plus the Economy blankets and pillows (x3).

There is an extender seatbelt that you’ll be provided with which hooks right across from near the seat pocket in front (whichever of the three seats you prefer) and locks into the normal seatbelt, so you can have it loosely or tightly fastened across your body. I always opt for loosely, wherever I sit so I can move from side to side.

All three seats together measure 1.55m (5 feet, 1 inch) from window to aisle, when you lift the armrests up.

But herein lies a little problem: you can’t have your feet (or head) hanging over the end into the aisle as you will get bumped by everyone walking past to the loo. In fact, it’s even stated that if you do, you’ll be woken up and asked to move back within your seat.

You’re also still in Economy Class when it comes to food and drinks, earphones and other amenities (or non). But you have your own glorious, uninterrupted space. All three seat pockets, pillows galore and no disturbances getting in or out.

One lady on my flight had two kids and two Skycouches. The kids were in their pj’s as soon as the seatbelt sign went off and they slept like lambs. Her older child had one to himself and the younger used two of the Skycouch seats (footrests lifted up) while she sat on the aisle seat (footrest down).

So what’s the final verdict?

Skycouch or Premium Economy??

It’s close, but I actually got better sleep in Premium Economy. However if the cost was right cost, I would probably try Skycouch again – and put my head at the aisle end!

ALSO note that Premium Economy is a 2-4-2 layout and if you end up in the middle of the four, you cannot get out to go to the bathroom without waking the person beside you and asking them to get out, as the seat in front reclines so far back. I was on the aisle and the woman beside me was about as tiny as Tinkerbell and asked if I minded if she just climbed across the arm rests during the night. I didn’t even notice her!

Sometimes Premium Economy wins on price (as in my examples above, but I realise this is a snapshot in time) and it wins on comfort for me. I am only 5’3″ and had to sleep with my knees slightly bent. It would be way more benty for anyone of average to tall disposition! In fact I couldn’t really get to sleep that well for fear of having my toes knocked and getting a fright.

My husband said why didn’t you put your head at that end and therefore lean against the aisle armrest. Good point. I did have a total of five pillows after all! Update: thanks to some reader comments, I now realise having your head at the aisle end is not permitted. I’m leaving this paragraph in though so you can also see that.

The three seats are comfortable enough to lie on, but after an hour or so my hip ached and I needed to turn. A better sleeping tablet would fix that.

Call me pretty, but I also like the premium service: early boarding, fancy meal and with my usual wind-down drill, I pop a light sedative (just an Advil PM), put on my eye mask and press my squishy earplugs in, kick off my shoes and I slept better on the way up than on the Skycouch on the way back.

My tip for getting the best Premium Economy seat is to get the front bulk-head row, or the aisle.

I’d love to hear what you think in the comments!