LUFTHANSA is trialling seats which can be turned into beds in their economy class – meaning a better night sleep while flying.
The airline is testing the new option – called Sleeper’s Row – on their Boeing 747-8 planes between Frankfurt and Sao Paulo but could be rolled out across their long-haul fleet.
Passengers will be able to pay extra to have a whole row of three or four seats when travelling in economy, which no-one else will be able to sit in.
The airline will then provide a mattress, pillows and blanket so travellers can turn the seats into their own bed.
It won’t have the luxury perks of First Class, but the blankets are from business class.
Not only will travellers be able to catch some shut-eye much easier, but passengers who pay for this extra service will also be able to board before the rest of economy so that the bed can be set up.
The current test routes are both night-flights with trials to continue until next month.
Prices for the rows are expected to be around €220, although the airline will offer them with a “special price” according to local media.
Lufthansa isn’t the first airline to trial beds in economy either.
Earlier this year, Air New Zealand revealed details of a prototype they have been working on for a proper flat bed in Economy cabins, joining their Economy Skycouch option.
The sleep pods will be more than 2m long and 58cm wide and include a pillow, sheets and blanket, as well as ear plugs along and a curtain across each bunk for privacy.
Designers have also designed examples of how bunk beds or normal beds could work on flights.
Zephyr Aerospace came up with the plans of two tiers of seating inside the cabin – allowing each passenger to have a lie-flat seat.
The seats would be built in rows of 2-4-2 across the cabin, so airlines wouldn’t have to reduce the number of passengers on each plane.
With flight capacity at an all time low, most passengers will be able to lie down on their seats right now anyway.
Families who want their kids to sleep on a flight can buy inflatable pillows which fit in the floor gap to let them stretch out during long journeys.
Plane Pal is an inflatable pillow that fills the gap between seats and it will neatly fold away when you’ve finished using it.
One woman even used a £2 pet bed and a special inflatable cushion to help her daughter sleep.