Travel
Bunk Beds Come to Economy Class in Battle for New York Flyers
- Qantas and Air New Zealand try to outdo each other on comfort
- Could set blueprint for growing number of ultra-long flights
Battling to win customers on the prized trans-Pacific route to New York, Qantas Airways Ltd. and Air New Zealand Ltd. plan new features to make air travel more comfortable, including full-sized bunk beds and dedicated stretching zones.
The two airlines, longtime competitors on three-hour hops between Australia and New Zealand, are going head-to-head on 16-hour direct flights from Auckland to New York as more efficient planes make such routes viable. The reward is a lucrative corner of a global travel market, where airfares and profits are soaring after pandemic restrictions came to an end.