13% Happy To Sleep With Strangers On Flights Says Skyscanner
Released
on: February 15, 2010, 8:10 am
Author: Lara Bayley
Industry: Travel
13% of people would be happy to share a Skycouch with a
stranger they met in queue, according to the latest poll from flight
comparison site Skyscanner.
The Skycouch, which has been developed by Air New Zealand, works by converting a row
of three airline seats into a bed. It is being heralded as the first ‘lie-down
economy bed’, and the first major improvement in economy class travel comfort in 20
years. Three seats must be purchased together, with the third seat offered at a
discounted rate. Each of the seats has a cushion that folds up from beneath and arm
rests all tuck away, creating a flat mattress that will allow two adults to stretch
out.
The seats on relatively cheap flights in
Economy class have always lacked severely in comfort compared to their Business
class counterparts but with this new innovation the gap has been significantly
bridged for long haul flights such as cheap
flights to Sydney from the UK.
73% of the people who voted in Skyscanner’s poll said that they would happily pay
the extra for a Skycouch, of which 60.5% said they would only share with their
partner. 25% said that they wouldn’t pay the extra and would rather save their
money.
Nearly 500 people voted in the poll, and the overall results show that Air New
Zealand’s innovation is a winner with long haul flyers and a lucrative move for the
airline.
Barry Smith, Skyscanner co-founder and director said:
“We applaud Air New Zealand for making long haul flying more comfortable. We knew
people would like the idea, but we were amazed that so many would be happy to share
the Skycouch with a stranger they’d only just met at the airport. It could lead to
new relationships blooming at twenty thousand feet, although Air New Zealand have
stressed that Skycouches should not be used to join the ‘mile high’ club.”
About Skyscanner:
Skyscanner is a leading travel search site based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Skyscanner
provides instant online comparison on flight prices, including flights
to London for over 670,000 routes on over 600 airlines, as well as car hire,
hotel and holiday price comparison.
With Skyscanner, users can browse without having to enter specific dates or even
destinations, and Skyscanner is available in 20 different languages including
French, German and Spanish.
Contact Details: Lara Bayley
Skyscanner Ltd
Stamp Office
10 Waterloo Place
Edinburgh EH1 3EG
www.skyscanner.net
lara@skyscanner.net
+44 (0)131 252 5353