Mum’s hack turns economy seats into a giant bed on long haul flights
Flying with children is difficult whether they’re tiny terrors or grumpy teens, but tiredness makes it all worse.
Longhaul flights especially are difficult when travelling with youngsters so it’s no wonder there are so many tips out there for parents travelling with kids.
And, a lot of the information is about making little ones more comfortable when flying thousands of feet above the ground.
Nobody likes being told to sleep in an uncomfy chair after all…
Well, one mum discovered a trick which could make your extended flight a total breeze – and we had to share it with our readers.
Adele Barbaro, a blogger known as The Real Mumma, flew from Melbourne, in Australia, to Los Angeles, in the US, on a mammoth trip that takes longer than 14 hours.
But, instead of stressing out and keeping the kids from crying, Adele was able to ensure her children got plenty of sleep on the journey.
And, it only cost her £104 rather than the hundreds extra a business class flight would cost.
Adele managed to snag her family a Sky Couch as part of an upgrade available on Air New Zealand, which transforms a row of seats into a full flat bed that’s perfect for napping.
If you’re lucky you’ll even be able to fit two of you on the bed side by side.
Anyone looking to make a long journey from New Zealand to the UK should check if their flight has the Economy Sky Couch available.
You can book the Sky Couch alone – you don’t have to share with a stranger – or a Sky Couch with an additional seat.
Recommendations on the Air New Zealand site explain what’s suitable for every size of family to book here.
Adele wrote about the clever option on Facebook and said: "If there is two of you travelling, you can purchase a third seat at half price and you will get the entire row to yourself.
"The leg rests all rise to meet the chair in front and create a completely flat, large play or sleep area. Paul and Harvey had a bed and so did Chloe and I.
"It’s the next best thing to business (but way cheaper) and perfect for long haul flights with young families. And we all slept."
In the comments frequent flyers agreed with one stating: "It was just us and one baby – a MUCH better option than the bassinet seats as I could lie down and feed and both me and baby could sleep (while his dad binge-watched movies! Haha!)."
The Sky Couch premiered in 2010 on Air New Zealand, but since then a number of other airlines have created their own Sky Couch style seats.
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All Nippon Airways (ANA) which operates out of Japan, has introduced the ANA COUCHii – where economy passengers can combine three or four seats to make a bed.
It’s available on ANA A380s and is recommended for families at a cost of £76 per person for three people sharing a three seat bed.
The price can vary depending on the season, number of passengers and number of seats desired.
Brits may have to wait a little longer though as it's not currently an option for UK airlines – although before it collapsed, Thomas Cook had announced plans for Sleeper Seats on its long-haul routes.
Here's hoping another UK airline will take up the idea and make flights more comfortable for British holidaymakers!
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