Economy class long-haul bed … 3 seats with a mattress on top
THE luxury of lying down for a good night’s sleep on a long-haul flight has long been limited to those who can afford expensive business class seats.
But now the budget airline Thomas Cook is offering economy passengers a similar experience.
Those flying to destinations including New York and San Francisco can reserve a ‘sleeper seat’ – a row of three singles over which a mattress is laid after take-off – from £200 one way.
They will also get a head rest, pillow, blanket and ‘amenity kit’ including toothbrush and toothpaste. The row of seats is around 4ft 8in long and just over 2ft wide, so most adults will have to curl up for comfort. But it is undoubtedly cheaper than a business class ticket or three economy seats.
A return economy flight from Manchester to New York costs £ 59. Adding a sleeper seat to both journeys at £200 each pushes the price up to £759. The cheapest business class ticket found yesterday for the same journey was £4,460 with Virgin Atlantic.
Only four mattresses are available on each flight and customers can book up to 48 hours in advance.