Midair cuddling can be bit of a squeeze

Rachel and Mark Hughes were each able to have a Skycouch all to themselves. Photo / Doug Sherring

Cuddling up in Air NZ's new cuddle class is all well and good.

But as some of the first international travellers to try it out discovered, it doesn't provide much room for a big Kiwi bloke.

Aucklanders Mark and Rachel Hughes arrived home from Los Angeles yesterday, after paying extra for the airline's new sleeping platform, officially branded the Skycouch but unofficially dubbed "cuddle class".

After delays while Air New Zealand awaited civil aviation approval, travellers were able to buy the Skycouch for the first time last week - three joined seats with footrests that fold up to create a sleeping platform.

Air NZ spokesman Mark Street said the seats were ideal for couples or families with small children, and he claimed they had been popular - though he said details of how many Skycouch tickets had been sold were commercially sensitive.

"Demand has been very strong for the Skycouch," Street said, "and many flights during the first month of operation have already sold out."

However, Mark Hughes said their flight from LA had been half-empty, so they were able to take a Skycouch each.

"Because the flight wasn't that full we moved around so we had three seats each instead of sharing," he said.

The 13-hour flight had been good, he said - apart from the length of the Skycouch.

"It was a little bit short for my height, you had to bend your knee as you were lying down," he said.

"But it was fantastic, we had the new inflight entertainment with touch screen. It was awesome, a really good flight."

The Skycouch is in economy class. Two adults who want to share one must pay for their own tickets - starting at about $1560 each for a cheap one-way trans-Pacific ticket.

They must then pay half the price of the third seat - another $780, taking the total cost to at least $3900. A couple with a child would pay for three standard seats plus an upgrade fee of about $200 - at least $4490.

The Skycouch is available on daily services to London via Los Angeles.