新西兰航空研发经济舱“卧铺” 再也不用羡慕头等舱了

什么坐姿都不舒服？怎么调整都睡不着？长途飞行时乘坐经济舱是对乘客体力和耐力的一大考验。新西兰航空公司最新研发的“经济型空中之屋”可以解决这一烦恼。如果计划得以实行，经济舱的乘客在长途旅行时也可以躺下美美地睡一觉了。

There are people who can sleep anywhere, any time, in any position -- including upright in an economy-class airplane seat.

有些人可以在任何时间、任何地点、以任何姿势睡觉——包括在经济舱座位上笔挺地坐着的时候。

And then there are the rest of us. Neck pillows just don't cut it. Reclining a few inches does nothing. We need to lie flat, which is what makes Air New Zealand's prototype sleep pods so exciting.

但还有一些人，颈枕怎么放也不舒服，斜倚着也无济于事。这些人需要平躺着才能睡觉，正因如此，新西兰航空公司的“空中之屋”原型才会如此令人兴奋。

On February 26, the airline filed patent and trademark applications for the "Economy Skynest" -- the result of three years of research, development and testing based on input from more than 200 customers at a hanger in Auckland.

根据奥克兰一家航空公司的200多名客户的意见，经过三年的研发和测试，新西兰航空公司于2月26日为“经济型空中之屋”申请了专利和商标。

According to Air New Zealand's announcement, the Skynest will consist of six full-length lie-flat sleep pods in the Economy cabin. The exact location within the aircraft is yet to be confirmed.

根据新西兰航空公司的公告，“经济舱空中之屋”将由6张可完全平躺的单人床舱位组成，其位于飞机内的确切位置还有待确认。

Each pod will be about 200 centimeters long and 58 centimeters wide, and come with a pillow, sheets, blanket, ear plugs and privacy curtains. The airline is reportedly also exploring additional features such as reading lights and USB outlets.

每张单人床长约2米，宽约0.58米，配有枕头、床单、毯子、耳塞和隐私拉帘。据报道，该航空公司还将增加其他配置，如阅读灯和USB接口。

"A clear pain point for economy travelers on long-haul flights is the inability to stretch out," says Air New Zealand chief marketing and customer officer Mike Tod in a statement from the airline. "The development of the Economy Skynest is a direct response to that challenge."

新西兰航空公司的首席营销和客务官迈克·托德在一份声明中说：“对于乘坐长途航班的经济舱乘客来说，一个明显的痛点就是无法伸展身体。‘经济舱空中之屋’的研发是对这一挑战的直接回应。”

pain point：痛点，痛处

So will the Skynest actually take flight?

那么“经济舱空中之屋”真的可以实现吗？

There's reason to be hopeful. After all, this is the airline that's already proved its commitment to making economy class more comfortable, given so many of its flights are long-haul. It launched the "Economy Skycouch" in 2011, allowing passengers traveling together to transform their seats into a bed.

我们有理由充满希望。毕竟，新西兰航空公司已经兑现了让经济舱更舒适的承诺，因为其众多航班都是长途飞行的航班。该公司在2011年推出了“经济舱空中沙发”，允许一起旅行的乘客把座位变成床。

Staff from Air New Zealand tell cnn Travel no formal certification application is in process yet, "however we have designed the concept to meet all regulatory requirements."

新西兰航空公司的工作人员告诉美国有线电视新闻网旅游频道，目前尚未有正式的认证申请在接受处理，“但是我们的这个设计理念可以满足所有的监管要求。”

As for pricing, the airline is yet to determine the costs and is still assessing the commercial proposition and product viability.

至于定价，该航空公司尚未确定成本，仍在评估商业建议和产品可行性。

But given there are only six pods on one aircraft, they will likely be in high demand.

但考虑到一架飞机上只有6个“空中之屋”舱位，需求量可能会很大。

"We see a future flying experience where an economy-class customer on long-haul flights would be able to book the Economy Skynest in addition to their Economy seat, get some quality rest and arrive at their destination ready to go," says Nikki Goodman, general manager of Air New Zealand's Customer Experience.

新西兰航空公司客户体验部总经理尼基•古德曼表示：“我们认为，在将来，除了预订经济舱座位，长途航班的经济舱乘客还可以预订‘空中之屋’，得到充分的休息，并在抵达目的地时整装待发。”

The airline will reportedly make a final decision on the Economy Skynest in 2021, once it has assessed the performance of its inaugural year of Auckland-New York operations, due to take flight in October this year.

“空中之屋”预计将在今年10月奥克兰飞往纽约的航线率先使用。据报道，新西兰航空公司将评估该航线的首年运营业绩，并在2021年对是否推广做出最后决定。

inaugural [ɪˈnɔːɡjərəl]：adj.开始的；开幕的

That flight will take an estimated 17 hours and 40 minutes one way, making it one of the longest in the world.

该航线预计单程飞行时间为17小时40分钟，是世界上最长的航线之一。