Lufthansa Is Turning Economy Seats into Beds on Select Flights and The Price Tag Is Surprisingly Affordable

If you long for the days when airlines offered full meals on every flight, or at the very least free luggage and decent legroom, you’re not alone. It’s unlikely we’ll see a return to that level of generosity in the air, but Lufthansa is trying to make their economy-class passengers a little more comfortable with new seats that can convert into beds.

According to ESCAPE, the airline is trialing these seats — known as the Sleeper’s Row — on its Boeing 747-8 planes between Frankfurt and Sao Paulo. If all goes well, these seats could be rolled out across Lufthansa’s entire long-haul fleet.

As the name suggests, Sleeper’s Row isn’t exactly a new type of seat. Instead, it gives passengers the possibility to pay extra to reserve three or four seats that will allow them to stretch out without worrying about a seatmate coming to intrude.

The new concept does come with some extra perks, though. In addition to the row of seats, Lufthansa will provide a mattress, pillows, and a blanket (taken from business class so you know it’s comfy), making it easier for passengers in Sleeper’s Row to convert their seats into a bed. These passengers will also board earlier than the rest of economy class so that the bed can be set up.

Trials of the Sleeper’s Row are currently underway on night flights and are expected to continue until next month. Prices for the rows are expected to be around $350, although the airline will offer a “special price,” escape.com reports.

Lufthansa also isn’t the only airline making moves to improve the economy class experience.

Earlier this year, Air New Zealand unveiled its Economy Skynest product, a sleep pod with six full-length lie-flat sleep pods that will be placed at the back of the airline’s planes. The pods will be 6.5 feet long and 22 inches wide and come with pillows, blankets, and privacy curtains to make for the best sleeping conditions possible.

Jessica Poitevien is a Travel + Leisure contributor currently based in South Florida, but always on the lookout for the next adventure. Besides traveling, she loves baking, talking to strangers, and taking long walks on the beach. Follow her adventures on Instagram. (https://www.travelandleisure.com/airlines-airports/lufthansa-sleepers-row-economy-seat-beds)