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Traveling on long-haul flights means that at some point, you have to get some sleep. While some airlines provide first class options that are as comfortable as can be expected, such as Air France’s La Premiere suites with beds and floor-to-ceiling curtains, you’re still surrounded by all of your fellow passengers. Depending on noise and other factors, this can make your sleeping experience a challenging one. Airbus and Zodiac will soon be addressing that problem by offering lower-deck sleeping facilities on A330 aircraft.

Putting Passengers Before Cargo

The new sleeping facilities in A330s will be built in containers that are designed for the plane’s cargo hold. Why did Airbus and Zodiac decide to construct these facilities in that part of the aircraft? The demand for cargo space on passenger flights has been steadily declining, while demand for more passenger space has been on the rise. Airplane cabins are becoming more and more crowded as airlines shrink seating space and try to fit more passengers on board. This can create uncomfortable sleeping environments. In response, Airbus and Zodiac came up with a plan to offer sleeping facilities that can be placed in the cargo hold as needed.

Customizing and Connecting

How will the new sleeping facilities on the A330s work? They’re expected to be constructed in containers that airlines can add or remove to the cargo hold for different flights, depending on demand. Most A330s should be able to hold up to four of these containers at a time. However, airlines might only need to put one or two in the cargo hold if there’s less demand, such as on less crowded flights. Airbus and Zodiac are also planning on having other areas available in these containers, such as meeting rooms.

When these sleeping facilities are placed in the cargo hold, they’ll be connected to the rest of the plane, so that passengers can have access to water, electricity and other necessities. Passengers who use this feature will be able to have a more private, secluded sleep area without having to forego services and amenities that the airline normally provides. This can help make the long-haul flight experience more comfortable and even enjoyable overall.

Catching Those Zzz’s Will Cost You

While being able to have a quieter and less crowded area to sleep in might seem tempting, keep in mind that it will come at a cost. Zodiac expects airlines to charge additional fees for passengers to use this new feature. Passengers won’t be able to purchase a ticket and spend the entire flight down in the lower deck due to regulations about being seated at certain times. Instead, passengers will most likely have the option to add this cost onto their ticket and head down to the cargo hold for sleep during the flight, except when the plane is taking off, landing or taxiing on the runway. 

The A330’s lower-deck sleeping facilities aren’t expected to be ready for use until 2020 or 2021 at the earliest, so you’ll have to wait a couple of years or more to try this feature out. In the meantime, make sure you check out some travel pillows to help you sleep.

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