Sleep – we loathe it as children and crave it as adults. Whatever our relationship with it, sleep is as essential to our bodies as eating, drinking and breathing. It helps to reduce stress, improves mood and even lowers the risk of serious health problems. And nowhere is it desired more than on a long-haul flight.
Whether passengers are using their tray table as a makeshift pillow in Economy or floating on a lie-flat bed in Business or First, catching some z’s on a flight is a priority for most.
Drift off
Across all cabins, airlines are ditching the scratchy blankets and harsh lighting and are investing in ways to help promote sleep quality and ensure passengers have a truly dreamy flight.
“Enhancing passenger sleep quality is paramount for airlines,” said Ajay Agarwal, Director at NCM Ltd, who creates blankets and sleepsuits made of premium natural fibres. “Improved sleep quality can significantly enhance the overall passenger experience, leading to higher levels of satisfaction and loyalty. Moreover, well-rested passengers are likely to reach their destination feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, leading to a positive perception of the airline and a higher probability of fostering passenger loyalty.”
Singapore Airlines is one such airline that is prioritising passenger sleep quality by partnering with the National University of Singapore to launch the SIA-NUS Digital Aviation Corporate Lab. Sleep and chronobiology scientists are conducting studies in this lab to determine how the airline can improve quality of rest, help combat the effects of jet lag and ensure a gentle awakening. These insights will be used to design a sleeping environment that can be adapted to optimise passengers’ sleep, including enhancing seat comfort, scheduling and limiting sleep disrupting cabin services and optimising the cabin environment.
Bedding down
In the short term, a soft pillow or a cosy duvet to snuggle into can encourage passengers to snooze. John Horsfall, who offers a range of inflight comfort items such as mattress pads, pillows, duvets, blankets and sleepwear, recognises that body and room temperature plays a pivotal role in helping passengers fall asleep – which is why it says offering layers is key.
“Passengers want to be able to personalise their space and create their own optimal atmosphere for sleeping,” says Alexandra Allen, Design Manager at John Horsfall. “Offering layers of product with varying textures and warmth enhances the passenger’s sensory experience, creating a harmonious, restful space and improving overall wellbeing.”
The company says that its premium pillow and duvet cover, made with 400 thread count cotton, “improves quality of sleep and can lessen the feelings of jet-lag after a long-haul flight.”
Meanwhile, a breakthrough in bedding enhancements comes in the form of Japan Airlines’ ’airweave DUAL MODE’ mattress. With one side firm and the other soft, passengers can chose their preference.
Air India has also added a dual-purpose mattress seat topper to its bedding range for Business passengers. Designed by Global-C, the topper is crafted with premium multi-layer materials, including a memory foam layer, and folds into a pillow when not in use.
In a similar vein, Mills Textiles has created a dual-side duvet that offers both a warming side and a cooling side for optimum sleep comfort, which is “especially useful during a flight when your temperature tends to fluctuate,” describes Graham Hudson, Managing Director of Mills Textiles. The company also offers a memory foam pillow which has a cooling gel layer which “pulls heat away from the body”.
Combining comfort with sustainable practice, WESSCO International’s Leihōkū Business class bedding ensemble for Hawaiian Airlines includes a mattress pad, quilt, and soft sleeping pillow all of which are crafted from recycled plastics.
Bringing in the big brands is Etihad Airways’ Business class premium textiles range, in partnership with Armani/Casa and exclusively designed with Giorgio Armani and Buzz. The range includes a 20% larger pillow with matching pillowcase and duvet set. Guests on longer flights will also benefit from the airline’s new memory foam mattress.
Luxury blankets and cushions aren’t just reserved for Business passengers. WESSCO International has joined forces with Icelandair to create an exclusive Economy bedding collection pillow and blanket which predominantly uses sustainable materials.
Creature comforts
Physically changing into sleepwear is a great way to get the body and mind ready for sleep. Emirates is on the ball when it comes to luxury sleepwear with self-moisturising ‘Hydra Active’ pyjamas in First made from a special material that releases natural movement-activated moisturisers, infused with vitamin E and olive oil to help skin stay moisturised.
Another first comes from Clip Onboard which has closely collaborated with Zimmerli and SWISS to offer the choice of a short sleeve T-shirt or a long sleeve shirt pyjama, paired with long trousers for passengers in First. Each set comes in four sizes.
“We established pioneering comfort benchmarks for First class, creating sleep-enhancing products rooted in scientific research,” said Cindy Lam, Director at Clip. “Using 100% BCI cotton is a first in our industry.”
Lighter loads
Whilst airlines battle it out to offer passengers the most luxurious amenities and plush bedding, they must also strike a delicate balance between comfort and practicality, especially considering weight constraints onboard.
“Selecting materials that are lightweight yet durable is key,” says Agarwal at NCM Ltd. “By carefully selecting materials with high warmth-to-weight ratios and optimising product construction, we can create luxurious inflight products that meet airlines’ weight restrictions, space optimisation, durability, and cost considerations, without compromising on quality or comfort.”
Hudson at Mills Textiles echoes this sentiment, saying: “Tackling weight constraints is something we are always actively engaged in when it comes to working with airlines. Some of our technical materials are very light weight, such as our lyocell fabric – a biodegradable, breathable, plant-derived fibre that in production requires less water and energy than conventional cotton.”
Ultimately, whether or not a passenger manages to get some shut-eye can make or break a long-haul flight experience.
As Nicky Upton, Sales Manager at Linstol concludes: “Airlines invest millions in seats, lighting and IFE to have the edge over competitors, but they cannot change those things frequently, so adding value and comfort through the amenities and bedding is an incredibly important touch point to the passenger beyond the nuts and bolts!”
