News

15 new in-flight amenities

16 Jul 2017 by Mark Caswell

Business Traveller rounds up the latest in-flight amenities, from British Airways White Company bedding to eco-friendly Emirates blankets.

British Airways

As part of a £400 million investment in its premium experience, BA has announced a new partnership with homeware firm The White Company.

The deal will see Club World passengers benefit from new bedding including a larger pillow and cotton pillowcase, satin-trimmed blanket and padded mattress cover, as well as a White Company-branded amenity kit, and a new cushion for day flights.

The amenities will be launched on the carrier’s flights between London Heathrow and New York JFK, before being gradually rolled out to other long-haul routes.

ba.com

British Airways amenity bag

Air Astana

Air Astana has launched new amenity kits by French fashion house Christian Lacroix and Italian designer Furla.

According to the carrier the Furla women’s bags “captivate the brand essence in a miniature version of the brand’s famous retail handbags including the quintessential Furla gold zip pull”, while the Christain Lacroix kits “embody the spirit of the famous Parisian atelier which is known for its flamboyant prints and bold use of colour and feature the company’s signature butterfly pattern”.

The kits also now feature slippers, “replacing the flight socks commonly found in on-board amenity kits”.

The new kits will be offered to business class passengers on short and long-haul flights.

airastana.com

Air Astana Christian Lacroix amenity kits

Emirates

Emirates has launched new sustainable blankets for its economy passengers, made from 100 per cent recycled plastic bottles.

Using Ecothread patented technology, each blanket is made from 28 recycled bottles through a process that turns recycled plastic chips into yarn, creating a polar fleece material.

Available in economy on long-haul flights, the airline says that the blankets will have rescued 88 million plastic bottles (equivalent to the weight of 44 Airbus A380 aircraft) from landfills by the end of 2019.

The carrier says the initiative is the largest sustainable in-flight blanket programme in the airline industry.

emirates.com

Emirates recycled plastic blanket

Qantas

Qantas has launched a new design for its business class pyjamas, following the recent update of the carrier’s livery and flying kangaroo logo.

Available on international flights, the unisex long sleeved sleepwear are in grey cotton with a navy blue Kangaroo logo, and Qantas printed on the back of the neck.

Created by Australian designer Martin Grant, they also feature “a new raglan-style top with a seam from the underarm to the collar bone and draw-string pant in a more relaxed fit”.

The new-look pyjamas are being rolled out progressively onto international flights between Australia and Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Francisco, Hawaii, Santiago, Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo, Johannesburg, Shanghai, Vancouver, Dubai and London.

qantas.com.au

Air France

Air France has launched a new amenity kit for its premium economy customers.

The new bag comes in two colours – yellow and red – with both highlighting the French ‘accent aigu’ (the acute accent).

According to Air France the new design “aims to reflect the image of the premium economy cabin, with a relaxed, chic and dynamic design”.

Contents of the bag include ear plugs, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a pair of socks, an eye mask, and headphone protectors.

airfrance.co.uk

Air France premium economy amenity kits

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways has launched a new three-year partnership with The White Company for its pyjamas in both business and first class.

In first class the men’s sleeper suit is designed in a charcoal grey marl, while the women’s is in a contemporary, mid-grey.

Both are made of 100 per cent cotton and both sets come with matching cotton slippers, with a faux fur interior sole for extra warmth and comfort.

First class passengers travelling on board Qatar Airways A380 flights to London, Bangkok, Paris, Sydney, and Guangzhou will be offered the sleeper suits.

qatarairways.com

Qatar Airways Sleepwear-1

Etihad

Etihad Airways has unveiled new destination-inspired business class amenity kits designs for routes to New York, Sao Paulo, Rome, Melbourne and Bangkok.

The new designs build on the carrier’s existing partnership with Luxe City Guides, with each bag containing a specially created city guide “showcasing a selection of each destination’s best hotels, restaurants, spas, bars, boutiques, and shopping, as well as services, specialists and personal tour guides”.

Etihad has also updated its existing Abu Dhabi kit with a new design and fully updated city guide.

The kits are influenced by the architectural features on the respective cities, with the New York bag inspired by the city’s grid-like streets, avenues and iconic yellow taxis, and the Melbourne kits reflecting the city’s 19th century buildings, the Yarra river and the coastline.

etihad.com

Etihad Airways amenity kits

British Airways

British Airways has launched new Liberty London washbags for its First passengers.

The washbags have been inspired by prints from Liberty London’s textiles archive, with the men’s bag featuring a black embossed textured exterior, and a ‘Felix Raison’ paisley motif printed lining, and the women’s bag featuring ‘Christelle’, an eye-catching oriental inspired floral print.

New versions are being added to the collection throughout 2017, and both bags contain skincare and well-being products by Aromatherapy Associates.

The new First bags initially appeared on the carrier’s A380 service between Heathrow and Los Angeles from January 7, before being rolled out to the rest of the network.

ba.com

British Airways Liberty London First washbags

Qantas

Qantas has launched a new series of business class amenity kits designed by Australian artists, photographers and “digital influencers”.

The Qantas Curates range will feature a total of 16 different designs over the following months, including Bubblegum Dystopia by Jacob Leary, and No Queen Blues/Unwind by Liam Snootle.

Qantas says it has worked with “professional Australian contemporary art curators to select artworks from 16 Australians specialising in a variety of different styles including pop culture, photography, fine art, abstract landscape, Indigenous art and textile design”.

The carrier said that the aim of the initiative was to grow awareness of contemporary Australian art, at the same time as giving travellers “a collectible piece” to take home.

qantas.com.au

Bubblegum Dystopia by Jacob Leary

Delta

Delta has unveiled new Alessi-designed serviceware, with products including flatware, crystal glassware, bone china, stainless steel serving pieces, napkin rings, trays and salt and pepper shakers.

The new amenities were added to Delta One and first class cabins in April, and will be followed by the carrier’s new Delta Premium Select offering when it is launches later this year.

Delta said that it had “actively solicited feedback from both customers and flight attendants to ensure that every design aspect of the pieces had a purpose”.

A total of 86 serviceware pieces will be introduced, based on “popular items created and inspired by six of the 300 renowned designers for Alessi, including Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Patricia Urquiola, Campana Brothers, Stefano Giovannoni, Miriam Mirri and Kristiina Lassus”.

delta.com

Delta introduces Alessi-designed serviceware

Emirates

The Gulf carrier has launched moisturising pyjamas for its first class passengers travelling overnight.

Claimed to be a “world first for the skies”, the sleepwear sets, which come in grey, help keep your skin soft and hydrated when flying.

Designed by Matrix, the patented “Hydra Active Microcapsule Technology” sees “billions of capsules applied to the fabric, which gently releases naturally-moisturising sea kelp during movement”.

The moisturising pyjamas also come with matching slippers, an eye mask and a pouch to take them home with you. The airline says that the specially designed pyjama material locks in moisture for up to ten washes so you can reuse them.

emirates.com

Emirates moisturising pyjamas

Hong Kong Airlines

Business and economy class passengers with Hong Kong Airlines now benefit from new amenity kits on long-haul flights.

Featuring emblematic symbols of Hong Kong, the business class kits have been designed in partnership with aviation-industry supplier Clip and local design firm Ricebowl Republic.

The designs feature images of the Star Ferry, which operates between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon peninsula, as well rickshaws, the city’s quintessential trams and the Hong Kong skyline.

Premium kits include specially designed eye masks and socks, along with ear plugs, dental kits and a L’Occitane shea butter lip balm and hand cream.

The new conomy class kits are more conventional, comprising a grey pouch carrying an eye mask, socks, ear plugs and dental kits.

hkairlines.com

Hong Kong Airlines business class amenity kits 2017

Turkish Airlines

The carrier has introduced a “Living Garden” concept for its business class bathrooms, with flowers and green plants to help make passengers feel like they are in “a flower garden above the sky”.

The premium bathrooms also now feature hand lotions, soaps and “room odour” by Molton Brown, which the carrier says is a brand identified with “refreshment, naturalness and luxury”.

turkishairlines.com

Turkish Airlines Molton Brown

American Airlines

American Airlines has launched a refreshed set of amenity kits and pyjamas for its first and business class cabins.

Created in partnership with fashion designer Cole Haan, the kits are available on long-haul and transcontinental flights from New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Inside, the kits contain beauty and skincare products from C.O Bigelow, 3Lab, Clark’s Botanicals, alongside a new eye mask, socks, ear plugs, toothbrush, toothpaste and headphone protectors.

Kits are available in grey, burgundy, navy and black, while the first class version can be reused as a tablet holder.

A new set of pyjamas has also been designed for first class.

aa.com

American Airlines Intl Business Class amenity kits

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways has launched a new range of amenity kits for first and business class passengers.

The bags have been created in partnership with luggage designer BRICS and Italian skincare brand Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio to provide passengers “with the finest keepsake amenity kits”.

First class kits are designed in the style of BRICS’s Bellagio series bags and feature “full grain leather inserts paired with high-tech shell designed with contrasting stitching accents, with Tuscan leather trim”.

Business class amenity kits have been influenced by the brand’s Sintesis line of trolley bags and include “innovative lightweight materials that provide functionality with style”.

Both travel bags come in four colours: black and grey for men, and white and burgundy for women.

The amenity kits products are from environmentally friendly olive oil company Castello Monte Vibiano Vechio, and include lip balm, hydrating facial mist and anti-ageing moisturiser in business class, with the added Night recovery cream in first class kits.

qatarairways.com

Qatar Airways's women's business class amenity kit
Loading comments...

Search Flight

See a whole year of Reward Seat Availability on one page at SeatSpy.com

Business Traveller March 2024 edition
Business Traveller March 2024 edition
Be up-to-date
Magazine Subscription
To see our latest subscription offers for Business Traveller editions worldwide, click on the Subscribe & Save link below
Polls