CATHAY PACIFIC
AVAILABILITY First and business class
CASE Cathay Pacific is to be applauded for its excellent first class travel kit cases. Both male and female versions have been created by Aesop. Simple in design, with a strong sense of quality. The female case boasts a unique stacking function that when combined with another kit doubles as a jewellery or accessory case.
First class amenity kits by Cathay Pacific
In comparison, the business class cases are not quite as polished looking. Hong Kong’s own Seventy Eight Percent has designed something that resembles a travel bag, rather than a luxurious amenity kit. While we appreciate the eco-friendly nature of the case, the material was not waterproof.
Business class amenity kit
CONTENTS We were delighted to see an individual wooden hairbrush in both the male and female first class kit. The mouthwash and monitor-cleaning cloth also helped to set the kits apart from that offered in business class.
Contents of male first class amenity kit
While both kits featured the same Aesop Camellia Nut Facial Hydrating Cream and Aesop Rosehip Seed Lip Cream, the female version also contained the Aesop Rind Concentrate Hand & Body Balm. Overall, the skincare products were good, with the citrus-scented hand and body balm being particularly popular.
Contents of female first class amenity kit
The same holds true for the Jurlique skincare products found in the business class kit. The Jurlique Natural Lip Care Balm was the star here, as it was very effective in moistening my dry lips while I was flying between Hong Kong and Seattle earlier this month. Other noteworthy products include Jurlique Balancing Day Care Cream, and Jurlique Citrus Hand Cream.
QANTAS AIRWAYS
AVAILABILITY Business class passengers travelling on international A330 flights that offer the new Business Suite product
CASE Even among other premium amenity kits, Qantas’ new limited edition kit stands out. The Oroton-branded case is nearly twice the size of the other kits reviewed here, and has a seriously sleek appearance. The surface of the case is strong and resistant to wear and tear and any liquid spilled onto it can be easily wiped clean.
Qantas limited edition amenity kit
CONTENTS In collaboration with Oroton – one of Australia’s leading luxury handbags, leather goods and accessories manufacturer, the Flying Kangaroo has delivered a truly remarkable kit that not only serves to make its premium customers journey a more comfortable one, but is also a worthy collector’s piece for avid travellers.
Pyjamas in the Qantas amenity kit
The reason behind the large case was made apparent as soon as we unzipped it – Qantas has packed an entire set of unisex pyjamas into it. During my visit to the airline’s new Hong Kong lounge opening last year (see here), I was fortunate enough to receive a set myself, and can confirm that the Qantas pyjamas are comfortable, lightweight sleepwear.
Contents of Qantas limited edition amenity kit
Also included in the kit is a small box containing ASPAR skincare products by Aurora Spa Rituals. We liked the sweet orange and shea hand cream, face moisturiser, and vanilla and orange lip balm, but the highlight was definitely the hand cream: a light, fruity scent that left a pleasant tingling feeling on our skin.
Qantas customers that receive this kit can also look forward to a pair of socks, eyeshade, toothbrush & toothpaste, earplugs, and dental floss.
QATAR AIRWAYS
AVAILABILITY Business class
CASE Qatar Airways’ (Qatar) new business class kits are simple yet luxurious.
Qatar Airways male (left) and female (right) first class amenity kits
Available in both male and female versions, the amenity kit cases are made from a high quality silk-like material. Soft to the touch, the cases look extremely classy, and this is accentuated by the “Giorgio Armani” label on the front.
The male and female versions appear near identical to one another, but the latter sports a round shaped gold zipper, while the male kit’s rectangle zipper is silver. Likewise, the female kit has a gold coloured Armani label, while the male one is silver.
CONTENTS Now this is impressive. Not only does Qatar pack its amenity kits with Giorgio Armani products, but some of these are full-sized retail bottles, and not miniaturised versions offered by other airlines.
Contents of male first class amenity kit
For example, the female kit contains a 75ml Si perfumed body lotion, while the male kit houses an equally large Gio after shave balm. This complements the small perfume bottles that Qatar has also included inside its kits.
Contents of female first class amenity kit
The Giorgio Armani kits also consist of a smaller bag within – each of which contains the carrier’s standard amenity offering, including lip balm, a pair of socks, eye shades, and ear plugs.
UNITED
AVAILABILITY Business First
CASE Customers aware of last year’s “Flyer Friendly” brand campaign will be familiar with United’s new special edition amenity kits. However, gone are the images of United’s North American hubs, and in their place are the skylines of London, Frankfurt, Toyko, Beijing, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Dubai and Honolulu.
United amenity kit featuring Tokyo skyline
The metal tin made for an excellent amenity case; entirely waterproof, lightweight and easy to carry around. Our only gripe was that because the aluminium case is not malleable, it was sometimes difficult to fit everything back into the case. Furthermore, it was a challenge adding more items into the case, given that it was already packed full to the rim.
CONTENTS One of the simple but clever additions to the amenity kit is a pen. We all know that travelling often requires filling in immigration forms, and therefore having a pen proves very handy. Other contents include socks, an eye mask, toothbrush, toothpaste, tissue and ear plugs.
Contents of United amenity kit
The skincare products are provided by Philosophy, and consist of a tube of lip balm, as well as hand and cuticle cream. While the hand and cuticle cream was pleasant enough, we found the lip balm to be overly waxy – to the point where application seemed to make our lips feel dry instead of moisturised. We did however like the light fragrance of the product.
Clement Huang
