In this installment of Amenity Kit Reviews, I take a critical look at the business class offering of Star Alliance member Air China. A very special thanks goes out to Very Good Points for sending it my way. For a better description of each category and the 7-point scale for scoring, please review my introductory post.

Air China Amenity Kit

Bag/Container: The off-white, rectangular nylon zipper bag has a touch of pleather to it, particularly along the height of the case. It sports the L’Occitane logo on top, with the only identifiable Air China logo on the zippers themselves. Opening the case reveals a single compartment with four differently sized plastic pouches on the flap. Reusability is medium-to-high in my opinion, and while not overly luxurious, it is slightly higher quality than some other business class kits. Score: 5 out of 7

Interior of Air China's Amenity Kit

Skin Care: Air China partnered with L’Occitane to supply skin care items for this kit, which consist of Citrus Verbena Body Lotion and a Shea Butter Lip Balm Stick. The lip balm is your standard fare and sufficient, but the lotion in this kit is a step up from the L’Occitane ones found in the Asiana and Virgin Australia kits, for example. A nearly scentless disinfectant wet tissue rounds out the skin care items. Score: 5 out of 7

Oral Care: A tube of standard flavored Colgate toothpaste and a soft bristled toothbrush are the sole oral care items in the kit. I always appreciate it when airlines decide on a toothbrush that snaps back onto its casing to form a nearly full size apparatus. Plus, the casing helps keep the brush head clean for reuse. Score: 4 out of 7

Comfort Items: Here’s where Air China scores big. Inside the case are found your typical comfort items, including a folding brush, earplugs in their own plastic container (nice!) and one-size-fits-all eyeshades. But Air China also provides pajamas (plus slippers) to its business class passengers, a rarity for the middle cabin on most all other airlines. They’re cotton and come in a red fabric bag. Well done! Score: 7 out of 7

Air China PJs - Image Courtesy 'Very Good Points'

Intangibles: I believe Air China missed the mark in not incorporating more of its own branding to the kit, but it still comes off as an exclusive amenity filled with useful items.  Score: 5 out of 7

Total score & comments:

This kit was on track to be an average business class offering with a slightly above adequate final score. But the addition of PJs really sets Air China apart from many of its competitors, and the score of 5.25 is well deserved.

Related posts:

Amenity Kit Reviews

Amenity Kit Review Introduction

My Top-Ranked Amenity Kits

World’s Top Amenity Kits of 2012 – TravelPlus Awards

I posted the third annual TravelPlus Airline Amenity Bag Award winners over on my Road Warrior blog last week. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention them here, as many of you know I’m an amenity kit aficionado.

Not surprisingly, the top honors in each category went to non-U.S. carriers. United Airlines, however, did receive a readers’ choice nod for “collaborative initiative” for its Global First amenity kit. Here were the results:

First Class Female – Emirates Airways supplied by Harmony-gategroup
First Class Male – Etihad Airways supplied by Watermark
First Class Unisex – Singapore Airlines supplied by Harmony-gategroup

Business Class Female – Virgin Australia supplied by buzz
Business Class Male – Qantas supplied by buzz
Business Class Unisex - Turkish Airlines supplied by FORMIA

Premium Economy – Condor supplied by Skysupply
Economy – Virgin Atlantic supplied by Harmony- gategroup
In-flight Amenity Gift – Singapore Airlines supplied by Harmony- gategroup

Children’s under 6 – Qantas supplied by buzz
Children’s over 6 – Qatar Airways supplied by buzz

Ethically Sustainable – Finnair supplied by Skysupply with a Highly Commended Award going to Cathay Pacific supplied by Watermark

I’ve got a lot of work to do to build up my collection, as I only have one of the above – the Virgin Australia female business class kit. TravelPlus photographer David Jenner has a great photo collection of the winners here.

It’s an event I’ll be marking on my calendar to attend next year in Hamburg and it also coincides with the Aircraft Interiors Expo the same week.

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Amenity Kit Reviews

The Cost and Allure of Airline Amenity Kits

Ranking the Top Amenity Kits Reviewed (as of June 2012)

Amenity Kit Review: United Airlines Global First Class

American Airlines last December rolled out new amenity kits and they finally offer separate kits for first and business class passengers. Previously, American provided the same “premium” kit in both cabins. A couple of weeks ago I reviewed the current first class offering, and here now is the business class kit for this installment of Amenity Kit Reviews. For a better description of each category and the 7-point scale for scoring, please see my introductory post. And a special thanks goes out to blog reader Albert for sending me this kit to review!

[Note: I recently asked my readers if I should change my scale to a 5- or 10-pointer and while the 10-point scale is “winning,” many were unable to vote due to the poll not working for them. I will likely change it to a 10-point scale in the future, but I’m leaving this review under my current system.]

American Airlines Business Class Amenity Kit

Bag/Container: American again partnered with Eames for the case, which in this edition is a rectangular, reinforced canvas zipper bag sporting a silver tag bearing the American “brand” near the lower-left corner, sans the popular eagle. As with the exterior, the single compartment, nylon-lined interior features the Eames Dot Pattern. Reusability is medium in my mind, though I wish the case were a bit longer. Score: 5 out of 7

Interior of American's Eames Business Class Amenity Kit

Skin Care: In a switch from the first class kit, American went with Akhassa skin care products, including body lotion, facial moisturizer and lip balm. If you’re a lime fan, you’ll love these products as each are lightly infused with the refreshing citrus oil. Both the hand lotion and facial moisturizer absorb rapidly, and in my opinion are slightly less greasy than the Dermalogica products in the first class kit. And the lip balm is delicious! The enclosed product information (“romance”) card includes a URL and code for the Akhaasa website offering a 15% discount. Finally, a scentless and brand-less moist towelette rounds out the skin care items inside the kit. Score: 5.5 out of 7

Eames Amenity Kit

Oral Care: A half-size, medium-bristled toothbrush with a plastic cover and tube of standard flavored Colgate toothpaste are included with the kit. American thankfully increased the size of the toothpaste from the previous version, which was tiny. Mints would have been a nice addition, but this category is acceptable for a business class kit. Score: 4 out of 7

Comfort Items: Eyeshades and socks are banded together with a paper ribbon. The eyeshades have an adjustable Velcro strap, which affords a comfortable fit. For single use, the socks are fine, but aren’t the most durably made. Additional comfort items include soft earplugs and a package of tissues. Score: 4 out of 7

Intangibles: I do quite like it when airlines partner with a bag manufacturer, thereby adding a bit more exclusivity to the kits over a generic case. An added bonus in the kit is a pen, handy for filling out customs and immigration forms. For a business class offering, I think this kit is better than what most European carriers provide. Score: 5 out of 7

Total score & comments:

The bag and skin care items are the highlights of this kit and American earns a well-deserved score of 4.63.

Related posts:

Amenity Kit Review Introduction

Poll: Should I Change My Amenity Kit Review Scale?

American Airlines First Class Amenity Kit Review – Eames Tablet Case

I just published my latest amenity kit review and I got to thinking… is my scale totally ridiculous? Who the hell ranks things on a 7-point scale?

Here was my original reasoning for a 7-point scale:

The 7-point scale should be self-explanatory and provides a bit more wiggle room than a 5-pointer. I hate the surveys out there with ranges from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree,” or just a straight 1 to 10 scale, which in my opinion tends to cause people to focus on the extremes. Instead, my scale leaves room for a complete neutral middle ground of ‘adequate’ with extremes of ‘awful’ and ‘exceptional.

I still hold firm that a 5-point scale leaves too little wiggle room. It seems to work for hotel reviews and rankings, but I’m pretty critical in my amenity kit reviews and I want to reward (or punish) airlines that provide exceptional (or awful) amenities with a broader scale.

I originally wanted to be unique, but I’ve gotten over myself and realize people might look at my reviews saying, “What the ****?”

And so I leave it to you. What would you like the scale to be?

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Please also feel free to comment your hearts out… I won’t be offended. And if the results reveal you’d prefer a new scale, I will definitely go back and adjust all of my old reviews.

American Airlines last December rolled out new amenity kits and the kind folks at American’s social media team sent me the first class offering earlier this month. I’m thrilled to have it in my collection and offer a review below for this installment of Amenity Kit Reviews. For a better description of each category and the 7-point scale for scoring, please see my introductory post.

American Airlines First Class Amenity Kit

Bag/Container: As with the previous offering, American partnered with Eames for the bag, which in this iteration doubles as a tablet case – nice move! The gray and black zipper bag sports a silver tag bearing the American “brand” near the lower-left corner, sans any eagle or other logo item. And the interior, featuring the Eames Dot Pattern, has two side pockets – one mesh, the other padded (in which you’d store your tablet). Reusability as a toiletries case is low, but very high as a tablet case or other carrying item. Score: 6

Interior of American's Amenity Kit

Skin Care: American again partnered with Dermalogica to provide some skin care products, including active moist lotion and multivitamin hand and nail treatment. The lotion contains no artificial fragrance or color, but I detect a very light and pleasant “clean” scent. The hand lotion is scentless and absorbs quickly, but does leave your fingertips a touch greasy. The brand-less lip balm is effective and has a very subtle mint taste. Finally, a scentless moist towelette rounds out the skin care items inside the kit. Score: 5

Oral Care: A half-size, medium-bristled toothbrush with a plastic cover and tube of standard flavored Colgate toothpaste are included with the kit. American thankfully increased the size of the toothpaste from the previous version, which was tiny. But I think they failed in this category yet again by neglecting to add mouthwash, or even mints. Why not spiff the first class offering up a bit? Score: 3

Comfort Items: Eyeshades and socks are banded together with a paper strap. The eyeshades have an adjustable Velcro strap, which affords a comfortable fit. For single-use, the socks are fine, but aren’t the most durably made. Additional comfort items include soft earplugs, a package of tissues and – provided separately and not pictured – pajamas (which bumps the score up from a 4… more U.S. airlines need to add PJs).  Score: 6

Intangibles: Providing an amenity kit doubling as a tablet case is a first for a U.S. airline and American scores bonus points (or rather… point) here for that reason alone. It doesn’t emit exclusivity per se, but it’s a definite step up from the previous version. Added bonuses in the kit are a pen and a cloth for cleaning eyeglasses or electronic screens. Score: 5

Total score & comments:

American used to provide the same kit for first and business class, so I’m happy they’ve adjusted their position by offering different products between cabins. Beyond the case itself, I don’t think they’ve done enough, however, to truly elevate this first class offering above its predecessor. Now I just need to get my hands on the business class kit…

Related posts:

Amenity Kit Review Introduction

Amenity Kit Review: American Airlines Premium First and Business Class (2011)

Amenity Kit Review: American Airlines Premium First and Business Class (2010)

A special thanks goes out to reader Jason for donating a current-generation Austrian Airlines Business Class kit for this installment of Amenity Kit Reviews. For a better description of each category and the 7-point scale for scoring, please review my introductory post.

Austrian Airlines Business Class Amenity Kit

Bag/Container: The charcoal gray case appears to be made out of hemp (or is it simply felt?) and is accented by red sides and a felt closure ribbon. Manufactured by popular amenity provider FORMIA, it includes a tag bearing the Austrian logo on one edge and opens to reveal a single compartment along with one of eight motifs evoking early 20^th Century Austrian moments (click here for the others). It’s a nifty collectible and adds a unique element to otherwise mundane kits, though reusability is low, in my opinion. Score: 5

Austrian Airlines Business Class Amenity Case

Skin Care: Austrian appropriately partnered with home country skin care provider Alpienne. But what’s a bit disappointing is that this kit only offers a single tube of body lotion. It’s quality stuff, however, and has an ever so light, fresh scent. Score: 3

Oral Care: Are you a soft-, medium- or hard-bristle kind of person? Well, here finally is the very first truly soft-bristled toothbrush I’ve ever come across in an amenity kit (thank you!). And it’s a full-size toothbrush to boot. I struggled like hell to get the security seal off the top of the Forhans toothpaste tube, but eventually did to discover another plus… mint-flavored paste. And the kit includes a packet of Smints for extra refreshment. Score: 5

Comfort Items: Your standard airline-issue socks and dual elastic band (one size fits all) eyemask are included, along with a red plastic shoehorn and pair of 3M earplugs. Standard fare, but perfectly adequate. Score: 4

Intangibles: The kit and contents are light as a feather and you almost wonder if there’s anything inside when picking it up. The amenities are all fine, but do little to emit a sense of exclusivity. Saving this category from falling below adequate is the collectible aspect of the case. Oh, as did the little piece of Milka chocolate. Score: 4

Total score & comments:

Many European airlines aren’t known for super-luxe amenity kits and this kit is no exception. As such, a score of 4.15 seems perfectly appropriate.

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Amenity Kit Reviews

Amenity Kit Review Intro and Scoring System

Ranking the Top Amenity Kits Reviewed

Two of my readers reached out to me recently and graciously donated amenity kits that I didn’t have in my collection (thanks Felicia and Jason!), and I’d like to give away a couple of my duplicates to one of my interested readers.

[Edited: Thanks to everyone who entered... I drew the winner as planned on Sunday.]

Specifically, I’m giving away both a United Global First and BusinessFirst kit to one person who might like them. Here’s my review of the first class kit, as well as the business class offering.

United Airlines Global First Amenity Kit

United Airlines BusinessFirst Amenity Kit

The current Global First amenity kit is the best United has offered in the past decade (at least) and the BusinessFirst kit is definitely a step up from the last pre-merger United version. Continental’s BusinessFirst, however, was quite nice.

If you’re interested, simply leave a comment below (one per person) and I’ll use a trusty random number generator to pick a winner on Sunday, February 10 at 12:00 p.m. PST. Don’t worry if your comment gets held for moderation… I’ll be sure to approve them all by the time of the drawing. And please use a valid email address in the comment form (it doesn’t get published), as that’s how I’ll get in touch with the winner.

Good luck! [Edited: COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED (sorry I can't turn them off). I've been getting a slew of new comments today, but the drawing was yesterday.]

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Amenity Kit Reviews

United Airlines Global First Amenity Kit Review

United Airlines BusinessFirst Amenity Kit Review

Ranking the Top Amenity Kits I’ve Reviewed (as of 06/18/2012)

I visited United’s Global First Class lounges in Tokyo and San Francisco on my mileage run last week and I took advantage of the shower rooms offered in each in hopes of adding to my amenity kit collection.

Truth be told, I had freshly showered at my hotel in Tokyo before arriving at the airport, but I was keen to see if the former Murad kits had been swapped out for newer ones since my last visit in 2010. Sadly, there was no wrapped kit, but instead individual bottles of Plegaria shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion, along with a toothbrush, toothpaste and comb.

United Airlines Global First Shower Room Amenities in Tokyo

I did end up taking a shower (why not?!), but didn’t use the delicious smelling Plegaria products as I wanted to save them for my collection. And my Google search skills must be failing as I can’t seem to find Plegaria products online. The English part of the blurb on the bottles note they’re made in Thailand. I’d love to order retail-size versions.

On my arrival in San Francisco, I skipped the Arrivals Lounge that’s on the lower level after exiting customs having been there before and being unimpressed with the food offerings. In retrospect, I should have visited just to see if anything had changed, as well as pick up more amenities. Ah well… I’m a bad blogger. Instead, I re-cleared security immediately and headed to the Global First lounge.

Here, I definitely wanted a shower and after a quick nosh, I asked to use one of the two shower rooms available to passengers. Towels and an amenity kit were promptly provided.

United Airlines Global First Lounge Shower Amenity Kit SFO

The zipper bag itself isn’t really anything special or luxe, but I’m happy to have received one. Inside an internal plastic pouch are small tubes of conditioning shampoo, body wash, facial cleanser, shaving cream, body lotion and facial moisturizer. They’re not branded, but are remarkably similar in appearance and scent of the previous Murad offerings.

United Global First Lounge Shower Kit Contents

Also included with the kit: a small circular stick of deodorant, razor, Colgate toothpaste, toothbrush (identical to the one found in the Global First amenity kit) and a folding brush/comb. I do quite like the individual amenities as opposed to mass-use versions found in other shower rooms, usually in business class lounges.

I’ll have a detailed lounge review of the Tokyo location coming up shortly here on Frequently Flying, as well as a look at the ANA Suite Lounge and a San Francisco to Tokyo flight review in Global First.

Related posts:

The Reality Check That Is United Airlines Global First Class

I’m Off on a Weeklong Mileage Run… In Style

Amenity Kit Reviews

I mentioned in my last review that I’m running a bit light on current-generation amenity kits – donations are accepted – so I dug deep into my bins and found this Iberia business class offering from 2007. For a better description of each Amenity Kit Review category and the 7-point scale for scoring, please review my introductory post.

Iberia Business Plus amenity kit

Bag/Container: The colorful (I’ll call it Fiesta orange) and textured zipper bag holds its shape well due to sturdy cardboard padding on the top and base of the kit. A metal tag bearing the Iberia and Business Plus logos is affixed to the lower-right quadrant of the top flap, and it opens to reveal a roomy single compartment. There’s a plastic sleeve on the underside of the opening, though it’s only big enough to hold the relatively flat facial cleansing cloth and product information card. Reusability is high unless you’re put-off by the color.  Score: 5

Skin Care: Iberia partnered with iblue, a company I’ve never heard of nor can I find on Google, to supply the kit’s skin care items. Perhaps Apple bought them out for an upcoming iBlue launch. Anyway, I’m impressed with elaborateness of a pump bottle for the aloe vera moisturizer and spritz bottle of eau de toilette, each pleasantly fragranced in a unisex kind of way. And the lip balm glides on smoothly, though I couldn’t detect a flavor. A facial cleansing cloth is also included in the kit and it was surprisingly still moist and citrusy-refreshing these six years later.  Score: 6

Oral Care: The medium-bristled toothbrush folds out of its holding case, which doubles a handle extension, and the kit includes a small tube of deliciously minty Foramen toothpaste. Or maybe it went super minty since the toothpaste “expired” in 2011. I haven’t gotten sick, anyway, as of the time this post went live. But since there aren’t any mints or mouthwash, this category is simply adequate. Score: 4

Iberia shoe bag amenity

Comfort Items: Your standard airline-issue socks and eyemasks are included, but cleverly wrapped with an elastic hair cord, perfect for use to pull back my long, flowing locks into a pony tail. And Iberia included a folding brush/comb combo to assist with my effort. Also included are a plastic shoehorn and soft earplugs, which I don’t believe were meant to be white and yellow. I guess that’s what happens to them sitting in my bin for years. Finally, Iberia added a drawstring shoe bag to round out this rather impressive category. Score: 5.5

Intangibles: For a business class kit, I think it’s a pretty substantial offering and a notch above some of the other international carriers. If you read my reviews, you know I’m a fan of branding, and I’m pleased Iberia spent the extra pennies-per-unit to include their logo on the shoehorn, toothbrush and shoe bag. Overall, it’s an impressive, semi-luxurious kit. Score: 5

Total score & comments:

Iberia Business Plus Amenity Kit Score

Iberia earns a well-deserved score of 5.13 for this solid business class offering. I’m not a fan of the orange, though I suppose it matches their livery. Are their seats orange?

Related posts:

Ranking the 19 Amenity Kits I’ve Reviewed

Amenity Kit Review Introduction and Scoring System

I’m changing things up a bit for this installment of Amenity Kit Reviews. Shockingly, I’m running light on current generation airline amenity kits. I may end up reviewing some “vintage” kits in upcoming installments until I acquire new ones.

But in the meantime, here’s what I received as a passenger on the Indian Pacific in Gold Kangaroo Class in 2007.

The Indian Pacific train runs the width of Australia from Sydney to Perth with stops in Broken Hill, Adelaide, Cook and Kalgoorlie along the way. It’s a 3-night journey and I had a fantastic time in the then first class section. Today they have three classes of service – Platinum, Gold and Red – which basically equate to first, business and coach on an airline.

I won’t put this toiletry kit through my usual hard-core scoring system as it wouldn’t necessarily be an apples-to-apples comparison with airline amenities. But you’ll see some similarities, of course.

The navy blue, padded-canvas zipper bag features the Indian Pacific logo the one side of the exterior, making it an instant souvenir and treasured item in my collection. Gold Kangaroo passengers were also treated to a stickpin and a travel certificate acknowledging the transcontinental journey.

I was expecting citrus-scented shampoo, conditioner and hand lotion given their coloring, but they simply have a light undetectable fragrance. Of course these are now five years old, so a bit of aging could have dampened their original potency.

Also included in the kit are a full-size toothbrush with cover, Oramint spearmint toothpaste (made in Missouri!), dental pick/floss, shaving kit with razor and cream, a packet of facial tissues, and a shower cap.

I wish I would have been a blogger, or at least had an inkling I’d eventually start one, as a full trip report of my journey would make a spectacular post.

Off-train excursion in Cook, Australia

Sadly, my pictures (and memory) are scarce and lack completeness of how I’d prefer to write it up. I’ll just have to ride again, or perhaps take the south to north journey on The Ghan next year.

Related posts:

Ranking the 19 Amenity Kits Reviewed

Virgin Australia (Domestic) Business Class Amenity Kit Review

Virgin Australia (International) Business Class Amenity Kit Review