If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know I’m an avid collector of amenity kits and have an ongoing series reviewing them. They’re a fun item to collect and I love seeing each new generation an airline debuts, wondering if they’ve spruced it up or cheapened it down.

Earlier this month, The Business Journals ran an interesting piece discussing their allure, evolution and marketing power for not only the airlines, but also the brand name items within.

And I’ve always wondered what the true cost to airlines is for the final product and this article gives a little hint. The author spoke with a top U.S. executive of an international airline to reveal the following:

“The stuff is all over the map,” he said. “An amenity kit can cost an airline anywhere from $4 to $30 a unit. No one agrees whether it’s great for brand identity or it’s something that we’re afraid to get rid of because we’ve always done it. And the logistics are a nightmare. First you have to source them, usually in China, and then palletize them for shipment to the head office. Then you have ship them in containers to the international stations. The kits have to fit on the metal carts in-flight and you have to figure out how many to carry and how to store them.”

Thirty dollars sounds steep to me, but then again, some airlines offer exceptional kits packed with high-end cosmetics that would retail for top dollar in their full-size counterparts. The kits from Asiana, Emirates and Thai come to mind in this case. I’d have to guess the spend by U.S. airlines is nearer the $4/unit mark.

And about those high-end cosmetics, another article quotes a L’Occitane sales executive as barely marking up their products when pitching them to airlines. It’s pretty obvious why: simply for the large-scale exposure.

L’Occitane marks up products as much as 600 percent for retail sale, whereas the markup is closer to a razor-thin 12 percent for an airline deal. This level of discounting is typical of airline amenity contracts, especially at a time when major carriers are strapped for cash.

That article was 2007, admittedly, but I’d have to imagine there’s still very little up-front profit today in a skin care manufacturer’s airline deal, if at all. And back in 2006, Travel + Leisure calculated the value of some amenity kits based on what the per-ounce retail price would run for the cosmetics. Air France came in on the low end at the time at $49 with its Clarins products, and Japan Airlines at the top at $137 for its Shiseido and Clé de Peau lotions.

I will undoubtedly continue to grow my collection and while I’ll miss it this year, I definitely plan to attend the annual Airline Amenity Bag Awards next year in Hamburg. I’ll be in heaven!

Related posts:

Amenity Kit Reviews

My Top-Ranked Amenity Kit: Thai Airways

Poll: Should I Change My Amenity Kit Review Scale?

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.

Related posts:

Amenity Kit Reviews

Amenity Kit Review Intro and Scoring System

Ranking the Top Amenity Kits Reviewed

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

When it comes to having elite status with a hotel, my two favorite perks are by far free Wi-Fi and access to the club lounge. I also appreciate the other amenities that vary by hotel chain – and even brand within a chain – including room upgrades and welcome gifts (free bottled water, food platters, etc).

But what keeps a brand front-of-mind even more in my book is when I receive an email from the hotel. And I’m not talking about the post-stay surveys (obviously), of which I probably complete 80% of the time. They’re the ones from hotel GMs or other managerial staff either before or after my stay that leave a lasting impact.

I was in suburban Chicago for a wedding the weekend before last and stayed at the DoubleTree Wood Dale, a property I’ve been to several times in the past. (Side note: this is a great hotel for out-of-towners attending the Chicago Seminars if the Holiday Inn and other overflow hotels book up – the rates are usually incredibly cheap and it’s just a short drive away).

The day after I checked out I received an email from the GM thanking me for my business and hoping my stay was “excellent.” He noted a survey would likely follow from Hilton, but he also encouraged feedback sent directly to him. And I did just that. My stay was indeed very good, though I noted a couple of very minor annoyances (a flickering light outside my room creating a strobe effect and a wet lobby floor from remodeling work).

The GM responded to my email within an hour, addressed my concerns and provided updates on the progress of the hotel’s refresh. His reply honestly did more to keep DoubleTree and Hilton front-of-mind than the free bottled water and room upgrade I received.

Similarly, I have a couple of separate hotel stays this weekend (United’s 787 inaugural!!!) and one property already reached out via email offering a specific point of contact for any issues that might come up during my stay.

These are just two examples of the many emails I’ve received since holding elite status with hotel chains. It’s a simple, free and effective marketing tool a hotel can employ to keep my business. I still want my published elite amenities, of course, but the act of personal, direct contact by an actual on-site employee increases the likelihood I’ll be a repeat guest and remain loyal.

[Speaking of outreach and communication, there is an issue with all reader comments being sent to the SPAM folder for BoardingArea blogs, including mine. I'm filtering through the hundreds I receive daily for actual comments and will get them approved and respond in-kind as soon as possible... I'm not ignoring you!]

Related posts:

Another Hilton Social Media Outreach Success Story

Hotel Promotion Failure Resolved via Twitter

Chicago Seminars: Summary

I decided to take a closer look at the links in an email I received from ANA yesterday to discover some first class amenities I’ve never seen before. They apparently offer knit wear for rent, sleep support items including “power tape” (?) and a rather remote-control looking foot roller. I’m intrigued. What’s “power tape?”