• A lawsuit filed by a United Airlines Million-Miler will proceed, as a judge threw out United’s request to have it dismissed. Well… parts of the lawsuit were dismissed, but others are still in play. The judge said, “At this stage of the litigation, the court finds it plausible that defendants had a contract with Million Miler members which differed from the contract they had with other Mileage Plus members.” Will Regional Upgrades and 100% bonus miles return?
• In other United news, Seth at Wandering Aramean reports that United will drop a second appetizer choice from existing service on two-cabin international BusinessFirst flights (think legacy Continental). Not a big loss and the single cold appetizer is certainly nothing special. The change takes effect March 1.
• Hyatt Regency will take over and reflag a former downtown Los Angeles Marriott property in May. It marks a return for Hyatt to downtown L.A. after an eight year absence. And in other Marriott news, the chain is adding/reflagging seven hotels in Thailand in the upcoming months.
• A JetBlue flight was diverted because a passenger was miffed that a fellow traveler didn’t pay for the “premium seat” next to her. Apparently, a passenger was moved from his non-premium seat to one next to her due to an inop seatback monitor and she couldn’t handle it. Really people?
• In other bad behavior, American Airlines apologized and refunded Kristen Chenoweth a pet-in-cabin fee after a flight attendant allegedly made a mistake in claiming the actress/singer failed to properly document her pooch. The FA reportedly yelled at Chenoweth causing her to break down in tears.
• Allegiant Air began scheduled Las Vegas-Reno-Las Vegas service today. The twice-weekly service occurs on Fridays and Sundays, and a look at their fares today reveals a decent bargain on many dates for less than $100 round-trip (assuming you don’t assign yourself seats, buy with a credit-card or check bags). I’ve been meaning to try out the likes of Allegiant and Spirit just for the hell of it. Now that I’m Reno-based, I might just have to give the Vegas flight a try.
• And finally, in exciting news to my Amenity Kit Series, Delta Air Lines will begin issuing new BusinessElite amenity kits this month. The new offering will feature a bag by Tumi and skin care products by Malin+Goetz. Sounds (and looks) like an upgrade to me.

Delta BusinessElite Tumi Amenity Kit

Related posts:

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: January 31, 2013

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: January 30, 2013

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: January 29, 2013

I previously reviewed Thai Airways’ Royal First Class Rimowa amenity kit – the highest ranking kit to date – and now bring you their current Tumi First Class Men’s offering courtesy of Brad at upgrd.com 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.

Bag/Container: Tumi is a well-respected manufacturer of luxury business, travel and lifestyle accessories and this bag doesn’t disappoint. The exterior fabric is a dimpled, rubber-like canvas of extremely high quality. The zipper operates effortlessly to reveal a cotton-lined interior with one side pocket. Its size is ideal for reuse and my only complaint is that the Thai logo doesn’t appear anywhere. That said, it’s still deserving of a top rating. Score: 7

Skin Care: Thai partnered with Hermes of Paris to provide the kit’s body lotion and cologne, and Neutrogena for the lip moisturizer. I’m incredibly critical of amenity kit lotions and this is probably the first that truly absorbs immediately allowing one to go back to typing on a laptop (as I’m doing now) without worry of excess moisture – it’s absolutely “grease-less.” I’m not a cologne fan, however, but if you’re into that kind of thing, it’s potent and manly in an “Old Spice” way. The lip balm is ideal and this kit also includes my favorite amenity when flying – facial mist. It has a light and pleasant citrus scent and I find a quick spritz incredibly refreshing on dry airplanes. Even though I’m not a cologne fan, this category also gets a top rating. Score: 7

Oral Care: Thai offers Fluocaril oral care products, including a full-size, medium-bristled toothbrush with a plastic cover and standard toothpaste. I absolutely love the mint-flavored breath spray included with the kit. It, in my opinion, does more to truly feel refreshed than any mouthwash. Score: 6

Comfort Items: The kit includes a “one size fits all” elastic eyeshade with the Thai Airways logo, a brush/comb combo and a pair of soft earplugs (as pictured). The eyeshades are rather basic and not as extravagant (read: Velcro strap with ultra-soft lining) as those found in other kits I’ve reviewed. Royal First Class passengers are also provided with slippers and pajamas, which I don’t have available for this review. In the lavatories, as noted on their website, soft linen towels are an option over paper towels – a nice luxury. Score: 6

Intangibles: Thai impresses again with a top-rated amenity kit – it’ll definitely hold a spot in the top five for quite a while. One thing I would have liked to see is the Thai logo on the bag somewhere. I realize Tumi probably forbade it, but as the previously reviewed Rimowa kit featured Thai’s logo, it would have been a nice branding element reminding the traveler of the airline it came from.  Score: 6

Total score & comments:

Perhaps the only thing missing is a pen. I have a feeling flight attendants provide one, though, when distributing any arrival document cards as Cathay Pacific and Asiana do separately. The kit does emit true luxury and exclusivity and for that, a score of 6.40 is well deserved.

Related posts:

Amenity Kit Review: Thai Airways Royal First Class – Rimowa

Amenity Kit Review: Cathay Pacific First Class Women’s Version

Amenity Kit Review: Cathay Pacific First Class Men’s Version

Ranking the 19 Amenity Kits I’ve Reviewed To Date