I’ve selected the current international BusinessFirst kit from Continental Airlines for this edition of Amenity Kit Reviews. For a better description of each category, and the 7-point scale for scoring, please review my introductory post here.
Bag/Container: The patterned gray, rectangular nylon/canvas zipper bag is branded with a navy blue BusinessFirst tag sewn into the lower right-hand side. The bag holds it shape well full or empty, and has two equally sized zippered mesh compartments inside the navy blue interior. A metal hook attached to a small piece of fabric allows the bag to hang while in the lavatory. It’s a functional bag, and although the zipper doesn’t operate smoothly, this bag is better than some other kits out there. Score: 5
Skin Care: Continental chose the Escents line of aromatherapy skin care products for their current kits, and included a small product information card, as well as an offer for $10 off an online order of at least $50. The hand and body lotion has an incredibly light scent (labeled as bergamot & honey), and absorbs into the skin quickly without being too oily. A retail-sized lime & peppermint lip balm is included, as well as a refreshing cleansing cloth (moist towellette) with hints of grapefruit. Nothing elaborately fancy here, but all items were of good quality, and a card noting razors and shaving cream are available upon request was included. Score: 5
Oral Care: A soft bristled mini toothbrush and Colgate toothpaste are included with this kit. Fine for a couple of uses, but nothing you’d really keep to reuse in the future. A little box of mints is also included. Mouthwash would have been nice, so this category simply gets an adequate rating. Score: 4
Comfort Items: The eyeshades fit snugly (a good thing) & are soft on the eyes and effective in blocking out any light. The socks are sufficient for single use, and the earplugs are soft. A package of three facial tissues, and a flip open comb & brush also come with this kit. These items are fairly standard fare for US-based airlines, and I’m edging the score in this category up a touch due to the softness of the earplugs and eyeshades. Score: 5
Intangibles: The branding is fairly insignificant with the exception of the BusinessFirst tag, and I would have liked to have seen the Continental globe incorporated somewhere on the kit. The color scheme matched throughout, including the Escents products. All of the items are useful for a long-haul flight and the kit feels substantial. Although the BusinessFirst product is a hybrid of sorts between Business Class and First Class, this kit leans toward being a decent First Class amenity. Score: 5
Total score & comments:
Overall, this amenity kit scored 4.75, which I feel is fair for the slightly better than average amenities. I enjoyed the Escents line of products, and particularly liked the lip balm. As always, including a pen in the amenity kit is very much appreciated and handy for filling out the customs & immigration forms. If the new United keeps a three-class configuration internationally, I’d like to see this kit remain as the business class offering. United’s current first class kit that I reviewed previously has a few stronger elements, and if they changed the bag, earplugs and pen, it would be my preference for surviving the merger.
Will United keep this amenity kit after the merger? Also, what would you rate this kit if it included mouthwash?
Hi Andy, I imagine we’ll eventually see a brand new kit and will probably lean towards being similar to this one as it seems just about everything else at United is being “Continentalized” (not necessarily a bad thing in some cases). I would have given oral care a 5 if it included mouthwash, so the total score would have been 5.0.