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.

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

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)