Amenity Kit Review: Cathay Pacific First Class men’s kit (Summer 2011)

As part of my Cathay Pacific trip report, here is the next installment of my series on Amenity Kit Reviews featuring the men’s First Class kit. I was also able to get a women’s version that I’ll review another time. For a better description of each category and the 7-point scale for scoring, please review my introductory post here.

a bag with a variety of items on ita black and white striped caseBag/Container: Cathay Pacific partnered with Ermenegildo Zegna, a leading Italian fashion house, to supply the bags for the men’s kit. It’s a soft synthetic fabric zipper bag with interior pockets on each side and a tag noting its exclusive design for the airline. Unlike most kits, this one denotes it is new and unused by means of a thread sewn into near the start of the zipper. Both kits I received in each direction to/from Hong Kong had minor defects and while it is reusable, its size is less than ideal to carry an ample supply of items. Score: 5

Skin Care: This kit features Acca Kappa skin care products and includes lip balm, anti-age face moisturizer and facial mist. The lavatories also included the same brand’s body lotion, shaving cream “milk†and aftershave. An additional facial mist by Temple Spa was also available in the lav. The lip balm is scentless and effective. The facial mist and facial moisturizer from the kit are scented with Sandalwood for which I’m now a big fan. Even though it smells very “manly,†it’s incredibly refreshing and pleasant. Absolutely nothing was missing in this category and I thoroughly enjoyed them all. Well done, Cathay! Score: 7

Oral Care: The usual toothbrush, toothpaste and mouthwash are contained in this kit. The toothbrush, while not full-sized, is longer than those found in most of the U.S. carriers’ kits and is soft-bristled. The toothpaste was just the standard Colgate flavor and I generally prefer mint. This was the first time I’ve seen mouthwash in a one-use un-resealable half & half-style container. I would have preferred a mini-bottle. Nothing stellar in this category, so I feel comfortable with an adequate rating. Score: 4

Comfort Items: I absolutely love non-U.S. carriers as most provide pajamas in First Class. These were designed by Shanghai Tang, a very well known and elite retailer in China. Both the top & bottom were incredibly soft and comfortable. Slippers were included and soft eyeshades with an adjustable Velcro strap were inside the kit. The earplugs were sealed in plastic and were soft and standard-sized. I was sort of surprised no socks were included, but they probably assumed slippers were sufficient. The kit also included a shoehorn and wooden comb. Score: 6

a black bag with pink stringIntangibles: Even though it felt unimpressive when delivered, it contained just about everything you would need to be refreshed during the flight. I understand the unique branding for the bag’s design, but I would have liked to see Cathay Pacific logos somewhere. Score: 5

Total score & comments:

a yellow and black textAirlines that offer different kits for men and women get extra marks in my opinion. Cathay’s men’s amenity kit is pretty nice and I’m happy to have added it to my collection. There are things they can certainly improve on and I read just this past week they’ve introduced a new kit. I’ll be anxious to acquire one to compare it to this version. As it’s not uber luxurious, I feel the final score of 5.50 is pretty fair.

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  1. The mouthwash in that little cup or whatever it called is just unacceptable, perhaps cutting cost too deep ? I heard that C kit used to have regular Colgate bottle mouthwash and now is gone too

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