Forbes today published its list of the world’s seven best first class amenity kits, and they’ve selected some decent and not-so-decent ones.
The article begins with:
Whether you’re the person who gives the airline amenity kit a cursory rummage before stowing it away or a hoarder who drools over deluxe eye masks and luxury cosmetics, the first class amenity kit is an essential part of luxury flying.
If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you know that I definitely fall into the hoarder category, though as a collector and airline enthusiast (I don’t drool over the cosmetics). 😉
Here’s the unranked list from Forbes, some with links to my Amenity Kit Review critique:
- British Airways: The author gives this kit praise, but correctly identifies the Anya Hindmarch bag as “too small and rigid for effective reuse.”
- Etihad Airways: The male version of this kit won the TravelPlus Amenity Bag Award in April this year.
- Emirates: Both the case itself and Bulgari skin care products definitely make this kit one of my favorites, too. And the female version I reviewed includes sniff boxes!
- Qantas: It features SK-II products, reportedly among the most expensive in the world. Oh, and by the way Forbes, drop the “u” from Quantas in your text description of the kit (*shivers*).
- Singapore Airlines: This kit is next up in my Amenity Kit Review series, and while the skin care products are deluxe, the bag itself looks disappointing.
- Cathay Pacific: A first class refresh is currently underway, which includes new female kits designed by Trussardi. The men’s kit remains the same Ermenegildo Zegna case as historically provided.
- Virgin Atlantic: What? While I don’t have this kit, its contents are pathetic when compared to the rest. I think Forbes added it simply because of the tablet case design (Turkish Airlines offers a far better one, though it’s for business class).
As @starflyergold mentioned on Twitter, there are certainly others that should have been considered, including the Rimowa kits offered by Thai and Lufthansa.
After my next couple of reviews, I’ll post an updated list of my top ranked amenity kits.
Which airline offers the best in your opinion?
– Follow Darren Booth on Twitter, @FrequentlyFlyin, for more airline, hotel and travel industry news, reviews and opinions.
Related:
Nice new LH first class kit yesterday. Actually some of e better items are not in e kit per-see but in the rest room. The shaving kits in first are very nice, i supplemented the kit with a couple of those.
I would say the entire article is full of BS, other than 1 kit I would consider top the list, the rest of them should be way off the list.
(BA) The bag itself is totally useless, and even the writer say so, so why would that be on the list ?
(EY) The bag got the award, but so what ? That award category was completely miss the mark as well. The male version is like a gift box, which means very unlikely to be reused.
(EK) This is the only one I may leave it alone on the list
(QF) So they have the most expensive skincare product but so what ? It is only in those tiny tubes, like LaPrarie tubes in LX F kit, very stingy. If people are paying that much for a F ticket, wouldn’t they ever consider to put somewhat bigger tubes ?
(SQ) I would consider SQ top of the list if they are still using Bvlgari or Ferragamo, but since they switch using some skincare company instead, not to mention the bag is very basic and attractive, to me it looks like a kit for C instead !
(CX) It is one airline with consistent very average F kit, to the point that their C kit actually out shine their F kit (C kit changes their design and color of the bag often)
(VS) There is no first class ever for this airline, upper class is C class, so it is a C class kit, and what does it have in that kit ? If you talk about the tablet bag, well AA has the same too, how come AA is not on the list then ?
And of course how come there are no Rimowas ? I believe Rimowas out shine any one of these kits, does the author even know it exist ? From only LH was using it, to now have TG/NH/BR also use it, does it tell the author something ? Other than Rimowas, OZ F kit should be on the list, and it could include TG F’s Tumi kit as well.
@ORDnHKG: Great summary, and yes… it was a huge mistake to leave off a Rimowa kit. The Asiana kit is also stellar, as you mention.
Cx first kit was average at best
The Thai Royal First is now a Tumi bag
@VeryGoodPoints: Ah yes, I remember now they did switch. The Tumi kit scored highly in my review.
@ORDnHKG: almost ‘fully agree’! 😉 lots of BS indeed…seems there has been no research behind, highly amateur. no way rimowa is not on the list. it’s been the most innovative kit i’ve ever seen, and trust me, I fly left and right 20 days a month. On Thai First it’s the only time I see FC passengers drooling over an amenity kit and checking in vane if anybody leaves it behind to get their hands on an extra one. Best indicator it’s a success I supose!
@VeryGoodPOint, I was given a rimowa kit lately again on TG, i hear that due to the big success they’ve put it back on board. Happy to keep my collection of different colours going 😉
Agree OZ should be on the list, I love the bag design although am a bit sick n tired of Bulgari everywhere onboard.
VS, this is indeed Cclass!!!! agree with Darren that TK’s is not only much better, but I think it was also the FIRST ipad-holder-amenity-kit. I love the feeling/touch of the bag, how everything fits in perfectly, amount of items overwhelming and top quality. what else?
It’s back to Rimowa on Thai!
@SKYistheLIMIT: I need to up my game and get all the Thai Rimowa colors!
@FFCO: Glad to hear it’s back to Rimowa 🙂
Last month I got Rimowa kit on TG A380, a few days later was Tumi kit on 744. I don’t know the specifics, but perhaps Rimowa is limited to A380.
@Kris: I think Lufthansa limited their Rimowa kits to only the A380 at one point… not sure if that’s still the case.
@VeryGoodPoints-TG has Rimowa for A380 flights for sure, that is a guranteed, it has been quite a while now.
@Darren-LH’s Rimowa was limited to planes with old F (kinda compensating you got an old F seat), planes with new F including 380 had the cheap Bogner crap or at first it was Porshe Design (still crappy). Though no one reporting Rimowa anymore, not sure if it still exist with LH.
@ Darren – For TG’s Rimowa colors, they have purple, dark blue, red, silver, and white. NH’s Rimowa is light blue, BR’s Rimowa is dark green. LH’s Rimowa is black for gents, white for ladies, (I believe LH also has a silver one too). LH also have two versions of Rimowa case, one just like TG/NH/BR, another version meant to “stand up”(reflected by the LH and Rimowa logo)
@ORDnHKG: I only have the dark blue TG Rimowa case… I need to get busy collecting more!