City Slickers: Destination-Themed Amenity Kits
Share
APEX Insight: The latest collections of amenity kits from Etihad Airways, Emirates and Qatar Airways suggest a little comfort can go a long way. Destination-themed bags mark the spot for passengers long after their flights, reminding them of where airlines fly.
Recent collections of amenity kits from Etihad Airways, Emirates and Qatar Airways mark the spot for passengers. They’re tastefully designed, colorful and their destination themes remind passengers of where the airlines fly, long after their flights.
Etihad’s second line of city-themed bags feature patterns inspired by the airline’s extensive global network, including its home city Abu Dhabi, New York, São Paulo, Rome, Melbourne and Bangkok. Inside each bag, business-class passengers will find a corresponding pocket city guide by LUXE, a publisher known for its stylish insider travel tips covering everything from hotels and restaurants to spas, bars and shopping. “This is an exciting design-driven collaboration that integrates a luxury travel product – the LUXE guides – and elevates the amenity offering beyond the comfort essentials,” says Alena Kirzner, marketing director at Buzz Products, which designed Etihad’s kits.
Emirates’ economy-class amenity kits use regionally inspired patterns to highlight its route network: Australasia, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Far East. Eye masks and socks match the designs on the water-resistant neoprene bags, giving them a “collect them all” appeal. The kits also have an interactive component: By scanning the pattern on the bag, passengers can use the Blippar app to access activities and health tips. And with augmented reality, passengers can point their mobile devices to a laptop, clothing, food or pet for additional information. Passengers who hang on to their kits can also scan their bags every six months to unlock new content.
When Qatar Airways decided to introduce mini amenity kits for its premium passengers on shorter flights, it also focused on destinations. First- and business-class passengers receive canvas kits printed with postcard-worthy images designed by India-based Nappa Dori, the maker of luxurious travel accessories. The bags feature vintage-looking images from some of the airline’s 150-plus destinations; to start, the airline went with its home base, Doha, plus Paris and London, but the cities and designs will change every few months.
“Qatar Airways’ amenity kits are a gift to our passengers, as well as a practical travel accessory for their flight,” said Rossen Dimitrov, Qatar Airways’ SVP of Customer Experience, “and the Nappa Dori amenity kits are a beautiful token with which to welcome our premium passengers on board short and medium haul flights.”