Your reasons for choosing a first class ticket may come down to legroom, luggage allowances, or simply more personal space. But since airlines all over the world are handing out increasingly swanky amenity kits to their first class passengers, it’s a good thing that new TPG Contributor Jessica Spiegel has taken a peek at many of them—and will let you know what you’ll find inside.
Most amenity kits will include things that help make a long-haul flight more comfortable—an eye mask to block out light and help you sleep, socks to keep your feet warm once you’ve removed your shoes, and a travel-sized toothbrush and toothpaste. Some airlines kick those basics up a notch or two with the addition of sexy cosmetics and skincare products, turning a simple amenity kit into something worth coveting. The airlines listed below have all stepped up their first class amenity kit game to a level that makes them noteworthy.
Air France. The french carrier’s La Première class, available only on the Airbus A380-800 and Boeing 777-300ER planes, comes with a leather amenity kit designed by luxury French design house Givenchy. Inside each bag, passengers get a selection of Biologique Recherche products, including face cream and a roll-on ointment for the eyes that’s meant to combat fatigue, a selection of Givenchy toiletries, as well as an oshibori towel. La Première suites are kitted out with merino wool blankets, and travelers rest easy in cotton sleep suits.
American Airlines. Eames is best known for designing sought-after office furniture, but they’re also the designers behind American Airlines’ first class amenity kit bags. The soft-sided gray bags bear the familiar Eames dots, and double as tablet cases once you’ve emptied the contents. Each kit comes with skin care products by Dermalogica, including hand and nail moisturizer, mint lip balm, a moist towelette, and a microfiber cloth you can use to clean the screens on your mobile devices (or eyeglasses). First class passengers also get pajamas to make sleeping more comfortable.
British Airways. Men and women first class passengers get different amenity kits upon boarding a British Airways flight, which were revamped in early 2014 after the airline did research into what passengers really want in those kits. Women get a dusty pink zip-top bag that includes products by Aromatherapy Associates, including a firming eye serum, moisturizer, hand lotion, and a “renewing rose cleanser.” For men, the charcoal bags contain products by London-based The Refinery, including eye gel, shave gel, a razor, and a revitalizing moisturizer. Both kits include deoderant and a hair brush, two things that topped the survey results that went into creating the new washbags.
Cathay Pacific. The Chinese carrier Cathay Pacific launched new first class amenity kits in January of 2015, swapping the old Zegna and Trussardi bags for new zip-top kits made by Aesop for both men (in gray) and women (in camel). Each kit contains Aesop skin care products, too, including camellia nut facial hydrating cream and rosehip seed lip cream, as well as a microfiber cloth for cleaning screens. The womens’ kits also include Aesop’s rind concentrate hand and body balm. Additionally, the kits for women on flights to and from Hong Kong are designed to be stackable, so passengers can attach them together with buttons for later use.
Delta Air Lines. Since 2013, the amenity kit bags on Delta‘s first class and BusinessElite have both been made by travel accessories brand Tumi. The zip-top bags contain a Tumi sleep mask and skincare products made by New York’s Malin+Goetz, including Neroli Hand & Body Lotion and Lip Moisturizer, as well as anti-bacterial wipes, a shoe horn, and shoe polish.
Emirates. Bulgari designed both the mens’ and womens’ bags for Emirates’ first class amenity kits—men get an Italian leather bag while women get a suede-style brown pouch. The bags contain Bulgari products, such as moisturizer and Eau Parfumee Au Thé Rouge perfume, as well as super-soft pajamas. Women also recieve a Bulgari travel mirror and Bulgari Face Emulsion. Men get Bulgari aftershave emulsion and a Taylor’s of Old Bond Street reusable razor.
Etihad. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier gets high marks for offering amenity kits in every class—even economy—but it’s the first class kits that really get people talking. Since 2014, the airline has partnered with UAE-based Sougha, a group that works to preserve Emirati heritage by supporting local artisans. The bags first class passengers get are made by those artisans, woven with bedouin patterns and featuring tassels on the zippers. Each bag is stocked with toiletries from New York-based Le Labo’s Bergamote 22 line, including hand balm and facial moisturizer, as well as a pillow mist and aromatherapy pulse-point oil.
EVA Air. The Taipei-based airline has managed to make their first class amenity kits not only useful during flight, but also collectible. In Royal Laurel Class, passengers receive hard-sided cases designed by German luggage maker Rimowa in one of two colors—crystal green and prosecco. The kits contain products by top Thailand spa Harnn, including moisturizer and lip balm, as well as a microfiber cloth for screen-cleaning. If you, like many, are set on having both colors of Rimowa cases, you should know that you’ll get one color on your inbound flight and the other on your return.
Garuda Indonesia. First class passengers on Garuda Indonesia receive leather kits made by Spanish luxury brand Loewe. The company started out making fine leather goods, and now also makes clothing, perfume, and skincare products. Inside the leather bags, then, you’ll get Loewe’s own moisturizer, body balm, lip balm, and a bottle of Agua de Loewe eau de toilette (a unisex scent). The kit also contains eco-friendly tools made of wood – a hairbrush, shoe horn, and toothbrush.
Japan Airlines. JAL has a selection of amenity kit designs that change not only with inbound versus outbound flights, but also with the seasons. On inbound flights, the bag is corduroy with a zip-top—camel-colored in spring and summer, moss green in fall and winter. On outbound flights, the kit is a particularly useful canvas hanging toiletry bag design—beige in spring and summer, brown in fall and winter. Inside each kit, no matter the season, you’ll find skincare products by Spanish luxury brand LOEWE, including a moisture mask and lip balm.
Qantas. The amenity kits on Qantas feature products by Japanese skincare company SK-II, which claims the secret ingredient to younger skin lies in the fermented yeast used to make sake. The womens’ kit, a red clutch-style bag, includes SK-II Stempower Cream and a gentle facial treatment, while the mens’ kit, a standard-looking dopp bag, includes SK-II moisturizer and cleanser. First class passengers also get 100% cotton sleep suits and slippers.
Qatar Airways. Adults flying first class on Qatar Airways are well taken care of with limited edition amenity kits made by Dior. Men get Dior moisturizer and serum, as well as Dior Fahrenheit Eau de Toilette, while women receive Dior J’Adore Eau de Parfum. Both also get Missoni pajamas and slippers to make flying more comfortable. Still, it would be understandable if everyone in the cabin was a little bit envious of the SpongeBob-themed amenity kits Qatar Airways provides the youngest first class passengers. The pouch, which looks like the cartoon character, opens to reveal activity and coloring books as well as a SpongeBob stuffed toy—he’s even wearing a little pilot’s uniform—that can be used as a pillow.
Singapore Airlines. Singapore Airlines has changed the contents of its first class amenity kits a few times over the years, but the new bags—the bags themselves, not what’s in them—took first place in a recent Airline Amenity Bag Awards. Those award-winning bags are designed by Ferragamo—a black and white clutch for women (which is the bag that actually won the award) and a black PVC bag for the men—are well-stocked with designer toiletries, too. Women get goodies from Signorina, including a one-ounce bottle of eau de toilette, and men get ACQUA Essenziale cologne, moisturizer, and lip balm.
United Airlines. The amenity kits in United Airlines’ Global First aren’t new—they were introduced in 2012—but clearly they’re well-liked enough to have staying power. The bags are United’s familiar dark blue, and when open they double as a hanging toiletry bag. Inside, you’ll find skincare products by Philosophy—including a hydrating mist, cuticle cream, and lip balm—as well as a coupon for when you want to re-stock your Philosophy goodies. The bag also contains a microfiber cloth for cleaning the screens on your electronics, and a small bottle of Purell to keep yourself sanitized.