Which Airlines Have the Best Amenity Kits?

The experts at travel search and flight comparison site, cheapflights.com.au, have rated the world’s top airline amenity kits.

Upper class airline amenity kits are stuffed full of luxury brands from Loewe to Tumi, Chopard to Bvlgari, and contain everything from eye masks and shoe horns to pulse point oil and pillow mist, but surprisingly fewer than 15% of those rated feature that most basic of personal items: deodorant.

Just 11% of kits featured perfume, only 7% included a nail file while fewer than 4% contained what many travellers would consider bare-basics - a hair band or make-up pads.

A very well used leather amenity kit bag from Emirates.

Surprisingly, none of the top-rated amenity kits came from European airlines – with only one US airline earning the full six-star “fly me to the moon” rating.

In total, just five of the 27 airlines achieved a six-star review, with Middle Eastern and Far Eastern airlines dominating, as kits from Emirates, Etihad, Japan Airlines, Qatar and United came out on top.

Qantas and Air New Zealand each scored five-star “Edge of Space” rating with Air New Zealand’s eye mask being named as a prize inclusion in the dream amenity pack.

Lufthansa and Royal Brunei took joint top honours for the “Best Male Accessory”; Lufthansa for its German football kit-themed bag and Royal Brunei for its super luxury slippers. Polish Airline LOT grabbed “Best Female Accessory” for its nail file; while Qatar was the winner for the “Best Kids’ Accessory” with a Spongebob Squarepants backpack (in a Qatar captain uniform) that also doubles as a pillow or booster seat.

In total, the cheapflights.com.au team of travel experts rooted through, tested, photographed and rated 48 economy, business and first class amenity kits from 27 of the world’s top airlines.

The top ten most popular items in the kits were brushes and combs; followed by eye masks, toothbrushes, then socks and earplugs.

Oonagh Shiel, Cheapflights travel expert (and chair of the amenity kits review panel) said, “For most of us, flying away on holiday is about bagging the best bargains rather than stumping up for the hallowed world of business and first class. At Cheapflights, we’re usually about putting the ‘cheap’ into ‘flights’, but in our bid to demystify the world of commercial aviation, we wanted to offer a glimpse of all those grab-able goodie bags in the front of the plane – and see just how good they really are.

“With hand-stitched artisan-crafted bags and high-end brands like Bvlgari, Lowe, Tumi, Bally, Clarins and Chopard, it’s clear that all the airlines are battling hard for those highfliers who help subsidise the rest of us back in economy. But, if you do happen to have the cash and are looking for the best bits of kit in business or first class, our advice is that Emirates, Etihad, Japan Airlines, Qatar and United are fit to take you to the moon with their six-star ratings.

“These kits had us dreaming of the highlife – with bling-tastic bags, upper crust combs, luxurious lip balms, and sumptuous slippers – but we can’t help thinking a little bit more deodorant wouldn’t go a miss. And, please, more kit and caboodle for us women – it’s not just boys in business and fellas in first anymore.”

Cheapflights’ Best of the Best Compilation Kit

Coolest kit bag: Etihad’s limited-edition artisan bags based on the ancient Sadou weaving craft.

Top toothbrush: Japan Airlines

Best brush: Garuda’s plush traditional natural wood brush

Most excellent earplugs: Turkish Airlines’ two-tone ear plugs which come with handy information stickers so you won’t be disturbed.

Matchless moisturiser: Swiss Airlines’ La Prairie kit.

Pre-eminent eye mask: Air New Zealand’s light-blocking “Beware I Sleepwalk”.

Best Lip Balm: Chopard lip balm in the Vietnam Airlines kit.

Unsurpassed socks: Turkish Airlines’ non-slip socks.

Superlative shoe horn: Wooden shoe horn from Garuda.