V-Flyer

I have read so much about airlines cutting costs VA is no exception. I suppose that the amenity kit is 1 of those that has suffered, last time we flew UC was in 2005 :0 we got the Oswald Boateng kit then I believe, how have they changed now?

Very much for the worse. Hardly worth opening IMHO (in fact if you keep it sealed you could probably get a fiver for it on eBay!). Having said that the iPad cover has come in useful.

Personally I think VS are missing a trick with UC amenity kits. Surely there are some luxury brands (including the ones they use - Cowshed for example) that would pay them to push free samples on premium passengers? I'm thinking things like moisturiser, lip balm, even scent - that way the passenger gets something half-decent, VS get a bit of revenue and the companies get a chance to promote their products to high-spending passengers.

Or maybe it just doesn't work like that.

My last few flights have no longer had the iPad cover only the smaller amenity kit.

What do you actually get in them these days?

Yeah we did a return flight in UC to Miami earlier this month and is was small toilet bag (no IPAD cover in sight).

Contained (off the top of my head):
- Eye mask
- Ear plugs
- Pen
- Mints
- Toothbrush & tooth paste

Think that was it!

I agree about the amenity kits.
I reckon VS UC amenity must rank as one of the worst for a premium cabin? When we got to fly UC for the first time I was really disappointed by the amenity kit I have to say. I also didnt realise that the bag was even an iPad cover until I read on v-flyer lol I just thought it was an old "arty" rag lol

woody wrote:Yeah we did a return flight in UC to Miami earlier this month and is was small toilet bag (no IPAD cover in sight).

Contained (off the top of my head):
- Eye mask
- Ear plugs
- Pen
- Mints
- Toothbrush & tooth paste

Think that was it!

And a pack of tissues

Not a big pack though... only one or two in there

MoJoJo wrote:Not a big pack though... only one or two in there

Horribly thin too!

As other have said, no signs of the 'iPad cover' kits anymore...

CHill710 wrote:

woody wrote:Yeah we did a return flight in UC to Miami earlier this month and is was small toilet bag (no IPAD cover in sight).

Contained (off the top of my head):
- Eye mask
- Ear plugs
- Pen
- Mints
- Toothbrush & tooth paste

Think that was it!

And a pack of tissues

No socks? !

I got more than that when I flew EC with Qatar last month. Very poor from VS IMHO.

gumshoe wrote:
Or maybe it just doesn't work like that.

It does work similar to that, at the very least they should be able to partner with someone wanting to give their products free if not pay Virgin to give them.

AFAIK the iPad cover amenity kit is handed out on outbound flights only, then the smaller one on inbound flights, so those who have only done return trips in UC will have missed the iPad cover. Both packs are made from recycled glass I think, and they're okay, I've found a use for them anyway. The contents aren't great, and certainly not "premium"; I agree with other comments about getting a company like Cowshed, who are linked into the Clubhouse Spas, to offer some products. In addition to what's already in them I think a bit of moisturiser and lip balm would be great, and perhaps a little bit of some nice deodorant (all of which I normally carry on anyway) would be good.

There should be socks in both packs too, at least that's what I got last time. I'm flying UC in a couple of weeks so will see if there have been changes.

They are rubbish, but my children seem to like getting them, and the fact they are the small ones in both directions saves arguing. Plus if there are any goodies left on the bar towards the end of the flight (especially the green and blacks...), then they tend to 'find' their way inside the bags as well. Ahem...

Flew out to Dubai on Emirates yesterday in Business Class. Not an amenity kit in sight there (on the A380 too, so supposedly their flagship product). The business class toilets did have drawers that were supposed to contain toothbrushes / toothpaste / razors etc (i.e. everything that would have been in an amenity kit) - but they were empty a couple of hours into the flight.

Poor show Emirates - it's obviously not just Virgin who have the aggressive bean-counters at work

My economy amenity pack on ethiad was on par with UC and better than PE on VS

When I travel I use the iPad case for my iPad and other bits like: Elemis (for the face), l'occitane (hands) and Molton brown (lips)...products that should be in a UC amenity pack!

Oh, and a mentos mint? 1 mentos mint! It's not even a proper mint!

I've flown in J on Emirates and Singapore Airlines and all we got in the amenity kits was and eye mask and slipperettes/socks. All other items were available in the loos. However no ear plugs which, for me are a must if I've forgotten to bring some.

Having said that, on an overnight leg Emirates provided a very nice BVLGARI amenity kit which proved a godsend when I missed my connecting flight and was able to shower while awaiting my re-routed flight. BA also had an Elemis amenity kit in J but the reality was that the contents were so small there was only one use of them.

The VS Y amenity kit is pretty close to the PE one, although red rather than purple. I was pleasantly surprised by it.

CHill710 wrote:

woody wrote:Yeah we did a return flight in UC to Miami earlier this month and is was small toilet bag (no IPAD cover in sight).

Contained (off the top of my head):
- Eye mask
- Ear plugs
- Pen
- Mints
- Toothbrush & tooth paste

Think that was it!

And a pack of tissues

My bad!

RWS wrote:

CHill710 wrote:

woody wrote:Yeah we did a return flight in UC to Miami earlier this month and is was small toilet bag (no IPAD cover in sight).

Contained (off the top of my head):
- Eye mask
- Ear plugs
- Pen
- Mints
- Toothbrush & tooth paste

Think that was it!

And a pack of tissues

No socks? !

Two things I forgot - socks in there too y)

After thinking about this I'd prefer to bring my own travel products (as above), I'm fussy with what I would use. Eye mask, tooth brush, paste and earplugs is all I would need.

Maybe airlines have cut the amenity packs because the demand isn't there or they're wasted?

First world problems! y)

Bretty wrote:AFAIK the iPad cover amenity kit is handed out on outbound flights only, then the smaller one on inbound flights, so those who have only done return trips in UC will have missed the iPad cover.

Nope.... small one both ways of late.....

I've been studying this thread and the sad thing is I can't even remember what I got less than a month ago

ultreen1 wrote:After thinking about this I'd prefer to bring my own travel products (as above), I'm fussy with what I would use. Eye mask, tooth brush, paste and earplugs is all I would need.

Maybe airlines have cut the amenity packs because the demand isn't there or they're wasted?

First world problems! y)

I think there is a hefty grain of truth in that -- I have literally loads of unopened amenity kits. I've never used all of the items and often I don't use any....

at240 wrote:

ultreen1 wrote:After thinking about this I'd prefer to bring my own travel products (as above), I'm fussy with what I would use. Eye mask, tooth brush, paste and earplugs is all I would need.

Maybe airlines have cut the amenity packs because the demand isn't there or they're wasted?

First world problems! y)

I think there is a hefty grain of truth in that -- I have literally loads of unopened amenity kits. I've never used all of the items and often I don't use any....

I can remember my earlier VS flights where sometimes there were two packs handed out. :0

I can also remember seeing many of them left unopened on the seats as we were disembarking