Back in 2020, Singapore Airlines finally introduced an amenities kit in Business Class, overcoming years of internal resistance to the idea.
The emerald green Penhaligon’s bag may not have all the bells and whistles of an Emirates kit, nor the collectability of EVA Air’s Rimowa line (since retired), but it still represents a milestone for Singapore Airlines after years of customer research and field testing.
Every passenger received a kit on my Business Class flight to Munich in early September, but when I flew to Frankfurt at the end of October, the kit was nowhere to be found. I didn’t want to be that guy, so I kept quiet until about a quarter of the way into the flight, when I casually asked the crew about it.
They told me the kits were now available on request, and indeed, that seems to be the latest chapter in Singapore Airlines’ on again, off again relationship with the Business Class amenities kit.
Business Class amenities kits on request now
Executive Traveller has confirmed with Singapore Airlines that the Business Class amenities kit will now be “on request” only.
Betty Wong, Singapore Airlines’ Divisional Vice President of Inflight Services and Design, tells Executive Traveller the kit was being developed “more than a year” before the pandemic hit.
“We were pretty ready to launch it with a big bang, but then Covid hit and dragged on for longer time than we all expected.”
“So we soft-launched it on certain routes, and now we have launched it on most of our flights, where it’s available on request as part of our new sustainability drive about reducing wastage,” Wong says.
“So instead of us giving it to every customer and having them leave it behind, because we don’t want to recycle things that people leave behind, we much rather a customer will ask our cabin crew for it because we know that they want it and they will bring it home with them.”
I suppose I can see where they’re coming from. No one likes wastage, and if a passenger really doesn’t want a kit, why give them one more thing to throw away?
On the other hand, there may well be passengers who want a kit, but are genuinely unaware of its existence. Perhaps a better way to do this would be for the crew to go down the aisle at the start of the flight, offering kits to each passenger- if they want it, great, if they don’t, you’ve not wasted anything.
I mean, the last thing you want is for Business Class passengers to mistakenly believe that the SIA Care Kit (a standard offering across all cabins) is the new offering going forward…
What’s inside SIA’s Business Class amenities kit?
Singapore Airlines’ Business Class amenities kit contains items from Penhaligon’s Quercus range, including hand lotion (30ml), facial mist (7ml), lip balm (4g) and a ziplock bag to put it all inside, should you happen to be transiting.
If you’re lucky, you’ll also receive a small bottle of Luna perfume oil. This is a limited-time amenity, only available in selected kits while stocks last.
Other amenities like toothbrush kits, combs, razors and shaving cream can be found in the amenities drawer in the lavatory, and earplugs and eye masks are available on request.
Oh, and in case you were wondering- the going rate for a Penhaligon’s amenity kit on Carousell is S$15-S$20.
Conclusion
Amenities kits in Business Class are one of those small touches that make a flight that much more fun, and I’ve collected a good number over the years.
The good news is that Singapore Airlines still offers these kits to its Business Class passengers, but they have to know to ask about them. It pays to be informed, I suppose, and now you know.
Who makes the world’s best amenities kit? That title, undoubtedly, goes to me.
Since it now on request only, on which routes they will provide the amenity kits? Even some intra-Asia short hauls?
Well, there was a time when SQ Business Class didn’t have amenity kit at all…
Probably one of those things I will never understand. Just another small, plastic-y bag with a few $ worth of trinkets – what is the fuss, and why bother?
is the milelion kit available on request? 😁
onlyfans gift idea…
It’s buried amongst all the things in the onboard app. No announcement is made that the kit is available to request.
The kit that I received in mid October no longer contains the perfume oil. Also people should request for the kit, as it contains a coupon that you can go to a Penhaligons store to get an additional gift (though not all Penhaligons stores are aware of what to do, so YMMV).
Cheapo and stingy SQ.
Have to say the SIA Business Class amenities kit is pretty underwhelming . Certain airlines offer Premium Economy passengers amenities kit, which is similar or better than SIA’s Business Class one.
At least on SQ 23 JFK-SIN today which is unusually long I was proactively given the amenity kit without asking.
yeah i’m hearing mixed reports about the implementation in practice. some routes still get it automatically, apparently. I was flying back on sq607 from ICN and I had to request.
The new ones seem to be blue grey instead of green now