United Airlines has introduced Team USA amenity kits and pajamas ahead of the summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Olympic Amenity Kits On United Airlines
You can find these special amenity kits on the following flights:
- United Polaris (business class) – intercontinental routes + premium transcontinental routes (LAX/SFO-EWR/JFK)
- Premium Plus (premium economy) – intercontinental routes
A reader recently flew on United and shared the picture above. Each amenity kit comes in a reusable mesh bag (either red or blue) with strings that can be used as backpack. Contents include:
- socks (red and white stripped)
- eyeshade (white stars on blue background)
- tissues
- dental kit
- ear plugs
- pen
- Sunday Riley skin products
Team USA Pajamas On United Airlines
United stocks pajamas on flights over 12 hours in business class. Those in business class will receive Olympic-themed Team USA pajamas upon request. United does not proactively offer pajamas on its longest international flights. Instead, you must request them.
Prior to the pandemic, you had to be quick in asking for them because United did not board enough pajamas for every passenger onboard. With international loads so light, securing pajamas on flights over 12 hours should no longer be a challenge.
CONCLUSION
Five years ago, United introduced metal amenity kits ahead of the 2016 summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. This year, it is introducing mesh-style backpacks instead.
Is it good business for a global airline to promote Team USA when it transports nationalities from all around the world? (This is likely far less an issue now than before the pandemic)
I’m by no means a “flag waving American.” In fact, I really don’t like the US concept of ‘Patriotism,’ known globally as Nationalism…
However, I see no harm in a US carrier celebrating Team USA in the lead in to the Olympics. Aside from Latin connections to Asia, most people traveling on United are either US based or US bound, so they’re either getting some home team gear or a souvenir.
If the US was hosting the olympics, I think it would be in poorer taste, as I imagine JAL and ANA aren’t handing out Team Japan gear on their flights to HND.
There’s barely any Polaris flights over 12 hours to destinations taking Americans… I’d honestly pay up to get a PJ set if I could, ugh
I really didn’t like those metal tubes as amenity kits. I left a few on the plane. The socks were nice though.
United must have changed vendors for the pajamas a couple years ago. The quality became much worse and the branding much tackier.
Yes. No pockets in PJs. Makes them worthless!
Get em, don’t use em, sell em on eBay for $20. Include a bonus package of Biscoff.
I’m a big fan of amenity kits where the actual kit comes in a useable (and reusable) item. In 2018 LH had kits that were reusable tote bags and I still use those.
The UA metal tubes weren’t great but I do reuse them to store teabags.
I still have my USA fuselage metal tin from four years ago as a collectors item.
The only amenity kit I truly still use a lot is the one Swiss gave out a few years ago in the winter season that was a knit hat that was reversible, black on one side and red on the other ,(a toque for the Canadian readers). They had like two stitches in to keep it notionally closed to keep the contents inside but as soon as you clipped those it was a terrific winter hat with a cute tiny little Swiss logo in front. Anyway, I flew Swiss roundtrip and got one each trip and asked for an extra on the way home for my son, so now my husband, son, and I all wear them when we go hiking! Some of my other kits I’ve kept cause they were cool, like the newish BA first class flowery kits were so pretty I use one of them as a toiletries bag every once and awhile (and my cousin has one I gifted her that she uses) but mostly I donate the kits to women’s shelters with their contents intact.
And I agree re no pockets in pajamas but alas in recent years I have not gotten any pajamas with pockets! I guess it is the quickest way to cut cost. What airlines still have them with pockets I wonder? I don’t fly to Asia really, mostly Latin America, Africa, EU and ME.
I find that kind of patriotism inappropriate for a international carrier. United Airlines is a global company that (I guess) wants to attract international customers. As a non-American, receiving this kit and especially those jammies would make me feel like I’m a Trump rally!
In my old airline we used to give away collectible toys for kids before and during FIFA championship, which celebrated ALL competing countries.