United Airlines offers a mini hardshell suitcase amenity kit branded by Away on its Polaris longhaul flights. Let’s take a closer look.
United Airlines Away Amenity Kit – Review
Amenity kits strike me as relics of the past, sort of like passports and passport stamps. I love them…I have thousands sitting in my garage gathering dust to prove it…but I travel with my own toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, ear plugs (I don’t like eye shades), and skincare products.
But I think amenity kits represent a wonderful way for airlines to distinguish their brand, which is one reason I love the Rimowa-branded amenity kits featured on Lufthansa, Thai, and EVA.
ANA used to have Rimowa-branded mini hardshell suitcase amenity kits, but switched to Samsonite and then to Globe-Trotter. Both are still mini suitcases.
United now offers its own version of a mini hardshell suitcase with an Away-branded amenity kit. You’ll find these amenity kits in Polaris business class on all longhaul flights.
Contents include:
- eyeshade
- tissue
- earplugs
- toothbrush + toothpaste
- socks
- pen
- skin products by Sunday Riley
- facial cleansing cloth
- face cream
- hand cream
- lip balm
They all fit into the hardshell case and there’s still room for your own toiletry items.
I find this a cool case, but just use a more durable bag for my toiletries when I travel, since it takes up less space. I’m sending my kit to Kyle, but I must admit my two dozen Rimowa amenity kits sit on display in my office rather than being used for any practical purpose.
CONCLUSION
The United Airlines Away Amenity Kit is a cool hardshell mini suitcase. While the contents inside may not be unique, it’s a fun reminder of flying United Airlines and more aspirational than a boring drawstring pouch or cheap vinyl bag.
Got a pair myself recently. They are fine. I too take them thinking I can use at some point, but then I find them gathering dust.
At least UA is signaling they are a bit less cheap now.
I look forward to checking in out on LAX SYD in two weeks, but I agree soft sided bags are more useful. I use a softsided old AA rectangle bag for Bose earbuds, iPhone charger cord, etc. and my iPad is in an AA softsided tablet carrier. Pretty useful
Hope you have a chance to check out the LAX Polaris lounge! I just had the chance to go in last week and it was stunning! Beautiful space, and the restaurant food is superb. Polaris is by far the best lounge network in the US.
I enjoyed it too. It’s a lovely space.
Agreed. The most useful amenity kit container that I have ever received was a Lufthansa lightweight reusable shopping bag. I bring it on every leisure trip.
I really have to do a post on this. All my grocery bags are from Lufthansa!
A few others have become mainstays. Ten or twelve years ago United BusinessFirst came with a nice-sized durable toiletry bag with a few pockets that has really held up. A metal box from some airline or other holds bills and loose change. I have a BA one that is pretty good for holding different USB cables. United’s oval tins, plastic boxes and Star Wars bags from recent years have not been very useful.
Hello Mr Klint, I am certainly glad to see that you are being more positive about United Airlines. Especially since I have been a flight attendant there for 40 years, starting with Continental Airlines however.
Yes I too have really seen positive changes in the last 8 months. Anyways I know you will laugh when I say this, but I am a big airline collector of all things. When you say you have all these amenity kits from all these different airlines in your garage, I would be more than happy to have any doubles that you do not want anymore from any airline and pay for shipping and handling. I am just saying with all sincerity
Thank you for reading. Marguriete Sherman
I have sent other replies to you about various issues and never heard back.
Dear Marguriete, Thank you for your kind comment. For your privacy, I have removed your email address. I looked in my inbox and do not see any email from you. Please feel free to reach out about any issue at all. Regards, Matthew
Same! Amenity product that has gotten the most use after flight.
Plus they were super light-weight and roll up, so I take one with me when traveling because I inevitably go to a grocery store while traveling to buy water and snacks.
Much prefer drawstring bags as I can use them later for sorting items inside briefcase and carryons.
I have several Rimowa amenity kits and love them to store cables and chargers but sometimes a soft case is more practical.
As someone who doesn’t get to take many long haul flights, I love the different amenity kits. I do use them . I have a great iPad cover I can’t use anymore from Lufthansa, it’s channel but for an earlier generation, about 10 years old 🙁 Now that I live in Japan for the next few years Keri g my fingers crossed.
Passports are not a relic of the past. Try flying without one overseas
I’m not talking about the concept of the passport, but the fact that we still have a paper book with stamps and visas versus an electronic system like virtually everything else.
My amenity kits end up being used for the toothbrushes when family comes to visit and they forget to bring one.
I liked those mesh ones with the drawstring UA did a few years ago. Very useful.
More plastic waste…
I’ve donated a bunch of mine as well as mini products from hotels to a shelter. They were super appreciative.
Away is an awful brand aimed at Instagram users. That being said, this hard case is far better than the other containers United has been using for its amenity kits in recent years. It is certainly better than some awful superhero movie-themed bag. Now, if only they would go back to Cowshed products. Sunday Riley is terrible.
What do you consider a good hard side suitcase if Away doesn’t work for you.
I prefer Rimowa.
We received these on our flights to and from Tahiti last month. I thought the kit was beyond adorable and I think my husband and I will both use the case again. It was a great start to an underwhelming Polaris flight with borderline inedible food.
Oh no, have UA replaced their amazing Polaris eyeshades with a generic, thin, crappy one?! I LOVE their old eyeshades (or TK’s, which are pretty much identical) and use them on all other airlines.
Hopefully you have a good supply of the old ones.
I miss the fabulous Philosophy Amenity Kits!!! As well as the items that were in the First Class Bathrooms. No of the other items United has provided seem to be at the High Standard that Philosophy items were. They were CLASS and all the items Worked Well!
I was thinking that while you’re collecting these amenity kits, I doubt your jet setting lifestyle will ultimately see them properly enjoyed (they’ll probably just be given away by your son or daughter in a garage sale.) This stuff does age and after a few years, I notice they fall apart.
I always pack ear plugs and eye visors while traveling but some people forget and you should perhaps consider asking the FA to donate yours to some worthy passenger in economy class in the rear, particularly teenagers who might cherish them. Another option? Consider gifting them to people you encounter in your travels. They go BANANAS for stuff like this and when I give away the few amenity kits I have, they absolutely cherish them such as the gal working the front desk who helps you at a hotel or the concierge desk. I also pack cheesy (made in China) T-shirts from DC, NYC, or Miami to give away and the various folks in service overseas express such happiness that I feel like it’s Christmas.
My upscale travel was several years ago and I collected a few dozen amenity kits, mostly unused since I prefer my own stuff.
However I created a mini riot when I brought a box full of them out to a gar(b)age sale. The prospective buyers went ballistic! I wish I had kept some of the PanAm ones though.
I too had hundreds and hundreds of these I had no real use for them other than collecting them as a reflection of the places I’ve been blessed to go to. But just a couple of years ago I was cleaning out my closet as i do yearly and wanted to get rid of them so instead of taking my stuff to Goodwill like I always do, I decided to donate them to a friend that was gathering collections to give to the homeless. So now when I get the amenity kits I save them and keep them in the car to randomly pass them out to the homeless
I have two amenity kits from my flight to Chicago last month. An Iberia one in a white denim pouch with a broken zipper (I noticed other kits with broken zips on board – they’re very flimsy) and a BA First one in the leatherette pouch from my return trip. The BA one is definitely better stocked but the Iberia socks are much nicer; very soft & comforting when I changed into them on board.