OB Kit Contents

[preiffer]

Have to admit, I haven't actually OPENED one up for a while - so not sure when the change happened.

However, on both VS19 & VS12 this month, my kits no longer had the luggage tag in them. Instead, they have the OB cufflinks (like I have a use for them [ii]) and a Mind-Gym booklet.

I guess the booklet ties in with the CH MindGym promo they have running - but I wonder if they had a large batch of old cufflinks to get rid of... [:?][?]

[Nottingham Nick]

Cufflinks, are a bit like ties... do they really fit the Virgin image?

How many UC pax - especially the ladies - will have a use for them?

I don't know if the tie-in with OB is for the benefit of the OB brand, or the Virgin brand?

They have ditched Carlos, is it time for a 'back to basics' approach for the kits as well... mints? wet wipes? a decent pen? lip salve? the things that pax would actually make use of in flight, instead of taking the kit home and flogging it on EBay. [}:)]

Nick

[honey lamb]

Originally posted by Nottingham Nick


How many UC pax - especially the ladies - will have a use for them?

My sentiments exactly. As a result of my trip to Dubai I now have two pairs of cufflinks which are of no earthly use to me and I am faced with the prospect of another four pairs after my trip to Oz. [:(!] In the UC cabin on my return from Dubai 50% of the cabin were ladies - I counted - and I'm sure the balance was higher on the way out.

I wish they'd ditch the OB amenity kits and go back to the other ones - as Nick says, back to basics

IMHO the OB kits's are style over substance[n]

[fozzyo]

Originally posted by jaguarpig
IMHO the OB kits's are style over substance[n]

I think the OB brand fits in very well with Virgin. I really want an OB suit, preferabbly bespoke naturally, but thats beside the point. OB as a brand fits in well in my opinion to UC, the young trendy "jetrosexual" executive.

So carry on with the OB branding, it benefits both parties but for gods sake redesign the blasted things and the contents! At the moment from my few UC flights there are only two things I actually have a use for - the luggage tags and eye shades on the flight. The lip balm is nice too.

Lets get back to the stuff that people actually like an use, the little Virgin Vie (or Cowshed as would be now) mini pack of products, polo's, wipes, a decent full sized pen - i'd prefer a Bic Biro over the pen thats in the kit atm. The cufflinks, nice idea but only for the occasional passenger. Why would Paul need six gazillion pairs of cufflinks?

A good test of whether a kit is good in my mind would be to give it to the really regular fliers at the start of each flight. Ask them to have a look at it and see what they use and take away. Stuff that isn't used or is left after the 4th / 5th trip shouldn't really be in there. These are your high revenue guys, if as part of the package they get a kit they like / use then surely its practical and useful stuff. And pax will feel that they are getting something that is providing value for money so to speak.

Mat xxx

[preiffer]

The ONLY things I ever use are the ear plugs (that's only sometimes) and I used the eyeshade once, too.


Oooh - I lie, sorry, I used the pen once, too - as I'd forgotten mine.


Here's an idea - throw away the nasty toothbrush & little toothpaste, and put these in instead. I always take my own [y]

I quite like the eyeshade and the socks. The pen should be better but works, and the "gift" element needs addressing: I liked the cufflinks and the luggage tag but it needs to change to other things else you end up with a stack of luggage tags which is pointless. The actual wallet itself is useless as a travel wallet as it's too big. How about one of the rotating gifts being a decent passport holder with space for lots of cards?

Cufflinks suit a lot of people IMHO - young professionals (including ladies) like that kind of thing. Just the other day I noticed a female lawyer, my age, wearing them.

The fresh breath strips are good too, but it seems a good idea to drop the toothbrush and change for something like Paul suggests, which you can use at your seat.

Never use earplugs.

[fozzyo]

Earplugs ... is it us or are the economy ones actually better?

Mat xxx

Don't these kits vary depending on where you're flying from like some of the economy ones do?

More people should let Virgin know about this. They probably aren't aware of the majority of people's opinions.
I for one probably would never have a use for cufflinks, although I do have a single white shirt that has these removable buttons.

I've just got back from MCO and yet to write my trip report but the eyeshades have been changed... they resemble the old Y product a few years back....and they stink of plastic. Infact, i heard others complain to the FSM that the semll was awaful, which she duly wrote up in the flight report.

[ChuckC]

I liked everything better in the old purple kit, including the kit!

Chuck-

[RichardMannion]

I can vividly remember the fights in the office amongst my female colleagues at who's turn it was to have the Amenity Kit when they were done by SpaceNK.

I do think its time to change the design again though!

Thanks,
Richard

Originally posted by ChuckC
I liked everything better in the old purple kit, including the kit!

Chuck-

I still use those kits to store camera attachments etc. You really can't use the current kit for anything else than sell on ebay.

The most useful bit I have ever had from the UC amenity kits is the case from circa 2000 - a small beige velcro closing affair. It contained a small pad, pen, Smint mints.. but I still use the case as a camera case for my digital camera.

From the current kit, I used the toothbrush, and unlikely to use anything else.

Don't have the luggage tags though - I would have liked a couple of them!!

I actually think the gift aspect of the kit is a good idea. However, it would be better if they rotated the contents, so that you don't end up with the same thing.
Maybe they could have one for each sex with items more appropriate to each.

Guys: cufflinks/luggage tag/mobile phone case?/ipod case? (on rotation)
plain moisturiser
toothpaste/toothbrush
eyeshade
socks
etc.

Gals: some sort of treatment/mobile phone case/ipod case/mirror (on rotation)
scented moisturiser
toothpaste/toothbrush/various toiletries
eyeshade
socks
etc.

Cheers,
VS045

The only thing I use from the kits is the lip balm although coming back from NY on Sunday night they have now changed this as well to choclate and mint flavour lip balm (which is a bit OTT for me) so not sure I will even use that now!

I agree with Mccoy i used to like the kits back in 2000 when you used to get 2 separate bags - one of which could be used as a camera case and the other had all the toiletries and stuff in!

I liked the little blue boxes I got first time around with the pump action creams in, they made lovely christmas cracker fillers.

the eye cream was good too[:I]

The OB kits really are a useless pile of poo.

I now take my own kit, made up of useful stuff, in one of the old purple Vie zipper kit bags.

The OB thing is just a load of trendy marketing and zero substance, and I don't really care if it fits into whatever image-du-jour marketroid vision that VS are trying to present this week.

The people in the cabin will be from varying walks of life - not all slave-to-label designer-wearing trendies with silly haircuts - and VS would be wise to remember that.

I've thrown my OB kits away, or just leave them on the plane, because I can't be bothered with the effort of selling them on ebay.

Cheers,
Mike

mmm I have a Cartier watch, wallet and sunglasses Gucci shoes reading glasses and specs, Prada phone holder, Paul Smith Ipod case and a mont blanc soulmaker pen, I am THE slave to label then, lol.

not the silly haircut though[}:)]

The Virgin Vie pump things were great with specially designed items for the day and night flights. Then the bag was full of enough stuff that you needed socks, eyeshades and toothbrush.

I think they got the 'gift' idea from singapore where they present their F pax with a gift, but BA doesn't offer it in J and I think F either and the american carriers you're lucky if you get anything. (Although our last CO flight back to the UK had enough stuff to help in the flight with moisturiser and lipbalm as well as socks/eyeshades and a full length toothbrush)

Originally posted by ade99
...and (with) the american carriers you're lucky if you get anything.

The amenity kit that UA give out on international flights is still pretty reasonable - a zipper pouch, with useful toiletries for the flight, and decent E-A-R brand earplugs. The eyeshades are a bit elcheapo but at least they don't smell of plastic. Their old "aromatherapy" ones which had some sort of cooling mint thing going on used to be pretty good.

I still don't think you can beat the fuzzy-finished red VS "Zzz"-style eyeshade (the one that used to be in the Vie kit), and I keep one of those to hand when I'm flying.

VS had been doing the gift thing for ages - remember the Cross pens? Or the metal UC keyrings/bagtags? What we get now just looks crass by comparison.

Cheers!
Mike