• by Tanya Gazdik , January 3, 2014

United Airlines is giving away special edition amenity kits featuring the airline's brand campaign, "Flyer Friendly."

Available for customers in United BusinessFirst on long-haul international flights departing from the U.S., the collectable tins highlight each of United's eight North America hubs. Each customer in BusinessFirst will receive one of the eight tin designs, which feature distinctive imagery that United commissioned specifically for the brand campaign.

"These commemorative amenity kits showcase our hub cities and our flyer friendly network connecting customers to points around the globe," said Tom O'Toole, United's senior vice president of marketing and loyalty and president of MileagePlus, in a release.

The special edition kits include the amenities of the traditional BusinessFirst kit, including Philosophy brand skin care products, and will be available until March 1 or until supplies run out. Customers in BusinessFirst will receive the traditional amenity kit on long-haul flights arriving in the United States.

The airline’s Star Alliance airline partner, Lufthansa, offered a limited edition amenity kit “tin” to support the launch of its A380 super-jumbo jet, notes Henry H. Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst and strategist with Hudson Crossing, LLC.

SWISS, another United alliance partner, has a series of amenity kit “tins” that promote its various aircraft. KLM has given away to its long-haul business class passengers limited edition Delft houses (filled with Dutch gin) modeled after famous Dutch canal homes for more than 50 years. Some of these are sought after by collectors. 

“This is a creative, clever, and relatively low-cost way for United to reinforce its new ad campaign,” Harteveldt says.

The United effort may resonate among some of its travelers, especially those who are passionate about the airline industry or who like collectables, he adds.

“The kits may also help elevate awareness of the ad campaign,” Harteveldt says. "But will the amenity kits move the meter in terms of airline brand preference? No.”