Business Class Swag

I’m the worst kind of luxury traveler: I crave the perks of first class, but balk at paying unreasonably high prices, particularly for flights. So unless I get an upgrade, more often than not you’ll find me in premium economy, glaring enviously at the curtain ahead of me.

My luck changed recently on a trip to Athens, where I had the good fortune to try KLM’s World Business Class cabin on a flight between JFK and Amsterdam. The carrier has installed lie-flat seats on all of its 747s, and I knew as soon as I was ushered to my cocoon that I would actually be able to sleep.

While the seat’s features — roomy storage space, a shelf for shoes, a USB and electrical outlet, and noise-canceling headphones — were certainly thoughtful, I was more impressed by the amenity kits handed out by the flight attendants.

The small pouch, created by the Dutch design team Viktor & Rolf, was adorable, with a cute leather bow (the kits are distributed by gender; the male version is dark and has no bow). Contents included lip balm, a small toothbrush and toothpaste, footie socks, ear plugs and eye mask. The kit came with a strap so it could be used as a wristlet.

I thought that was the end of the swag. But then, as we approached our destination, attendants came around with a basket full of small ceramic Delft houses, based on real properties in Amsterdam. These figures, which are filled with the Dutch liquor jenever, are apparently highly collectible and are often auctioned off on eBay (KLM has its entire collection on view in its Crown Lounge at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport).

Intrigued by KLM’s approach to courting luxury travelers, I took to Instagram to see if other airlines have stepped up their amenity game. Sure enough, there’s a hashtag called #businessclassswag, where high fliers post photos of their comfy corner in the sky. Expect to see pictures of hot fudge sundaes, gourmet meals, complimentary Champagne and tricked-out entertainment systems, uploaded by grinning frequent fliers swaddled in duvets (#businessclass is also popular).

Now it will be even harder to go back to the back of the plane.

— written by Chris Gray Faust