Y ou are a passenger in the economy class cabin of a flight which had just been completed. The aircraft has pulled up to the gate; the door has been opened; and passengers who are queued in the aisle — or aisles — of the airplane are starting to leave the aircraft. You pass through the premium class cabin and find sealed amenity kits which have not been used; and perhaps you also see sealed bottles of water.
Do you take any of them?
Would You Grab an Amenity Kit While Deplaning as an Economy Class Passenger?
In this discussion on FlyerTalk whose topic is the wastefulness of passengers seated in the premium class cabin leaving behind amenity kits in their vacant seats when they leave the aircraft, FlyerTalk member Madone59 posted that “I have friends who grab them when deplaning through business class if they have been sitting in Y and see a sealed kit sitting around.”
Is a passenger assigned to a seat in the economy class cabin taking an amenity kit from the premium class cabin considered stealing — especially if the person wants the amenity kit as a souvenir?
Would the answer to the question change if the amenity kit was used instead of sealed? After all, there have been passengers who use only one or two items from an amenity kit and leave the rest of it behind — and the amenity kit typically cannot be recycled and used for the next passenger once it is no longer sealed.
What if taking the amenity kit meant that it would ultimately be donated to charity? FlyerTalk member emma69 decided to “throw this out there — homeless and women’s shelters are usually very happy to received unused, sealed items like dental kits, lip balms etc. and they find the bags useful to give people as washbags (maybe not the really slimline style ones).”
If the flight attendant gave you permission to take an amenity kit, would it then be okay to do so?
Does it matter to the airline whether or not you take an amenity kit of which you are not entitled? After all, each amenity kit does cost the airline money.
What about the sealed bottles of water? Would you take one?
Summary
Amenity kits are nice to receive. It is like receiving a gift from the airline. However, they usually include items such as a comb, toothpaste, a toothbrush, a razor, some shaving cream, and other assorted sundries and toiletries — most of which I can either get for free anyway by valid means; or I simply do not use certain items such as eyeshades or masks. The case can double as something in which to carry toiletries or other small items.
There are airlines which also distribute amenity kits to passengers seated in the economy class cabin of the aircraft — but they are typically stripped down versions of those found in the premium class cabin. I have kept those as souvenirs as well…
…and yes, I do use the items found in amenity kits for future use — but I do not go out of my way to get them.
I have never taken an amenity kit from the premium class cabin of an airplane if I am assigned to a seat in the economy class cabin — primarily because I treat amenity kits as souvenirs of my experience aboard the airplane of being a passenger seated in the premium class cabin. This may sound irrational; but I consider it “cheating” if that were not the case. After all, what other reason would explain why would I want an amenity kit — especially if it does not remind me of my special experience?
Photograph ©2016 by Brian Cohen.
