Qantas RM Williams Business Amenity Kits

[MELso]

I note that the Grown Alchemist items are in metal tubes. Qantas might want to be seen as moving away from plastics, so that's good.

Between that and the return of paper bags at supermarkets, it all feels very back to the future!

But yes, single use plastics, while convenient, are pretty dreadful for the environment so this is welcome. But I wonder if they should go down the VS route and stick amenities in a paper bag, or the SQ route and only provide them on demand?

 

[Daver6]

Many years ago, VA used to hand out Grown Alchemist products in their J amenity kits. I recall getting one on a PER-SYD day flight!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Available on the Finnair lease planes? Prefer these to retro.

No reason for them not to be… just like the retro ones

 

[justinbrett]

Do we believe these bags are made in Adelaide along with other RM Williams gear? Or cheap made in China stuff with a name tag slapped on?

It’s not Qantas getting it made in China cheaply and sticking RMW name on it.

It’s RMW importing it, as above, along with a bunch of their other products.

Plenty of big labels like Kate Spade make all their bags in China and similar countries.

 

[RooFlyer]

It’s not Qantas getting it made in China cheaply and sticking RMW name on it.

It’s RMW importing it, as above, along with a bunch of their other products.

A bit defensive? I don't think anyone was suggesting Qantas was having it made/importing it.

 

[justinbrett]

A bit defensive? I don't think anyone was suggesting Qantas was having it made/importing it.

The post specifically mentioned a bag with the name slapped on.

This is a guanine RM Williams product. A lot of designer goods are made in China and similar countries. The implication from the two posts was this is an inferior product with a brand name slapped on.

Yes we’d love them to be made in Australia but that’s just not realistic. I’m pretty sure the previous Kate Spade series was not made in the US. That doesn’t mean they are cheap imports.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The post specifically mentioned a bag with the name slapped on.

This is a guanine RM Williams product. A lot of designer goods are made in China and similar countries. The implication from the two posts was this is an inferior product with a brand name slapped on.

Yes we’d love them to be made in Australia but that’s just not realistic. I’m pretty sure the previous Kate Spade series was not made in the US. That doesn’t mean they are cheap imports.

I mean great if it is a ‘genuine RM Williams product’, but has this been stated anywhere? It might have had some design input but I’m not sure the robustness would be that of a full retail RM Williams product. For example all RM Williams’ wash bags are full leather. These are not.

There are dozens of colabs in the amenity kit world… Lanvin, Furla, Rimova, Marimekko, Samsonite to name a few… but they’re not quite equal to the retail versions.

I’ve only ever perceived them to be ‘flavour of’ rather than full fledged.

 

[Daver6]

The post specifically mentioned a bag with the name slapped on.

This is a guanine RM Williams product. A lot of designer goods are made in China and similar countries. The implication from the two posts was this is an inferior product with a brand name slapped on.

Yes we’d love them to be made in Australia but that’s just not realistic. I’m pretty sure the previous Kate Spade series was not made in the US. That doesn’t mean they are cheap imports.

The point I was actually trying to make is what difference does it really make to the actual bag. They're all cheap junk regardless of the collab and probably cost less than a $1. Who cares what name is slapped on it. As stated, I find them to be cheap junk regardless of the name on it.

I care way more about the quality of the products on the bag.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I mean great if it is a ‘genuine RM Williams product’, but has this been stated anywhere? It might have had some design input but I’m not sure the robustness would be that of a full retail RM Williams product. For example all RM Williams’ wash bags are full leather. These are not.

There are dozens of colabs in the amenity kit world… Lanvin, Furla, Rimova, Marimekko, Samsonite to name a few… but they’re not quite equal to the retail versions.

I’ve only ever perceived them to be ‘flavour of’ rather than full fledged.

RM Williams have marketed several wash bags that are not full leather. None on the website right now but they do exist.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

RM Williams have marketed several wash bags that are not full leather. None on the website right now but they do exist.

Ah, thanks.

I just found one too! At myer: R.M.Williams Barrenjoey Wash Bag in Khaki/Brown | MYER

Those still have a leather trim, and a price tag to match…

Don’t get me wrong, the Qantas one is still a good looking product, dare I say smarter than the one on sale at myer!

 

[justinbrett]

The point I was actually trying to make is what difference does it really make to the actual bag. They're all cheap junk regardless of the collab and probably cost less than a $1. Who cares what name is slapped on it. As stated, I find them to be cheap junk regardless of the name on it.

I care way more about the quality of the products on the bag.

I mean great if it is a ‘genuine RM Williams product’, but has this been stated anywhere? It might have had some design input but I’m not sure the robustness would be that of a full retail RM Williams product. For example all RM Williams’ wash bags are full leather. These are not.

There are dozens of colabs in the amenity kit world… Lanvin, Furla, Rimova, Marimekko, Samsonite to name a few… but they’re not quite equal to the retail versions.

I’ve only ever perceived them to be ‘flavour of’ rather than full fledged.

I’m still using a QF Kate Spade bag (circa 2014) to hold my passport and other travel documents. It goes on every trip with me and lives in my front pocket of my backpack.

Zipper still functional, not even a fray in the fabric. I’ve got a couple of the centennial ones for various uses around the house.

 

[Pushka]

I’m still using a QF Kate Spade bag (circa 2014) to hold my passport and other travel documents. It goes on every trip with me and lives in my front pocket of my backpack.

Zipper still functional, not even a fray in the fabric. I’ve got a couple of the centennial ones for various uses around the house.

I liked the Kate Spade ones best of all of those I've received from Qantas. Still use them too. But hoping for the RM Williams kit in March. The amenities look a useful size for once and worth having. I usually don't keep them. I do collect the Qatar and Emirates items as they are excellent.

 

[mviy]

Certainly if QF wants Project Sunrise to succeed they need to take some steps to improve the onboard experience and this is a positive step. Assuming they want travellers currently flying at the pointy end on other airlines to try Sunrise more than once.

 

[mitti]

I think people misunderstand how these kits are usually made. These are mere brand deals, the brand involved might have some design input, but most likely they use contract manufacturers to outsource production of all amenity kits to a manufacturer that specialises in these products. Often they will have a catalogue of designs that airlines/brands that work with airlines can then make subtle modifications to in terms of materials, colours and markings. They are made incredibly cheaply. I have to agree these look better than the current bags, but they still hardly look premium.

 

[justinbrett]

the brand involved might have some design input, but most likely they use contract manufacturers to outsource production of all amenity kits to a manufacturer that specialises in these products.

That's literally how 99% of retail products are made. In house factories are incredibly rare.

Even Apple doesn't own the factories in China that produces its iPhones.

 

[mitti]

That's literally how 99% of retail products are made. In house factories are incredibly rare.

Even Apple doesn't own the factories in China that produces its iPhones.

I guess my point is that there are amenity kit manufacturers out there who contract for airlines who make these bags for the lowest possible cost with extremely simple to make designs that are usually from a kind of catalogue. The brand name applied in these instances has almost nothing to do with the product created. There is a distinct difference between this and a product sold and marketed by a brand in their stores.

The same usually goes for the products in amenity kits. The diptyque products used by Qatar for instance are not made by diptyque in France like their other products, but instead made in Malaysia by a manufacturer that makes a bulk of different amenity kit products for other airlines. Formula is almost the same, different fragrance added. It is all trash at the end of the day, with the allusion of a luxury brand.

 

[SYD]

I have to agree these look better than the current bags, but they still hardly look premium.

Having received one yesterday (to my surprise - we still had retro ones a just before Christmas), I think they’re quite decent for J.

Probably middle of the road look and feel but certainly more useful than some others I’ve received recently.

Certainly if QF wants Project Sunrise to succeed they need to take some steps to improve the onboard experience and this is a positive step. Assuming they want travellers currently flying at the pointy end on other airlines to try Sunrise more than once.

The flight I was on was MEL-DEL. Wonderful in flight experience. Very attentive crew, F&B was very good, my only quibble was the limited wine selection. I still quite like the QF J seat. The Sunrise seats look even better. I suspect they’ll be very popular flights.

 

[DC3]

Having received one yesterday (to my surprise - we still had retro ones a just before Christmas), I think they’re quite decent for J.

Probably middle of the road look and feel but certainly more useful than some others I’ve received recently.

 

[justinbrett]

The same usually goes for the products in amenity kits. The diptyque products used by Qatar for instance are not made by diptyque in France like their other products, but instead made in Malaysia by a manufacturer that makes a bulk of different amenity kit products for other airlines. Formula is almost the same, different fragrance added. It is all trash at the end of the day, with the allusion of a luxury brand.

Again this is the same for retail products. For example Tefal cookware has multiple factories, the good stuff is made in France but it also produces lower cost items in China.

Even within China there are different levels of manufacturer - for example there are factories that make stuff for top tier labels and others that are making stuff for Anako (Kmart) for 1% of the price.

Just looking at past QF amenity kits you can see varying levels of quality as the brand changed. I personally found the most recent Koskela series to be low quality, but it looks like their focus was on sustainability (apparently it was them who convinced QF to remove plastic tubes inside the kit); whereas brands who do make similar products (Kate Spade, RM Williams) have been a much higher quality.

 

[jase05]

RMW are a major client of ours and I know a couple of management there so will have to ask where the amenity kits are made but I suspect it will be Pakistan.
They have many factories world wide that produce decent quality products