Emirates recently launched its 18th Bulgari amenity kit, and it’s a reminder of who gets screwed next

There’s a special kind of person who measures an airline based on what you see in the little zip-up bag at their seat, and Emirates has quietly spent 16 years serving exactly that person.

The latest proof arrived this week: the 18th collection of Bulgari amenity kits for First and Business Class, which are gradually becoming available on select long-haul routes throughout the year.

The kits have been redesigned to match Emirates’ retrofitted cabins, with corporate saying “the colors now match each other.” First Class gets hot spring accents, Business Class gets lighter summer tones, and everything inside is sorted by cabin and gender.

Up front, men in first class get a chocolate-toned faux leather bag with burgundy lining, while women get a champagne metallic design with blush pink interiors. The main headliner is Bulgari’s Le Gamay range, the house’s high-scented tier, not the stuff you get in a duty-free three-pack.

Women get Le Gamay Sahara in a 30 ml bottle, which is made of ambergris and rose. Men get the return of Le Gamay Ysep, also 30ml, leaning woody and a little more serious. Both amenity kits are generous by standards, and the rest of the bag includes the usual suspects: dental kit, deodorant, lip balm, a foldaway hairbrush, plus a gold pocket mirror for the ladies that obviously needs to be kept in place.

Business class is a more interesting story, because that’s where most of us actually sit when the budget increases. The men’s kit comes in chocolate brown fabric with gray lining, the women’s kit comes in buttercream synthetic leather with pink accents.

Along with Bulgari Man Rain Essence for men and Omnia Crystalline for women, the fragrances created especially for Emirates come in a 5ml travel format. Rain essence plays with green tea and musk, going light and floral on crystalline lotus and white peony.

You’re not getting 30ml of the pointed-but-pointy tip, but you’re getting genuine Bulgari, which still beats a sad sachet of moisturiser.

Emirates has also leaned towards responsible sourcing, with both classes using bags made from fabrics with recycled materials. Hairbrushes and combs also use recycled materials, dental kits are packed in black kraft paper, and some business class mirrors are made from recycled wheat straw.

None of this changes the fundamental truth of premium travel, which is that the bag is a small bribe to make you forget that you’re in a metal tube for 14 hours. But Emirates has always understood that it’s the little things that matter, and a proper scent at 40,000 feet does more for the experience than another mediocre menu.

Kits arrive on select routes throughout the year, so whether you turn left or turn just left enough, there’s a good chance there’s one waiting for you.