Like Botox, another Hollywood trend has taken off among average, albeit affluent, Joes: the goody bag. Despite airlines reducing leg room and charging for food in economy class, three major carriers have introduced luxury goody bags for their first- and business-class passengers. Virgin Atlantic now gives upper-class customers on all flights a travel-accessories bag by Savile Row tailor Ozwald Boateng, which holds eponymously branded socks and either cuff links, a hand mirror or a key chain. Continental's U.S. transcontinental first-class passengers have received fragrances by Prada and Ghirardelli chocolates. Fliers in United's U.S transcontinental and U.S.-Japan premium classes have been treated to bags containing at least 1,000 dollars' worth of goodies, including Elizabeth Grant luxury toiletries and advance-reading copies of books like
Digital Fortress by Dan Brown. "When [customers] hear that the bags will be given out on certain flights, they'll change their reservations to get on those flights," says Robin Urbanski, a United representative. At the end of this month, United is planning a Wimbledon bag featuring skin-care products and spa and gym gift certificates for those first-class passengers traveling to Britain from the U.S. Sure beats Botox.
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