IF YOU are a rabid fan of beloved Japanese cartoon icon Hello Kitty, you
need to fly on Eva Air sometime.
Starting October last year, the Taiwanese airline has rolled out three new
Airbus 330-300 jets in its second generation of Hello Kitty-themed aircraft.
Beyond just decorating the aircrafts' liveries with the Sanrio characters
and motifs, Eva Air has customised over 100 in-flight service items -
everything from luggage tags to headrest covers and meal boxes - for the
complete Hello Kitty experience. Even the flight attendants wear Hello Kitty
aprons and special insignias on their uniforms.
The three Hello Kitty planes – named the Global Jet, Magic Jet and Apple Jet
– each have a one-of-a-kind exterior design and fly on a variety of routes,
from Taipei to destinations in Japan, Hong Kong and Guam.
The Global Jet was the latest to be put in service on Dec 26, and features
on its body design, the cartoon cat alongside famous landmarks from around the
world. It flies daily from Taipei to Tokyo Narita, and also to Hong Kong.
Here's an in-depth look at the Hello Kitty experience with Eva Air:
adrianl@sph.com.sg
The design of the Eva Hello Kitty Global Jet features Hello Kitty characters
and famous landmarks from around the world adorning the length of the plane.
Put in service on Dec 26, 2011, the Global Jet flies daily from Taipei's
Taoyuan International Airport to Tokyo Narita and Hong Kong.
The Eva Hello Kitty Apple Jet uses an apple motif in its design. The apple is a
key element in the Hello Kitty world - the cartoon cat is described as being
five apples' tall and weighing three apples. The Apple Jet made its service
debut on Dec 7, 2011, operating on routes from Taipei to Fukuoka, Tokyo and
Seoul.
The Eva Hello Kitty Magic Jet sports a Hello Kitty wielding a magic wand on the
plane's fuselage. The Magic Jet operates on routes between Taipei and Sapporo
in Hokkaido, Japan.
What it looks like on the inside of a Hello Kitty plane.
Over 100 in-flight service items have been customised with some form of Hello
Kitty design, including the pillows. It's Hello Kitty every step of the
journey: At check-in, passengers are greeted by Hello Kitty boarding passes and
baggage stickers. Onboard, they’ll discover Hello Kitty headrest covers,
tissue, paper cups, utensils, milk bottles, snacks, hand-washing liquid, hand
lotion, meals and ice cream. During the flight, passengers can purchase
limited-edition duty-free Hello Kitty collectibles.
Hello Kitty in-flight pillows in the plane's Premium Laurel Class cabin. The
EVA Airbus A330-300s are configured with 30 seats in Premium Laurel Class and
279 in Economy Class.
Eva flight attendants, wearing Hello Kitty aprons and special insignias on
their uniforms, show off the customised meal boxes and food plating.
Hello Kitty meal boxes and food plating.
Flight stewardesses on Eva Air don aprons with Hello Kitty motifs. Headrest
covers also bear the Sanrio character's mark.
