Better than Disney?
Written by Betsy
Wednesday, 07 November 2012 16:49
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I recently read about the “Hello Kitty” endeavor of EVA Air, a Taiwan-based airline, and I should admit that I love the idea! I then showed it to my daughters which was a big mistake … every ten minutes they kept coming to me asking: 

“When can we fly with the “Hello Kitty” airline?”

“Where does it fly to?”

“Can it be a long flight?”

“Is it only for girls?”

“Are daddies and boys allowed there?”

In order to provide meaningful and accurate answers to the questions above, I had to do some further digging about “Hello Kitty” airlines … and here is what I found (Sources 1, 2, 3):

  • The name of the airline is not Hello Kitty but instead officially Eva Air
  • The aircraft are the result of collaboration between the airline and Sanrio, the Japanese company responsible for the brand.
  • Hello Kitty planes are not new: Eva Air has had Hello Kitty-themed jets since 2005, but they debuted new Airbus aircrafts in 2011 and 2012 in celebration of the airline's 20th anniversary
  • The themed planes fly between a multitude of destinations, including Taipei, Fukuoka, Narita, Sapporo, Incheon, Hong Kong and Guam

 

Eva Air is offering passengers the full Hello Kitty experience apart in addition to the outwardly branded planes. At check-in, passengers get Hello Kitty boarding passes and bag stickers, plus:

  • There are headrest covers, utensils, snacks, hand soap and lotion and branded meals all in accordance with the theme.
  • All flight attendants wear Hello Kitty aprons and insignia.
  • There are over 100 in-flight service items passengers get when taking a Hello Kitty jet.

 

 

And while searching for information about Eva Airlines, I found out that there is a newly opened Hello Kitty restaurant in Beijing as well as a Hello Kitty Hospital! Don’t you think that suddenly Disneyland sounds very boring?

A few sources I consulted in my research:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/05/01/hello-kitty-taiwans-eva-air-offers-sanrio-kitten-themed-flights-pictures_n_1467008.html?1335874521

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/15/eva-airs-hello-kitty-plan_n_1276230.html

http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/life/eva-air-does-its-best-new-hello-kitty-jets-623405

Restaurant: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/01/06/hello-kitty-dreams-restaurant-beijing-china_n_1189439.html

Hospital: http://www.kittyhell.com/2008/12/05/hello-kitty-maternity-hospital-taiwan/

Last Updated on Wednesday, 07 November 2012 22:06