Etihad Airways has earned a well-deserved reputation as a child-friendly airline by offering Nanny service onboard, with staff trained by the prestigious Norland College in the UK.
Now the airline has expanded its junior VIP service with new activity kits and a new Nanny Kit to deliver more fun time in flight.
The new ‘Etihad Explorers’ children’s activity packs come in two age-appropriate versions, for 3 to 8-year-olds and 9 to 13-year-olds.
On inbound flights to Abu Dhabi, 3 to 8-year-olds get a new collectable character bag with an activity booklet, crayons, card games and a color-in mask. The pack on flights from Abu Dhabi includes a unique suitcase board game which lets parents and kids play together. There’s also a foam lion character, color-in postcards, crayons, and a handy waterproof travel wallet. With two different activity packs for each leg of the journey, kids won’t get bored and they get to collect extra new goodies.
For 9 to 13-year-olds Etihad focused on puzzles to stimulte the mind. The activity pack features Sudoku, mazes, lined notes and join-the-dot games. They also include Abu Dhabi-themed school supplies (not a bad way to show off your school holiday adventures) including a pencil case, pencil, a dual-function bookmark and ruler, and a notepad.
Click Pictures to Enlarge Gallery
The new kits were created by Milk Jnr’s & Kidworks, a UK headquartered agency which specialises in creating engaging kids activity packs for some of the world’s biggest family brands. The agency partnered with Etihad Airways’ Flying Nannies and the airline’s product development team to ensure the final product fit the airline’s brand and the needs of children.
As part of the project, the agency re-illustrated and incorporated four existing Etihad Airways characters: Kundai the Lion, Zoe the Bee, Jamool the Camel and Boo the Panda. Milk Jnr’s also included elements from Etihad’s new Reimagined livery and new staff uniforms into the children’s kits brand and logo, including the iconic geometric patterns of the livery which reflect the Abu Dhabi landscape.
“The aim of this project was to create an engagement solution for families travelling with children on Etihad Airways flights. We created kids packs for long- and short-haul flights that really stand out and reflect Etihad’s premium service and reputation, while paying careful attention to the airline’s distinctive brand,” says Zoe Telfer, Milk Jnr’s Client Services Director.
The new kits were launched at a colorful children’s tea party hosted by the airline at its state-of-the-art Innovation Training Academy in Abu Dhabi. There were balloons and cake.
Launch party for Etihad Airways new activity kits. Source: Etihad Airways
Nanny Kit
Launch party for Etihad Airways’ new children’s activity kits..Nannies included. Source: Etihad Airways
One of the distinctive family-friendly offerings of Etihad Airways long-haul service is the Flying Nanny. Trained by the UK’s world renowned Norland College, Flying Nannies were introduced by Etihad Airways in September 2013, and provide an extra pair of hands so that parents can enjoy some peace and quiet, relaxing with the more grown-up in-flight comforts the airline offers.
The new Flying Nanny Kit aims to promote greater interaction between the Etihad Airways Nanny onboard and the child. It includes an extensive range of fun and creative activities including Origami, games, pom-poms, flight certificates, tools for magic tricks and face-painting, and a ‘Flying Nanny stamp of approval’ which the nanny can use to reward children.
Family-Friendly Focus
Calum Laming, Etihad Airways’ Vice President Guest Experience, explained the importance of treating younger passengers like proper VIPs saying:
“We understand that flying as a family can often prove daunting for parents and children alike, especially when travelling long-haul. That’s why we’re continually looking for new ways to develop family-friendly products, like the new children’s activity packs, so everyone can be fully entertained from the moment they board.
“This is just a part of our wider efforts to provide enhanced service and hospitality to our valued family fliers, an effort which is also brought to life by our amazing Flying Nannies. The new kits will help these talented crew members with the tools they need to provide our young guests, and ultimately their parents, with a truly memorable flight.”
Dinner and a Movie (VIP Kids-Style)
As part of the family-friendly hospitality experience onboard, Etihad Airways will launch a new children’s menu in December with special attention to offering healthy meal choices.
The airline also offers plenty for kids on the E-BOX in-flight entertainment (IFE) platform. These include a range of age-appropriate films, television programs, games, and child-friendly albums and CDs on the dedicated ‘Just 4 Kids’ catalogue. All of these can enjoyed on the seat-back touchscreen and/or handset.
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