United Airlines and Welsh soccer team Wrexham AFC are bringing the action directly to Polaris and Premium Plus seats this summer.
The Chicago-based carrier and the global phenomenon, fan-favorite soccer club — which is currently working its way up the tiers of the English football league system — are teaming up to offer flyers new limited-edition amenity kits and pajamas in a unique Wrexham design.
The new amenity kits debut on June 1, and they’ll be available across the airline’s long-haul network.
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Travelers seated in Polaris business class will take home a new Wrexham AFC amenity case that’s sure to be a hit with the team’s fans. The reusable toiletry case features the Wrexham crest and is available in red, black or white.
Inside, flyers will find all the usual amenities, such as Therabody hand cream, lip balm, eye serum, face spray and cleansing towelettes, as well as travel essentials, like a bamboo toothbrush, toothpaste, eye mask, ear plugs, tissues, a pen and socks. (United isn’t removing any amenities from the pouch as part of this reveal).
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For those traveling in Premium Plus, the airline will offer a new so-called amenity pouch, which also features the Wrexham crest and is available in red, black or white.
The Premium Plus kits will contain all the standard amenities that United has historically offered in this cabin.
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In addition to new amenity kits, the airline will debut limited-edition unisex pajamas on flights scheduled for longer than 14 hours. (Until this year, pajamas used to be available on United flights longer than 12 hours.) These pajamas resemble the team’s jerseys, with a red, long-sleeve shirt bearing both the Wrexham AFC and United logos on the front and gray pants with a United logo near the hip.
These new premium products come just seven months after United unveiled an overhauled new Polaris experience that includes revamped Saks Fifth Avenue bedding (in reusable bags), Therabody amenity kits and more.
The partnership with Saks and Therabody remains intact – it’s just the exterior of the amenity kits that’s changing. (Separately, United said it will replace the limited-edition Claude Kameni day blanket with a standard-issue Saks day blanket in the coming weeks.)
The Wrexham tie-in may seem a bit out of left field if you haven’t been following the team’s story. But if you have, chances are you’ll be clamoring to score one of these kits.
United first partnered with Wrexham in 2023 as the club’s shirt sponsor, meaning that the airline’s logo appears on the front of Wrexham’s jerseys.
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The team has surged in popularity, not to mention name recognition, across both sides of the pond after it was purchased by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as a passion project in 2020. The club, which was recently promoted to League One — the third of four tiers of the English Football League, but the third-highest tier in the overall English league system (yes, this is confusing) — is the subject of the Emmy award-winning FX documentary “Welcome to Wrexham,” which has chronicled the team’s transformation from a small-time club to a major player.
In fact, when Wrexham AFC launched new jerseys at the beginning of the season last June, they sold out in minutes, prompting a lucrative second-hand market for those who initially bought a jersey.
“We always want to keep things fresh, especially for our summer travelers who may not have flown United in the past,” said Peter Wolkowski, United’s director of onboard product design, in an interview with TPG.
“This is one of the better ideas that we had, especially since Wrexham has become a hot TV show, a hot property, and they themselves can’t keep merchandise on their shelves,” Wolkowski added.
United is the latest U.S. airline to unveil enhancements to its “soft product,” the part of the travel experience that’s not physically bolted onto the plane.
Earlier this year, American Airlines announced brand-new amenity kits and pajamas in partnership with Los Angeles-based beauty retailer Thirteen Lune, and so did JetBlue Airways.
With premium travel demand soaring, airlines are doing whatever they can to convince flyers to travel with them.
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