These gin-filled porcelain houses are the Labubus of business class travellers

A few minutes before my KLM flight from Amsterdam touched down in Mumbai, the cabin crew walked in bearing trays of miniature porcelain houses. The until-then quiet business class stirred with excitement. “Is this the newest house?” asked the lady across the aisle from me. Elsewhere, another passenger debated whether to pick the latest model or add one of the older houses to his collection.

If you’ve ever flown business class on KLM’s intercontinental routes, you’ll be familiar with its Delft Blue houses. Since the 1950s, these mini porcelain houses—filled with Bols Dutch gin— have been part of the inflight experience, gifted to every business class passenger. Every year, on October 7 (KLM’s founding date), the airline adds a new house, a special building in the Netherlands that’s chosen for its historical significance.

This year, KLM unveiled its 106th Delft Blue house, cementing its legacy as the world’s oldest airline still flying under its original name. These miniature houses are crafted by Royal Delft, an iconic Netherlands-based porcelain brand famed for its intricate cobalt-blue designs and hand-painted detailing since 1653. At the back of each house you’ll see a number, and frequent business class flyers can use an app (really!) to track which houses they already have and which ones they need to collect.

But KLM is by no means the only airline that’s figured out that design can spark loyalty just as much as legroom. Around the world, carriers are increasingly collaborating with local artists, luxury fashion brands, and heritage makers to create objects that reflect their cultural DNA. Even amenity kits have become mini design projects—part branding, part national pride, part “I’m definitely taking this home”. On Emirates, you will be rewarded with a Bvlgari travel kit, on Singapore Airlines you’ll bring home goodies from Le Labo Fragrances, on Qatar Airways there’s a prized amenity kit by Diptyque, and Japan’s ANA has one featuring their collaboration with L’Occitane.

But the amenity kit is no longer just a bag of mini toiletries; it’s a national airline’s way to offer a glimpse into the country’s cultural artistry before one even lands. Several years ago, on a Finnair flight to Helsinki, I was delighted to receive a brightly patterned amenity kit designed by Finnish print purveyor Marimekko. For years, the Finnair x Marimekko partnership has drawn on the work of prolific designer Maija Isola, whose bold, joyful prints help define Marimekko’s global identity. Her Unikko poppy pattern, created in 1964, has become a symbol of creative freedom and even today remains one of the most recognisable visual emblems to emerge from Finland. Finnair’s collaboration incorporates these vibrant designs across multiple touchpoints—on textiles, tableware, and amenity kits. The partnership isn’t merely decorative; it’s a way of bringing Scandinavian aesthetics into the cabin, creating an atmosphere that feels grounded in Finnish creativity. For travellers, it’s also a small but memorable piece of design history to take home.

On Japan Airlines, the carrier thoughtfully weaves Japanese aesthetics into its onboard experience. From kutani-inspired ceramic tableware for your lunch and dinner service to textiles that reflect subtle patterns found in kimono weaving, the airlines uses design as a quiet expression of national heritage. Even its amenity kits and cabin touches often showcase collaborations with Japanese designers and craft houses. Their latest collaboration with Heralbony, which works with the visually impaired, has yielded colourful amenity kits, pop-coloured tableware, and even on-ground exhibitions at airports in Japan.

Design collaborations are also playing a part in making our in-flight experience more agreeable and aesthetic. Known for his award-winning Skybed Business Class seat for Qantas, industrial designer Marc Newson recently teamed up with the airline to revamp the entire seating plan on the A380. This involved creating seats, lighting, and interior finishes that combine functionality with sleek, modern aesthetics. The collaboration has spilled on to cabin layouts, tableware, and finishes that reflect a sophisticated design sensibility that has an unmistakable touch of the industrial designer from Australia.

And these design collaborations are not limited to the skies. For instance, Air France recently launched its first signature home fragrance, AF001, which you get a whiff of as soon as you enter its lounges at Paris-Charles de Gaulle. Introduced in January 2025, AF001 is created by Francis Kurkdjian, master perfumer and artistic director of Maison Francis Kurkdjian. Evoking a feeling of space, calm, and light through its musky base notes layered with mimosa, jasmine, and rose, the perfume captures the fleeting magic of a journey just begun. The fragrance is part of a bigger push by Air France to engage travellers’ senses, from cabin interiors and curated cuisine to music playlists, seat materials, and now, smell.

Onboard my KLM flight, I choose house number 106, which represents Villa Rameau in Leiden. This 14th-century building is where the Pilgrim Fathers stayed for 12 years before they set sail on the Mayflower to America in 1620. Rendered in the iconic blue-and-white Delft pottery, it’s delicate, beautiful, and heavy with meaning (not to mention, there’s Dutch gin in it).