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Business class comes with plenty of goodies, but not everything at your seat is yours to keep. The noise-canceling headphones and bedding stay on the plane, while amenity kits, toiletry gift sets, pajamas, and slippers can go home with you. A few airlines almost expect you to take something, from a decorative Qatar Airways pillow and Virgin Atlantic’s cheeky airplane-shaped salt and pepper shakers to KLM’s gin-filled ceramic Dutch houses.
For a souvenir with mouse ears, some Costco locations are selling a two-day Disneyland Park Hopper ticket with Lightning Lane Multi Pass and a $60 dining card for about $330. That could save roughly $170 compared with Disneyland’s regular price. Sam’s Club members can also get 10% off $300 Disney gift cards from Nov. 6 through 8.
And in case you missed it, the Plaza Hotel in New York closes in January 2027 for at least four years to restore its facade. That makes this holiday season the last one for Palm Court tea or Kevin McCallister’s 16-scoop sundae until at least 2031.
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📝 Transcript
One of the questions we get most about flying business class isn’t about the seat or the champagne. It’s what you’re actually allowed to take home.
Welcome back to Departure Digest. Today, we’re answering what you can keep from business class. Plus, a Costco Disneyland deal, and a New York icon you’ll want to visit before it closes for a few years.
What you can keep from business class
Last week, we covered business class etiquette. This week, it’s the souvenirs.
Let’s start with the headphones. The nice noise-canceling ones up front aren’t part of the goodie bag. Think of them like the Dyson Airwrap in a fancy hotel bathroom. Use it all you want, but it’s not leaving with you.
Sometimes they’re collected before landing, and on many airlines, the plug is made for the seat, so they wouldn’t even work once you got them home.
Bedding stays, too. That includes the cozy day blanket some airlines hand out, and believe me, I’ve been tempted.
The same goes for menu binders, the soaps and lotions in the bathroom, and anything that’s part of the seat.
There’s one fun exception. In Qatar Airways business class, one of the pillows usually comes printed with a quote or a city name, and that one’s meant to go home with you. The airline just doesn’t advertise it. The other pillow and the blanket stay behind.
Now for the real goodie bag. Amenity kits are yours. So are the toiletry gift sets some airlines hand out at your seat. And yes, you can keep the pajamas and slippers, which are sometimes from very pricey brands.
Then there’s the gray zone, where airlines kind of expect you to take things. Virgin Atlantic’s little airplane-shaped salt and pepper shakers disappear so often that the bottom literally says “pinched from Virgin Atlantic.”
KLM takes it even further. Business class passengers on long-haul flights get a little blue-and-white ceramic Dutch house, usually filled with gin.
And in Lufthansa’s first class lounges, there are collectible rubber ducks, with special editions for things like Oktoberfest and Christmas.
An easy way to think about it: If it was made just for you, it’s probably yours to keep. If the next passenger would use it, leave it. And when in doubt, just ask.
No judgment if something from a lounge has, let’s say, permanently moved in with you.
Costco and Sam’s Club Disney deals
And if you’d rather your souvenirs come with mouse ears, Costco is selling a Disneyland deal that’s hard to argue with.
Some Costco locations, mostly in Southern California, have a two-day Disneyland Park Hopper ticket for about $330. Park Hopper means you can bounce between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure on the same day.
It also includes Lightning Lane Multi Pass on both days, which lets you book return times for popular rides so you skip most of the regular line. And there’s a $60 Disney dining card on top.
At Disneyland’s regular prices, the ticket and Lightning Lane alone can run around $500. That’s roughly $170 in savings before you even count the snack money.
For me, Lightning Lane is the real value. Two days of skipping the worst lines is the difference between riding Space Mountain three times and spending your afternoon staring at the back of a stranger’s head.
Here’s the catch. The tickets expire Dec. 18, or 13 days after your first visit, whichever comes first. Your two days don’t have to be back to back, but if you want the full 13-day window, use your first day by Dec. 5.
You’ll also need a park reservation for each day, and holiday weekends fill up. So check the reservation calendar before you buy.
If you live nearby or already have a trip planned before mid-December, I’d grab it.
And for Sam’s Club members, there’s a Disney gift card deal coming up. From Nov. 6 through 8, you can get a $300 Disney gift card for $270.
You can use them on park tickets, food, and merch, so it’s basically just 10% off your visit.
The Plaza Hotel’s four-year closure
Meanwhile, back in New York. In case you missed it, last week, the Plaza Hotel announced it’s closing in January for at least four years to restore its landmark facade. The Palm Court and the event spaces are closing, too. The exact closing date hasn’t been announced.
That makes this holiday season the last one at the Plaza until at least 2031. You know the December scene. Horse carriages out front, and tourists on the steps doing their best Kevin McCallister.
The Plaza offers a Home Alone package. But even without the package, you can order Kevin’s 16-scoop sundae from room service for $350, plus a bunch of fees. The Plaza is a Fairmont, so a stay can also earn points with Accor Live Limitless.
If afternoon tea at the Palm Court has been on your someday list, someday is now.
Okay, that’s your Wednesday. Take the slippers, leave the headphones, and maybe grab a scoop of ice cream in honor of Kevin. I’ll talk to you Friday.
Departure Digest is the voice memo from your savviest travel friend. We track travel news and points math so you never make an expensive mistake.
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