United Airlines Provides Relief For Traveling Kids With New Sesame Street Amenity Kits

Sesame Street characters in a bus
Sesame Street characters in a bus
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United Airlines is partnering with Sesame Street to provide relief for parents traveling with children. The new partnership with the children’s brand offers complimentary travel kits to entertain kids while they fly.

With the airline installing Oscar The Grouch as its Chief Trash Collector earlier this year, it’s no surprise United is furthering projects with more beloved childhood characters. Designed to both entertain child passengers and provide relief to their parents, the amenity kits are another resource for traveling millennial parents.

Sensory Relief For Traveling Kids

Sesame Street
Photo credit: Joe McNally

The new amenity kits will include an Oscar The Grouch coloring book filled with drawings and activities. It also includes crayons, interactive mazes, and connect-the-dots challenges.

While the Sesame Street-themed kit provides entertainment for traveling children, it also caters to the sensory needs of kids who may need a distraction from travel stressors. According to License Global, the kit aims to help soothe and comfort children while they travel.

United is not the first airline to cater to the needs of its child travelers. Qatar Airlines offers free seat selection to children under a certain age and offers superhero toys, stickers, crayons, and educational materials for kids flying. ANA, Etihad, and Japan Airlines also have special snacks and toys available for children on board.

Chief Trash Officer

Sesame Street characters in a bus
Photo credit: Slaven Vlasic

United’s new child amenities come just a few months after the launch of its consumer education program. The program aims to educate flyers on sustainable aviation fuel.

In addition to installing Oscar The Grouch as the airline’s new Chief Trash Collector, the program also gives customers insight into an “estimate of each flight’s carbon footprint on a per economy seat passenger basis on the United app and website,” according to a press release from the airline.

“United has invested in more sustainable aviation fuel production than any airline in the world, by far,” said United Chief Communications Officer Josh Earnest. “Every airline burns jet fuel to run their business, but no airline will solve climate change on its own. So United has enlisted Oscar to help us educate the traveling public of all ages about SAF and rally them to the cause of fighting climate change.”

Oscar and the rest of his Sesame Street entourage are quickly making changes at United. The child kits are the second amenity kits to launch from United this year. Just days before, the airline released in-flight wellness kits featuring products from Venus Williams-backed brands Asutra and Ua Body. Each kit includes cruelty-free skincare products and is available to passengers flying United Business class.