The stars (no pun intended) aligning for the April 6 - 9, 2017 TCM Classic Film Festival in Los Angeles reinforce the theme of a recent Unreal TV article that now is the time to attend that event and that the old Hollywood hotel The Hollywood Roosevelt is the place to do it. The WAY beyond domestic first-class JetBlue Mint service provides the third piece of the puzzle in that that is the way to get there.
The above-depicted and below-mentioned Hayward and Hooper amenities bags that enhance the Mint experience are a significant element of that service. The further below responses of Hayward designer (and Dennis Hooper offspring) Marin Hooper to emailed questions by Unreal TV tremendously enhance this discussion of her coveted creations.
JetBlue offers Mint service on several cross-country routes. Everything about this service, which costs no more than standard first-class service on competing airlines, clearly is designed to provide a high-tech enhanced version of the luxurious old Hollywood style version of first class.
Personal experience expressing "we're only over &$#@^@ Iowa?!" and "are we there yet?" after a few hours sitting in an extra-legroom seat on a flight to Phoenix makes this semi-frequent flyer want to nominate the Blue blood behind Mint for a Nobel Prize.
The plans for this article praising Mint coincidentally coinciding with watching a "Beverly Hillbillies" episode in which Jed and all his kin score the entire first-class section of a jet for their virgin (pun intended) flight further validates the thoughts of your not-so-humble reviewer. Like JetBlue Mint passengers, this family has large comfy seats and two attentive and courteous flight attendants dedicated to them. Further, Mint rookies likely will have the same sense of awe as the fictional hill folk experience on discovering air travel.
The tip of the modern luxury iceberg in Mint is finding a pillow and a duvet with a personalized note on your seat when you board, a pre-flight signature Vodka or virgin Refreshmint beverage, and said seat being a lay-flat massaging one. There also is free FlyFi service, a handful of no-cost in-flight movies, and a plethora of satellite television channels, more plugs than any reasonable person could ever need, etc.
The amenity that is prompting this praise-laden post is the super-special Hopper bag full of guy-oriented personal care products that male Mint passengers receive to help stay fresh on the plane and to provide a souvenir to treasure for years to come. The good folks at Hayward (and sibling company Hooper) who make the bag for JetBlue provide the comparable Hayward bag for the ladies.
Scoring coveted pre-flight bags shows that the goodies in both bags include a truly black-out sleep mask, ear plugs, lip balm, and actual mints that active members of the Mile High Club particularly will put to good use.
The following YouTube clip of a JetBlue promo. for the Hopper and Hayward bags further explains the intentional old Hollywood connection with this best-ever airline SWAG. Hayward designer Marin Hooper being the daughter of Hollywood royalty Dennis Hopper and Brooke Hayward, is only the tip of the iceberg.
The aforementioned traditional exceptional first-class service of airlines that have been around decades longer than JetBlue prompted asking Hooper why she partnered with JetBlue rather than a more "mature airline."
In the spirit of the American tradition of doing things in a half-assed manner, the awesomely articulate response of Hopper to this and the other questions is pasted below in bold.
We love Jet Blue! It's the only airline we use to fly from Coast to Coast, and to the Caribbean. The Mint experience is the premiere business/first class in America, very luxuriously appointed and with the best service and most delicious food. We thought that they could use a great amenities kit to match!
Hooper had the following to say regarding the fabulous amenities selection in the bags. In addition to those thoughtful remarks, Hayward shared that the amenities selection rotated seasonally. That alone provided an incentive to frequently fly Mint.
We selected items to be used in-flight that would add a touch of comfort and refreshment to the journey. All of the selections are products we personally use ourselves. The kits will soon include designs by artists we love, like Alia Penner, who just created the divine day and night constellation artwork for the next series of amenities kits and sleep masks.
Hooper offered valued praise and provided interesting insight in response to being asked if the flying public can look forward to a red-white-and-blue Hooper bag in 2019 to honor the 50th anniversary of the uber-classic Dennis Hooper film "Easy Rider."
Good idea! The designs of the kits evolve every six months. We're excited to launch the next generation of kits, which are illustrated by California pop artist Alia Penner, in May 2017. For holiday 2017, the designs will evolve again.
The email communication with Hooper ended on an aptly Hollywood note. Observing that designer Tom Ford has found great success in the film industry prompted asking Hooper if Hayward had any plans to follow suit.
That would be a dream come true! In fact, John Goldstone, the company CEO and my (Marin's) husband, is a movie and television producer. He is currently involved with an adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's A MOVEABLE FEAST, which he is producing with model, actress and author Mariel Hemingway. Interestingly enough, Marin's grandfather, Leland Hayward, was Ernest Hemingway's agent. They later went on to make THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA together for Warner Bros.--the same studio lot where John later met Mariel! Stay tuned for details about this, and the many unique collaborations we have in the works...
Hooper being an impossible act to follow requires wrapping things up by stating that folks who want to avoid the Hell of even extended legroom cross-country travel do have a choice of carriers but are complete morons if they pass on a chance to fly Mint.
Anyone with questions regarding Mint or the Hayward and Hooper bags that are new residents of the gen pop section of the Unreal TV SWAG collection is strongly encouraged to email me. You alternatively can connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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