Website of the Week: Kuwait Airways – 29/03/07

Website of the Week: Kuwait Airways Onboard Shopping

Kuwait’s national carrier was founded in 1954. The flagship airline is wholly owned by the Kuwaiti government and is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization. Kuwait Airways operates scheduled services throughout the Middle East and Europe, Asia and North America.

Style

Kuwait Airways’ shopping site sticks to a clean, smart contrast of corporate blue on white background. Alignments and fonts are neat and keep the site looking tidy. Amply-sized product images are used to illustrate items and are of good quality.

Product categories are accessed via 11 links on the front page of the Onboard Shopping section of KuwaitAirways.com

Content and usability

Kuwait Airways’ shopping homepage dives straight into the good stuff: the product menu sits in the centre of the page with 11 categories. Accessories, Toys, Travellers Accessories, Watches, Sunglasses, Cosmetics, Men’s Fragrances, Ladies’ Fragrances, Jewellery, Electronics and Cigars. (There is no Liquor category.)

In content terms, the product menu is as much as the shopping site has to offer; the site isn’t a dedicated shopping site, but an extension of the main airline site. The rest of the page is filled with airline-related options. Although the page also includes a handful of thumbnail images for brands such as Guerlain, Dolce & Gabbana and Silhoutte, none is interactive.

The Accessories section comprises three pens. As elsewhere, each product is illustrated with a generously-sized image, description and dual price in Kuwait dinars and US dollars. Items include Montblanc Star Walker Ballpoint Pen (KD80/US$281), ST Dupont Mini Olympio Pink Diamond Head Pen (KD59.75/US$210) and Waterman Audace Ultra Lace (KD15.75/US$55). Items are listed vertically with a ‘Back to Main’ link at the bottom of each page for easy access to the home page.

Toys includes two items: Barbie Watch & Pencil Set (KD7/US$25) and Scorpio Gadgets Mini watch walkie talkie (KD14.25/US$50).

Traveller Accessories (also called Logo Items) comprises one Kuwait Airways-themed product, Kuwait Airways Playing Cards (KD2.50/US$9).

Watches showcases 12 timepieces, such as Guess Glacier Watch (KD50/US$175) and Puma Chrono watch, which comes with a free keychain (KD52.75/US$185).

Sunglasses comprises three pairs of eyewear from brands including Silhouette – Titan Metallic 8581 (KD40.50/US$42) – and Mercedes Benz – Elegant Gents Sunglasses (KD79.75/US$280).

Seventeen items make up the Cosmetics collection, from top brand names including YSL Mascara Volume Effect (KD6.75/US$24), L’Oréal Trio Shine Cream (KD8/US$28) and Christian Dior Capture Total Serum (KD28.50/US$100).

Men’s Fragrances comprises over 30 products, such as Chanel Pour Homme Sport edt 100ml (KD18, US$63) and and Designer Shaik edp 110ml (KD39.25/US$138).

Ladies’ Fragrances offers over 40 items, for instance Lancôme Miracle Forever edp 50ml (KD6.25/US$57) and Escada Into the Blue edp 50ml (KD11.50/US$40).

Jewellery includes Menno Stellar Necklace & Earrings Set (KD28.50/US$100) and Pierre Cardin Watch and Jewellery Set (KD30/US$105).

Electronics features items such as Minox DMP3 Multifunctional Movie Player/Recorder (KD71/US$249) and Power Traveller Wireless Headset (KD14.25/US$50).

Cigars offers two items from Cohiba: Minis (KD7/US$25) and Robusto (KD9.50/US$33).

What we like: