Clearly by this photo above, I did not have your average Friday night this past weekend.
Last Friday, my evening was spent in the company of none other than Hello Kitty herself! And my lovely friend Jenna too, of course! Jenna and I celebrated the launch of EVA Air’s brand new Hello Kitty Shining Star Jet at Bush Intercontinental Airport with Hello Kitty and her gang. This week kicks off the jet’s first direct flights between Houston and Taipei, Taiwan.
You guys. This is a huge deal! There is a Hello Kitty themed airplane that flies only to and from Houston! Sign me up for a vacation to Taipei, because after touring this amazing airplane, I am so “on board” for an exotic Asian adventure.
In case you’re hankering for the same type of adventure yourself, follow along with today’s post and I’m sure you’ll be booking your ticket on Hello Kitty’s Shining Star Jet by the time you get to the bottom!
Our evening was kicked off at check in, where we received our boarding passes as well as our very own pink Hello Kitty hair bows.
If I could always be given a sparkly hair bow along with my boarding passes, traveling would be just that much better.
Boarding passes in hand, we were shuttled to the tarmac where we were greeted with a red carpet grand entrance.
Walking into a party tent filled with bright pink decor left & right and Sanrio characters everywhere you looked, I was in jumping for joy inside!
I can’t tell you how many times, when I was younger, that I dragged my parents to the Sanrio Surprises store whenever we would visit Nashville.
So let me tell you, it’s just as much fun to be immersed in the world of Sanrio as an adult as it was as a little kid. Because you never really grow out of Hello Kitty, right?
Jenna and I made sure to snap our photo with Hello Kitty in her astronaut gear as soon as we arrived.
The Shining Star Jet is given its name in part due to Houston’s identity as the home of NASA and gateway to outer space.
Hello Kitty is ready to blast off!
Some of you ladies asked about my look on instagram, so in case you were interested, here you go!:
flora + mia crop top // lisi lerch tassel earrings // anthropologie jardin skirt (on sale) // henri bendel uptown satchel // similar lace up heels
To celebrate the launch, members of the Sanrio & EVA team spoke on behalf of the partnership that this plane has created between Houston and Taipei.
EVA Airlines also listed some really impressive stats. Did you know that EVA Air is the #9 airline in the entire world!? Pretty cool that this top tier airline has a home in Houston now.
After a few more speeches (and an exchange of a cowboy hat between Houston & Taiwanese representatives), party-goers were treated to a dance display from Hello Kitty’s very own pals – My Melody & Twin Stars.
The music alone was amazing, and you guys, these pink & blue ladies dancing skills were on point!
Cheers to the show!
The event certainly wasn’t complete without Asian inspired dishes, complementing Hello Kitty’s birth place. Hello Kitty herself adorned every single cupcake! Not a detail was left unfinished.
Speaking of details, little tables filled with in-flight service items dotted the event. From “fragile” luggage tags to the small bag filled with peanuts, Hello Kitty’s cute little face was incorporated to each item.
The soaps, lotions and perfumes that are tucked away in the restrooms on the airplane also boast Hello Kitty’s fun face & her adventurous activities.
No joke, even the plane’s toilet paper had Hello Kitty on it! Serious attention to detail my friends.
While we awaited the Shining Star Jet’s big arrival, Sanrio artists were nearby creating original drawings for the event’s guests.
Soon it was time to head back out to the red carpet for the plane’s debut. With all the hustle, bustle & hype, I have never been so excited to see an airplane in my life!
The Superman movie theme song playing in the background certainly helped with that too. 😉
Side note: how adorable is this girl’s purse!?
I may need to get one of these stat!
At last the big moment arrived as the Shining Star Jet touched down in Houston.
Hello Kitty herself was on board the plane, making a very special debut for us Houstonians.
This very special debut also included a moon walk dance to Michael Jackson. Highly entertaining, I must add!
With all of the hubbub, we could not wait to get on the plane ourselves.
Climbing the stairs to the cabin door, Jenna & I imagined we were both off to Taipei without looking back.
Waltzing into Elite & Economy Class, we found colorful Hello Kitty pillows and headrests on every seat.
The television screens (which were pretty huge I might add) were also lit up with Sanrio’s dancing characters.
Can you imagine the feeling of a 12+ hour flight ahead of you, but getting on the plane to something as happy and colorful as this? It really puts the fun in travel.
In-flight meals were also presented, giving us as much of the full experience of traveling on the Shining Star Jet as we could have, without ever leaving the tarmac.
From top to bottom- in flight dinner, breakfast & a children’s breakfast. I still can’t get over how adorable the star shaped fruit & vegetable pieces are. And yes, I would also love to have a side of macarons with every meal, please. …. hot pink dishes too! 😉
Jenna and I then made our way to the Royal Laurel Class, aka Business/First Class. If you want to live it up while doing some long legged international travel, than I can think of no better way to fly than in Hello Kitty’s Royal Laurel Class.
Here’s why: 😉
For one, fancy salmon dinners. (With flight attendants in the cutest of cute aprons!)
Salmon not, your thing? There’s also steak. With butter in the shape of Hello Kitty’s face nonetheless.
I’ve flown across the ocean many a time, but I have never flown at the front of the plane in such luxurious seats no less. With all of the amenties you could dream of, and a chair that literally turns into a bed that you can lay completely flat on, I was in heaven.
All you have to do is press the light in the shape of a crescent moon & stars, and your chair magically turns into a bed. (Comfy duvet included!)
Good night to all, I’m off to Taipei!
But in actuality, I’m still here in Houston. 😛
Taipei, however, has been added to my bucket list for sure! Let’s be honest, what city is not on my bucket list? It truly would be a blessed life to be able to travel the world, but for now I’ll just daydream about those exotic adventures until the time comes to plan them.
Hope you all enjoyed the peek into Hello Kitty’s very own air plane! And thank you again Sanrio & EVA Air for the fabulous evening!
As always, thanks for stopping by the blog. And I’m oh-so sorry if I’ve given you the travel bug today. I hear it’s pretty contagious. 🙂
—
alice
