Airlines Gallery II: Serviettes and Swizzle Sticks

Other great ideas for free airline souvenirs are beverage napkins and swizzle sticks provided during cabin service. Given that the tiny little plastic glasses of pop or juice that airlines serve can be consumed in two gulps, it hardly makes sense to provide beverage napkins, yet the airlines persist. One's experience isn't really materially enhanced by having such a napkin under one's glass, and it's not required for any hygienic purpose, so keeping a beverage napkin as a souvenir is perfectly possible. These napkins are quite easily damaged by accidental tearing, folding, or spilling of liquids, so great care has to be taken in preserving them in mint condition as souvenirs. Swizzle sticks used to stir alcoholic beverages will often feature the airline's logo and can be retained as souvenirs.

The following are some beverage napkins and swizzle sticks acquired since the 1990s during various airline flights on different carriers.

A plastic sleeve containing utensils, a serviette, and salt and pepper packets from Skyservice Airlines, 1997.

A plastic sleeve containing utensils, a serviette, and salt and pepper packets from British Airways, 1998.

A serviette from Air Transat, featuring the new colours and logo of the airline.

Two napkins from American Airlines: A folded dinner napkin removed from its plastic sleeve (left), and a beverage napkin (right).

Two beverage napkins from Canadian Airlines International, acquired by Air Canada in 2001. These napkins feature the elegant 'flying goose' logo adopted by Canadian Airlines shortly before its bankruptcy and sale to Air Canada, and were acquired during a business class flight from Toronto to Honolulu, Hawaii in the late 1990s or 2000.

A beverage napkin from Sunwing Airlines, a low-cost charter airline based in Toronto.

A beverage napkin from US Airways during a flight from Buffalo to New York City in 2000.

A beverage napkin acquired during a Porter Airlines flight between Ottawa and Toronto in October 2008.

A beverage napkin acquired during an Air Canada flight from Halifax to Montreal in July 2009.  Note that that Air Canada wordmark and maple leaf logo are embossed and therefore barely distinguishable.

A swizzle stick from Air Canada, cleverly incorporating the airline's circular logo into the top of the stick.

A beverage napkin from an Air Canada flight between Ottawa and Toronto, Canada, April 2010. Air Canada's frequent, short distance, high-density Toronto-Ottawa and Toronto-Montreal routes are known as the Rapidair service.

Two 4-inch square beverage serviettes from Japan Air Lines. Courtesy of MoMI contributor JN, April 2014.

A Japan Airlines sugar packet and set of disposable wooden chopsticks. Courtesy of MoMI contributor JN, April 2014.

A Lufthansa swizzle stick, dark blue plastic with embossed airline name, 4 November 2016.

A cocktail napkin from Qantas Airways flight QF 144, Auckland-Sydney, 23 November 2016.

A package containing a napkin, stirring spoon for hot beverages, and a single serving packet of white sugar, obtained on Qantas Airways flight QF 1419, 23 November 2016.

A folded serviette from the lunch service aboard Asiana Airlines flight OZ 1075, Tokyo Haneda to Seoul Gimpo, 17 January 2024.