7 Must-See Flight-Safety Videos
Flight safety is the No. 1 priority for all airlines. Cabin crew are trained to make every effort to get you from A to B as safely (and comfortably) as possible. It all begins with the flight safety demonstration. Many airlines give these instructions via videos nowadays, and some go to great lengths to make them as attention-grabbing as possible. We’ve selected seven of the most remarkable flight-safety videos for you.
1. Delta
Initially, this seems to be a seriously cool, calm and collected instruction video, but nothing could be further from the truth. The Delta stewardess gives the instructions clearly enough, but she is assisted by a parade of remarkable passengers, ranging from a cowboy to a giant squirrel.
2. Air France
Air France adopts a bilingual approach. Five elegant young ladies perform the instructions in a choreography, as the sixth explains. They dance down the aisle, gracefully don their oxygen masks, and never remove their smiles from their carefully groomed faces.
3. Air New Zealand
Last year, Air New Zealand contracted the cast of The Hobbit to present their flight-safety instructions. This time round they’ve gone back in time to the movie Men In Black. Two special agents dressed in sharp, black suits have a mission: to demonstrate the safety instructions to passengers. They go to great lengths, even performing a rap accompanied by dancers.
4. KLM
KLM steers clear of such craziness, opting to highlight its Dutch roots with an animation using Delftware tiles. KLM’s new flight-safety video is actually a stop-motion film consisting of thousands of Delftware tiles. A combination of Dutch design and craftsmanship.
5. Virgin America
Virgin America has turned its flight-safety instruction into a music video. Cabin crew dance around the plane, explaining everything in song. Fun fact: one of the crew members was a finalist in American Idol.
6. United
Even before they’ve left the ground, United has already taken its passengers on a trip around the world. The flight personnel take passengers on a tour of some iconic spots and explain the safety instructions on the way.
7. Icelandair
Have you ever camped out under the Northern Lights or climbed an active volcano? You can do these things in Iceland, as the inflight video confirms. Passengers are taken on a tour of magnificent landscapes and get a taste of the country’s laidback atmosphere as the instructions are explained.
But why do airlines go to such great lengths to demonstrate their safety instructions? Possibly because flight safety is not that cool. Or because passengers simply aren’t interested or don’t want to be confronted with their latent fears. They prefer to flip through the inflight magazine or check out the stewardesses.
Priority number one
Which is strange, because flight safety can save lives. It is our No. 1 priority. That means a flight safety film is the ideal moment to convince passengers that they are in professional, reliable and safe hands. Passengers are inclined to forge that behind each of those friendly smiles is a well-trained safety professional. Someone who knows how to deal with aggressive passengers, how to put out fires, how to get everyone off a plane within 90 seconds. You can rely on crew members to remain in full control of the situation, without getting into a panic.
Although the above videos may suggest otherwise, flight safety is a serious business. Personally, I am in favour of presenting it as such. What are your thoughts?
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