If you're in the US and heading away for the long weekend by plane, here's a suggestion. As the aircraft pulls away from the gate, put down your book / newspaper / Kindle (although you weren't supposed to be using the Kindle anyway, if for no good reason) and actually take a look at the safety briefing video. It might actually be entertaining.
My favourite safety video for a long time was Delta's. It's pretty standard fare: wear your seatbelt, turn off electronics, etc. But Katherine Lee (a real Delta flight attendant, not an actress) somehow manages to make the instructions -- especially the non-smoking instructions -- fun to watch, and the darling attendant campily modelling the life vest at the end is a hoot.
But my new favourite video (and new favourite airline, sorry Alaskan!) is the one from Virgin America. I've seen it dozens of times now, but I still always watch it the whole way through every time. I love the bull's expression when the matador finally buckles his seat, and there always seems to be a new detail to discover with each watching. (Did you notice the smoking lady has six fingers as she exits the toilet?)
And for those of you not in the US, next time you're flying Air New Zealand be sure to check out their video, too. I didn't think anything would top the video where they're all naked (except for uniform-coloured body-paint and the strategic placement of seatbelts and life vests), but as a rugby fan I love the latest one. It features several members of the All Blacks international Rugby Union team demonstrating the safety features with line-outs, scrums and tackles. If you're not familiar with the rugby lingo some of the jokes might fly by like forward passes, but it's another entertaining way of communicating safety information.
What's your favourite airline safety video? Let us know in the comments.
I just love that Kiwi accent!
Posted by: nico | September 03, 2010 at 11:23
Just heard about the Christchurch earthquake. Best wishes to everyone there, especially our Kiwi friends.
Posted by: David Smith | September 03, 2010 at 11:27