The best airline safety announcement videos

Air travelers have all been there — the plane is about to take off, but first we have to awkwardly look away or bury our noses in magazines to avoid paying attention to the safety announcements. They’re the same every time, so we always know that the closest exit may be behind us. But a few savvy airlines have come up with better ways to grab passengers’ attention. From stripping down to rapping, here are some of the best airline safety announcements you’ll see on board.

Thomson Airways
British airline Thomson Airways knows that cuteness always gets attention. When a plane full of adorable kids tells you how to buckle your seatbelt, you’re sure to listen:

Air New Zealand
If cute doesn’t work, sex always sells. Take this Air New Zealand video, which encourages passengers to “take a second look” at safety — and the body-painted flight crew:

To further prove they have a sense of humor, Air New Zealand released a blooper reel of the clips that didn’t make the safety video. After all, reciting lines wearing body paint can’t be too easy:

Delta Airlines
Delta is a little more subtle with its sexy announcements — but every person in the video is ridiculously attractive, with perfect teeth and not a hair out of place. YouTube commenters have even dubbed the main announcer “Deltalina” for her resemblance to Angelina Jolie:

Virgin America
International airlines aren’t the only ones who get to have fun. Take Virgin America’s safety video, which pokes fun at the various characters found on a typical flight:

Southwest Airlines
Southwest is known for its funny flight crews. This flight attendant brings the entertainment with a safety rap:

This Southwest attendant makes announcements American Idol-style, singing a parody of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies:”

Virgin Atlantic
When in doubt, use flashy graphics. Virgin Atlantic puts passengers at ease with its calming music and intriguing animation:

Will a pretty face help save your life? Delta hopes so

What makes you pay attention to the safety instructions at the beginning of a flight? For me, it’s having a flight attendant right in front of me — I feel rude if I put my head down and dig in to the Sky Mall while someone is giving a presentation. But if it’s a video presentation, I’m all my over in-flight shopping.

Evidently, I’m not alone in my blatant disregard for the safety demonstration: airlines have begun creating what they hope are attention-grabbing videos in the hopes that passengers might start paying attention. Delta Airlines is the most recent airline to do so, joining Virgin Airlines in addition to others. While Virgin took the animated approach, Delta’s strategy is a bit different: put a pretty woman on screen.

Already, the flight attendant Katherine Lee, or “Deltalina” (nicknamed so by viewers because of her similarity to Angelina Jolie), is making headlines with her finger-wagging and pretty smile. Will she make you a safer flier? Watch the video and let us know.


Wild women on planes:

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