Ten of the sexiest commercials in airline history

by Scott Carmichael on

Last year, we compiled a list of vintage airline commercials, and since the Internet is full of some of the greatest commercials commissioned by airlines, we picked “sexiest airline commercials” as the topic of this top ten lineup.

The list has some vintage clips (Southwest Airlines hotpants) and some pretty recent stuff. So, sit back and enjoy these ten sexiest airline commercials.

Virgin Atlantic 25th anniversary video


This commercial is brilliant – it takes all the best (and the worst) of 1984 to celebrate 25 years of Virgin Atlantic

Air New Zealand “Nothing To Hide”

Bodypainted cabin crew members, and a cameo appearance by the CEO of the airline.

Southwest Airlines

Remember before Southwest Airlines? We didn’t have hostesses in hotpants. And now we still don’t, but at least they don’t charge for checking a bag. Though if I’m honest, I’d probably prefer the hotpants.

Airport metal detector prank

Alright, so it isn’t for an airline, and it isn’t even for a product remotely related to flying, but it has long been one of the most popular commercials involving an airport.

Silverjet

Seriously? Using a lesbian mile high romp to advertise your airline? Sadly, the airline only lasted two years before they realized that their all business class service couldn’t survive in the new economy.

Fake airline, funny commercial

This commercial for “Lynx Airlines” was made in 2008.Obviously it isn’t for a real airline, but it does mimic the services Ryanair said they’d offer in Business Class should they ever start flying transatlantic.

National Airlines “Go Go vacations”

They really don’t make them like this any more – because if they did, someone would probably sue.

If you wanted to sleep with him, you would have married him

Not every sexy airline commercial involves a stewardess in hotpants.

“I just love a man in a JetBlue uniform”

These girls love pilots – but only JetBlue pilots. Talk about being picky.

Nothing says awkward like exposing yourself to your inlaws.

(Warning, may not be suitable for work). This is one of those commercials that was clearly devised before the ad agency had a taker, because nothing in the clip is even remotely aviation related. That doesn’t prevent it from being hilarious.

If you liked the videos, you might be interested in …

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Southwest Airlines passenger too big to fly? You be the judge!

by Scott Carmichael on

Southwest Airlines is once again in the news for its claimed mistreatment of a passenger of size.

Trampus Adams and his wife were flying from Las Vegas back home to Portland when an airline staff member requested that his wife get off the plane to purchase a second ticket. The staff member had made the decision that she was unable to safely fit in one seat.

The humiliation drove her to tears and she began hyperventilating. In fact, the course of events were so stressful, that she ended up in hospital the next day.

To be perfectly honest, I’m having a hard time picking any side here – Mrs. Adams is 5-foot-8 and weighs 350 pounds, so there is no denying that she is a “passenger of size”. In a photo taken by her husband, he’s trying to show that his wife had no problem fitting in one seat, and that the demand for purchasing a second seat was wrong.

From the perspective of the airline, a judgment call was made, and assuming the staff didn’t select her just to annoy her, the have every right to pick safety and comfort of their fellow passengers over politeness.

I do think the airline was wrong to have her get off the flight to pay for the second seat – these issues should be resolved before passengers board, to prevent the kind of embarrassing situation Mrs. Adams had to endure. In addition to this, she had been allowed to fly to Las Vegas without any incident, so it is obvious that Southwest Airlines was not applying the rules consistently.

So – dear readers – what do you think? Was Southwest Airlines correct to demand that she pay for a second seat, or did they insult her? To clarify – Mr. Adams is not asking for money, he just wants an apology from the airline.

(Article and photo from KOIN Local 6)

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Airline fees continue, necessary evil

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Yes, you’ve heard about this all year, and you’ll probably hear about it for a while to come. Airlines are still looking for ways to pull every dollar they can out of your wallets, but the reality is that they have no choice. Seven of the nine largest airlines in the United States had a rough time in August, making these measures more important than passengers might realize.

The second bag, according to an article in USA Today, remains the most popular fee target for airlines. Continental Airlines, US Airways and American Airlines recently announced that they are going to charge for this, and Hawaiian Airlines is going to charge passengers for the first checked bag on flights between islands beginning September 14, 2009.

I understand charging for checked luggage (the money has to come from somewhere), and I honestly don’t see charging for a second bag as a bad idea. Frankly, it can be pretty frustrating to stand in line behind someone who’s fumbling with more luggage than he or she can move along. The first bag? That’s a bit different. This fee could cause passengers to push the envelope with carry-ons, which is likely to trigger arguments with gate agents and flight attendants, tie up the boarding process and result in hefty doses of frustration for everyone else on the plane.

I’m more a fan of Southwest‘s new policy, which will put passengers at the front of the line – even ahead of frequent fliers and those paying premium fares – for a fee of $10 each way. Since the airline doesn’t assign seating, this small sum offers the chance to get the best seats on the plane. I’m not crazy about the notion that it comes at the expense of frequent flier comfort (alienating your best customers is rarely a good idea), but the price is low enough that these passengers would probably pay it anyway. For this perk, I’d definitely pay more than $10.

There’s money in extra fees, as we’ve discussed on Gadling in the past. Some analysts predict that these charges could be good for more than $2 billion a year for an industry that could definitely use it. The airlines need to be careful, though, as going to far could lead to disgruntled (and lost) customers.

Passengers, however, should be realistic. Fares are cheap. To make ends meet, airlines have been cutting flights and services, generally making the experience incredibly uncomfortable.

In fact, taking this approach to the extreme might be a good idea. Airlines could offer dirt-cheap prices for passengers who want nothing more than to get from one place to another. Then, if you want to enhance your experience – with a meal, cocktail or better seat – you can pay a little more. This à la carte approach would empower passengers to create their own experiences, ultimately improving customer service and airline responsiveness. To an extent, it’s already happening, but to make the strategy work, it would have to become part of a cohesive offer.

That said, airlines would have to be careful with their general cuts. Fewer flights, less legroom and degraded customer service affect everybody, and there’s no way to work improvements in based on price (with the exception of flying in business or first class, which involves a considerable price gap). Finding a middle ground could change both the airline industry and passenger perception of the flying experience.

Southwest Airlines offers early boarding for $10

by Grant Martin on

Nobody likes being the last person to board an airplane. In addition to zero overhead bin space that’s left over, it’s inevitable that the only seat left on the aircraft is in the back next to the lav between two enormous, smelly, sleeping wrestlers.

Traditional airlines get around this by assigning seats at ticketing (and often separating select seats out for elites,) but Southwest Airlines has always had an “open seat” policy. That is, you board roughly in zones and pick whichever seat you want when you get onto the plane. Kind of like a bus. Depending on when you check in and a few other factors, you’re allowed to stand in a certain part of the line.

It’s a very democratic way of boarding, with a wide range of supporters and opponents.

If you’d really like the chance to pick your seat (or pick your seatmates,) however, you can now do it in a new way. For an extra ten bucks, Southwest will give you the opportunity to board early, freely stow your bags and grin at all of the other passengers as they struggle to find space for themselves.

With EarlyBird boarding, you’ll board with Rapid Rewards A List and Business Select customers.

You can read more about EarlyBird checkin at Southwest’s site. Now the real question is: would you pay $10 to board early?
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Southwest to offer wi-fi on all flights by 2010

by Katie Hammel on

To add to its cheap fares, no-extra-fees policy, and wise-cracking flight attendants, Southwest Airlines is giving us one more reason to love the low-cost carrier. Southwest says that, by the first quarter of 2010, wi-fi internet will be available on all flights.

Southwest and Row 44 have been testing the service on four planes since February of 2009. In a press release, Southwest Airlines’ Senior VP of Marketing and Revenue Management says Southwest is “very happy with both the technical performance of the system and the response of the Customers who have used it.”

Southwest is also testing various price points, so there’s no word yet on how much the service will cost.