Delta Air Lines has just unveiled its latest safety video, and it’s a special one, as it celebrates the carrier’s 100th anniversary (well, sort of — airlines take some liberties with their anniversary celebrations, as the company factors in predecessors that eventually became Delta).
Continue reading: New Delta Safety Video: A Hundred Years Of Safety
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
As regards anniversaries that require retconning predecessor organizations, I think to my alma mater, which claims a founding date of 1817, but which didn't hold its first class until 1841. Conveniently, nobody from that era is around to refute it...
Makes you wonder if they were set to release it a few weeks ago but had to delay after Toronto... Also, will they have another 100 years celebration for Delta itself, whenever that is? Would be a bit strange...
it is cute.
the best scenes are pre-deregulation air travel. There are virtually no customers that knew DL or any other airline before 1978.
just over half of DL's history was as a regulated company where it was the underdog - never part of the Spoils conference - and just under half under e deregulation where it went from the 6th largest US airline to the largest airline in the world by revenue and market cap and first of the US airlines to celebrate 100 years.
It’s fascinating to see how delta thinks they are creative when they are in fact really boring from livery to uniforms to colors to fonts and now this new video… yawn !
I assure you sir, there are lots of us who remember flying before 1978.
For what it’s worth, though Delta had only just started passenger service at the time of the Spoils Conference in 1930, Western Airlines was involved in all that. Western is part of Delta’s lineage and history.
Not a knock on them but funny they couldn’t come up with a pop culture “look” to make the 2000s or 2010s look distinctive from today. It’s been 25 years not 5 this century but our styles haven’t changed nearly as much as they did last century. Not that it’s a bad thing either we’re all more individual in our styles now I guess.
The usual Tim Dunn fluff.
"There are virtually no customers that knew DL or any other airline before 1978."
Spoken like Tim was there before 78.
Only problem is Delta is pretty well known way way way before deregulation.
How could an unknown airline afford 747 L-1011 and DC-10?
Maybe instead of fooling around DOT data, and listing to earnings calls, you should actually visit the Delta museum?
yes, there are plenty of people that flew before 1978 that are still alive - me included. There are very few - certainly as a percentage of current flyers - that were frequent travelers and still are.
Western was one of Delta's two best mergers - the other being Northwest and both have rich histories that are part of DL's history just as other airlines trace their lineage to their predecessors and merger partners. However, Delta is just slightly older than Western although, as many good aviation historians know, DL's first 4 years were as a crop dusting company in Louisiana around the Mississippi delta, from which Delta gets its name.
All of my flights on the current big 3 have been on jet flights but seeing just a bit of the history of the industry before the jet age highlights a world that does not exist anymore.
Looking back 100 years probably does not evoke the essence of change "delta" as much as the thought of thinking about air travel 100 years from now.
Delta was for deregulation while most of its current competitors were against it and it is clear that DL has taken full advantage of deregulation.
The video is Quite the rewriting of flying delta history in the Deep South in the 40s and 50s but very very delta to pretend they never had that history of corporate racism via casting.
Delta didn’t even hire a single black flight attendant until the late 60s and her experiences of blatant racism in the Deep South are very sad to read.
you do realize that it was Texas that was one of the last bastion's of slavery?
Atlanta was leveled by Union troops and has been almost entirely rebuilt over the past 160 years.
lol
What? Are you suggesting Atlanta and delta was some bastion of progressive culture in the 50s? MLK may be from there but he found his voice and calling looking at his surroundings in Atlanta , not by watching Atlanta lead the way.
What a weird response. But sure. Let’s pretend the 40s, 50s, and 60s in the Deep South never happened with happy ethnicities talking to each other and working together when delta certainly did not lead in that area.
We all appreciate the irony here, right? A new safety video on the heels of two pilot-error induced near catastrophes in the last month? Unbelievable.
Not delta whitewashing their racist past and tim going into delta propaganda overdrive
Cute video. But a weird way to create a revisionist history of delta.
To be fair. Endeavor doesn’t have seat back screens to show this safety video 😉
I think it is cool that they use actual flight attendants for these videos instead of actors. I remember being on a flight to London with an FA who also starred in the safety video shown on the flight.
Nobody pretends the past didn’t happen but some of us look at the present as much as the past
Let us know the racial percentages of each airline’s workforces. United published it at least last year. I have no idea for other airlines but Delta has provided as much as or more diversity opportunities than its peers
Oh tim
Somehow you bring up Juneteenth, a celebration of freedom in Texas, entirely due to very poor communication post civil war as an excuse for delta whitewashing their corporate racist history.
You never disappoint.
Aegean livery was updated in 2019. Delta has been using the same livery since 2007. The only changes are the widget is silver instead of red as silver symbolizes 100.
How so? Delta livery hasn't changed since 2007. They're using a silver widget instead of red to symbolize 100. Aegean updated their livery in 2019.
I will say Delta definitely has their safety video game on point. No other US airline that I know of puts out a new safety video multiple times a year. Although the results can be mixed, they’ve definitely come out with some good ones in the past. The welcome videos from Ed are also generally quite good
I will give Delta credit for putting more effort into their safety videos than any other US carrier. I don’t know of anyone else that puts out multiple safety videos a year. Although the results can be quite mixed, they’ve definitely put out some good ones in the past. The welcome videos from Ed are also generally quite good.
Doesn’t change that freedom came last in Texas. Blane doesn’t change that. Or that there was anything different w airlines elsewhere
Now answer the question about present work forces
Of course you won’t because it makes your point well pointless
Like you said
One company publishes that. You’re so pathetic in your attempts to blame delta.
Don’t try to erase the past, weirdo
You need mental help
Please explain to the readers why you people have to bring one’s ethnicity, gender, religion, or past history, into almost any topic of conversation?
Trust me people are sick to their back teeth of having this or that minority subject rammed down their throats.
Stick to the topic or stick to another website for your rants.
Nice to see tim using a fake name to just be racist and ignore delta’s history and the fake history of a happy black FA in the 50s
You need to find better ways to spend your day, tim
If you ever needed a portrait of how Tim’s “mind” works, this is a perfect example. And yet he seems to believe that OMAAT depends on him for page clicks. I’m really curious about what mental condition he has.
it was YOU, not me, that were told by someone to leave race and ethnicity out of the discussion.
and as you as you got slapped up the side of the head, you resort to "it has to be Tim Dunn" under another user name rather than admit YOU are and were wrong.
Again, tell us how many black flight attendants worked for other airlines in the first 50 years of DL's history
and tell us the percentage of non-white employees any US airline has. I would strongly bet that DL is at or near the top of the US industry.
We all have dirt in our backyards; It is any of us do with the past that matters the most.
now walk away. You decided to throw dirt and others realize how hypocritical and in poor form it is.
whether DL flew widebodies before deregulation or not doesn't change that it was the 6th largest US airline at the time of deregulation and has grown to the world's largest airline by revenue, market cap and brand value.
Despite not having the spoils that other airlines had during its early years, DL also was the first US airline to board 100 million passengers per year.
and, yes, I did fly DL before 1978 but I wasn't that frequent of a flyer... even though I have a DL FF number that begins 20... one of the earliest DL FF numbers.
DL was well known, was still sixth largest, and there are very few frequent flyers in 1978 that are still high volume flyers almost 50 years later. all of those are true and it shouldn't be that difficult for you to understand it.
let's face it, though. Any "fluff" is really just facts that you don't to hear about.
Despite being the oldest US airline, DL's real growth came in the 2nd half of its life when it overtook American and United both of which had access to the richest pre-deregulation routes.
It's cool that the IFE screens have the evolution of Delta's logo overtime too!
You won't admit that your boyfriend Ed Bastian is a homophobe, so it's only natural that you'd try to whitewash Delta's redneck and racist past, present, and future. They're still the crop dusters to me, and they're totally irrelevant at my home airport.
So we all know you have a low SkyPesos number, Timbits, but what we want to know is this: what was your employee number at Delta before they fired you?
Although this is a minor point and this is after all a safety video, I would think it better if DL did not directly link its centennial to safety. The first thing that came to my mind just upon seeing the title was a mental recounting of as many DL accidents/incidents. It's especially ironic at the present time with the recent unfortunate events in YYZ & LGA.
A historical perspective is educational, informative and amusing and a 100 year span with accidents is unavoidable but from a public relations perception, the industry should tread lightly.
Even QF has had accidents/incidents if not a single fatality throughout its history !
The question is are you a “Plane Jane” or just a simple plain Jane? One has the distinct impression that you are very much a pain Jane. However, regardless of the name you choose to use, one is certain of the fact you choose to disabuse.
I will choose to call you a pain Jane, furthermore, please be advised that Tim Dunn and I are not one or the same person.
For a start Tim is obviously American with a vast knowledge of DA, American politics, history, etc, etc. For my part, it should be perfectly obvious to the thinking reader that I definitely English, darlink. As for my knowledge of those who currently inhabit the colonies, pain Jane, you really would not like me to be candid now would you?
Whatever your problem is concerning Tim Dunn, a contributors ethnicity or political beliefs, you would be best advised to air your views elsewhere. Hijacking this blog for your wokery is hardly cricket old bean.
One finds it necessary to establish a very important fact for the benefit of some contributors to this blog.
Tim Dunn is not using the login AeroB13a as an alternative to his own.
Tim Dunn is very obviously American, while AeroB13a is undoubtedly English.
Only a numpty of very little brain could possibly think otherwise.
Except that you both use the exact same syntax and terms unless tim does his well documented ChatGPT “make this statement sound British”
Tim. You aren’t fooling anyone.
No brit cares this much about US airlines
Your use of fake profiles is well documented as is the same trolling behavior you both use.
Tim
Cut it out. Find a new fake username
Not to mention you’d be posting defending delta well past midnight in the UK
Again, tim. You’re too stupid to make fake profiles work
You’re such an idiot tim/aero
You really think a brit is posting at 1am in the UK about delta defending tim dunn?
Go back to your midtown margs, tim
This is pathetic, even for you. Maybe stop drinking.
-Jane (painful for you if ya nasty)
yeah...pain jane and her evil siblings.
It is beyond laughable that anyone thinks Ed Bastian (who I do not know or have any relationship w/ - same as every other US airline exec) is a homophone given that Glen Hauenstein (Delta COO and more of a network guy than Scott Kirby could ever hope to be) is gay.
again, any one of you that wants to throw rocks at Delta need only tell us the racial composition of "their" airline now but also at the time when DL hired its first black employee (I have no idea when that was). The reality is that there has been significant racial discrimination in many parts of the world, including the US, and not a single airline is exempt from criticism.
and the real hypocrisy about race is that UA had a breakdown of its employees by race and gender in its 2023 10K and it showed that UA had about 15% black US domestic employees in 2023 but just half that percent in senior leadership.
strangely, UA doesn't have that chart in its most recent 10K. Did UA read the tea leaves and realize that the political climate was not conducive to that kind of stuff now?
What didn't get pulled is UA's list of unionized workgroups (which all airlines have) and the reality that nearly all of UA's unionized employees except its pilots are working for contracts that have become amendable or will be within the next 3 months.
UA employees don't care about bragging about racial makeup and UA probably doesn't do any better - maybe worse than other airlines.
AA, DL and WN were smart enough to never mention it in the first place.
UA employees will care a whole lot when their pay and benefits slip well below their peers.
In 100 years of US airline history, some things have not changed.
US airlines have long been committed to safety and it is something they cooperate on, not compete on.
However, AA and UA have repeatedly changed places for having the most contentious labor relations.
UA's runup of profits wouldn't have been possible if they were paying the labor rates that AA, DL and WN are paying.
Safety is non-negotiable.
Service is sometimes good and sometimes not so good, esp. on AA and UA based on data, not personal opinion or anecdote.
Labor rates are negotiable and AA, DL and WN are paying the price for compensating their employees well - with AA and WN not having right now to work about much profit sharing.
UA's labor costs will be going up. alot. or its 100 year celebration won't be quite as festive as DL's.
all you need to do is say - which is very apparent to everyone else - that you can't stand that anyone else would agree with me, esp. when I make truth the real topic.
specific to this topic, all airlines are committed to being safe. But there are a whole lot of other things that are different.
you can't stand to admit that Delta has managed to move from 6th place to 1st place in less than 50 years.
Hundred years of safety has degraded into engine fires and flipped airplanes.
All thanks to Putin’s cousin and his mistress Elonia.
Oh tim
You aren’t even going to disagree this is your fake guest profile? Lol
Maybe think about time zones before you post 😉
Your whitewashing today of delta’s racist history will not be forgotten
Delta’s first female FA lived decades of customers and delta employees calling her the N word. She is a hero.
How about we celebrate her in a safety video instead of creating a fake world in the 1950s
This is so sadly delta and their fantasy marketing reality
Just like delta was the last of the US3 to even hire a black flight attendant.
Tim, your fantasy world and delta’s revisionist history are honestly sad.
Nobody called ed bastian a “homophone”
Go back to your drink, tim
Get a better life. This one is pathetic.
And don’t talk about current diversity quotient when you said yourself no one has published except United.
God, you’re sad
Where’s aero? Is he finally asleep? Lol
look, pain
you are the only one that wants to throw shade (to put it nicely, which you are clearly not) even while you pretend to believe that anyone was any better.
No, I, don't live in a fake world of my own concoction because I can't accept the real world that exists - that is you.
You throw crap everywhere because you can't stand to accept that your beloved airline - and it doesn't matter which it is - is no better than Delta.
Go get back under your rock.
It is clear you can't stand to let Delta celebrate because what you really fear is that you and your beloved airline will never come close to achieving what Delta is achieving now.
And again
No Denial of his obvious fake profiles lol
You’re so tragic
Celebrate good things. Don’t whitewash delta’s real past of aggressive racism.
This isn’t something you should feel obligated to defend
“Nate” should be thrilled he didn’t live in the 20s
I doubt “unnatural behavior” was accepted them
And no. It’s not an out. He’s one of the most out employees at delta. Everyone knows he is and his boyfriend posts about it publicly.
Pain Jane, it is obvious to those who read your posts that you are a seminal racist. You use any means available to you to peddle your racist propaganda. Furthermore, you have absolutely no understanding of even basic US or UK English language usage. One suspects darlink, that English is not even your first language, therefore, you would be best advised to stop pretending that you know anything about mine.
Pain Jane, you are fooling only yourself with your comments about time zones. One suspects that Tim is living within the US time zones. While I on the other hand, this month have not only been in CO USA, but SIN and currently back in England. Clearly you have not realised that the time stamp on the post is Miami time, regardless of the originating location.
Poor Jane, your obsession with Tim is beyond comprehension, bordering upon stalking …. give it up lass as you are looking more and more pathetic with each successive post.
Leave the political and racist speak to other forums. I am sure I with the majority of readers that come her for airline stories and not the endless babbling of a P.C. culture. I grew up in the 60's and 70's. It wasn't as bad as some of you claim.
Truly is a delta bridgerton episode
“What could’ve been”
If it weren’t for racism and homophobia
Delta does love to dabble in the fantasy world.
But they sure do HATE to be called on their own history
and YOU don't want to be called about your own PRESENT.
Hypocrite extraordinaire you are!
I live a pathetic life but everyone else except you can see how bad you are?
Of course you don't want to talk about diversity. You brought up race and yet it was UA that published it and then ditched the data for all the world to see. And what they did post shows that blacks and every other minority have a low chance of making it into a senior leadership position.
you brought it up, made a fool of yourself, and we will wipe your face in the p89 you "shared" with the rest of us. pathetic indeed
see, you believe your own drivel despite the fact that I have told you a million times I haven't been fired from any place.
Simply highlights the alternate universe you and so many live in because you can't stand the actual facts that I bring to the table.
the real question for you is how many of your bags UA has lost since their baggage handling rate is so bad. and if they haven't, it is only because you don't check bags.
Way back during a kinder and gentler era there were no safety videos. I was on PanAm in F when the demonstration started. I made a comment to my seat mate that I could do that demo. Well, the flight attendant (stewardess at that time) handed me the life vest challenging me to do it. Boy, I screwed it up and was embarrassed. Maybe too many drinks. On the post below about flying before 1978, I was already a Lifetime member of the Pan Am Clipper Club in 1976. Yeah, I know, so what, big deal. See you in the Sky Club.
and how much do you still fly?
Yes, Pan Am was a classy operation. Many of their FAs really knew how to do service like nobody's business
Were you really that smashed even before the safety presentation?
To be honest, Jane, I did call Ed Bastian a homophobe, because he is one. Very surprising because he definitely has a bromance, if not more, with Guillaume Faury.
They haven't lost any of my bags because I'm not stupid enough to check bags in on any airline. By the way, update your notebook. I switched over to AA a couple of months ago due to UA jacking up their qualification rates for 1K to a point where I couldn't get it.
Thanks Tim, I really appreciate and enjoy your posts. Yes, I had a few drinks in the Clipper Club, but never have been "smashed." I have many interesting flying stories, but more than a few included alcohol. The trouble is, for all you younger people, talking with older people is a trip down memory lane, and
I don't want to be boring. I do have a couple of Pan Am stories that tell about their great service back then. Yes, I still fly, but not as much as before. Flying Delta in April, and will be in at least 3 Sky Clubs. Also, I would like to mention the post by 1990, maybe in VFTW, where he recognized a United 747-SP. I did fly that bird on Pan Am from JFK to Tokyo in the mid 70's. Both of you, keep up the great posts.
who even knows what you’re saying
If “Nate” loves delta, good for him. He wouldn’t have loved his life at delta in the 20s and I do think it’s hypocritical to stand in as a stooge for delta pretending homophobia was “ok” in the 20s or another time
And again. He’s VERY out at delta as his boyfriend.
You of all people should care about that, tim 😉
You’re up so early, aero 😉
Tim’s get a life. This is sooooo tragic and you aren’t fooling anyone
Ord
Everyone on the comments has feelings
But I don’t think delta is homophobic.
Glen Hauenstein runs the airline. Ed just spouts a lot of hot air with expensive suits and somehow stays in charge despite being an idiot that can’t speak to customers and goes to France to drink champagne at the expense of his own customers’ itineraries
God knows why ed is kept around. He’s useless. Glen has made CO and DL.
Per aero and tim. Who really cares.
They’re the same person. Tim fired by delta but too dumb to realize people know who he is.
Tim is also too stupid to realize what time it is in the UK and he’s also too drunk to wake up on UK time to post as aero at a normal time. Zocalo’s in ATL is a fun place, I hear. Closest thing tim has to a love life
It’s stupid but funny
Tim is a sad sad man
SDRon, for goodness sakes, do not get me reminiscing about the beautiful PanAm FA’s. As a young British, recently qualified rotary wing pilot, with more testosterone running through his veins than platelets, FA’s from PanAm ruled my life for a while.
The likes of Pain Jane or its other login Julie, would not warrant a second glance. If in point of fact it was ever an FA. More likely an airport baggage handler or tug driver perhaps?
UK time of post 0733hrs.
Stalking me now plain Jane or is it Julie today? Having two or more logins is the only way a black-washing stalker will receive any ‘Helpful’ acknowledgement.
“This is sooooo tragic and you aren’t fooling anyone”.
I have never said anything about in or out or black or white, geneva.
I have said that companies that try to profit by touting how well they do w/ employees or customers because of that is wrong.
If you provide good service and pay, people want to do business w/ you and employees want to work for you regardless of who they are .
as usual, you can't understand what is said and then get it all screwed up in your interpretation
you hear alot of stuff and aren't smart enough to be able to figure out what is real and what is not.
thus, you are the PAIN - but every community has one
Video is too long for my liking, but still cute (and I agree with Ben that the Qantas one was way cooler).
Small comment if someone from Delta is reading: I cannot get over how dirty the fingernails of the dude putting on his life vest are. and in extreme close up! Even more shocking that nobody noticed it during the approval process. Surely the production could have afforded a $15 manicure. Not too late to edit the video
Loved this! My Dad took his first flight on DL during WW2 from ATL to PIT on a DC-3. He always tells the story since he could see his Dad parked at the airport waiting for him while they landed. He took a lot of DC-3; DC-4; DC-6; Stratocruiser and Connie flights in the early days. We have the United and TWA plaque (what you got before FF miles in those days. He must of had over 2 million by the time at 96 I took him on his last flight from PHX back to PHL on an A321. Thanks for the memories DL. . . Dad would have loved this!