Nowadays airlines put a lot of effort into their safety videos, and basically view it as an extension of their marketing efforts.
It’s an exciting time for Philippine Airlines, as the carrier is trying to modernize its fleet, including taking delivery of the new flagship Airbus A350-1000. To celebrate that, the airline has just unveiled a new safety video, which is… unique (thanks to Singularity for flagging this).
In this post:
Philippine Airlines’ new safety video is dramatic
Philippine Airlines has just released its newest safety video, described as “the first-ever #PALSafetynovela.” So yeah, it’s sort of like a soap opera, and it’s definitely quite dramatic.
The video is set across the islands of the Philippines, and is being screened effective immediately on the Airbus A350-1000, and then throughout the rest of the fleet starting in the coming weeks. The video is around six and a half minutes long, and that’s exclusively for English. You can see the video for yourself below.
For context, previously the carrier’s safety video was more destination focused, showing safety instructions with the backdrop of the Philippines’ gorgeous landscapes.
My take on Philippine Airlines’ new safety video
Over the years, airline safety videos have taken on a life of their own. The default has gone from being a video about safety, to being a video about something with a bigger theme, that just happens to weave in some safety instructions.
Nowadays, the most common type of safety video we see is like Philippine Airlines’ old safety video, where they show off the carrier’s home country, and abstractly show safety videos. So I do have to give Philippine Airlines credit for at least making the theme of the new video unique, as there aren’t many soap opera-esque safety videos.
Maybe it’s just me, but I just find these kinds of videos to be terribly distracting. In addition to acting as a marketing tool, airlines claim that they introduce these engaging videos in order to get people to actually pay attention, rather than tuning out.
While that’s a great concept, even if you watch this intently, do you actually have any sort of memory of the safety instructions, rather than just of the overall plot of the novela? Personally, I remember almost nothing about the video. And that says nothing of the fact that many people with a limited grasp of English will likely see this video, making it really hard to follow along.
As I’ve said many times before, call me a traditionalist, but I’m a fan of Emirates’ “no-nonsense” safety video, and find it to be sort of refreshing. It’s simple and to the point, and I like that.
Bottom line
Philippine Airlines has just released its new safety video, coinciding with the launch of the Airbus A350-1000. The airline deserves credit for coming up with a unique theme, as it’s described as a “safety novela.” While I think it’s pretty engaging, I continue to think that these abstract videos make it hard to actually follow along with the basics.
What do you make of Philippine Airlines’ new safety video?
Can confirm these are very likely on other aircraft too and have multiple subtitles available too.
I've watched a zillion safety videos over many decades, but when that tear hit the life vest, it was the first time that I realized water actually activates the light.
Such mixed emotions. I'm team Diego because he's in business class, but vape? Ick.
These are fun the first time... you'll want to off yourself rather than view them again, if you're a frequent flyer for that airline though.
I'm team Anton, I don't know what's wrong with Luisa marrying the help. Sex with Diego will wear off and I see resentment in the horizon while flying Business on Philippine Airlines.
Lol
Thanks for the laugh !( I agree BTW )
Bullshit, Bradley. PAL has what is arguably one of the leading premium products from comparable nations in Asia.
I hate these stylized videos. I want the safety video to be focused on SAFETY only. It should be actors too - I don’t want to see actual FAs in the video and I want the actors to have very posh accents for the respective countries.
Joseph, seriously. Wanting safety videos to be dry, actor-only demos with "posh accents" in 2025? That's the kind of outdated thinking airlines ditched years ago for a very good reason.
The whole point of stylized, story-driven videos like PAL's safetynovela is to make passengers actually pay attention. Traditional plain briefings? NTSB reports and surveys show only 30-40% of passengers bother watching or listening. Most tune out because they're boring and repetitive.
Creative formats fix that:...
Joseph, seriously. Wanting safety videos to be dry, actor-only demos with "posh accents" in 2025? That's the kind of outdated thinking airlines ditched years ago for a very good reason.
The whole point of stylized, story-driven videos like PAL's safetynovela is to make passengers actually pay attention. Traditional plain briefings? NTSB reports and surveys show only 30-40% of passengers bother watching or listening. Most tune out because they're boring and repetitive.
Creative formats fix that: studies (like those from UNSW and others) show humorous or engaging videos significantly boost attention and recall of key safety messages compared to standard ones. Humor and celebrities grab focus, leading to better retention. One experiment had funny versions at 45% recall vs. just 32% for plain demos.
Using real flight attendants builds trust and realism (they're the ones you'll see in an emergency), not some fake "posh" actor pretending. And "posh accents for respective countries"? That's tone-deaf elitism. Airlines proudly use local culture and voices to connect, not colonial-era snobbery.
Safety videos are about saving lives, not catering to your personal nostalgia. Creative ones do it better by getting people to watch. Get with the times.
The 30-40% is too crude a statistic.
Given that most trips are returns, and many involve two flights, 40% could be 98% of first flight in a booking. Agree that story-driven videos are likely to improve attention to first viewings which is what matters.
I do wish they would give more stress to the things where passengers getting it wrong can harm others.
In particular, not inflating life-jacket until outside the aircraft.
And for over-wing exits, not opening if there is fire or smoke outside (Ryanair goes further, saying not until explicitly instructed by pilot or FA)
Miserable tool.
Can only praise this masterpiece, otherwise Darryl will come at you with a vengeance like no other.
Correct!
Ben when are you going to the Philippines?
Never see a trip report you posted from the Philippines.
Would make a great family trip with your kids.
The Philippines is a dangerous country terrible food and prices way too high for what you get. There’s no reason for anyone to visit.
I wouldn't go that far either. Certain parts of the country especially the south, sure. But overall, I'd say it's pretty safe. No worse than your average American city. There's a significant expat community there where some work, some start a business, and some just retire outright.
Ben should really review the Aman property in Palawan. Celebrities such as Floyd Mayweather have travelled to the island.
It's not all bad.
In the Philippines you go for nature and leave the cities as fast as you can. The Philippines is not dangerous. Typical small minded stereotyping.
Palawan is wonderful and the Aman hotel looks great. Need to fly to the island on their plane from Manila.
I live in Boracay and love it. Can be at the Shangrla in 8 minutes from my condo on a quiet golf course sounded by amazing beaches.
Coming from someone named 'Viraj', that's rich. Have you ever been to the Philippines? I think not. I'm guessing you're stupid.
Absolutely garbage. It’s not at all dangerous, the friendliest people in the world, and not expensive.
I travelled to the Philippines for the first time in 2024 and out of sixty five countries+ visited it was by far the friendliest English speaking country. I was concerned about the safety before the trip but once there walking at night was not an issue (maybe because it was Cebu, Manila might have been a different story). It really felt like an underrated destination. Would gladly return again.
Oh, about the prices, a private...
I travelled to the Philippines for the first time in 2024 and out of sixty five countries+ visited it was by far the friendliest English speaking country. I was concerned about the safety before the trip but once there walking at night was not an issue (maybe because it was Cebu, Manila might have been a different story). It really felt like an underrated destination. Would gladly return again.
Oh, about the prices, a private trip (car, guide, driver all for yourself) was way cheaper than Vietnam.
Sorry @Ben, I loved this one. I found it creative and fun, and absolutely paid attention.
The only one I've seen lately that bothers me is from Kevin Hart/Qatar. I thought it was obvious and not funny.
Back to the video, as Filipinos love watching these kinds of TV shows at home, it's a way to get them to be "attentive" and pay attention, so it like sends a "subliminal" message so to speak.
I think it's very clever of them. Distracting, sure. But if it means having more people pay attention, fair enough.
I liked the video. I was attentive throughout and enjoyed the way they wove the information through the story. Will it be effective after the 10th flight? Hard to say. I give it a thumbs up.
Thanks Don, totally agree. I liked it too and stayed attentive the whole way through because the telenovela story hooked me right in.
You're spot on about effectiveness wearing off eventually, but that's exactly why creative formats like this work better than the old plain ones. Studies show engaging, humorous, or story-driven safety videos get way more people to actually watch and pay attention.
Traditional briefings? Surveys and NTSB reports say only 30-40% of passengers...
Thanks Don, totally agree. I liked it too and stayed attentive the whole way through because the telenovela story hooked me right in.
You're spot on about effectiveness wearing off eventually, but that's exactly why creative formats like this work better than the old plain ones. Studies show engaging, humorous, or story-driven safety videos get way more people to actually watch and pay attention.
Traditional briefings? Surveys and NTSB reports say only 30-40% of passengers bother tuning in. But when airlines add humor or drama, attention jumps. One study found a humorous video kept viewers focused longer and improved recall of key messages compared to standard dry demos. Another showed recall around 45% for funny versions vs. just 32% for plain ones.
Air New Zealand and Virgin America's viral creative videos racked up millions of views and tons of feedback that passengers finally watched fully. PAL's safetynovela is smart Filipino flair doing the same thing by making safety stick by being fun first.
Thumbs up from me too and huge kudos to PAL's new powerhouse President! This willl grab attention on repeat flights better than the boring old style ever did.
tl;dr (all of your comments)
I suppose my comments are only for people with strong enough intellect to read long and detailed commentary.
It would seem that you do not belong to this group. Sorry!
Still the world’s worst major airline with the world’s worst hub.
Seriously, Viraj? I hope you're kidding as your one-sentence nonsensical comment will crumble under truth, logic and common sense.
Calling Philippine Airlines the "worst airline"? That's outright ridiculous when the facts say otherwise. PAL holds a solid 4-Star Skytrax rating and a perfect 7/7 safety score from AirlineRatings.com. On punctuality, they're dominating Asia-Pacific: according to Cirium, PAL topped the region as the most on-time airline for four consecutive months in late 2025, with OTP rates...
Seriously, Viraj? I hope you're kidding as your one-sentence nonsensical comment will crumble under truth, logic and common sense.
Calling Philippine Airlines the "worst airline"? That's outright ridiculous when the facts say otherwise. PAL holds a solid 4-Star Skytrax rating and a perfect 7/7 safety score from AirlineRatings.com. On punctuality, they're dominating Asia-Pacific: according to Cirium, PAL topped the region as the most on-time airline for four consecutive months in late 2025, with OTP rates like 89.37% in August, 90.47% in September, 86.37% in October, and 84.67% in November. That's consistently beating out competitors in a tough region.
Their onboard product shines too: modern A350s and retrofitted 777s with excellent business class seats, genuinely warm Filipino hospitality from the crew, and meals that often outclass many legacy carriers (especially compared to US domestics).
As for Manila's NAIA being the "worst hub"? It's improving rapidly under new private management, hitting record single-day on-time performance of over 92% in 2025, with upgraded facilities, faster immigration via e-gates, better amenities, and smoother operations overall. Sure, it's not Changi yet, but it's far from the disaster some outdated stereotypes claim, and PAL's dedicated Terminal 2 keeps things efficient for their passengers.
Blanket "worst" claims without any specifics or data just don't hold up. Bring actual examples next time instead of lazy drive-bys, ditz.
I certainly wouldn't go that far. There are plenty of carriers and airports that are worse. EgyptAir and Cairo for one. Filipinos are generally polite and helpful, while Egyptians can range from friendly to downright hostile. (Compare Ben's review to Simon Wilson and their reviews are worlds apart.)
Manila's problems are more on infrastructure and overcapacity, and they've made strides to at least improve the passenger experience from better dining options and HVAC to connectivity....
I certainly wouldn't go that far. There are plenty of carriers and airports that are worse. EgyptAir and Cairo for one. Filipinos are generally polite and helpful, while Egyptians can range from friendly to downright hostile. (Compare Ben's review to Simon Wilson and their reviews are worlds apart.)
Manila's problems are more on infrastructure and overcapacity, and they've made strides to at least improve the passenger experience from better dining options and HVAC to connectivity. I'm not sure the same could be said about the former.
Based on Viraj's 2 comments on this article, he exaggerates and it seems he does not like the Philippines or Filipinos. He must have had some very unpleasant personal experiences to make such blanket statements. Viraj (or king) being proud of his Indian heritage dares to make such prejudicial comments.
Another fine example of a “Safety Novela” ….
https://www.tiktok.com/@nostalgiawizard/video/7476599290220055830
Really? That is completely idiotic.
The new Philippine Airlines is graceful and wonderful taste of Philippine culture, whereas what you've shared is nothing, literally nothing.
I miss the 90s-00s.
Keep it simple, straightforward, easy to understand.
Yeah, Mike, I get missing the simpler 90s and 00s style safety videos that were straight to the point.
But come on, this new "safetynovela" is bold and clever. PAL is leaning into Filipino culture with the dramatic telenovela twist to grab attention and make sure passengers actually watch and remember the safety info. The old scenic ones were pretty, but people tuned them out after a while.
This fresh approach fits PAL's push to...
Yeah, Mike, I get missing the simpler 90s and 00s style safety videos that were straight to the point.
But come on, this new "safetynovela" is bold and clever. PAL is leaning into Filipino culture with the dramatic telenovela twist to grab attention and make sure passengers actually watch and remember the safety info. The old scenic ones were pretty, but people tuned them out after a while.
This fresh approach fits PAL's push to modernize, especially with their new A350-1000 flagship. It's fun, unique, and proudly Philippine, not just copying the same old boring demos everyone else does.
Change keeps things exciting. I think it's a win for getting safety across effectively. Rgardless, I find it simple and easy to understand, but what exactly is it from the old videos you miss?
Mike O., you remind me of The Producers:
(Safety videos) should be more pretty
(Safety videos) should be more witty
(Safety videos) should be more...
What's the word?
Keep it…