While I’m more of a dog person than a cat person, this video made me laugh out loud…
In this post:
Cat flies Turkish Airlines to Istanbul to visit cousin
Turkish Airlines has uploaded a video to its YouTube channel, intended to promote the carrier’s pet travel program. The funny thing is, most of the video is just a humorous film about a cat traveling to Istanbul, and only at the very end of the video is there any mention of how pet travel is better on Turkish Airlines than on other carriers.
In the nearly five minute video, a cat living in Los Angeles scrolling on social media realizes that it’s his cousin’s birthday the next day, and his cousin lives in Istanbul. He forgot to get ship him birthday fish, so asks his dog friend if he has any ideas, and he suggests visiting him in Istanbul. But the cat’s bank account has a balance of nearly negative $8, so…
…okay, just watch the video, because as you can tell, it’s pretty out there. Honestly, it’s so well done and creative, and I found myself chuckling every few seconds.
What makes this all particularly appropriate is that Istanbul is known for how many stray cats it has, so the cat connection is logical.
So, how does Turkish Airlines have an advantage when it comes to pet travel? The airline highlights how it has special pet check-in counters in Istanbul. I suppose that’s convenient in terms of having agents who are versed in the rules for pet travel. At the same time, a majority of Turkish Airlines passengers are just connecting in Istanbul, so that doesn’t do much for those people.
Turkish Airlines does a great job with its marketing
There are some airlines that do a really good job with their marketing, and Turkish Airlines is among the best in that regard, in my opinion. What impresses me the most about Turkish Airlines is how varied its marketing videos are, and how they have global appeal.
For example, you’d hardly expect that the above cat video and the below Morgan Freeman “Widen Your World” campaign would be for the same airline, as they’re so different.
Or going in a completely different direction, Turkish Airlines also had its great 2019 film, “The Journey,” which captures the magic of flying with Turkish Airlines and visiting Istanbul.
Bottom line
Turkish Airlines is promoting its pet travel program, with one of the funniest airline marketing videos I’ve ever seen. If you like cats — and heck, even if you don’t — you’ll surely find this funny, so be sure to check it out.
Anyone else love this Turkish Airlines cat video?
It features a cat flying Turkish Airlines. What is not to love ?
Yes, they love cats in Turkey but beware if you have a bike in a box as your only check-in luggage and underweight - they’ll keep you at the desk while they search every manual to find a reason to charge you $1,300 for no reason at all! They couldn’t justify the charge - they just had a feeling there was one. Then they say do you want to fly or not! I’d heard good things about the airline and was so disappointed, to say the least!
I paid $70 for a bicycle with Turkish Airlines once and they didn't charge me at all on a later trip in business class.
I'm curious Ben, have you ever taken Winston on a long-haul/international premium cabin? If I am not mistaken a vast majority of carriers prohibit travelling with pets on premium cabins, so it would make an interesting article if you ever did :)
This makes me think I need more than a 7 hour layover in IST next February! But it doesn’t make me think I need to bring my crazy cat along on the trip.