Qantas has just unveiled a new safety video, and my gosh… it’s long. I mean, I have a flight this evening, and I found myself checking the time throughout the video, to make sure I don’t miss it.
In this post:
Qantas highlights “magic place” destinations in new safety video
Qantas’ new safety video stars both staff and frequent flyers from the airline, showing them in unique destinations across the globe. Specifically, it features Qantas pilots, cabin crew, and customer service agents, as well as members of Qantas’ Frequent Flyer program.
Each person shares safety information from their “magic place” destination, and the video features 14 of these. These destinations aren’t just in Australia, but are from all over the world, ranging from Finland, to Italy, to Mexico, to Morocco, to New Zealand, to the United States.
Here’s how Catriona Larritt, Qantas’ Chief Customer Officer, describes the new video:
“First and foremost, the video is about familiarising our customers with safety procedures and we try to make it as engaging as possible, in particular for regular flyers who might otherwise tune out.”
“We are proud to feature our own well-travelled team members and customers, to not only deliver the safety message but also promote travel and tourism by inspiring people to explore destinations they may not have experienced throughout Australia and beyond.”
The new video will progressively be rolled out across the Qantas fleet, with 75 different versions, including 12 different languages. You can see the video for yourself below.
This new video replaces the Qantas Centenary themed video, which has been playing since 2020.
I don’t like Qantas’ new safety video
Let me say that the people in the video all seem lovely, and I totally appreciate the beauty of the destinations that they’re highlighting. However, this video seems more like something that should be available optionally through inflight entertainment to showcase some of the favorite destinations of Qantas staff and customers, rather than the safety video that everyone has to watch.
The version of the safety video published online is nearly 10 minutes long, and that’s for a video in a single language. Looking at the comments on Twitter/X in response to the video, I don’t see a single person who has something positive to say about the video, and some of the comments crack me up:
- “As a platinum one frequent flier, I’d prefer you just focus on, oh, I dunno, in flight safety during the inflight safety video? Why do we need a long video with all this added inapplicable information? Just opens up the door to misunderstanding and people tuning out. Focus on SAFETY!”
- “Ladies and gentlemen thank you for traveling Qantas. And we welcome you to Sydney. Sincere apologies for the delay due to our ridiculously long safety video having us depart Melbourne 10 minutes behind schedule”
- “Be faster if you just showed the Lord Of The Rings trilogy (extended edition)”
- “They’ve taken everything that’s wrong with Western safety videos and turned it up to 11.”
Now, in fairness, Qantas is responding to just about everyone, sharing that this is an extended version, and a condensed version will be screened onboard. I’m not sure I even understand the point of publishing an extended version of a safety video online. I mean, this is a safety video, right?
Even with a shorter version of the video, I just don’t get it:
- While it’s normal for some airlines to have destination themed safety videos, the focus is almost always on destinations in a carrier’s home country, or destinations that a carrier serves; in this case, Qantas is highlighting many places it doesn’t even fly to
- It seems to me like Qantas’ goal is to add a human touch to a safety video to make the brand seem more relatable, given all the issues the airline has had in the past couple of years; this seems like an odd way to go about it
- While I don’t mind the trend we’ve seen of airlines trying to make safety videos interesting and engaging, I can’t help but feel like at some point videos like this become confusing to those who don’t speak English as a first language, given how abstract safety instructions are, and how the safety details are just sprinkled throughout the video
No matter how you slice it, there’s just way too much fluff in here. Even if you condensed the video, what’s the point of showing 14 different destinations just so that people can understand how to fasten their seatbelt or put on a life vest?
Bottom line
Qantas has unveiled a new safety video, which is the first new video from the airline in a few years. The safety video highlights some favorite travel destinations of employees and customers, though I can’t help but feel that it’s all just a bit too much.
What do you make of Qantas’ new safety video?
Best airline video is: Air France!
I loved it but it's a bit long for a safety video as we prepare for take-off. Perhaps they could preface to the entertainment system making it a mandatory watch before accessing any entertainment.
But they did something to get you to comment lol
You won't find much negativity about this overly long and ill-focused 'safety' vid on Australia's oldest most prominent aviation site because they heavily censor all anti-QANTAS talk. I guess all them QF freebies and perks and invites have to repaid, somehow.....(hint: it's not pointhacks.com.au which is still fiercely independent and more credible)
I loved it what else can you do whilst the tug reverses you out of the gate and you are in a queue waiting for take off and looking forward to your first glass of something . If you don’t like Qantas why do you keep flying them . For me I think they are terrific and as a top tier customer I can always get reward seats opened up . Just ask the VIP team in Hobart who are the most helpful customer service team I have every worked with.
Sad that Qantas replaced the centennial safety video. That one was one of my favorites and I’ll miss it a lot. I would’ve been okay if they’d kept that for another five years (but removed the centennial branding as it’s been four years). That video holds special significance to me because I graduated high school in summer 2020, shortly after this video came out, and it felt so fitting for the occasion. Listening to it...
Sad that Qantas replaced the centennial safety video. That one was one of my favorites and I’ll miss it a lot. I would’ve been okay if they’d kept that for another five years (but removed the centennial branding as it’s been four years). That video holds special significance to me because I graduated high school in summer 2020, shortly after this video came out, and it felt so fitting for the occasion. Listening to it felt like listening to Pomp and Circumstance but more personal to me as someone who likes aviation. The music in that video evokes the feeling of departure so well, where everybody I knew from high school or grade school would be leaving childhood and going off into the adult world, going off in all their own directions, whether it was to university or somewhere else. There’s nothing quite like that video that gives me that feeling. I still watch that video every now and then especially when I’m feeling sentimental, like when I think about childhood friends I haven’t seen in a long time.
Philippine Airlines has also that type of safety video a few years ago. But as the writer pointed out it focused on the key attractions in the Philippines.
A fail as far as safety goes. None of the images when they are actually demonstrating a safety feature match reality in an aircraft. The use of music, and non-professional voices with strong accents, when heard over the horrendous tinny aircraft speaker system (especially 737) means much will not be clear especially to anyone who is not a native English speaker.
It’s hard enough to hold people’s attention in an aircraft for 3 minutes let...
A fail as far as safety goes. None of the images when they are actually demonstrating a safety feature match reality in an aircraft. The use of music, and non-professional voices with strong accents, when heard over the horrendous tinny aircraft speaker system (especially 737) means much will not be clear especially to anyone who is not a native English speaker.
It’s hard enough to hold people’s attention in an aircraft for 3 minutes let alone this 10 minutes of waffle, with a little bit of safety hidden in it, and so easily missed.My partner speaks 6 languages fluently, but English is not his native language. He told me that the last time we flew Qantas (the centennary video) he could only understand the occasional word, much mangled by strong accents, fast speaking, and horrible Boeing PA speakers. If at least the visuals matched the reality of an aircraft interior, you could understand the pictures.
Keep the travelogue for a separate video.
I fell asleep 48 minutes into the video-
I fell asleep 48 minutes into the video.....
I made it through to Jaipur India and was certain the video almost was over. But I was only three minutes into it. I’d love to watch this video as part of the entertainment system, or even a longer video. But this is way too much important information to share with passengers who need to be educated.
And all because people can’t just put their phones down for three minutes to listen to life or death instructions. Honestly at this rate the airlines should just put subway surfers screen recordings in the corner of the videos.
I can't think where else it's happened but the "extended cut" of a safety video online has definitely been done before. I think when Air New Zealand was having their phase of doing lots of splashy videos, they did that? But I agree that going back to simpler may be better. I feel the same way about the United video and even the new Delta video (which is a bit less extravagant, but still shot...
I can't think where else it's happened but the "extended cut" of a safety video online has definitely been done before. I think when Air New Zealand was having their phase of doing lots of splashy videos, they did that? But I agree that going back to simpler may be better. I feel the same way about the United video and even the new Delta video (which is a bit less extravagant, but still shot in a theater rather than an aircraft and requires people to make some abstract association to the actual safety tools at hand and isn't completely obvious to a first-time flyer).
The challenge for airlines is that older safety videos were dry, antiseptic, and may cause eye glazing when watching. Humor, abstraction, and spectacle is sometime the only way to get people to pay attention.
Like compare Air France's old 2000s video
https://youtu.be/6_Ea8XgEPv0?si=DOhJUiq4K_ee7uLj
To their 2020s safety video
https://youtu.be/NhA0aL105Nw?feature=shared
Meh.
For most airlines, inuding whatever your favorite one, half or more of duration of whatever they play as a "safety video" is branding and sometimes outright sales pitch that has nothing to do with providing some emergency preparation for passengers.
Want to know why nobody pays attention to those safety videos? there you have it.
Want to add a pitch for a credit card from the purser to every single flight? Count on me...
Meh.
For most airlines, inuding whatever your favorite one, half or more of duration of whatever they play as a "safety video" is branding and sometimes outright sales pitch that has nothing to do with providing some emergency preparation for passengers.
Want to know why nobody pays attention to those safety videos? there you have it.
Want to add a pitch for a credit card from the purser to every single flight? Count on me to listen to their announcements less carefully or at all.
Want to leave the seatbelt sign on for hours on end in smooth air because "it's not the job of the pilots to manage that." Expect passengers on those flights to ignore those safety signs too.
How do you make commercial flying less safe?
Far too long and irrelevant, even if condensed down. You can be cutesy and still to the point (like Virgin America did, or Air Astana highlighting different parts of Kazakhstan, or United or one of the many themed videos that Delta did - and I thought Delta's were particularly clever as they had "easter eggs" to find, perhaps engaging some more attention). After 4-5 minutes, it's too long and loses attention. And they say it's...
Far too long and irrelevant, even if condensed down. You can be cutesy and still to the point (like Virgin America did, or Air Astana highlighting different parts of Kazakhstan, or United or one of the many themed videos that Delta did - and I thought Delta's were particularly clever as they had "easter eggs" to find, perhaps engaging some more attention). After 4-5 minutes, it's too long and loses attention. And they say it's to engage the most frequent flyers who would tune it out? I can tell you after the first time on Virgin America, definitely started tuning it out especially when you see it 4 times in 2 days.
This reminds me of The Office where the Dunder Mifflin shareholder meeting is going poorly for the board and they highlight Michael Scott and Scranton as one shining example of something going right, while the whole company is losing money and share value is in the toilet. And Michael speaks and mentions how they even sent a stretch limo to go pick him up. Lead balloon.
Air Canada does it better
They will either have flight attendants start the safety video before the boarding door is closed or will have the video still running when they are taking off - have had that a few times on a few airlines - with FAs doing their final safety checks during the video OR they will simply start cutting out parts of the videos.
The safety video is just emblematic of why Qantas has missed the plot on so many levels and has provided huge opportunities for other airlines.
Look around during the safety video. Everyone (including me) has on headphones or earbuds.
Exactly. The only time I actually pay attention is when I'm in an aisle seat in F and it's a manual demo, like with AA. And not because I care about the safety demo - which I can absolutely repeat verbatim for several airlines - it's because I'm trying to be respectful of the FAs.
Beyond that, though, why even make an "extended version" anyway? It's not like they're going to release it to, I...
Exactly. The only time I actually pay attention is when I'm in an aisle seat in F and it's a manual demo, like with AA. And not because I care about the safety demo - which I can absolutely repeat verbatim for several airlines - it's because I'm trying to be respectful of the FAs.
Beyond that, though, why even make an "extended version" anyway? It's not like they're going to release it to, I dunno, BlueRay (remember those) and they're going to be collectors items. Stop futzing around with the safety videos and just talk about safety then let everyone get back to whatever they were doing. Do airlines not realize there's a point of diminishing returns with these things? People have a limited attention span - even shorter today given social media - and airlines are absolutely missing the point of the safety video by turning it into some sobfest about great service to someone in need, or some lowkey circlejerk of happiness and marketing about all their "great" destinations. Who hires their marketing people?
Maybe it would have been a not so bad advert. It's definitely not suitable for a safety video. Even that bizarre Korean Air new safety video with so-called "virtual humans" pointed out the safety features clearly...
I'm not surprised though - it's the airline that sells "bundle of rights" instead of "flights". My expectations have completely gone since then.
The Qantas safety video reflects everything that is wrong and broken about Australia, and the decaying West.
Dude chill, it's a safety video.
It's not safe and fails to carry out it's requirements when it's so long that pax, literally, switch off.
How "chill" are things gonna be when the person in emergency seat didn't bother working out how they need to remove that door ( 37s exempt of course as they self remove even when not asked to do so) cos it was 8:37 into the video.
I'm over simplifying & using an extreme example BUT...
It's not safe and fails to carry out it's requirements when it's so long that pax, literally, switch off.
How "chill" are things gonna be when the person in emergency seat didn't bother working out how they need to remove that door ( 37s exempt of course as they self remove even when not asked to do so) cos it was 8:37 into the video.
I'm over simplifying & using an extreme example BUT it is relevant and an issue when you factor in non FFs who haven't a clue about most things ( and/or FFs who never bothered to pay attention)
I think it's terrible.
I saw many people comment on instagram that the destinations highlighted werent even Qantas destinations (as you point out). Qantas' response every time was that the destinations are destinations reachable through their partners. While that is true (Lapland, Finland?), I agree that it distracts from the safety message and for most customers they'd have no way of knowing which are online vs offline destinations. It's really just an annoying approach to...
I think it's terrible.
I saw many people comment on instagram that the destinations highlighted werent even Qantas destinations (as you point out). Qantas' response every time was that the destinations are destinations reachable through their partners. While that is true (Lapland, Finland?), I agree that it distracts from the safety message and for most customers they'd have no way of knowing which are online vs offline destinations. It's really just an annoying approach to a safety video.
If you ask me, the BEST safety video ever was the Air France one from around 2015 where they had those women in it doing the safety instructions. i still watch it. Elegant, French, informative, and fun.
Hear hear. I loved that one. The one that still remains my all time fave is the animated safety video Virgin America had in the early 2010s. Cute without being eyeroll-inducing, short, and hit all the salient points while keeping it simple. Why do airlines seem completely oblivious to the KISS concept - Keep It Simple, Stupid.
Qantas will be absolutely dragged for publishing this rather than fixing the numerous problems that have led to its reputation being at an all-time low.
Here are some things the new Qantas CEO could be announcing instead that would improve customer satisfaction:
1. Installing wifi on all long-haul aircraft by the end of the year. It is absurd an airline operating 13+ hour flights expects business travelers to choose to fly them when there is...
Qantas will be absolutely dragged for publishing this rather than fixing the numerous problems that have led to its reputation being at an all-time low.
Here are some things the new Qantas CEO could be announcing instead that would improve customer satisfaction:
1. Installing wifi on all long-haul aircraft by the end of the year. It is absurd an airline operating 13+ hour flights expects business travelers to choose to fly them when there is no wifi onboard. If your competitors can offer wifi, you can too.
2. Publicly support Qatar Airways application for more services to Australia in the spirit of fairness, customer choice and the Oneworld alliance. The drop in prices due to a few more Qatar services to Australia each day will be negligible, the goodwill Qantas will show will be huge.
3. Find at least 8 more 787's to be able to grow the long-haul network like they want to. I admit this is easier than it sounds given how many other airlines are looking for 787s right now cut surely there is a way to find some on a leasing arrangement.
4. Refund any remaining covid vouchers automatically.
5. Introduce a minimum number of guaranteed points seats on every flight, in the same way British Airways does.
You highlighted my first thought. If someone is not a native English speaker, this video will be a torture to watch. The safety-related stuff will be missed.