QANTAS: New safety video featuring destinations it doesn’t fly to

This morning, Australian carrier Qantas released a new safety video featuring a range of Australian and international destinations it doesn’t serve and, as far as we know, has no plans to fly to. The theme of the safety video, is summarised in the opening narration because it features: ‘…the magic places of regular Aussies all around Australia and the world’

The immaculately produced safety video features the following destinations, most of which it doesn’t fly to:

• Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory (Darwin to Lichfield is about a 1.5 hour drive)
• Milford Sound, New Zealand (OK, you can fly to Queenstown on Qantas and then fly [1.5 hrs] or drive [3.5 hrs])
• Los Angeles, United States of America (OK, Qantas does fly here)
• Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (nup, (Not even anywhere close. It’s a 5 hour plane trip from LA direct)
• Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia (Nup, but via Perth and Karratha)
• Jaipur, India (no, unless you think Bengaluru [1850kms] or Delhi [261 km] are close)
• Freycinet, Tasmania (Hobart – still a 200 km trek, taking 3.5 hours)
• Lapland, Finland (The nearest airport would be Heathrow!)
• Seoul, South Korea (Yep, this is a new four-times-a-week route)
• Marrakesh, Morocco (Nothing within cooee)
• Rome, Italy (Seasonal route from Perth)
• Paris, France (Nup, but there are rumoured to be plans)
• Sydney, New South Wales (Well, it is Australia’s largest city)
• Noosa, Queensland (Yes, they do fly here)

Here it is:

Safety and promotion

Although the safety video’s primary purpose is to convey information about, you know, safety. It also performs a secondary function as a promotion for the airline, Qantas. This video, unlike the previous safety promotions features customers – frequent flyers – as well as the usual pilots, cabin crew and customer service agents.

‘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.’

Catriona Larritt, Qantas Chief Customer Officer

Why destinations they don’t fly to?

That’s a tricky one. Some of the destinations, Litchfield Park as an example, you can’t fly to commercially. Reaching it from Darwin by car is the most common approach. So, promoting flights to Darwin to get there is logical.

But that logic is hard to argue when discussing Jaipur or Cabo San Lucas. Jaipur requires a substantial road trip or a short flight, while Cabo requires a very long drive or a 5 hour flight, almost certainly via somewhere else from Los Angeles. It’s probably easier to get to from Mexico City or Guadalajara – both destinations Qantas does not serve.

I get that you can travel to these places from destinations that Qantas does fly to, but still, some are a stretch. Lapland in Finland? The closest Qantas flies is to London. That leaves at least two fights over 6 hours to get there!

2PAXfly Takeout

The new Qantas safety video, which was filmed across 14 destinations in 40 days, is as well crafted and beautiful as the quality we have come to expect from Qantas promotions. Since promotion for ‘the magic places’ is what it is, despite the safety information it contains, almost secondarily.

I don’t understand why they included so many destinations that Qantas doesn’t fly to. OK, some are close to cities Qantas serves, but many are not. Because of that, this ‘safety video’ becomes a bit of a ten minute travelogue and not a safety briefing, albeit with stunning destinations, personable talent and lush cinematography.

Expect to see it across the airline services from this week.

Still, it does feature the infamous Sydney First Lounge host of long standing Nestor. Hi Nestor!