Let’s face it: airline safety videos are pointless and useless and everyone hates them and ugh.  They’re kind of a necessary evil, at least according to the FAA who, you know, govern flight in America.

Most airline safety videos are the same old nonsense about insert the metal clasp into your eyeball and so on and so forth, but a few airlines go out of their way to make enjoyable ones.  So kick back, relax, and enjoy five in-flight safety videos that are actually enjoyable.

I asked my good buddy Mike Kelley (of Airportraits and architectural photography fame) to help pick out some airline safety videos that are actually interesting, so here are his picks and some of my own.

Air France

This video is chic and trendy with a catchy soundtrack and some lovely French accents.  The choreography is fun, it’s colorful, and there are subtle little bits of French humor, which I didn’t really know was a thing until recently.

Air New Zealand – An Unexpected Briefing

Air New Zealand has to be the king of themed safety videos (you probably clicked on this thinking all five would be Air NZed videos, but you were wrong!).  This video is incredibly well done and makes you almost feel like you’re kind of in Middle Earth and overlook that you could watch all three Lord of the Rings movies during the flight length of their LAX-AKL flight.

Qantas – Spirit of Australia

I absolutely love this video, it’s informative and blah blah blah but the real attraction is the travelogue element, showing you scenes and sights around Australia and tying it into your flight.  I’m a sucker for a good travel video, and this one is fantastic.

Delta – Wait What? (my title)

This video cracks me up.  I love literal humor and this video is an equal mix of the absurd and the literal and it somehow comes across really professionally.  I think my favorite moment is the guy at 4:26 wondering about the life vest for the random frog that happens to be sitting next to him (a sentence I never thought I’d write).

And the best video…

Actually isn’t a video per se but it’s still the most entertaining briefing ever, bar-none.  You’ve probably seen it before, but if you haven’t here’s the Southwest Airlines Rapping Flight Attendant’s briefing.

Ok if there’s a best, there has to be a worst, right?

So I think the worst airline safety videos are the boring, non-offense videos you see on most airlines, but this one is particularly bad.  The best part by far is at 1:49.  Now most airlines want their safety videos to show you how calm everyone is when the oxygen mask drops in front of them, but not these passengers, who were apparently sat down in seats and not warned about what would happen!  Oh, did I mention the 80’s production values and cheesy muzak?!

Which is your favorite?  Did I miss any?