The Flight Attendants Association of Australia (FAAA) have called for the newly announced Qantas safety video to be binned, claiming that it is elitist, sexist and fails to acknowledge the role of cabin crew.
Brand+Story created the new onboard safety video for Qantas featuring front-line team members and Frequent Flyers, taking viewers on a journey through key safety information from some of the most unique destinations in Australia and around the world.
“Not once does it say ‘follow the directions of your crew member’, which you would’ve thought would be the focus of a safety video, especially after the Japan Airlines’ incident, ” said national secretary of the FAAA Teri O’Toole.
“I thought the last one was bad, but this is worse. It was commissioned by (former chief executive) Alan Joyce, and it should’ve been shelved, just like Alan”.
O’Toole called the decision to focus on frequent flyers and their destinations “elitist” at a time when many Australians were struggling to make ends meet. She also suggested that the depiction of a female flight attendant in a swimsuit took women in the workplace “back 20 years”.
“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,” said Qantas chief customer officer Catriona Larritt when the new video was released earlier today.
“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,” Larritt said.
The video will be progressively rolled out onboard Qantas flights from this week, with 75 versions including 12 different languages.
