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Sometime last Friday or Saturday, while I was surfing the net for aviation videos (I’m an avid fan of aviation, hehe!) on Youtube, I stumbled on this flight safety instruction procedure by the dancing flight attendants of Cebu Pacific Air here in my beloved Philippines. Well, instead of the usual boring and ho-hum safety instructions that has been like a ritual every flight for both passengers and FAs, it really caught my attention when I heard Lady Gaga over the PA and these FAs just started to dance!

The usual flight safety instruction procedure back then--boring no?

For most frequent fliers, although it is as important as their lives, flight safety instruction procedures or videos are the most boring part of the flight. The FAs try to give the proper instructions in case of emergency, however they may be frustrated by the inattentiveness of the passengers. Duh! Its your life on the line! But listening to the instructions seem to be really too much. Some irate passengers may say, “get on with it an fly!” Not so interesting, really–even if our lives hang on that boring SOP.

Cebu Pacific Air has been a pioneer of these fun flights, ever since they were still following the traditional “legacy” approach a long time ago. This makes flight a bit pleasant and not boring. In today’s age where tight-budget means every little piece of comforting smile may be removed, at least this flight safety instruction video really did caught my attention! For the first time, the passengers were either looking at the FAs dancing or listening to the safety instructions. Finally, the FAs have a chance to do their moves and smile while they have all the attention of the passengers–and now the attention of the world! There are 3 million views for this particular video as of the time of posting–and growing!

Philippines' Cebu Pacific Air -- Home of the Dancing Flight Attendants

Just a few days have passed, this video has gone viral on Youtube! Media outfits such as UK’s Telegraph and US’s Huffington Post. I guess I saw some of it being shown in some international news channels. Even the Hollywood’s celebrity blogger Perez Hilton loves the dancing flight attendants.

Hmmm, Cebú seems to have caught up with the dance craze, eh? We all know that its most famous festival, the Sinulog, is a dance-based ritual for worshiping Santo Niño de Cebú. A lot of international dance contests were held here, and even the viral CPDRC’s Dancing Inmates were also from here. Coincidentally, the name Cebu is back at the dance floor–now with flight attendants dancing in the tune of Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” and Katy Perry’s “California Gurls.”

One particular thing that I am concerned though–since it may have caught the attention of the passengers, I’m wondering if they do understand the safety instructions itself. In my opinion, it seems that the “entertainment factor” has overwhelmed the supposedly “informational factor” of the said flight safety instruction procedure. The passengers seem to may have been distracted with the dancing instead of listening. The flight safety instruction procedure voice-over seems to be rushed. Masyadong mabilis! I couldn’t keep up or sometimes don’t understand what the instructions are being said. Gaga and Perry’s music seemed to be too much of the volume that the voice-over sank in the ocean of music. I suggest for Cebu Pacific that if they wanted to have this maintained, they have to make some certain adjustments that will balance the “informational factor” and “entertainment factor” at the same time. After all, this is still an instruction procedure that may save lives. We don’t like to be castigated with CAAP, FAA or NTSB in the end right? This important ritual on flights should still be given the right balance.

In anyways, overall I enjoyed seeing this. Just a bit of tweaking would do. At least it will bring smiles to the passengers and the FAs, in the era of budget-airlines–and not think gory stuff about flight safety instruction procedure. Life itself doesn’t mean to be always serious–brighten up your day and enjoy! Have a fun flight everyone! Hehe!

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By Stanley Palisada

Cebu Pacific Air Airbus A320-200

In the 2003 Gwyneth Paltrow starrer “View from the Top”, Candice Bergen who played accomplished Flight Attendant Sally Weston said “Gone are the days when people traveled in style”.

In the era of budget airlines, people take a plane as though it was just a bus. Flying today is like riding a pedicab or a PUJ where comfort or service does not matter as long as the airline delivers its promise to “get you there”– and in one piece (literally, as you’re dead broke per additional baggage).

Philippine Airlines Airbus A320-200 at NAIA Terminal 2

In the age of legacy airlines, air travel was a holiday in itself. People looked forward to flying to experience pampering in the sky, courtesy of well-screened flight attendants who exude the warmth and hospitality of the countries or cultures they represent. They made the flyer fall in love at 30,000 feet in those days (and I mean that in the most non-mile-high-club way).

Inside Cebu Pacific Airbus A320

In-flight meals were prepared by top (Frenchy) chefs and the aperitif, selected meticulously to please the most Britishly-discriminating traveler. Linen sheets, hot towels, newspapers of all sorts and in-flight entertainment were all part of the legacy airline experience.

Inside Philippine Airlines's Airbus A320

Today, flights take off as unceremoniously as the printing of the eTicket. People are loaded up in packed cabins as airlines value profits in “seat cost per mile”— more than passengers succumbing to Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) after being held for hours on an indecently cramped seat built for people with no legs. Travel is nowhere near “tranquil” as their safety card suggests.

Blame it on the fuel crisis, terrorism and the airlines’ unrelenting hunger for survival.

Passengers these days can only be thankful that their planes did not slam into iconic buildings or explode mysteriously over the ocean. Thanks to well-maintained planes (there goes your in-flight lunch) and the invasiveness of today’s airport security whose x-ray machines are built to detect man’s biggest (or smallest) secrets. Add to that the frisking and occasional “cupping” which makes me want to sue for acts of lasciviousness or slight physical injuries (for rough searches). As a frequent traveler, I go through all these airport molestations habitually.

Cebu Pacific Air Airbus A320

And gone are the days of full service airlines as everyone’s going for ultra low fare. Again the fuel crisis has severed many of the privileges travelers once enjoyed. Planes need to fly light to save on fuel thus passengers should either be stick-thin or they travel naked.

Baggage allowance has decreased to almost nil. Okay, I know Filipinos are not light travelers but promo fares that only allow 7 kilos of baggage (which weighs just about as light as the nation’s self-esteem) is blatantly un-Filipino.

Talk about traveling light. Looks like everyone is enticed not to bring checked-in baggage these days

Nowadays many are forced to travel light or they “pay per succeeding kilo” upon check-in, which actually stalls the long queues in that yellow airline’s counter. On another airline an Econolite passenger’s seat gets a round sticker to indicate (with utmost humiliation) that his ticket is super cheap. The stickers tell flight attendants not to give newspapers or serve snacks that are exclusively for those who paid more.

But not to worry, the snacks they’re serving would really cost less than 20 pesos from a neighborhood sari sari store (you may buy on the way to the airport) as it’s merely soda crackers and water— or menu befitting yoyo dieters and anorexic super models.

The other airline also does not serve free snacks. One has to buy from their trolley-full of Jack n Jill products (big fan of Chippy here but not at airborne prices) or a very expensive bottle of C2— unaffordable even to their supposed budget-challenged guests. Apparently this low fare, great value airline wants to promote its other products at passengers’ expense. Literally.

Zest Air Airbus A320-200

Meantime the other emerging orange juice airline serves—well—orange juice (in doy pack) to its passengers, free of charge. It’s reminiscent of yellow airline’s free chiz curls and pepsi days when it was just starting up. Orange juice air serves free juice in-flight to attract a following. And it’s been a while since I last saw their juice brand outside a memorial park. It’s finally refreshing to have that brand associated with happier times!

Now back to that legacy airline also dabbling in budgetry… I once took its noontime flight to Cagayan De Oro and a group traveling on Econolite brought meals knowing that they will not be served anything on the plane.

The cabin reeked of Chicken Joy for the entire duration of the flight. The rest of us watched (mouth watering with envy) as the Econoliters devoured their lunch of 2-piece-fried-chicken-with-rice-coke-and-peach-mango-pie— while the rest of us reluctantly finished off our sachet of Happy peanuts, gulping it down with a cup of coffee as bland as sugar crisis.

Typical legroom for Cebu Pacific's Airbus A320's seats...better sit up straight!

Passengers in the age of budget travel can really fight back at some of the airlines’ inequities.

After lunching the Econoliters handed over to the flight attendants their trash, plastics, spoons, forks, straws, empty Jollibee upsized cups, styrofoam packs with piles of chicken bones and dripping gravy.

Afterall Econolite does not mean airline will not take your trash as well. Mabuhay!