United Airlines Debuts New Onboard Safety Video

More than a dozen United employees provide clear, easy-to-follow demonstrations of critical safety procedures.

Video was filmed inside a life-sized, airplane-inspired sequential reaction machine designed to capture and keep the attention of even the most frequent travelers.

United today debuted a new onboard safety video where more than a dozen United employees provide clear, easy-to-follow demonstrations of critical safety procedures. The video was filmed inside a life-sized, airplane-inspired sequential reaction machine, with a creative concept designed to capture and keep the attention of even the most frequent fliers. Development of the new video began in June 2023 and was inspired by the teams of United employees whose coordinated actions ensure the airline operates safely. The new video will debut on select aircraft starting May 25 and will roll out across the fleet over the summer.

Safety is the foundation of everything we do at United,” said Sasha Johnson, Vice President of Corporate Safety for United. “Safety starts with being prepared. We have ongoing, rigorous safety training for our crews. And we also make sure our customers know what to do in the event of an emergency. We are proud that our new safety video empowers passengers by giving them information and clear instructions.”

United worked with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the development of the safety video beginning in October 2023 through March 2024 when the video was approved. This included multiple checkpoints along the production process, including review of the storyboard and script before filming even began to ensure the content met the FAA requirements.

United’s New Safety Video by the Numbers

The new video – titled “Safety in Motion” – follows a ball as it makes its way through the sequential reaction machine, rolling and bouncing through airplane-inspired set-ups that include chutes, a snack cart and drink cup, seatbelts, windows, seats, directional signage and more as real United employees demonstrate key safety procedures. See here for a behind-the-scenes look.

“The safest safety video is one that passengers actively watch. Our creative concept was inspired by the idea of connection and the many moments of any given day that our employee work groups have to connect to be able to get thousands of flights off the ground and to their destinations safely,” said Maggie Schmerin, Chief Advertising Officer for United. “We worked across the airline to ensure our new safety video clearly and succinctly communicates critical information in a way passengers can’t help but watch – no matter their age, background or experience traveling.”

• 171 customized versions of the safety video to accommodate United’s 8 different aircraft types, 20 various seat configurations on those aircraft and 18 languages
• Ten months in the making – Creative development on the new video began in June 2023; filming took place in October 2023 and then the team spent the next five months on edits and translations before the March 2023 FAA approval
• 12 individual contraptions the ball passes through in the machine
• 17 employees from across the airline, including flight attendants, pilots, customer service agents, ramp service, tech operations, the network operations center and reservations
• More than 1,000 real dominoes
• A 100-year old song, “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin, that’s been a consistent feature in United safety videos over the years

The airline’s creative agency of record, 72andSunny, production partner, 1stAveMachine, and award-winning director Karim Zariffa worked together with United to execute the complex camera production for the video.

United Investments in Safety Training

“Safety in Motion” demonstrates key safety procedures, mandated to all U.S. airlines by the FAA and critical to passenger safety in case of an emergency. United features real employees in the video, who go through a regular schedule of updated training sessions throughout their United career. For example, the airline’s pilots complete simulator training with instructors and evaluators every nine months and flight attendants refresh their qualifications every 18 months.

United recently opened a new 150,000 square-foot building at its Flight Training Center in Denver. Already the largest facility of its kind in the world, the Flight Training Center has eight total buildings, more than 700,000 square feet of training space and now has more than 52 state-of-the-art full-motion flight simulators – providing even more training capacity for the airline’s 17,000 pilots.

Last year, United also expanded its largest Inflight Training Center, located in Houston, to include new classrooms, additional cabin and door trainers and a state-of-the-art aquatic center to practice the safe evacuation of the plane in the unlikely event of a water landing.

And since 2020, United requires pilots to participate in an annual Pilot Professional Development training. This full-day, interactive, in-person training exceeds FAA requirements and industry norms by mandating all pilots, not just captains, participate. The training also uses actual United case studies to ensure the airline’s pilots excel in self-awareness, confidence, mentoring, and leadership. United worked closely with its Flight Training, Flight Standards and Aviation Safety teams plus ALPA in the 100 percent safety-focused curriculum.