Aviation

Get the ultimate “upgrade” tip from the world’s best airline

Emirates’ latest campaign says upgrade your airline, not just your seat
Light-hearted series of videos show creative attempts at getting a seat upgrade

Dubai, UAE, 16 January 2018 – Emirates, the Best Airline in the World and Best Economy Class according to the 2017 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards, today released its latest marketing campaign to promote travel on its award-winning Economy class.

Emirates’ latest ads feature a series of characters who try to wrangle a seat upgrade at an unnamed airline’s check-in counter. Each spot ends with the ultimate tip for travellers: “Don’t upgrade your seat, upgrade your airline. Fly Emirates.”

Seasoned with a liberal dose of humour, the scripts tap into a rich vein of anecdotes about what people might say or do when they ask for an upgrade – from name-dropping and flattery to other more creative endeavours.

Also in a departure from typical airline advertising, the ads do not show the actual inflight product. Even the airline brand is not revealed until the end of the spot.

https://youtu.be/q7ZurrICWx4

Boutros Boutros, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand, said: “Emirates’ Economy Class is well known for being a true, full-service product. We offer excellent value for money, with world-class inflight entertainment in every seat, full course gourmet meals, generous free baggage allowances, and great service.

https://youtu.be/_7p5Pa8tP38

“In today’s environment where others are stripping amenities from their cabins and shrinking legroom, we believe travellers can relate to the desperate lengths that some people might go to, in order to get their seat upgraded. Our message is simple – why try so hard to upgrade your seat when you can fly Emirates instead?”

Anchored by a hero 30 second spot, and supported by over a dozen different vignettes, the campaign was created by Y&R London and directed by ‘Jones’ (AKA Michael Woodward and Maximilian Baron). It will be run worldwide throughout 2018 in Emirates’ key markets including: the US, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, UK, France, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Hungary, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Canada and the Pan Arab region. Emirates will also release a selection of these vignettes on its own social media channels over the coming weeks, featuring a different “upgrade trick” each time.

Watch Emirates’ new campaign spot here.

Watch a selection of “upgrade tips” from Emirates’ latest campaign:

Aviation

Lost Tool Found in Qantas A380 After 34 Flights

An Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation recently revealed that a Qantas A380 operated 34 flights with a 1.25-meter nylon tool lodged in one of its engines.

This turning tool, used during borescope inspections to rotate the intermediate-pressure compressor, was left behind during scheduled maintenance at Los Angeles on December 6, 2023. It remained inside the engine until it was discovered by maintenance staff during a subsequent check at Los Angeles on January 1, 2024.

China Takes the Lead in Sixth-Generation Fighters with White Emperor B

The ATSB report highlights two critical lapses. First, maintenance engineers failed to notice the tool during final checks for foreign objects after the borescope inspection. Second, the lost tool procedure was not activated when the tool was identified as missing.

The certifying engineer ultimately cleared the aircraft for service without accounting for the misplaced tool. During the time qantas films the tool was inside, the A380 completed 34 flight cycles, accumulating nearly 294 hours without any noticeable effect on engine performance.

Although the tool was deformed by high-energy airflow within the engine, there was no reported damage to the engine itself. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell commented.

India’s C-295 to Gain Advanced Weapons for Maritime Surveillance

“This incident underscores the importance of following established maintenance protocols. Engineers missed the tool during foreign object checks, and the required lost tool procedure wasn’t started after realizing the tool was missing.”

Following the investigation, the airline issued a safety directive, urging all engineering and tool storage teams to adhere strictly to these protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.

A qantas spokesperson stated, “While the tool didn’t impact engine performance, we take this incident very seriously. It is critical to follow the correct lost tool procedures.”