For regular travelers, the in-flight safety announcements tend to feel repetitive, like a daily routine that has become incorporated into your system. A recent viral safety video released by Philippine Airlines (PAL) seeks to change that.

Taking inspiration from local telenovelas, PAL unveiled a safety video last Dec. 31 entitled "Care That Comes From The Heart." It debuted on their first A350-1000 and is expected to be shown on all their flights this month. Currently, the video has already amassed well over 1.4 million views on Facebook and nearly 500,000 views on YouTube. 

In the video, we follow the story of Anton and Luisa, a farmer and a haciendera's daughter who have fallen for one another. Their love comes to a pause, however, when an arranged marriage with the affluent Anton looms over. It's the usual telenovela trope of a forbidden love playing out between two economic classes, or in this case, economy and business class seats? Their story plays out alongside the flight safety guidelines, creatively crafted to fit within the narrative. It's well-done, and the safety reminders are seamlessly integrated into the telenovela's plotline. We are also treated to sights of local tourist destinations like Albay, Bacolod, Boracay, Bohol, Cebu, Palawan, and Pangasinan. 

Over the years, other airlines have also taken unique approaches to attract fliers' attention for safety guidelines. There was once a time when those flying via Cebu Pacific were treated to a dance performance by the flight crew, showing off safety instructions with choreographed dance moves to popular tunes. Korean Air also once turned its in-flight reminders into a bedazzling K-pop spectacle, with travelers being shown a performance by the SuperM group and singer BoA. British Airways also once did a safety video with Comic Relief, featuring notable icons like Gordon Ramsay, Sir Ian McKellen, Warwick Davis, and Rowan Atkinson. 

With the immense popularity of PAL's safety video, netizens have also aired their support for the teleserye. Comments were quick to point out the wittiness of the story, with some even asking for an episodic release of the telenovela. Some, however, have raised concerns about how some people might miss the point and focus more on the narrative rather than the safety steps being presented. Either way, it's amusing to see how the little things travelers might often brush off can be given a new spice of life to catch our attention. Here's hoping we see more of Anton and Luisa's story in future flights.