I know I usually do top aviation stories of the week, but I’m on travel, so I’m switching it up a bit. The announcement that Frontier Airlines is rolling out a new advertising campaign — complete with television commercials — made me remember how much I love a good carrier campaign.
I’ve always been a fan of good airline commercials. I like ones that make me laugh, that give me a sense of place and that show the wonderment of air travel. Below are links to 10 of my favorites, in no particular order. Which ones do you like? What did I miss?
1. Frontier Airlines “Still the One”: a classic, with the carrier’s animal tails singing the lyrics to “You’re Still The One.”
2. AirTran – Babysitters: grandparents get their own surprise when they make a visit to see their twin baby grandchildren.
3. United Airlines – “The Dragon”: I know this one got a lot of flack when it was unveiled, but I was mesmerized by the juxtaposition of the man, the dragons and his son (yes, I did a semester of film school 
4. Eastern Airlines – Disney: This is a charmer from back in the day when Eastern was the official airline of Walt Disney World. The quality is a bit fuzzy, but it’s still a great commercial!
4. Southwest Airlines – Bags Fly Free On Stomachs: this commercial was funny then, but funnier now that Southwest has bought AirTran.
5. Delta Air Lines – Keep Climbing: Lift: again, this was another one that got a bad rap, but I loved it for several reasons. One, I love how it looked in black and white. Two, I loved that they used actual employees. And three, it showcased by beloved Boeing 747.
6. Western Airlines – The only way to fly: this 10-second gem features the iconic airline bird.
7. PSA – Our Smiles Aren’t Just Painted On: I’m from California, and I was a great fan of this originally intra-state carrier. They were known for having smiles painted on the front of the plane. If you’re lucky, you may see the PSA heritage plane in the US Airways fleet.
8. Piedmont Airlines – McLean Stevenson, Fishing Hole: the former M*A*S*H star was tapped in the 1980s to do commercials for the carrier.
9. British Airways – The Good Life: as much grief as the airline got over the opening of Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport, this commercial of the terminal as an aquarium won rave reviews.
10. Pan Am – Introduction to Jet Service: as an homage to the launch of the television show “Pan Am” on ABC this Sunday, I thought I’d include this classic 3:55-minute commercial.
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