What Can We Learn From The Kulula Airline Rebranding?

You may have already seen the emails, or maybe read about the story on snopes.com. It’s true, it’s awesome and it’s something we should all take note of. First, take a look at the redesign of the Kulula planes.

As you can see, there is an honesty and a sense of humor here that is refreshing, especially in the airline industry which has become a place of paranoia, depression and increased charges on, well, everything.

But Kulula doesn’t stop at the new airline livery, which comes in many different forms (even Camo). The airline has taken this “real honesty” approach onto the planes via the stewards, stewardesses and even pilots. A few examples:

“Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants.”

“There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane.”

As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Durban Airport , a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: “Whoa, big fella. WHOA!”

“Welcome aboard Kulula 271 to Port Elizabeth.  To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt; and, if you don’t know how to operate one, you probably shouldn’t be out in public unsupervised.”

“In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are traveling with more than one small child, pick your favorite.”

“Kulula Airlines is pleased to announce that we have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!”

Another flight attendant’s comment on a less than perfect landing: “We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, the smoking section on this airplane is on the wing.. If you can light ‘em, you can smoke ‘em.”

And an actual, rare recording of the announcement:

What can we learn from this? Well, it shows us that making a difference in the way you treat your customers, and the way you present yourself as a company, can have a significant impact. Not just with good PR, but with genuine good feeling among the consumers. People now want to fly Kulula airlines because of the experience. When was the last time you wanted to fly United or Frontier? You just do. It’s a necessary step, like a taxi, that gets you from one place to another. But it’s usually a decision you make based on the cost of the flight and the time in the air.

Kulula is changing that. I, for one, would be willing to pay an extra $50 for a seat on this airline just to experience something more light-hearted and original. The sense of humor, and the treatment of the passengers, makes it obvious that Kulula actually gives a crap. You are a person, not a dollar sign in a cramped seat.

Bravo, Kulula. We hope this energy and enthusiasm spreads to the rest of the stagnant airlines.