Airlines Sell Holiday Joy in the Best Travel Ads This Week

This time of year, it is all about getting home for the holidays. The airline industry is going full throttle with holiday ads that promote the spirit of giving and bring together friends and family as they celebrate the joys this season brings.

For all of our SkiftAds of the week, view our travel ads archives here.

WestJet

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME9PmSZedB4]

Last year, WestJet’s Christmas ad went viral with its real-time video in which the WestJet team delivered a plane full of presents to passengers aboard one of its flights. WestJet did it again this year, by making 12,000 miracles happen in just 24 hours and delivering acts of kindness both big and small.

Air Canada

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7EHmOQgGxY]

Air Canada surprises a couple of unsuspecting customers trying to send Christmas parcels out to families by instead offering them a plane ticket home for the holidays.

American Airlines

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTGOLwzYs2o]

It’s called the head down generation for a reason, as most everyone you see has his or her eyes glued to their smartphone screen more often than not. In this ad, though, American Airlines calls for families to disconnect from technology and to connect with one another by putting their phones in Airplane Mode.

Air New Zealand

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh3ckzE8LLw]

New Zealand gets in on the magic with this ad, in which a hangar is converted into Santa’s workshop. With some help from a big team of excited “elves,” Santa prepares all the presents to be delivered around the world using none other than Air New Zealand.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etnqFHebChs]

And, Air New Zealand knocked it out of the ballpark with this cute video about a young boy who is worried that Santa might miss his house come Christmas.

Finnair

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm_fYdOa81M]
Santa’s number one carrier is FinnAir, and this year he decided to deliver gifts a little differently by forgoing the sleigh and the reindeer with a present drop from one of many flights headed out of Helsinki. As part of the video, the FinnAir team highlights one particular woman in Sweden who has some extra cheer this season. This is one of three videos that FinnAir launched, and you can watch the other ones here.

Hawaiian Air

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svqjfpSL5RA]

Because in Hawaii, there is no such thing as an ugly Christmas sweater. Instead, it’s ugly Christmas tank tops and bathing suits.

United

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgxHvOucZc0]

There are a couple of rules about how to have a proper and enjoyable feast on Christmas Day, the same way there are a couple of rules on how to ensure property safety and enjoy a flight no matter where you are headed. And once again, families are encouraged to turn their phones onto airplane mode to focus on what is really important: being together.