When airlines launch new in-flight safety videos, frequent fliers like myself feel a certain nerdy excitement, not unlike Steve Martin's The Jerk yelling "The new phonebook's here!" Thankfully, Delta meets and even exceeds the expectations of its captive audience with two new videos that are slated to replace the popular safety clip that made "Deltalina" a star in 2008. You can watch one of the new spots below, and another version after the jump. Each is packed with quirky sight gags and amusing moments, such as when a passenger emerges from the bathroom just as everyone on board turns to look at the safety exits behind them. I'm especially fond of the human-sized robot who is forced to deactivate himself before flight. And yes, Deltalina and her famous finger-wagging make a cameo as well. (Sorry, no Hobbits this time.) You know it's a sad day when the safety video is the most entertaining thing you'll get to watch during a flight. Maybe Deltalina will get her own schlocky cable sitcom so she'll be in constant rotation on every flight in America. Hat tip to Jaunted, via Heather Poole.

CREDITS
Production Company: Arts & Sciences
Director: Matt Aselton