SNL Pokes Fun at Alaska Airline Incident With Fake Ad

Popular comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) is not holding back with its latest faux advertisement featuring actors Jacob Elordi, Kenan Thompson and Heidi Gardner.

The two-minute spot is SNL's response to the most recent Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 incident, which made headlines for a midair blowout that prompted the plane to return to its airport of departure. 

Gardner opens the ad and talks to the viewers as a flight attendant, saying, "As you may know, an Alaska Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing after a cabin door broke off."

Elordi and Thompson then explain that while the incident may have put passengers at risk, "you got to admit, you look pretty cool."

"That's why our new slogan is, 'Alaska Airlines: You didn't die and you got a cool story,'" Gardner hilariously explains. 

The skit also goes over several changes the airlines has made since the incident, such as a novel-sized safety brochure, an inflatable slide already deployed at the start of the flight and a new emergency exit by the cabin door. 

A passenger of the flight, played by SNL cast member Ego Nwodim, shares her experience with Alaska Airlines: "I was on that flight. At the time, I was terrified. But now, I'm the coolest person at the office. Everyone stopping by my cubicle all want to know about that little boy who's shirt got sucked out the plane." 

Meanwhile, Robert recalls the airline giving him a commemorative photo of his flight, with him screaming along with the other passengers as they embrace for an emergency landing. 

The skit ends with the actors inviting viewers to "fly Alaska," before displaying their closing tagline, "Alaska: Still better than spirit."

What Really Happened? 

Shortly after departure, the Boeing 737 Max 9 encountered a sudden explosive decompression, leading to the expulsion of a fuselage plug. This necessitated an immediate turnaround for an emergency landing at Portland International Airport.

On January 6, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responded by grounding 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes and initiating an investigation to determine if the incident indicated a broader safety issue.

A few days after the incident, a video circulating on TikTok and X went viral when an unsuspecting man found an Apple iPhone completely undamaged after making a 16,000-foot fall from the plane. 

Alaska Airlines has not commented on SNL's fake ad, which has been a hit with fans, already accumulating over one million views on YouTube.

Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang