In-flight safety videos are often ignored by passengers, but this 'honest' one has garnered 8.4 million views.

“Greetings from the cockpit. This is your captain speaking.”

It’s a phrase frequent flyers know well.

This isn't a typical in-flight safety talk.

In a viral YouTube video, travel journalist Doug Lansky provides an "honest pre-flight safety demonstration" that airlines are afraid to show you.

An amusing video with 8.4 million views, despite being a humorous take on a travel safety briefing that is often disregarded by most viewers.

Years ago, a discussion with a pilot on a flight inspired Lansky.

Lansky remarked, "When the safety demonstration video started, I noticed he wasn't paying attention. And if you travel a lot, nobody really does. So I asked him, 'What would you say if you could say anything?' And he listed off a bunch of things."

Lansky inquired with others in the aviation industry about the same question he had.

He stated that the video is a compilation of conversations he has had with pilots over the years, imagining what they would say if they could conduct the safety test without being restricted by the legal team of the airline.

Keeping it ‘real’

The video's premise is that the aircraft's entertainment system is not functioning, preventing the display of a $2 million safety video created by an ad agency. As a result, the pilot will provide a "real safety talk" to passengers.

The video advises passengers to unbuckle their seatbelt, as research shows that when people are panicking, they tend to press the seatbelt buckle as if it had a button like a car seatbelt.

Lansky advised CNBC Travel that visualizing lifting the flap is crucial, as it requires muscle memory, which most people have more of with cars than airplanes.

Passengers are advised to keep their bags on the plane during an emergency evacuation, as emphasized in the video.

If an engine fire occurs, we need everyone off the plane in approximately 90 seconds. My first officer and I will also be attempting to exit the plane, and the last thing we want is to be hindered by your rolling on.

The video advised that it is unlikely that the crew will prioritize maximizing your time to move about the cabin.

The seatbelt sign will likely remain on for most of the flight due to the flight crew's preference to not be disturbed in the galley.

A U.S. flight attendant with over two decades of experience confirmed this to CNBC Travel.

During food or drink service, she said, "Or when someone comes over to chat while you're eating, it's funny how people behave differently on airplanes than in everyday life." She requested anonymity because her employer advised against making public statements to the media.

The video suggests that the life jackets under your seat are less effective in saving your life compared to the airline pillows.

A first officer for a major U.S. airline, who asked to remain anonymous because he is not authorized to speak to media, stated that our fake pilot may go a step too far.

He stated that the video was likely created by someone with expertise in airline flying, but he disagrees with discarding life jackets.

The first captain stated that most of the advice in the video is accurate.

He remarked that a flight crew would never truly convey it.

Researching in-flight injuries

While researching the statistics in the video, Lansky discovered some astonishing numbers.

He said that while passengers often fret about crashes and turbulence, statistically, they are more likely to be harmed by their own luggage.

He stated that more individuals have been injured due to their duty-free bottles falling from the overhead compartment and striking them on the head after landing, than any turbulence.

Lansky stated that flight attendants often hit passengers whose body parts obstruct the aisle, citing the drink cart as another unlikely cause of injury.

He disclosed that he inquired flight attendants about the frequency of passengers bumping their elbows, knees, and feet during long-haul flights.

The most common answer? About 20, he said.

He stated that the question was about 20 or 30 flight attendants. "They don't fracture their knees, elbows, or wrists every time they bump into that many people per flight," he added.

Views come ‘in waves’

Lansky stated that the video, which he posted four years ago, did not achieve immediate success.

He stated that the views for his online content started off slowly with around 200 views over a couple of months. Then, someone discovered it, and it became extremely popular.

Lansky stated that he enjoys watching "The Daily Show," "Late Night with Seth Meyers," and other evening political shows because they are entertaining, intelligent, and cut through the BS. These shows influence the travel industry commentary he provides on his YouTube channel, "ReThinking Tourism," he added.

Lansky's viral video brought attention to his career, which now focuses on tourism consulting and conference speaking. However, he said, its success has hit closer to home for him as a verifiable YouTuber, with a viral video, he won newfound respect from his daughter.

"My daughter was giving me a hard time for trying to do something on YouTube, but when the video reached 2 million views, her chin hit the floor."

“That was the best thing that came out of it."