Deltalina

Katherine Lee-Hinton, better known as Deltalina,[2][3][4] is an American flight attendant for Delta Air Lines and was one of the presenters of Delta's onboard safety videos. The first Deltalina safety video was released in February 2008[5] and quickly became popular not only on board but also became one of the most-watched videos on YouTube soon after its release.[6]

Katherine Lee-Hinton
Born
Katherine Lee

1974/1975 (age 45–46)[1]
Heidelberg, Germany[1]
NationalityAmerican
EducationStone Mountain High School
OccupationFlight Attendant, Flight Attendant Instructor for Delta Air Lines
Years active1997–present

The Deltalina nickname came from YouTube viewers who, in the comments to the video, compared her looks to those of actress Angelina Jolie.[1]

She was born in Heidelberg, Germany to a military family and was of German and Puerto Rican ancestry, maternal and paternal, respectively. An alumna of Stone Mountain High School, class of 1992, she was hired by Delta in 1997 upon her first attempt. She resided in Melbourne, Florida in 1997 and Buckhead, Atlanta as of 2008.[7]

Safety videos

The original, unorthodox 2008 safety video made the news in the United States (for example, in USA Today, CNN, Wired), Netherlands (De Telegraaf)[8] and Belgium (De Standaard and Het Nieuwsblad), most articles noting that the unusual humor might make passengers pay more attention to the video.[9]

Critical reception

Martin Grant of Forbes wrote in 2012 that the Deltalina video was the first of the "next generation of safety video" and that the "talents" of Deltalina "largely helped" this.[10]

This video however, was panned (in the book How to Do Things With Videogames) by Ian Bogost because, in Bogost's opinion, the attention that is paid to the videos is given to Lee-Hinton and not to the actual safety instructions, that the video made her into "a minor celebrity", that "In a weird historical inversion, this very much is your father's Pan Am."[11]

Subsequent Delta safety videos
  • In late 2012, Delta Air Lines made two new safety videos in which Lee-Hinton is not the presenter, but in which she does appear in a cameo role, admonishing against smoking on board with her famous finger wag.[12][13]
  • In 2014, a younger version of Deltalina did her "finger wag" in an 80s themed safety video.
  • In 2015, Deltalina again did her "finger wag", this time admonishing a screaming goat not to smoke, in a safety video featuring Internet memes. This scene later returned in a 2016 Delta safety video.[14]

List of public appearances
  • 2006: Lee modeled in May–September 2006 presentations and photo sessions for new Delta Air Lines' flight attendant uniforms.[15][16][17]
  • 2007: Lee appeared giving live safety briefing[18] in the May 22, 2007[19] episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show when the entire show took place aboard a Delta flight.
  • 2008: In September, Lee shot a series of humorous instructional videos for the Atlanta Falcons football team, shown on the large screens at the Georgia Dome in advance of each home game. The videos' theme was "Delta Safety First".[20][21]
  • 2009: In March, Lee helped celebrate the opening of the heliport atop the W Hotel Downtown Atlanta, accompanying developer Hal Barry and his wife in a helicopter which landed there, kicking off the party. Tycoon Barry, inspiration for the protagonist in the Tom Wolfe novel A Man in Full, intended to commute between downtown and his estate 50 miles (80 km) further south.[22] In the same month Lee appeared both in print and video to help kick off the relaunch of Delta's inflight magazine, Sky.[23]
  • 2010: Lee appeared in a video for the Carter foundation.[24] Also in that year, she did a video to promote Sky Priority benefits for frequent flyers.[25]
  • 2011: In March, Lee appeared in a video for the 2011 Adobe Summit orientation.[26] In August 2011, Lee appeared in a series of promotional videos for Healthe Trim's diet supplements.[27][28] On December 14, 2011, she also appeared on CNN offering travel tips.
  • 2012: In March, Lee was onstage at the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards.[29][30] In November 2012, she appeared in a print ad for the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, which appeared in Delta Sky Magazine.[31][32] In the same month she also appeared in cameo role in a promotional video for the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau.[33]

Personal life

Lee was born in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, to a Puerto Rican father (died in December 2013) and a German mother. Her father was in the military, and the family moved around a lot. Lee graduated from Stone Mountain High School in Metro Atlanta in 1992.[1]

Lee is currently living in Los Angeles, California.

References
  1. Brett, Jennifer (March 25, 2008). "'Deltalina,' a real Delta employee, is loving the safety spotlight". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on May 30, 2009. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  2. ""I'm just a down-to-earth girl" – Deltalina chats w/ the airlineguys". airlineguys.com. 24 June 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  3. Brown, Joe. "Delta's New Sexy Safety Starlet". wired.com. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  4. "Meet Deltalina, the star of Delta's new in-flight safety video". msdn.com. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  5. "Delta's In-flight Safety Video". YouTube. 20 February 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  6. "Latest Articles from Z107-7 with opinions from , and more". Z107-7. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  7. Brett, Jennifer (2008-03-27). "Who is Deltalina? Flashback to 2008". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  8. "Deltalina breekt door". telegraaf.nl. Archived from the original on 9 February 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  9. "Stewardess schittert in instructiefilmpje" ("Flight attendant shines in instructional video"),  De Standaard and Het Nieuwsblad, 24 March 2008
  10. Martin, Grant. "United's New Safety Video Helps Turn A Page In Airline Marketing Strategy." Forbes. August 4, 2014.
  11. Bogost, Ian. How to Do Things With Videogames (Volume 38 of Electronic mediations). University of Minnesota Press, 2011. ISBN 145293312X, 9781452933122. p.143 .
  12. "New Delta safety videos, Deltalina is back". Atlanta Business Chronicle. 13 November 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  13. 11Alive Staff, WXIA (12 November 2012). "Deltalina is back in new Delta air safety videos". 11Alive. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  14. https://www.businessinsider.com.au/delta-releases-meme-safety-video-2015-5
  15. "Richard Tyler and Delta Airlines Debut New Flight Attendant Uniforms With Guest Photos and Images - Getty Images". gettyimages.com. May 1, 2006. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  16. "USA Delta Jet-Set Summer at Henri Bendel ("Richard Tyler, stylist, posing with models") - Documentary Photography by Alex Masi". photoshelter.com. June 2006. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  17. "Designer Richard Tyler Unveils Couture "Widget Dress" For Delta Air Lines Photos and Images - Getty Images". gettyimages.com. September 12, 2006. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  18. "Deltalina on Ellen". YouTube. 31 March 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  19. "This Day in Ellen History", Ellen show, May 22, 2010
  20. "DELTALINA WAGS HER FINGER AT THE DOME", "Peach Buzz", Access Atlanta (Atlanta Journal-Constitution), September 24 2008 Archived 2010-01-17 at the Wayback Machine
  21. "Delta, Official Airline of the Atlanta Falcons", Delta Air Lines, September 26, 2008
  22. Leon Stafford, "It’s easier to get a lift downtown: New helipad provides way to beat traffic", Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2009-03-11
  23. "Deltalina welcomes you to the new Sky Magazine", Sky magazine, Delta Air Lines, March 26, 2009
  24. "The Delta Experience Auction for the Carter Foundation". YouTube. 10 March 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  25. "Just In: Deltalina Stars in Another Delta Video for Sky Priority - FlyerTalk Forums". flyertalk.com. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  26. "Adobe Summit Orientation". vimeo.com. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  27. "Welcome to Healthe Trim". YouTube. 24 August 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  28. "Healthe Trim". youtube.com. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  29. "Katherine Lee at the 23rd Annual GLAAD MEDIA Awards, March 24, 2012". Patrick McMullan Company. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  30. "Delta Boarding Video at GLAAD Media Awards NY". YouTube. 23 April 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  31. Delta Sky Magazine, November 2012 (no online version available)
  32. "ATL". iamatl.net. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  33. "ATL Files Episode 1: Accessibility". YouTube. 29 November 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
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