The flight crew usually joins later in the briefing to inform the team of the flight time, weather en route, cockpit entry and communication rules, and anything specific to the flight, like a known delay or maintenance issue. Communication between the cabin crew and flight crew is emphasized.

A professional pre-flight briefing for flight crews in 2026 is an exhaustive review of safety and operational data. It includes the Flight Plan (route, altitudes, and fuel requirements), Weather Reports (METARs and TAFs for departure, en-route, and destination), and NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen regarding runway closures or equipment outages). Crucially, the pilots discuss Takeoff Performance Data, such as V1​ (decision speed) and VR​ (rotate speed), and the emergency plan for an engine failure before or after V1​. The cabin crew briefing covers the "Security Search" status, special-needs passengers, and "Service Flow." In the modern era, this also includes a "Threat and Error Management" (TEM) discussion, where the crew identifies specific risks for that day—such as fatigue, heavy traffic, or convective weather—and agrees on strategies to mitigate them.