After an unusual incident involving a passenger several months ago, I wrote Air Canada to see if they felt this idea based on what happened could take off…

Dear Canadians that Fly Through the Air:

Your website says, “You can expect to hear back from us within 30 days.” Since I didn’t, I thought you should hear back from me so that I can hope to hear back from you within 30 days from now, which would be way more than 60 days if you don’t respond again.

I read a news story about an Air Canada passenger who fell asleep on the plane and woke up in a hangar at Vancouver International Airport. I’m not sure how that can happen, but I’d give up 5,273 frequent miles to see a video of his reaction when he woke up! I’d also like to know his sleep technique secret because once the flight attendant crashes the beverage cart into the side of my seat or stuck out leg I can never fall back asleep again.

It’s not my intention to blame your flight crew, even if they appear to have been asleep on the job. In fact, they may have actually hit upon a terrific idea. Sometimes, out of bad comes good. Not often, but maybe this time.

I’m always rushing to catch flights. Between last minute packing, shaving, showering, dressing, getting to the airport, going through security and everything else, I figure that’s a good 3 to 4 hours of wasted time. That’s why I’m wondering if Air Canada might consider allowing passengers to arrive the night before their flight to sleep on the plane in the hangar. You definitely can’t say it hasn’t been done before! It would certainly be understandable if you charged for use of your hangars, even though places like hotels don’t charge for theirs. I’ll bet people would be happy to pay it, too!

Do you foresee this kind of service being offered in the near future? It might even open the door to another customer loyalty program featuring Frequent Sleeper Miles. Do you feel this kind of customer experience has merit? You must think it does on some level since it was really your idea to begin with, even if it was unintentional. Now that I’ve put it in this perspective, I’m anxious to hear whether you think it has intentional potential. What do you think?

Two Attempts. No Replies.

Final Thoughts: I’m not sure why Air Canada didn’t respond. Maybe Customer Service is also prone to falling asleep on the job. In any case, it appears the idea of sleeping on planes the night before early morning first flights of the day will remain up in the air. Nevertheless, if you’re intrigued by this concept, the next best thing until airlines offer it might be: The Budget Traveller Guide to Sleeping in Airports.

Here is the news story that triggered my inquiry. Just beware if you fall asleep somewhere in public that doesn’t supply a bed — whether it’s on some form of transportation, or elsewhere. Aside from waking up someplace you didn’t expect; there are people who enjoy taking pictures of sleepers and posting them online.

These are some tips for Sleeping on Planes. Your sleep might also be less likely to be disturbed if you fly with Air Canada. However, sometimes it’s hard to tell whether a service provider is keeping their eyes open for its customers. If you’re not sure, Write The Company.