An open letter to Air Canada

June 13, 2007

Air Canada - Customer Relations
PO Box 64239
5512 4th Street, NW
Calgary, AB, T2K 6J0

To Whom This May Concern:

Re: June 10, 2007: AC # 085, Tel Aviv - Toronto

I am writing to express my utter shock and disappointment with the in-flight entertainment on my last flight 3 days ago. Since there were no individual seatback screens on this ancient 767, we were all subjected to viewing the movies chosen for this flight.

The first film was Music and Lyrics which featured a sexy young female pop star who grinds her hips and rubs against others on stage wearing practically nothing. The second film was Austin Powers – The Spy Who Shagged Me. In addition to being unbearably stupid, this movie also flaunted nakedness and frivolous sex. Both these films were rated PG -13.

The Motion Picture Association of America does not determine what is appropriate for my children’s viewing. But even if I followed their standards, PG -13 means that some material is not suitable for children under the age of 13. So how could you show these films on a big screen? It’s one thing if the aircraft had individual seatback screens where parents could control what their children watch. I think it was unconscionable for these films to be shown to all audiences on a big screen. Thankfully, my children were not with me on this flight.

But unless you either enter your fleet into the 21st century and provide individual seatback screens or change your policy on what films are shown on big screen flights, I will not fly Air Canada with my children.

Sincerely,

Wanna Saab


P.S. British Airways goes even further. In addition to individual seatback screens, the flight attendant came over to us and asked my wife which channels she would like to have blocked from our children’s screens. I was very impressed.