It is not every day that one encounters a superstar on an airplane. For Air Canada flight attendant Lily Kahnerahtiio Dailleboust, a recent journey from Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport to Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport turned into an unforgettable meeting with global music icon Rihanna.
A Chance Encounter at 30,000 Feet
Dailleboust, who hails from the Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) community in Montreal, presented the "Diamonds" singer with a beaded lanyard and even offered a brief language lesson. The singer, visibly moved, shared the moment on social media.
"This sweet lady gifted me with something very special that I will never forget and I will never lose," Rihanna said in a video posted on Facebook. "Thank you so much."
"In our language we say 'Niá:wen,' which means thank you," Dailleboust explained to Rihanna, who then repeated the word: "Niá:wen."
Details of the Flight
The "SOS" singer was traveling to Montreal to attend her husband A$AP Rocky's concert at the Bell Centre as part of his "Don't Be Dumb World Tour." According to Dailleboust, Rihanna was seated in the crew seats at the back of the aircraft to ensure more comfort and privacy, as the Dash-8 Q400 aircraft has no separate business class section.
"I'm still shocked," Dailleboust told CTV News. "I'm still kind of processing, it's a big thing, and it's really something that she was so down to earth and really accommodating."
Speaking to Global News, the flight attendant added: "You don't even know how to react because it's not my first time having a VIP, but on a small airplane from Billy Bishop, like the Dash-8 Q400, it's just a regular aircraft, there's no business class, there's no separation."
How the Gift Was Given
After introducing herself and offering water, Dailleboust said she asked Rihanna's bodyguard for permission to give the singer a gift. She then presented the lanyard, saying, "Oh, I just wanted to offer you a gift."
"You know in my culture we're very giving. When somebody or something is very significant or meaningful, we want to offer you something so I gave it to her. She was so happy," Dailleboust explained.
The Air Canada employee noted that the company has a policy to respect VIP guests and not approach them out of context, but the interaction with Rihanna "was so organic."
"It was just like talking to one of my friends that I've had for 10 years. It was just like such an easy flow conversation," Dailleboust said. "We joked around a little bit about other things."
