Window shades

[cwd]

I remember catching QF10 from DXB to MEL a number of years ago, leaving early in the morning, and arriving at about 8pm. We were told to keep the blinds down for the entire flight. So I slept a bit, but not well, but upon getting home, had great trouble getting to sleep. It would have been much better if we'd had some light to keep us awake properly so we could get into the new timezone.

Years later, I was treated to this view on the way to SIN:



Apologies to anyone whose movie was disturbed.

 

[bigjobs]

whatever people want it fine by me ... up or down ... The one thing that gets me laughing is when they're all down, its dark and then someone flips one up ... it's like a tractor beam from the death star

I have been on QF63 a number of times and the crew let us know when we were far enough south to see the ice. that was always a nice thing to look at and no one seemed to mind all the shades coming up mid journey for that.

 

[juddles]

whatever people want it fine by me ... up or down ... The one thing that gets me laughing is when they're all down, its dark and then someone flips one up ... it's like a tractor beam from the death star

I have been on QF63 a number of times and the crew let us know when we were far enough south to see the ice. that was always a nice thing to look at and no one seemed to mind all the shades coming up mid journey for that.

Doing QF28 back from Santiago the usual decorum is that those that want to see the ice tend to go to the galleys and peek and take happy snaps from the small windows there.

 

[JohnK]

Unfortunately the same can't be said for the IFE screen which is either fixed, or has limited rotation. Especially in economy, glare from one window can affect 10-15 other passengers.

And if the person reclines they can't use the glare argument.

 

[OZDUCK]

Out of curiousity, do airlines only enforce this shades down policy in Y class ? I had flown J/F with both SQ and ANA and they never forced me to close the shades. I am thinking of flying QR in J. I wonder if QR has such strict policy, hmmmm,....

Personally i love looking out windows. I have seen some magnificient views, such as the Norwegian fjords when i flew Norwegian from Bergen to Stockholm, views of mainland Europe on the SQ flight between Singapore and London, and of course the Sydney Harbour on the ANA flight from Tokyo to Sydney. It would be a shame if every airline enforces the shades down policy in the future.

We just did 2 QR flights in J today on the A350-900 & 1000. On the first flight Sin - Doha, leaving at 1045, the shades were untouched for the 7 1/2 trip - unfortunately all we could see was clouds below us for 99% of the flight.

On the second flight Doha - Stockholm departing 1530 they left them alone for the first 3 hours and then dropped both the inner & outer shades from the master switch. (We landed at about 2050 in late dusk light). They didn't say anything when we lifted them up by about 50% so we could see out. However we were on the side away from the setting sun so that might have made a difference.

 

[PineappleSkip]

But why assume the person who is sleeping hasn’t either just completed a longer distance flight or is about to do so once they arrive at the first destination?

I mainly marvel at daytime sleepers on the last leg of my commute home. CX157 leaves HKG about 13:00 and arrives BNE about 23:30. No flights out of BNE connecting that time of night. Bulk of PAX came from Europe overnight or Asia, either way its daytime in the origin at shades down time. Could be a few from North America, but there are a lot of sleepers on that flight. Maybe they had a bad overnight flight before.

Would make sense on a lot of other flights of course.

Cheers skip

 

[Scarlett]

We need a 'post your best image from on a plane' thread!

 

[VPS]

From Traveller letters

DIM VIEWS
Regarding the closing of blinds and dimming of light (Traveller, July 2), I never cease to be amazed by the stupidity of people who travel overseas on long-haul flights.

What is one going to see out of a plane window when flying at 39,000 feet? Answer: blue, blue sky and clouds. Have a thought for other passengers as the light shining through the windows at that height is extremely bright.

A personal light for each person is available for use if you don't want to sleep. As to not seeing a flight attendant during your so-called enforced sleeping time – have you ever thought of pressing the button to summon one?

Mike Weiss, Vermont South, VIC

I flew Emirates EK185 from Dubai to Barcelona with the flight departing at 8.15am local time and arriving at 1.25pm local time.

Shortly after departure the window shades were closed and the cabin lights dimmed with the temperature at 28 degrees. I submitted a formal complaint to Emirates and the response was merely that the cabin temperature should be 22 degrees.

They completely ignored my comments that a darkened cabin during a daytime flight would contribute to jet lag. The only logical reason would be that sleeping passengers require less work for the cabin crew.

Ian Gabriel, Mount Waverley, VIC

 

[Berlin]

From Traveller letters

DIM VIEWS
Regarding the closing of blinds and dimming of light (Traveller, July 2), I never cease to be amazed by the stupidity of people who travel overseas on long-haul flights.

What is one going to see out of a plane window when flying at 39,000 feet? Answer: blue, blue sky and clouds. Have a thought for other passengers as the light shining through the windows at that height is extremely bright.

A personal light for each person is available for use if you don't want to sleep. As to not seeing a flight attendant during your so-called enforced sleeping time – have you ever thought of pressing the button to summon one?

Mike Weiss, Vermont South, VIC

Well, that Mile Weiss is exactly one of those inconsiderate self-obsesses ar...holes who cannot imagine that maybe, just maybe, his own narrow-minded personal preference is not everyone's. There's also a "personal eye shade available for use" which really is just throwing the argument back and forth.

"What is one going to see out of a plane window when flying at 39,000 feet? Answer: blue, blue sky and clouds. Have a thought for other passengers as the light shining through the windows at that height is extremely bright." What an ignorant man, "only" blue sky and clouds . Ignoring the beauty outside in favor of some dumb TV program is just plain stupid but I rest my case. Hope he flies Deathstar, would suit him well, I think.

 

[bfm]

From Traveller letters

DIM VIEWS
...
What is one going to see out of a plane window when flying at 39,000 feet? Answer: blue, blue sky and clouds. Have a thought for other passengers as the light shining through the windows at that height is extremely bright.
...

Ian,

Seems you have little appreciation for the planet on which you exist.

While I agree that looking up and seeing 'blue sky' isn't rewarding, watching tropical weather events can be enlightening (even, at times, terrifying).

But the joy of looking out is downwards. There, over land, one can observe the results of tectonic plate shift and weathering patterns. Over the ocean, islands, rifts and other joys abound.

And at night, the lights of cities and towns as well as ships can be fascinating.

As has been said before, there are none so blind as those who prefer not to see!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

There's also a "personal eye shade available for use" which really is just throwing the argument back and forth.

You can't watch IFE with an eye shade.

And passengers sitting in any other seat except the windows have little else to do except watch a movie - they can't share you view out the window.

 

[suze2000]

I feel like those letters came straight from writers here. It's too much of a coincidence that this blew up here and there at the same time.

 

[Berlin]

You can't watch IFE with an eye shade.

Well, then entertain yourself with something different than the same dumb TV or movie cough that runs on the ground rather than expecting everyone wants to dumb themselves down for you. And leave the rarity and wonders of the world and nature outside to the ones who appreciate it!

Or select a Windows seat rather than whinging about other people on the plane, how about that?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Well, then entertain yourself with something different than the same dumb TV or movie cough that runs on the ground rather than expecting everyone wants to dumb themselves down for you. And leave the rarity and wonders of the world and nature outside to the ones who appreciate it!

Or select a Windows seat rather than whinging about other people on the plane, how about that?

I edited my post just a moment ago so you probably missed the key point - those not sitting at the window don't sahre your views of the great wonders. People in middle seats, aisles and centre blocks have nothing else to do except watch a movie.

And yes - I do select windows just so I can lower the shades. If window gazers were a little more considerate it would be a win-win for everyone. But unfortunately not everyone is considerate of the other 8 pax in their row aside from themselves and the sole other window pax on the other side of the cabin.

 

[Berlin]

I edited my post just a moment ago so you probably missed the key point - those not sitting at the window don't sahre your views of the great wonders. People in middle seats, aisles and centre blocks have nothing else to do except watch a movie.

And yes - I do select windows just so I can lower the shades. If window gazers were a little more considerate it would be a win-win for everyone. But unfortunately not everyone is considerate of the other 8 pax in their row aside from themselves and the sole other window pax on the other side of the cabin.

Well, you will be happy to hear that I never fly down the back on any mid- or long-haul flights. So I at maximum have 3 other people in my row and J or F seats are usually also better shielded off. There's still plenty of occasions I get asked to lower my shades and I am not at all willing to do so when I've assigned a windows seat months ahead. If you're by the Window in Y, of course it should be your choice to lower the shade if you so wish.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

... and J or F seats are usually also better shielded off.

Morning sun coming in horizontally through the window on the left.
View attachment 179140

TG F

 

[Scarlett]

Modern discourse perfectly illustrated by this thread...

"Here's my point of view"
"Well here's mine which is different to yours"
"Yours is different so I'll just repeat mine again cause clearly you didn't understand"
Repeat... until we get to what, 15 pages?

Fortunately we live in a democracy and the apparent 70% of respondents that prefer to look outside where possible are mostly able to do so. But that apparent majority won't change anyone's mind of course...

Perhaps we can put this thread to bed (with shades closed?) and move onto something less controversial like god, the rainbow serpent and other fairy tales?

 

[Hvr]

To combine two modern grievances of air travel lets have a mechanism whereby if you recline your window shade automatically goes down.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

"Yours is different so I'll just repeat mine again cause clearly you didn't understand"

When the response given by most posters on this thread to glare on screens is ‘use an eye mask’, it means they clearly don’t understand the issue

 

[Berlin]

When the response given by most posters on this thread to glare on screens is ‘use an eye mask’, it means they clearly don’t understand the issue

Oh yes, the issue seems to be that some people are so addicted to the trashy entertainment on their screens, that even the beautiful view out the window can't break their glue to those screens. Sigh, where has humanity come to