Window shades

[Franky]

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?

Agree somewhat, but just how many variables do we have to take into account when flying for any length of time? All of us have different likes and dislikes, and in close, cramped situations such as aircraft and other forms of public transport, all concerned just have to make the best of what transpires - and suck it up if it doesn't necessarily suit their preferences.

 

[Pushka]

Agree somewhat, but just how many variables do we have to take into account when flying for any length of time? All of us have different likes and dislikes, and in close, cramped situations such as aircraft and other forms of public transport, all concerned just have to make the best of what transpires - and suck it up if it doesn't necessarily suit their preferences.

Sure. I guess what it may come down to might be others comfort or discomfort versus people’s preferences to have the shades open.

 

[Franky]

Sure. I guess what it may come down to might be others comfort or discomfort versus people’s preferences to have the shades open.

Pushka - that statement works both ways...

 

[sinophile888]

I am definitely a shades up flyer and only fly during daylight hours. I like to look out the window whenever there is something interesting to look at. For most of the flight, I like to knit. I am quite proficient at knitting, but haven't yet learnt to knit in the dark.

 

[nonscenic]

and to GPH...
Agree, the scenery is FABULOUS from 30K.
The breadth of the Nullabor plain, and the 'trickles of tree lines showing where the creeks adn riverbeds are.
The Phang Nga National Park....the islands...in Thailand.
The Himalayas absolutely GOBSMACKING from 30K
Any coastline as you fly over it, you get to see it AND the curvature of the earth, if you're lucky to fly at 90 degrees to the coastline, it's wonderful.
The Blue Mountains of NSW the valleys and ridges and ancient trackways.
The Olgas in Uluru National Park.
PNG. Jungles and just dense dense green mountains and valleys.
London.... flew over it, rather than down into it. Wow, what a place on a clear day!!!
not to mention seeing clouds from the TOP!
Seeing a sunrise or sunset from above the clouds, and watching the rays create inverted rainbows, or gold and pink fantasy cloudscapes...not visible from below.
....want me to go on??? I've flown over all of these and marvelled at the astonishing viewpoint that normally we would never see.....
....while SOME PEOPLE are looking at screens. Ho hum.

Other beautiful spots are approaching SCL on flights from Australia, and the view of My Kilimanjaro at sunrise on a flight from Johannesburg to Nairobi.

 

[jg::]

I love the "red dirt" in central Australia, and the amazing lakes that pop up in unexpected places. The constantly changing colours and, yes, scenery from 30,000 ft is something to marvel at. I've also been lucky enough to get a view of the sunset across the plains, travelling RH side DRW>MEL. Magic. Keep those shades open!

 

[Peter D]

Why I always want a window seat.

 

[Peter D]

 

[ads]

I am an inexperienced flyer. I've only had a few international flights between Australia and the US over the last few years and both trips we've flown on the 787's.

For our next trip to the US we are flying on the A380 (QF7) one way across the Pacific and the 747(QF74) the other.
What is the 'window shade situation' for these flights for pax travelling in Y?
Will there be mandatory 'shades down' requests from the cabin crew during these long haul flights?
Cheers

 

[lonewolf]

While i can see the logic of having a darker cabin for people to sleep , i dont quite buy the glare and heat reasons, as some airlines are cold and others are warm and seems to depend on the airlines and what they set their thermostat at and yes it may cost them a bit more but then again i doubt it makes that much of a difference. Glare can be an issue but really i think at the end of the day it is up to the person who selects / pays for the window seat to have the choice of up and down. Except I can understand the logic of night flights that will go into day flights where during the night its good to have it down so people dont get woken up by sunrise.

I dont mind lowering it personally even on day flights but at the same time i also want to see the views at times and if i am on the window seat its because i have selected it by choice. My sister in law has claustrophobic issues and always requires a window seat.

 

[Quickstatus]

I am an inexperienced flyer. I've only had a few international flights between Australia and the US over the last few years and both trips we've flown on the 787's.

For our next trip to the US we are flying on the A380 (QF7) one way across the Pacific and the 747(QF74) the other.
What is the 'window shade situation' for these flights for pax travelling in Y?
Will there be mandatory 'shades down' requests from the cabin crew during these long haul flights?
Cheers

I wouldn’t say mandatory but you will be requested to.

 

[Lynda2475]

Departing from SFO on 747 and LAX on A380, the FAs in economy ask people to close their shades shortly after take-off. They are night departures with early morning arrivals. They usually ask people to raise the shades when clearing the trays from the breaky service, so about an hour before landing, as they want people awake at that stage. Don't recall anyone trying to open shades returning from US.

A380 trips to US, are early afternoon departures, I dotn recall FAs asking passengers to lower the window shades until after they have collected the dinner plates - meal used served 1 hour after take-off.

 

[G B]

While people have different views on this, we had an experience that affected the resulting jet lag.
Heathrow to Brisbane a few years ago via Singapore.
On take off around 11pm Singapore air (A380) serve a coughtail followed by dinner then insist on shades down and it being a natural sleep time that's ok. However they make everyone keep the shades down for the entire flight even though we fly right through the day, so no part has any natural light in the cabin. We land In Singapore after dark and connect with a night flight to Brisbane. For the entire trip of around 30 hours there was no natural light.
It took us 3-4 days to get our bodies back on track.
Fo me, if the flight is ij daytime hours there should be some allowance for people to enjoy the daylight and view

 

[MEL_Traveller]

...i dont quite buy the glare and heat reasons.

Why don't you 'buy' the glare reasons? There are posts above which clearly show how glare affects the cabin - either on screens or faces.

Why I always want a window seat.

I don't think anyone is suggesting window shades be closed for approach such as over London/Hong Kong or any of the other amazing views (including Sydney!).

But shades open in the middle of the Pacific with cloud cover?

 

[JennyMG]

That all sounds pretty cool. But how does it compare to watching "MY BIG GAY ITALIAN WEDDING" on a 9" screen, through $2 earbuds, in a GLORIOUSLY DARK cabin??

I stand corrected.

 

[JennyMG]

I will confess that I think about the window problem befor I actually travel. As I travel a bit I tend to base seat selection based on time of travel and likely position of the sun and select the window on the no direct sun light side.

I couldn't compute the likely position of my right arm, let alone the sun, with 360 degrees of choice, with north south east west left and right chucked into the equation. I'm just gonna go with shades up.

 

[JennyMG]

Over Coober Pedy, SA LAST WEEK. last week. OK not 30K but shades open and FABULOUS!!!

 

[ads]

Departing from SFO on 747 and LAX on A380, the FAs in economy ask people to close their shades shortly after take-off. They are night departures with early morning arrivals. They usually ask people to raise the shades when clearing the trays from the breaky service, so about an hour before landing, as they want people awake at that stage. Don't recall anyone trying to open shades returning from US.

A380 trips to US, are early afternoon departures, I dotn recall FAs asking passengers to lower the window shades until after they have collected the dinner plates - meal used served 1 hour after take-off.

Thank you for the reply Lynda.
So in theory, most flights between AUS and the US will be 'shades down' for the majority of the flight?

 

[amp-qld]

As seniors, we fly a lot internationally, despite my wife's claustrophobia. We don't do any overnight flights and rarely fly Business but take stopovers instead (a couple of nights in five star hotels is a lot less expensive than an upgrade to Business). She always gets a window seat and hates it when all the blinds are fully closed on daytime flights. By far the worst was Air Asia when we got a last minute upgrade to Business but were in middle seats and they closed all the blinds. Luckily, a nearby passenger agreed to raise his part way.

A bit off topic but modern Business class layouts are a problem for us as they rarely have a seat adjacent to a window seat.

Also, with supposedly full service airlines like QF and EK charging what is sometimes a substantial amount to choose a seat, I resent having to pay for a middle seat just so I can sit with my wife.

 

[Forg]

^ If you don’t choose, you still get to sit together unless you’re the last to check in to a full ‘plane I guess ... what happens if you only pay to choose your wife’s seat, and make sure you check in early?