pokfur

Hi all,

Last week I flew LHR-SIN on BA 11 on the 747 in World Traveller First time I've been on the 747 in years so it was a 'refreshing' experience for me. Upon boarding the aircraft, I noticed that each and every reading light was switched on and glaring down from above. It was very hot and bright, but there was no way to turn it off at all.

When the cabin lights were dimmed for takeoff, the reading lights all remained on, and only then was I able to switch mine off. Throughout the flight, my seat mate, those in front of me, and those behind me all left theirs on! The guy in front of me tried many times in vain to turn it off, and I finally had to point out to him that the button was on his armrest.

With all these lights turned on around me, I found it difficult to sleep that night. Sure, I could have gone and told the 8 passengers around me how to switch their lights off, but I just found it a bit strange that this happened.

If all reading lights can be centrally turned on for boarding, surely they can be turned off as well when lights are dimmed for takeoff?

On another note, the crew on that flight were functional at best. I found the mixed fleet crew on BA15 to be much more delightful when I flew that last month!

KARFA

Reading lights are not turned off for takeoff and landing in the hours of darkness, and indeed the SCCM's announcement usually specifically mentions you may use your reading light if you still want to read. Don't you have any eyeshades?

pokfur

Yes, but the 747 (or maybe just this flight) is the first that I've boarded where the reading lights on turned on by default. Subsequently, each passenger then has to turned theirs off individually.

Normally, it's the other way around as you said it - turn it on only if you want to read.

KARFA

Maybe the cleaners left them all on? In any case I think you need to invest in some eyeshades if you want to ensure you are not disturbed by lights.

Can I help you

I always switch on all the reading lights when it's a evening departure as it enables me to set the main cabin lights to a lower setting and offer a more relaxed cabin for boarding.
The reading light switch in the CSDs galley offers three choices, all on, all off and normal.
So I switch them all on and then to normal, normal means that the customer can then switch them on and off as the please.

Sixth Freedom

In the blue and brown CW seats I used to make sure that I got on board first to switch off my seat opponent's reading light before a night flight! On my first flight the other chap went to sleep with it on!

Not a problem in current CW of course.

mjh0

Problem is, many passengers seem to leave their common sense behind at the airport door, and don't switch them off.

pokfur

Thanks for the explanation CIHY! I think that's perfectly reasonable for boarding, but...

Exactly! I'm sure there were some passengers who thought that since they hadn't turned on their reading light, whatever light that was above them wasn't their reading light and couldn't be controlled by them. And then there was the guy in front of me who didn't even know how to turn it off..

I suppose it might have made more sense for the cabin manager to turn them all on, then all off (when the cabin lights are dimmed), then back to normal so that it's controllable by the passenger

Shall bring my eyeshades for BA12 next week, although I hate wearing them!

Can I help you

That's exactly what I do, just as I make the announcement about dimming the lights in the cabin and the reading lights being available for more like I switch the reading lights all off and then back to normal.

headingwest

This is definitely the best approach.

When boarding, it's always useful if there is a decent amount of light for passengers to get seated, settled, and find everything they need for the flight. Once airborne it makes sense to switch them all off centrally, and then passengers can make adjustments to their requirements.

It is true that a lot of passengers tend to leave their lights on even when they clearly don't need to. I would also say that some passengers don't even know how to switch them off!

I can't sleep with eyeshades on as I find them really annoying, so it's always nice when the cabin is dark.

pokfur

Ah, guess the manager on my flight missed out on that! Anyhow, I'm glad to know it's not a 747 thing and hopefully just a one-off incident!

windowontheAside

After being disturbed by the restless passenger next to me, I suggested she might find it easier to sleep without the light shining directly onto her. She was quite surprised to learn it wasn't my light and admitted she'd been harbouring dark thoughts about the idiot with the light on while everyone was trying to sleep....

South London Bon Viveur

I imagine the announcement for dimming the cabin lights and using the reading light above your head is almost inevitably followed by numerous crew call buttons being activated by accident

I recently had a night flight where my reading light was not working. With all the other lights around me out it was actually impossible to do any reading- so I stared out of the window into the darkness making a mental note to bring a torch with me next time.

pokfur

I know right!! Agree with both statements. Feels like something is pressing on my face all the time and sort of suffocating me haha.

Lol, especially with the 747 lights where the light nearest the window is actually shining towards the aisle seat and the one at the aisle shines towards the window

I'd blame that more on the strange positioning of the IFE control on the 747 armrest!

LOL. I'd love to see that

Sixth Freedom

I have noticed in life that many people do seem to like a very large amount of light. Personally I prefer only a little if the Sun is not the supplier.

I never turn on the light in the morning for example, as even if it is dark when I get up my eyes are still used to the dark and I can find everything I need and get ready without artificial light. In the evening I like to only have one or two lamps in my flat.

Yet other people are turning on the lights in the morning even when the Sun is over the horizon and in the evening even before it has set!

On the aircraft, I like as little light as possible during the night and a cabin flooded with beautiful natural light during the day.