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I always sit in a window seat and like to look out and watch the world go by if I'm awake (not too often) but I'm pretty chill about the whole shade up/down thing. I'm not sure if it's a QF or CASA thing but they have to be up for take off and landing here. I also understand that some people like them up so they can see out, others like them down so they can sleep, use IFE, etc.
I figure I have about as much right to control my "row mate's" access to the window shade when I'm in a window seat as they have to control my access to the aisle when they're in an aisle seat. You want it up? Cool. Down? Yeah, whatever. No big deal.
Flying over remote regions of the earth means you get some amazing views of places most of us are unlikely to ever see at ground level. An open window and a moving map are my favorite IFE. It's pretty hard not to be in awe sometimes.
That said, on long haul flights it can get pretty boring and there is pressure to keep the cabin dark during cruise.
Anyone try the blanket trick? you can just cover the window with a blanket and sneak under there so you can have a view without disturbing the cabin too much, yeah, you'll look weird but it's much less intrusive.
There's also some pretty great views to be seen at night, the skies on a dark night without a moon are completely blanketed with stars.
I do find it surprising when people have their shade down for the -entire- flight, especially during a scenic approach like a clear nighttime landing on 25R/L at HKG, but hey, different strokes for different folks.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jojojo
Am I the only one who wants to look out the window?
No way as I have often spent many hours gazing out the window of an aircraft.
One of the most beautiful things I've ever seen aloft was a thunderstorm over Bahamas while flying south over Florida on an Air Canada flight YYZ-UVF. Awesome and stunning at the same time.
Location: IAD, and sometimes OMNI/PR. Currently: not far from IAD, but home will always be SAN (not far from the "touch my junk and I'll have you arrested" Memorial TSA Check Point) even if I'm not there so much these days.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by broadwayblue
I too enjoy the view.
I've watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate.
And I've seen attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.
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I try to book window seats (and as an EXP on AA, I get these close to 100% of the time). I always keep my shade(s) [sometimes my seat controls two shades]open: (1)I like to pick out landmarks, highways etc.--I find this "fun", (2)planes are like "sardine cans", and with the shade open the inside and outside "merge" to make the plane feel more spacious, (3)in some instances you are getting a free tourist trip [one example, arriving in Las Vegas, on some approaches you get to see Hoover Dam (and Lake Meade) as well as the Grand Canyon--one could pay around $100 for an aerial tour of these.]
I like to keep the window open on departure and landing, especially at my home airport. Being ATC, I definitely have some control issues issues at MSP, and want to see where we are going and make sure there is no one on final as we cross a runway, ha ha.
After 10,000 ft however, I tend to lower the shade in consideration of others, and also if there is a glare issue on my PTV. I was on a recent flight into LHR and shades were down even below 10,000ft. I was the first one to open up my shade and got some glares from the rest of the cabin. However, if you're below 10,000 on approach, I feel it's more than acceptable to have the shade open. Great views over London and good plane spotting as we were in holding.
After 10,000 ft however, I tend to lower the shade in consideration of others, and also if there is a glare issue on my PTV. I was on a recent flight into LHR and shades were down even below 10,000ft. I was the first one to open up my shade and got some glares from the rest of the cabin. However, if you're below 10,000 on approach, I feel it's more than acceptable to have the shade open. Great views over London and good plane spotting as we were in holding.
Final approaches to places like LHR and LGA can be utterly spectacular depending on the runway, and are not to be missed. Anyone giving the ol stink-eye over being subjected to daylight 10 minutes before landing (as MSP-MN described above) gets zero sympathy from me.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by luv2fly1st
snip...
I do not leave the window shade open if I am not looking out at something because of the glare. Just like I switch my PTV off when I go to sleep...so that it won't BOTHER OTHER PEOPLE.
The FAA regulation should be revised to require ALL SHADES OPEN for takeoffs and landings. When I suggested this to United in a letter concerning safety, I got a standard letter in response "we take safety very seriously..blah blah". They most likely trashed my note.
Don't most PTVs now (at least on United) have privacy filters so the light is significantly reduced from wide viewing angles?
Also-- what does the shade being up have to do with safety?
I book more aisle than window seats, but whichever it is is usually intentional, and if at a window I like to look out. I guess for some of us there is just a fascination with seeing things from above that doesn't get old.
On the other hand there are clearly many who couldn't be less interested in what is going on below. Coming over yesterday IAD - HNL the front cabin was almost completely dark by wheels up on a flight in 100% daylight. Might have been my first 2:00 PM lunch in the dark at 35,000 feet.
This is subjective but it feels like there are more dark cabins in daylight hours today than a few years ago.
This is subjective but it feels like there are more dark cabins in daylight hours today than a few years ago.
No, you're right. I used to be able to look out windows all the time. Now you have to sit on cross oceanic flights in the dark for 14 hrs even though the flight lands at noon local time. Shades are kept down almost till landing.
I too love watching the earth spin below. I especially love watching the Rockies when going west over the continental divide - hallejujah, back on the good side of the US...
I love looking out the window but I'm not particularly fond of heights. For some reason it really bothers me to look out the window while taking off. Once we're up and cruising or on approach I'm not particularly bothered, don't ask me why.
I agree that the approach to LHR, which is always during daylight hours on United, is spectacular.
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Re: OP. I'm with ya. Ya practically have to get a blanket, put it over your head and try to block all the incoming light, and some FAs still can be witches about it even at that.
When flying that cross-Alaska/Kamchatka route (and also over Greenland) it's really unusual to catch a clear day and good visibility to the ground. You might fly regularly many times and see only clouds before you see the clear day.
Was lucky on a recent DTW-NGO-MNL flight to see the Alaska coast around Kotzebue with the ice breaking up, as well as the easternmost bit of land in Russia (the part Sarah Palin can see from her house!). That area is usually clouded up.
]open: (1)I like to pick out landmarks, highways etc.--I find this "fun", (2)planes are like "sardine cans", and with the shade open the inside and outside "merge" to make the plane feel more spacious, (3)in some instances you are getting a free tourist trip [one example, arriving in Las Vegas, on some approaches you get to see Hoover Dam (and Lake Meade) as well as the Grand Canyon--one could pay around $100 for an aerial tour of these.]
