However, I'm all for keeping the window shades OPEN on US-Asia trans Pacific flights.

For years, I flew to Asia in full daylight, and it just felt as if I was experiencing an incredibly long afternoon. I'd read a whole book and nap (something I'm able to do in daylight) for an hour or two. I was always wide awake when I arrived in Asia and easily able to stay up till 10PM local time, which put me on the local schedule after I'd slept for eight hours.

Then a couple of years ago, FAs started pulling the shades down on westbound flights, and now I arrive in Asia groggy. I struggle to stay awake till 8PM. No wonder, since I don't get to use the sunlight to put my body clock on Asian time.

I strongly suspect that this pulling down the shades routine is deliberately designed to make the passengers groggy so that they don't bother the FAs. I've never taken the LAX-SYD flight, but I wonder if they keep the shades down the whole time then. That would really wreak havoc on someone's circadian rhythms.

Going back to the U.S. is another matter, since that's generally an overnight flight, but even there, it feels as if the FAs keep the shades down too long. It's already 10AM at our destination, we're flying over the Canadian Rockies, and I get scolded if I raise the shades or try to look out the exit door.

In general, I believe in having daylight or not in a way that prepares the passengers for the time of day at their destination.

The problem with glare interfering with the IFE could be solved by installing those shields they use to keep glare off computer screens.