I'm with you-- I do love to look out the window, especially on the North America to Asia flights (my favorite part is over Kamchatka / Siberia), but rarely open my own windows because I know people dislike it. Interestingly I used to fly ORD-HKG a lot and used to always wonder what Khabarovsk was like, a city that we'd almost always fly over. Two years ago i finally found out when I did the Trans-Siberian and stopped in KHV for a few days-- a really fascinating city!

When I do need to sleep, i also am guilty of getting irritated when others insist on keeping the windows open (though I'm not sure why-- the eyeshades do a pretty good job of keeping the light out!)

Often I find that First/Business class windows are closed while Economy class ones are open so I'll walk back to Economy and look out the windows at the exit rows back there.

What I really think is strange is when all the windows are closed during takeoff and landing-- i recently flew EWR-DEL on UA-- I was in the aisle seat so couldn't reach the window to open it, but thought it odd that not one person wanted to look out the window taking off on very clear night with undoubtedly stunning views of NYC. very weird. and the number of people that miss the views of central London on the RHS of the plane when landing at Heathrow; no matter how many times I see it, i never get tired of it.