I flew a 787 Trans-Pac last year. The only time I get a window seat is when I fly in a premium cabin (I am claustrophobic and anything but immediate aisle access is panic-inducing!) On this flight I happened to have 2 PE seats to myself, one aisle, one window. It was crystal clear weather, I watched some of the most fantastic scenery underneath us as we flew over Alaska and Far-Eastern Russia - absolutely breath taking, and I am so glad I had a window to look out of to see it. I am unlikely to ever see these parts of the world any other time, so I consider it an amazing opportunity to see some of the world I won't otherwise get to see. I quite happily watched the world go by for a long time. Quite why anyone would think that strange is beyond me - untouched wilderness, with beautiful snow drifts, snaking rivers, far more beautiful and entertaining than anything you can put on the IFE!

The FA dimmed the cabin (no shades on this 787, just tinted windows), but you can manually control the tint - I didn't 'open' it all the way, just enough to see out of, and the FA seemed fine with that. It was the middle of the day (based on our destination time) so being awake (even if others felt it was still the middle of the night departure time) is valid IMO - the sooner you get on to destination time, the less jet lag will bother you.

On other flights, e.g. Trans-Atlantic overnight, I have seen amazing arrays of stars, so clear, thousands upon thousands of them, absolutely breathtaking. I haven't been lucky enough to see the Northern Lights from a flight, but I imagine that would be spectacular.

One of my favourite views when flying is the approach over the UK coming in to Heathrow from N. America. Seeing the first cliffs of Cornwall, then the farmlands of the home counties, and, if you are really lucky, the approach up the Thames where you can see the Houses of Parliament, Tower of London, Tower Bridge etc. It's home to me, and I love watching it.