Originally Posted by
snaxmuppet
I don't agree that the eye masks are for that purpose. IMO they are for people that want to shut out the remaining ambient light in the cabin. I for one cannot sleep with the masks... I find then intensely irritating and I might as well not try to sleep.
I think a better way would be to take the decision out of the hands of the passengers and say that if it is a night flight then the blinds will be closed from xx.xx to xx.xx to allow people to sleep. Outside those times the window seat has control.
Agree, I think I know far more people who have complained that they find eye masks extremely uncomfortable than those who actually use them. And I know I've been criticised for daring to mention us worthless souls in economy, but obviously there they aren't handed out.
What you say in your second paragraph is how most airlines do it in my experience. And I've never heard anyone complain, most passengers seem to accept the common sense of it. At the end of the day I think most people see it as any other situation where people share a public room - the room is lit according to most people's needs, not just to suit the one person who happens to be nearest the window.