I'd imagine for many people, myself included, despite all the entertainment options available, sleeping is still the best way to pass the time on a long haul flight, which gets boring really quickly. So I'd want to take a nap for a few hours. There aren't too many interest things to see on most flights anyways, and that's only if you are lucky enough to be flying over skys with no clouds.
Nice for you, if you can pass the time on a 12+ hour flight sleeping - even in a lie-flat. I can't. I've done up to 8 hours of slumber, but that often leaves several hours of idle time. If we're flying over something interesting, or even if not, my window may well be wide open. What doesn't interest you may be fascinating to somebody else.
Originally Posted by canadian cow
It's the "I woke up at 2am and am flying YYZ-HKG where I terminate my journey and therefore we should all have natural light during the hours that suit me" that I take issue with, because it is completely selfish and gives absolutely zero consideration to anyone else in the cabin.
The notion of catering to people who
may be connecting onwards or who
may have had flights prior to or after the current flight is equally bizarre. Short of asking people, we have no idea where they're traveling to or from, how long they've been awake, whether they're tired, want sleep, prefer light or not. You look after you and let the rest of us look after ourselves. Common courtesy is very important - especially when aggregated in confined spaces, but not at the cost of rigid adherence to what amounts to zealous principle based upon little more than guesswork.