Window shade etiquette--what should I have done?

 
Old Oct 25, 2001, 3:18 pm
  #16  
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,081
You want an honest opinion. Here is mine. Good for you. Who did she think that she was talking to? You are a first class passenger, and I assure you that at BA the person would have been reported by the Cabin Service Director for insolence. Indeed that applies to any passenger but particularly to the premium cabins.

I find that a problem American has is that there are no managers aboard to deal with service issues and that the crew are largely unsupervised. Had I been you, I would have complied and then just raised them as soon as her back was turned. There were no safety or security issues involved. Had she made an issue out of it, she would have met her match. Consideration for others is one thing, sensible proceedures to minimise jet lag is another.

PUCCI GALORE is offline  
Old Oct 25, 2001, 3:51 pm
  #17  
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: DALLAS,TX AA EXP-3MM, HYT PLAT, SPG PLAT,HLT GLD,LEADERS CLUB
Posts: 1,183
Oh this is a no win debate but here's my 2 cents worth.I like the shades closed all the time.I do think it is funny that some one could not feel closterphobic just by having the window shade open on a metal tube at 35,000 ft...
PETEFLYS is offline  
Old Oct 25, 2001, 5:21 pm
  #18  
JS
Suspended
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: GSP (Greenville, SC)
Programs: DL Gold Medallion; UA Premier Executive; WN sub-CP; AA sub-Gold
Posts: 13,393
Leave it up! If the person next to you wants it down, then work out a compromise, including the fact that aisle seats are better than window seats except for the window.

If the FA wants you to close it because someone else in the cabin wants it closed, other than the person next to you, I say too bad. How can light from one window possibly irritate someone who is sitting in a different row? (excluding direct light, that's understandable). For heaven's sake, have a couple drinks if you're having so much trouble getting to sleep.
JS is offline  
Old Oct 25, 2001, 5:23 pm
  #19  
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Atlanta, GA USA
Posts: 1,295
Are these the same FAs who insist all shades be open for landing?
flowerchild is offline  
Old Oct 25, 2001, 6:36 pm
  #20  
 
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Sacramento, CA
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Hyatt,Marriott,BA,AS
Posts: 4,419
I will not sit in a totally dark cabin during a daylight flight across the U.S, and I don't care about the movie. I will lower it somewhat as a compromise if it is glaring on the screen but I will not completely close it. I never understand why anyone would want to watch some horrific movie rather than viewing the beautiful scenery. Likewise, when crossing the Atlantic westbound I want sunlight and not the feeling that I have been in a tunnel for 10 hours. Those who are bothered can wear eye shades.
JIMCHI is offline  
Old Oct 25, 2001, 6:48 pm
  #21  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Four Seasons Contributor BadgeMandarin Oriental Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
The FA's insist that shades are open for landing for a good reason and I think an FAA regulation. If there is an emergency landing, you can look out the windows to see which side of the plane is underwater or on fire.

And I agree with the people who say that the person who selects the window seat, owns the window. I usually keep the window closed myself as I prefer a dark cabin on night flights.
stimpy is offline  
Old Oct 25, 2001, 7:47 pm
  #22  
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Programs: AA GLD 1MM, Delta GLD, Hilton GLD
Posts: 1,233
A flight attendent explained it this way to me. If the shade is down and the plane has an emergency landing, i.e. crash landing. Then a fire can melt the shade shut, thus you can't raise it to look out and see the situation. Made sense to me, if it was only true.
dallasflyer is offline  
Old Oct 26, 2001, 6:16 am
  #23  
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: HHonors Diamond, Uk
Posts: 57
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by PUCCI GALORE:
You want an honest opinion. Here is mine. Good for you. Who did she think that she was talking to? You are a first class passenger, and I assure you that at BA the person would have been reported by the Cabin Service Director for insolence. Indeed that applies to any passenger but particularly to the premium cabins.
</font>
On a recent flight LHR-SIN I noticed that the flight attendants asked everyone to close their blinds. Everyone complied. It was night and dark outside so there was little to see anyway. After a few hours as daylight approached, (over the Aral Sea) as I remember, the passenger in front of me attempted to peek out and was pounced on and I mean pounced on by a young FA who was really angry. He pulled it down. Shortly after that he pulled it up again and began to take one or two photos of the Himalayas, the view was spectacular. The same FA came back and had the same argument. This time the guy argued back. She went and got the senior FA who insisted that he close the blind and went off and made a cabin announcement that woke everyone up anyway. He did close it but was shaken up. His wife kept pleading with him to just do as they say to stop the trouble. Passengers even said they didn't mind. I remember there were a lot of Australians on board and I felt ashamed to be British. The blinds stayed down until 20 minutes before landing in Singapore.


[This message has been edited by ryker (edited 10-26-2001).]
ryker is offline  
Old Oct 26, 2001, 8:21 am
  #24  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: northern most city in Latin America
Posts: 49
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by dallasflyer:
A flight attendent explained it this way to me. If the shade is down and the plane has an emergency landing, i.e. crash landing. Then a fire can melt the shade shut, thus you can't raise it to look out and see the situation. Made sense to me, if it was only true.</font>
If the fire inside the cabin melted the plastic shade you are sitting next to. I doubt very much you or the flight attendant will be leaving that plane.

It was a Eastern Airlines policy to have the window shades up and the lights bright for landing. Something thats carried over from all the people we hired from there. Its Not a FAA or American airlines rule or policy to raise the shades for landing. Besides 99% of the time they are up with people looking out.

As far as the shade up with the light pouring in. Personaly I would have asked the person to lower their shades. I think having 1 left open is reasonable. All three just rude to the people around.

I fly back and fourth to europe and South America month after month. Having a shade open may not out right disturb others. But it does keep others awake. I see it happen. We use the dark cabin to make a quiet stress free enviormnet for you all. I will be thru every 10 minutes checking on you all night. So I want you know its not about less work for me. Its making a more relaxing time for you.

Very seldom do you have a anyone in first with a window shade open. I guess mainly they choose first to sleep. Business there is always open shades. Going east or west.
one FA is offline  
Old Oct 26, 2001, 9:23 am
  #25  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Little dot in Asia
Programs: AA-EP, TK-*G, HL-DM, HY-GLO, MR-LTP
Posts: 25,924
As common courtesy I would have lowered all but one window shade, and that I would just explain that I'd like to keep that a crack open and will lower it before I go to sleep. That way, it solves everyone's problems.

I take it at heart that the sun shines in and shines onto somebody's eyes. If YOU were in the seat and fast asleep, the last thing you want is to woken up by the sun's first rays. True, you might not have thought of putting eye shades on, but it's just being polite to be thoughtful.
Guy Betsy is offline  
Old Oct 26, 2001, 9:23 am
  #26  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: أمريكا
Posts: 26,738
Well it's definitely a compromise situation. Those of you who feel you must have your shades open for your personal comfort should also realize that you might be making it difficult for 5 or 10 other people to sleep. I could sleep if the plane had a glass dome roof, but some people have more difficulty. Sure, you're the one sitting next to the window, but is your comfort so much more important than the comfort of others? Have you ever had insomnia? It's really awful, especially on an airplane. At home, if you can't sleep you can get up, walk around, make a sandwich and tire yourself out. In the air, you're pretty limited on how much of that you can do, especially since most of your activity is still going to be centered around that same seat.

So, compromise. If you're going to open the window shade, try to work out a situation that bothers the least number of passengers, while getting you the light that you need. This probably doesn't involve having two out of three shades open.

As for the FAs, I'm quite certain that they want the shades closed so that other passengers can sleep, and to prevent them from getting complaints from passengers. I find it pretty unlikely that the FAs just want the shades down because that's the way they like it.

And finally, about passengers complaining- In my experience as an American, it's pretty rare for people to complain to others when someone does something they don't like. You may have your shades open, and maybe no one has complained to you. Does that mean you're not bothering anyone? Not necessarily, there may be people who are bothered, but do not want to get out of their seats, walk over to you and confront you. Especially if they're trying to sleep. People usually try to avoid confrontation.
Doppy is offline  
Old Oct 26, 2001, 12:03 pm
  #27  
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,081
Ryker, was this British Airways? Was this First Class? I have a reason for asking. This is not policy, and I assure you that there is a difference between asking politely and starting a row.

That is a disgraceful exhibitionm and I wonder what the CSD was thinking of.
PUCCI GALORE is offline  
Old Oct 26, 2001, 12:21 pm
  #28  
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 740
Honest opinion
I strongly feel that window shades should be closed on flights longer than a couple of hours. If you need lights use the overhead or the "snake light" attached to the seat.

Different people have different needs. Someone would want to adjust to the time-zone of the destination. Another person may not have slept the day before because of work/travel/baby or whatever and was planning to catch up with sleep on the 15 hour flight.

The glare from the sun at 35,000 feet is enough to light up the cabin even if one window is open. This distrubs the ambience of the entire cabin. If you really need light use the artificial light sources inside the plane which have much more focused beams.
SJC2ISP is offline  
Old Oct 26, 2001, 1:20 pm
  #29  
JS
Suspended
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: GSP (Greenville, SC)
Programs: DL Gold Medallion; UA Premier Executive; WN sub-CP; AA sub-Gold
Posts: 13,393
Natural light, and especially the view, cannot be duplicated with reading lights.
JS is offline  
Old Oct 26, 2001, 1:36 pm
  #30  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: San Diego
Posts: 58
I'm also one of those who likes to keep the window shade up. I find that I feel better when I have that sunlight coming in on me plus it gives me a sense of space. Even flying in First or Business can get a little claustrophobic. I just flew across the Pacific in First & had two window shades. I pulled them both half way (my husband was next to me so he didn't care one way or another).The movie hadn't started yet but many passengers were watching their personal videos. The FA "told" me to pull the shades down. I did but I didn't like it & if I had argued they probably would have called it air rage. I felt that I paid for that seat (abeit with miles) & I specifically asked for the window seat. I certainly don't ask other passengers to keep their shades up because that's what I want, so I feel that I shouldn't have to lower MY shade just because they have a problem with sunlight.

I'm glad someone presented this topic. It feels good to vent.
LoveBora is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.