Doppy

I think it's more selfish for one person to want the shade open - to the detriment of 5, 10, 15 other people, than for 5, 10, 15 other people to want the shade down to the detriment of one other person.

The good of the many outweighs the good of the one, that's how I always think.

d

JoeDoakes

Your attitude is terrible. You should find another line of work where you don't have to deal with varying customer tastes.


[This message has been edited by JoeDoakes (edited 10-28-2001).]

AAFA

I join a discussion and give my opinion, which is in favor of the majority of passengers, and I should get another job?

You need to get a life, Joe.

I can see that you are the window shade open kind of guy.

JS

Sunlight at 35,000 feet sure looks the same to me as it does on the ground. The reading light is much different.

Closing my window shades spoils the flight experience for me, too. It's not possible for everyone on the plane to be happy.

In fact, I would prefer it if everyone opens their window shade. However, I'm not going to ask someone else to open their window shade. If they want it closed, that's fine. Like I said before, if the person next to me would like it closed, we'll work out a compromise. Different row? Sorry!

I expect total darkness when I go to a movie theater. I don't expect total darkness when flying between sunrise and sunset. They're two different things.

My cubicle is in the middle of the office building. I enjoy smoking not only to smoke, but to bask in the sunlight.

I don't want to just read. I like looking out the window. I still enjoy looking out the window now as much as I did on my first flight as a kid. I can't look out the window with the reading lamp. The people who want to sleep do have an alternative; I don't.

I have no problem closing two of three shades. If I left all three open with direct sunlight coming in, while I sleep, that I agree would be selfish.

Let me ask this: if one open window shade (no direct sunlight) disturbs the entire cabin, surely a reading lamp would disturb the person behind me, no?

[This message has been edited by JS (edited 10-29-2001).]

PUCCI GALORE

Ryker, no cabin staff are supposed to have rows with passengers. I simply could not believe it would happen in First Class in particular.

My I stress that with BA, please take the matter directly to the Cabin Service Director. It is his/her job to sort this out. Do not do this sitting down, go and find them and speak to them standing or in the "office".

I am only giving you a reaction based on your account, and whilst I believe it please don't think otherwise, I find the story so strange that I wonder what else had been going on that we don't know about. Either way there is no excuse.

AAFA, I think that for me there is a way of doing anything, and demanding premium passengers to do anyting is highly unprofessional. Of course passengers whinge, that's part of our job to see if we can make it better. They have paid a lot of money to both your airline and mine for that privelege. They are the customer, and safety issues apart, they are the king. Maybe we've been overlooking that a little of late. We cannot afford to do so in future.

stimpy

Not specifically to annoy, but yes if you have selected the window seat you do have the right to open it or close it as you please. If you choose the aisle, you give up the right to control the window shade. If the window shade is important to you, make sure you request a window seat.

However this discussion is kind of silly since airlines give out eye-masks to everyone in biz and first. And most people use them since you never know when someone will open a window even if it is dark when you go to sleep.

cobbap

Crying babies -- disrespectful??? I don't think so. Over the past few years, my wife and I have traveled at least a few times a year with the kids. Nothing irks me more than the rude and sneery looks some other passengers give whenever the baby cries. It's a fact of life -- babies cry. They do it at home, in the car, and there's no reason an airplane would be any different. My wife and I try our best to keep the baby happy and content, but sometimes despite our efforts, it happens. We don't like it any more than you do. To call us disrespectful jsut because our baby is crying I think is misplaced.

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homey

the reason you get nasty looks when your baby starts making noise and disturbing people is because if they WANTED to listen to that, they would surely bring a baby along, or at least a recording of one fussing, that they could listen to on their headphones.

look, its your RIGHT to bring kids, and its a fact of life that they cry, but that doesnt change the fact that it is annoying as h*ll. burping, farting, fingernail pickers, dandruff, stupidity, nasty body odor, loud-talkers, bad breath, and messy eaters are also things i encounter on planes, and dont enjoy. these are things i *tolerate* in exchange for being transported vast distances rapidly, but i dont liek them. these people are all within their rights, but i still dont like the fact that they are around. you get some dirty looks, but maybe some tired person gets no sleep? it cuts both ways. be thankful that the person *only* gives dirty looks, and doesnt bawl you out, or insult you, or hit you.

dont think its just planes either. personally, i dont want to listen to kids cry at movies, restaurants, stores, or church. i especially dont want to hear them in my home, which is a major factor in my choice not to breed. i may change my mind, but you can bet that if i do, and i have loud kids, (which some are) im going to do everything in my power to make sure the dont bug the h*ll out of others. if i have to stay home until they learn to behave consistently, i will. maybe i shouldnt be so considerate.

ok, now everyone yell at me for being a jerk, blah blah blah. tell me all the instances when your kids HAD to fly, and they had a cold, or tell me how they dont know how to pop their ears. blah blah blah, i know all that, and i sympathize, its a legitimate reason to cry, but i still dont like the *noise.*

JS

<< be thankful that the person *only* gives dirty looks, and doesnt bawl you out, or insult you, or hit you. >>

"Thank you" for not hitting me? Geez.

<< i especially dont want to hear them in my home, which is a major factor in my choice not to breed. >>

Thank goodness. Be sure to use a backup.


Can we get back to window shades? Babies on planes is a different subject. Feel free to start a new topic on babies.

JoeDoakes

Nah, I keep it closed. I just don't see why you thought the guy was "whining" when he was just asking for an opinion. I thought he was very respectful, and your posts seldom are.

AAFA

I thought he was very respectful, and your posts seldom are.[/B][/QUOTE]

So, don't read them. I don't think anyone is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to read them or to reply to them.

767300ER

This thread is quite interesting, I did not expect so may opinions on this subject but it just shows that this is something we look at one way or the other when flying.

I still love to fly and being able to look at a beautiful surise over the Alps, crossing the Grand Canyon at mid-day or looking at the full moon over the ocean in the middle of the night is something I still enjoy.

I always ask for a window seat and always find a way to keep it open somewhat when I am awake. I agree it is important to compromise on this and having the only 3 windows open in the entire J (or Y) cabin would be showing a lack of respect to the other passengers.

But for me it is important and part of my flying experience to be able to look outside. When such a situation occurs I habitually keep the window close to me 20-50% open depending of the light intensity and never got any complaint for FA or passengers. I close it completely if I go to sleep.

JoeDoakes

So, don't read them. I don't think anyone is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to read them or to reply to them.

[/B][/QUOTE]

You are a true customer service professional.

kwick

Whether you prefer the window shade up or down is a preference. Whether you prefer sunlight or the overhead light is a preference. Whether you like to watch the scenery when you fly, is a preference. The thing about a preference: there’s no right or wrong. You can’t tell some one not to prefer light or scenery, just like you can’t tell someone to prefer a window or an aisle seat.

That said, I think there are times when common courtesy dictates putting the window shade down (e.g. the early morning hours on a red-eye, if light from your window creates a glare on the movie screen, etc.) Other times I leave it to the discretion of the passenger sitting by the window. This also means that on an afternoon flight when we’re passing over the Grand Canyon, the pyramids or Mount Kilimanjaro, if the guy next to me wants to keep it shut and sleep, well it’s his prerogative.

In any case a person isn’t selfish or a jerk or deserve to be hit because he want’s his shade up. The least an FA can do is ask politely and give a non-BS answer for why the shade should be down. If the FA can’t come up with a good reason to keep it down then, then it should probably stay up.

Eli Gorin

DING DING DING... Ladies and Gentlemen... in the red corner...

Man these boards can get fun sometimes.

-Eli

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Washington,DC/Miami
AAdvantage Gold