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standard practice on AA to leave cabin lights on in flight?

 
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Old Jan 1, 2014, 8:38 pm
  #1  
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standard practice on AA to leave cabin lights on in flight?

MIA-MSY tonight (in flight). Cabin lights have been on throughout.

Normally a DL traveller and any flight this late has all the lights dimmed.
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Old Jan 1, 2014, 9:17 pm
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Originally Posted by lsugolfer
MIA-MSY tonight (in flight). Cabin lights have been on throughout.

Normally a DL traveller and any flight this late has all the lights dimmed.
FA-dependent, but lights are usually dimmed on late evening flights.
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Old Jan 1, 2014, 10:01 pm
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This is the only think that I haven't liked about AA coming over from Delta. On domestic DL night flights, the lights go out just after pushback and don't come on again until arrival at the gate. In between this time it's reading lights only which is plenty of light for any in cabin task I can think of. On the vast majority of my AA flights, the cabin lights are left on for takeoff and beverage/meal services and are finally turned off once the last of the service items are picked up. Perhaps I'm a minority, but I much prefer having the cabin lights off for the duration of the flight. Now the mood lighting is another story.
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Old Jan 1, 2014, 10:36 pm
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standard practice on AA to leave cabin lights on in flight?

At US we turn the lights off for takeoff and landing (when it's dark outside). The lights are turned to dim for the beverage service then turned back off until the final cabin check before landing. It's dangerous taking the beverage cart down a pitch black aisle, even with a few reading lights on its still not enough to be able to see arms, legs and other obstacles.
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Old Jan 2, 2014, 12:08 am
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Originally Posted by vasantn
FA-dependent, but lights are usually dimmed on late evening flights.
How are lights a problem?
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Old Jan 2, 2014, 2:18 am
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This bothers me often on AA.

On 767, if a window seat, it is extremely painfull to me.

My surprise is that it is considered a safety issue in France (may be EU).
Lights are dimmed for take off and landings so eyes get used to dark in case of emergency exit at night.
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Old Jan 2, 2014, 6:11 am
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MIA-MSY is a short flight (1 hr. 10 min. gate to gate). Could flight duration have something to do with it?

Last edited by dickinson; Jan 2, 2014 at 6:18 am
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Old Jan 2, 2014, 6:38 am
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Bring an eye mask. I always travel with a tempurpedic memory foam eye mask that is super comfortable and allows me to sleep almost anywhere.
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Old Jan 2, 2014, 8:08 am
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Originally Posted by dickinson
MIA-MSY is a short flight (1 hr. 10 min. gate to gate). Could flight duration have something to do with it?
That was my first though. Who needs the lights out on such a short flight?
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Old Jan 2, 2014, 8:24 am
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standard practice on AA to leave cabin lights on in flight?

Lights are turned off when it's dark outside for take off and landing, in case of an evacuation they don't want you going from a lighted cabin to complete darkness.
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Old Jan 2, 2014, 8:50 am
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Originally Posted by GalleyWench
Lights are turned off when it's dark outside for take off and landing, in case of an evacuation they don't want you going from a lighted cabin to complete darkness.
I've been on quite a few AA flights in the past few months where this has not been the case. Lights were left on at boarding brightness from pushback until the very end of the cabin service.

It's not really about needing to sleep on the shorter flights. These lights are just very unpleasant at least IMO. Too bright and white for just trying to relax and have some food/drink in flight.
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Old Jan 2, 2014, 8:59 am
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Originally Posted by GalleyWench
Lights are turned off when it's dark outside for take off and landing, in case of an evacuation they don't want you going from a lighted cabin to complete darkness.
... luckily, the plane will probably be on fire and in pieces, so keeping the lights on is probably a better thing in the long run to adjust ones eyes.
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Old Jan 2, 2014, 9:47 am
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Originally Posted by GalleyWench
Lights are turned off when it's dark outside for take off and landing, in case of an evacuation they don't want you going from a lighted cabin to complete darkness.
Interesting. I would have assumed that having them remain on would be done for safety purposes, to make the plane more visible to other taxiing aircraft and ground vehicles. I realize that aircraft have a number of external lights, but even those do not compare to several hundred feet of illuminated windows.

Somewhere, someone must have run an analysis on what was more of a safety concern; darkened aircraft taxiing or someone evacuating from a lit aircraft into complete darkness.
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Old Jan 2, 2014, 11:13 am
  #14  
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I find overhead lights highly objectionable and wish AA would reduce the use of them. It is FA dependent on AA and generally, at least after the service, all overhead lights are turned off on AA. But there are some FAs who forget/don't care. And they are often on/brighter than necessary during the service. US/DL/UA do a better job of this.
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Old Jan 2, 2014, 11:26 am
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The lights are off 99% of the time on AA192 the LAX - BOS redeye (in my experience).
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