The darker the cabin the less filth you see…most USA planes are absolutely filthy

I always choose a window seat. In 20 years, I’ve had 4-5 pax and 2 FAs ask me to lower the shade (which is always open)

I always responded that I tried, but it’s stuck in the open position.

No one bought the fake explanation, by the looks on their faces, but also no one pressed it further 👍

Serious question; when you work on your laptop at home or in your office do you need to turn off all the lights and close all the shades in order to read what's on the screen?

I work on a laptop most of the time. My desk is right next to a window both at home and at work, and I've never felt the need to put up blackout curtains. If there is direct sunlight onto my screen, sure I'll draw the shade slightly to block it from directly hitting the screen. But closing the shades just because it's daytime? I've never needed to do this. Who works in a completely dark room?

JL and NH crews have long plastic sticks they use to reach across the seats and/or sleeping pax to shut the windows — have seen that on TPACs several times (which I guess is fine especially going west where you're chasing the sun all the way)

If I'm on a flight the cabin is not 100% dark. I now always select window seats, trying to get the side away from the direct sun if possible, and almost never shut the shade except to sleep. I am almost continually on my laptop during a flight and at least some ambient light significantly reduces eye strain. Plus I think it's not good for the soul to be shut up in darkness during the daylight. And I simply like to watch out the window.

Late last year I was on daytime DOH-JFK in business. I saw on the IFE that we were farther west than normal, just above Cairo. Opened my shade and was rewarded with a great view of the pyramids.
100% of the rest of the shades in business were closed. Felt like my little secret.

I tried that approach a few flights ago but an 'eager-beaver' FA and her buddies came over and forced the shade down...thinking about super glue next flight *eek*

Nothing - I've refused when "told" to close my shade, although in business where I had 2-3, I'll close one and leave one open. The only problem are the 787s where the FAs can control the shades electronically, but when you sense your window is getting darker, rapidly pushing the brighten button repeatedly will often override the FA's controls.

I don't particularly care either way, except when viewing landmarks / approach / takeoff. I'm just explaining what I think the rationale is.

One of the last times I was on the AA JFK to SFO transcon in J, I was in the window seat and was asked to close the shade by my fellow passenger. This was on a Saturday morning flight, I think around 8 AM or so. I obliged. Almost every passenger in the cabin slept. Objectively, it made sense.

I also can't stop laughing at the sheer, willful ignorance of the post. Service dogs are apparently "dumb dogs" that don't do anything medically-related? Sounds like a great deal of hot air. I guarantee that my several-thousand-dollar medical alert dog for my partner's neurological conditions is not at all dumb, and he can detect small chemical changes in my partner's saliva.

Question: During my last trip to the US I noted that all planes at a gate had window shades down, so clearly cleaning crews are told to lower them. What's the purpose of doing so? In Europe they are always open during boarding.

One could only imagine it's too keep the plan cool - but when I was living in Dubai I strongly believe that EK keeps shades open on the ground. So cannot make much of a difference.

I rarely sit in window seats on long daylight flights and when I do I like to look out the window. Several years ago on a [daylight] flight from MUC to PHL, the fight attendant ordered me to close my window shade. When I objected she told me it was so other passengers could see their screens. [There was no one seated beside me or directly behind me.] I said that I preferred to look out, but when I got up to go to the toilet, she closed the shade. I returned to my seat and raised the shade. The flight attendant returned and once again ordered me to close the shade. This time she told me it was to prevent dangerous radiation. I told her that I was wearing sunscreen. At that point several other passengers [we had been stranded at the same hotel in MUC overnight at AA's expense and this was our second attempt to get to PHL] commented on how the flight attendant seemed to be picking on me. And so it went for the entire flight.

I did not intend to be critical of legitimate emotional service animals, which I feel people should be allowed to bring onto airplanes.

However, in the past, too many people brought poorly trained pets on aircraft by pretending they were emotional support animals. One of the most infamous cases was when a 6 year old girl needed 37 stitches after trying to pet a pit bull that was a fake emotional support animal.

Unfortunately, the biggest losers when people bring fake emotional support dogs onto airplanes are people like your partner, because there have been instances where untrained fake emotional support dogs have attacked, and injured, well trained legitimate support dogs like your partner's support dog. Dogs like the dogs that hurt the 6 year old girl are the dogs I was calling "dumb", not your partner's well trained dog.

Recently, after touchdown, FAs asked passengers on a flight I was on to lower shades in order to keep the plane cool for the next flight

That's cool. Can it detect Covid?