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11½-hour daytime flight in darkness

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Old Feb 19, 2019, 9:29 am
  #31  
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Originally Posted by NFH
No, this system doesn't work. What is the rationale for 10 passengers having control over 35 passengers' daylight?
What would you suggest then? Perhaps a cabin vote before every change in window setting?

Yes, it makes sense on aircraft with physical blinds, but there's no logic to it when windows can be dimmed and undimmed remotely.
The windows can be dimmed and undimmed remotely, but the cc are not supposed to lock the controls out so you should always retain control over your window. I was on a 789 on Sunday night in 7A and the windows were not locked out for me at any time. Everyone was considerate and there didn't seem to be any problems that I saw.
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Old Feb 19, 2019, 9:29 am
  #32  
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The crew have can control of each individual window, you could ask them to lighten one a little but I would be prepared for them to refuse.
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Old Feb 19, 2019, 9:30 am
  #33  
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Originally Posted by TraumaDoc
Dude, there are bigger things to worry about.
Of course there are, but this is the topic of this thread. If you have bigger things to worry about, then I suggest that you worry about them in another thread.

Originally Posted by TraumaDoc
If you really believe missing out on a bit of daylight for a single 11 hour flight is going to do you much harm then your health must be pretty precarious as it is? Indeed the stress this seems to have caused you is likely to be more deleterious to your health than missing out on said daylight.
"Health" was probably the wrong choice of word on my part. Wellbeing would have been more appropriate vocabulary.
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Old Feb 19, 2019, 9:32 am
  #34  
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Originally Posted by NFH
No, this system doesn't work. What is the rationale for 10 passengers having control over 35 passengers' daylight? Yes, it makes sense on aircraft with physical blinds, but there's no logic to it when windows can be dimmed and undimmed remotely.
Come on now. There are 35 people on board. 35 different points of view. Some points of view - including your own - will be firmly placed. Others will have views strongly opposed to your views - don't take my word for it, you can find evidence in other FT threads on this vexed question. You cannot realistically have a referendum on this (though actually I suppose the IFE could be adapted now I think about it). Therefore no-one is going to be pleased - and logic is irrelevant here. The best way is to come up with a possibly childish rule which says "window seat controls window", and hope for commonsense adult behaviour will carry you through. I repeat that I share your view on keeping windows open.
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Old Feb 19, 2019, 9:33 am
  #35  
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Originally Posted by KARFA
What would you suggest then? Perhaps a cabin vote before every change in window setting?
I made a suggestion above.

Originally Posted by KARFA
you should always retain control over your window
It's not "your" window. It's British Airways' window and it provides daylight to everyone in the cabin, not only to the passenger next to it. See my analogy above with a restaurant.
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Old Feb 19, 2019, 9:33 am
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by NFH
Darkness during daytime is not natural for humans.
Neither is hurtling through the atmosphere in a metal/carbon fibre tube, but we manage it.

You have a valid opinion. Others disagree with it, also for valid reasons.

It's unfortunately just one of those things.
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Old Feb 19, 2019, 9:34 am
  #37  
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Originally Posted by NFH
It's reasonable to use daylight hours based only on the origin and destination. The small minority of passengers who might have recently been in another time zone can use the supplied blindfolds if they need to sleep during the day.
Then why include that bracketed qualification in your original statement at all? If what you mean is daylight hours based on whether the sun is shining on the aircraft, then you could have said so. If you mean daylight hours based on the point of origin, or based on the point of destination, then you could have said so.

The bracketed qualification in your post says none of those things, which is what makes it sound like "daylight hours according to some definition that suits me personally".
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Old Feb 19, 2019, 9:35 am
  #38  
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
Come on now. There are 35 people on board. 35 different points of view. Some points of view - including your own - will be firmly placed.
I am simply suggesting that the lighting should be conventional - natural daylight during daytime and darkness at night during hours of sleep. Why interfere with everyone's bodyclocks by enforcing darkness at unnatural times when there is no significant time zone change?
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Old Feb 19, 2019, 9:37 am
  #39  
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Originally Posted by NFH
No, this system doesn't work. What is the rationale for 10 passengers having control over 35 passengers' daylight? Yes, it makes sense on aircraft with physical blinds, but there's no logic to it when windows can be dimmed and undimmed remotely.
Most people are probably not very fixated on getting the sunlight at every possible opportunity, perhaps, and quite a few are chilled about it, and some people might even avoid the sun as part of their anti-wrinkle, anti-pigmentation, anti-skin ageing measures?

Isn't life about compromise and having consideration towards people with different views, attitudes, circumstances etc. and not try to impose your wants and desires on others to their excessive detriment?

I'd say someone will soon deploy that usual line "Fly private" - you can then fully control your environment, including whether the window shades are open or not.
I just did...

Last edited by LTN Phobia; Feb 19, 2019 at 10:51 am
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Old Feb 19, 2019, 9:38 am
  #40  
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I sympathise with the OP, however there's no getting away from the logistics of the situation which is that only window seats are able to do anything with the window blinds. Expecting any consideration on a scheduled airline flight is, unfortunately, going to be an exercise in frustration.

That said, I think that taking meals in daylight on daylight flights is not an unreasonable expectation and ought to be a standard courtesy across the board. Sleepers are welcome to forego their meals and keep their eyeshades on and earplugs in.
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Old Feb 19, 2019, 9:41 am
  #41  
 
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I suggest you avoid flying on AA. There, the windows are locked to darkness on daytime flights by the crew; in a window seat on the sun side, you get only heat and little light from outside.

Meanwhile, they who sit in the window seat control the window shade - it should be ever so. Not the other passengers, and most assuredly the crew should not take control of them for some policy to satisfy those who complain loudest.

On a 787, each seat has quite bright overhead individual lighting if you want a brighter environment. Yet if you need to be assured of eye exposure to even brighter light, portable battery-powered SAD lights are available for you to place in front of you during flight.
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Old Feb 19, 2019, 9:49 am
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by NFH
I am simply suggesting that the lighting should be conventional - natural daylight during daytime and darkness at night during hours of sleep. Why interfere with everyone's bodyclocks by enforcing darkness at unnatural times when there is no significant time zone change?
My bodyclock is often set to a time zone in another part of the globe. If I am connecting onto a day flight during my body's night I wish to have my area darkened for sleep. I would prefer if you would not dictate to me how I may sleep or remain awake.
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Old Feb 19, 2019, 9:52 am
  #43  
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Originally Posted by rapidex
I would prefer if you would not dictate to me how I may sleep or remain awake.
I agree. This is why I do not believe that 10 passengers (who happen to be next to the window) should be able to dictate the daylight received by the rest of the 35 passengers.

Those who don't want daylight from the window can book an E seat, right in the middle, with additional privacy and shielding from light from both sides of the cabin.
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Old Feb 19, 2019, 9:55 am
  #44  
 
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Originally Posted by NFH
I agree. This is why I do not believe that 10 passengers (who happen to be next to the window) should be able to dictate the daylight received by the rest of the 35 passengers.

Those who don't want daylight from the window can book an E seat, right in the middle, with additional privacy and shielding from light from both sides of the cabin.
I think not. I will book the best available seat my status allows, and control the window blinds accordingly.
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Old Feb 19, 2019, 9:55 am
  #45  
 
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This forum can be quite unpleasant at times but this is not one of them. Everyone appears to quite politely disagree with you. You are of course entitled to your opinion but there comes a time you have to accept that maybe you're the one out of step and it's a cross you'll have to just carry or you'll drive yourself insane. I sympathise and I have on occasion objected to the crew trying to lower my blinds on a day flight but if I'm not by the window, I accept it's not my call. If I do have the window, it's my call most of the time.
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