Pretty much every long-haul flight, on EVERY airline I've tried, either makes an announcement or individually asks passengers to close window shades. The new aircraft (Dreamliner, I believe) will have options for photochromatic "shades" on the windows which are centrally controlled by the cabin crew. I'm not looking forward to that at all. And I love seeing scenery on a clear dayflight, especially going over India/Himalayas or the North Pole.

The one that really gets me is the "please put your seat up for meal service." I've had flight attendants forcibly push my seat up when I was sleeping and not taking the meal. If your airline has packed seats so tightly that the tray table is unusable in a normal seat configuration (recline is a standard feature of the seat, right?) then you have obviously either allowed too much recline, or put seats too close together @:-)

I usually like to look out periodically as well, and to try and get some of the benefits of natural light as it relates to setting my internal clock. I will of course be considerate for people if the sun is shining in their eyes or causing glare on their AVOD, and will keep the shade partially lowered as needed. But passengers needing to sleep is not a valid reason IMHO for all the shades to be "forced" closed in Business/First class -- that's why there are eyeshades in the amenity kit, I agree.

Wow. That's taking "imprisonment" to a whole new level. You don't even have to freedom to open or close window shades (despite having the controls) on the 787??!! This would definitely give a clausterphobic feeling to pax.

The problem seems to be greater on CX than any other airline I fly on - I suspect it is the passengers who pressure the crew to demand a blackout. I have a had a passenger actually reach across me to close the blind while I was in the window seat on a daytime flight: when I raised the blind and to mind his manners he resorted to a torrent of Cantonese that I assumed to be rather impolite.

Well, I suspect that the FAs would initially close all the window shades with a central command. It saves them a lot of time and hassle since they don't have to go through the entire cabin telling each passenger to shut their window. However, I would be surprised if the passengers don't still retain individual control over their window shades, after the initial closing. There would certainly be a mutiny.

It will also be odd if the only option is fully open (transparent) or fully closed (opaque). That would be pretty stupid as well.

Yes - done well this would be good - essentially dim the glass on the sunny side of the plane so that the light isn't shining in to dazzle people or make the PTVs unwatchable, but leave enough light for people who want some. And people who want to look out can pick seats on the side of the plane that will be away from the sun for the most part of the flight.

On the 787 there are multiple settings with one setting allowing pax to look outside but without letting in much sunlight.

I am getting really tired from the 'that is what the eye shades are for' argument. In fact the blinds are there to keep the daylight out (why else are they there?) and the eyeshades are to keep the remaining ambient light out caused by reading lights etc.

No-one's disputing what window shades are for. What we're discussing is why some people think their "right" to darkness (in the middle of the day) trumps my "right" to daylight, particularly when eyeshades are available as a personal alternative to obtain darkness.

I was told/asked in F CX872 on last Friday (10/16)

mike

Ongoing debate without any clear winner I am afraid.

That's why I am always happy if the cabin crew take the initiative to shut the blinds. The need of the many outweigh the need of the few (or view).

This is not a right or wrong human rights decision, but business smart decision.

1) Overwhelming passengers want darkness and sleep, especially on long-hauls.
2) It makes the FAs job that much easier when people are asleep and not awake
3) Not everyone likes to sleep with eye-shade on as they think its very uncomfortable

So at the risk of pleasing only a few but offending the overwhelming majority the windows shade rule is one rule that looks like it's staying until a really revolutionary solution can be found.

I agree with the 'blinds closed' idea.

2 reasons - 1 is viewing AVOD, but secondly for sleep!

Even if its a daytime flight... if it's long-haul and you're a typical Y passenger then you've had to get up, get ready, race around with last minute packing and calls good-bye, get transport to the airport (even public transport! ), be there 2-3 hours prior to departure, wait in check-in lines, wait in customs and security lines, wait around in the departure lounge and finally be herded on. I'm guessing the majority of pax, like me, have a meal (loaded with carbs and sugars), cup of tea, then want to try and relax (nest) - either with some tele, or snooze/sleep. Streaming harsh sunlight is not conducive

(I'm worn out just thinking about the above!)