Why Rush to a Window Seat if You’re Just Going to Shut the Shade all Flight?
May 10, 2019, 9:41 am
#31
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
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I have a solution that will please everyone: Auction window shade rights to the highest bidder. Another ancillary fee for airlines!
May 10, 2019, 9:48 am
#32
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Peoria
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It could be they just assume they're supposed to fill in the rows starting at the window, just to be polite or whatever, or if they think its a rule or something. My elderly mother, for example, would NEVER break an unwritten rule even when no rule exists (ask me sometime about her crazy rules about wearing heavy vs. lightweight coats!). But if they've climbed over you (in the aisle seat) to get to the window (and shut the shade), than that's just weird.
May 11, 2019, 10:43 am
#34
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
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Posts: 4,332
I take the window for two reasons
1) I don't fit in one seat, so I purchase two seats and need a middle plus either a window or aisle.
2) I need to lean against the wall to be comfortable when sleeping due to herniated disks in my upper spine. Leaning my head back hurts, no matter what kind of pillow or cushion I've tried.
I rarely close the shade, even when I'm sleeping. I only do so if the sun is shining directly in and causing me discomfort, or glaring on my tablet. Which is rare, since I'm tall and my eyeline is generally near the top of the window, and I hang my tablet from the literature pocket, so it's fairly high as well (thank god for the Evolve interior!)
But I'm with everyone else - if you want the shade open, sit at a window and keep the shade open.
* Blown out. Common mistake.
1) I don't fit in one seat, so I purchase two seats and need a middle plus either a window or aisle.
2) I need to lean against the wall to be comfortable when sleeping due to herniated disks in my upper spine. Leaning my head back hurts, no matter what kind of pillow or cushion I've tried.
I rarely close the shade, even when I'm sleeping. I only do so if the sun is shining directly in and causing me discomfort, or glaring on my tablet. Which is rare, since I'm tall and my eyeline is generally near the top of the window, and I hang my tablet from the literature pocket, so it's fairly high as well (thank god for the Evolve interior!)
But I'm with everyone else - if you want the shade open, sit at a window and keep the shade open.
* Blown out. Common mistake.
May 11, 2019, 11:42 pm
#36
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 439
Is it me or do a large amount of people seem to rush to a window seat and then immediately shut the shade? This irritates me. As I board A16-A20, I typically grab exit row aisle. It seems that 75% of the time, a person strolls along a few people later, quickly grabs window and then SHUTS the shade for the entire flight. Might get lucky 1/2 through and have the person inch open the blind for 10 seconds and then shut again. I’ve even had this often on clear, night flights. I once had a guy fall asleep flying into Vegas at night (who does not want to see that?) so every 2 min, I reached over to inch up the blind until it was open. My contention is if you’re going to just shut the shade, take an aisle seat.
Now... I get if you’re trying to sleep, nestling into the window, if the sun is shining in your face, or if there’s lightning that you’d rather not see but come on, if it’s an hour or two flight on a nice day and you’re not being bothered, keep the shade open. Haha.
Now... I get if you’re trying to sleep, nestling into the window, if the sun is shining in your face, or if there’s lightning that you’d rather not see but come on, if it’s an hour or two flight on a nice day and you’re not being bothered, keep the shade open. Haha.
2) Reaching over someone to open the shade is creepy and weird. Don't do it.
May 12, 2019, 1:57 am
#37
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
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Yeah, I have, and on many levels:
- I'm of the opinion that if something does happen, we're all pretty much fornicated anyway
- but in the rare case we're not, looking out the window won't help me much, as what's it going to tell me? "Oh excrement, we're on fire!" ... thank you, Captain Obvious
- For the last decade, 99% of the ~700-odd flights I've been on are on WN, so all 73Xs of pretty much the same airframe. Add to that unless I'm the one of the few people getting on via standby, I'm in the same seat on every flight- the penultimate rear starboard seat- and I know exactly where the closest exit doors are.
So yeah, I've thought it thru, not the least bit worried, and my shades will remain down as long as I can keep them that way.
- I'm of the opinion that if something does happen, we're all pretty much fornicated anyway
- but in the rare case we're not, looking out the window won't help me much, as what's it going to tell me? "Oh excrement, we're on fire!" ... thank you, Captain Obvious
- For the last decade, 99% of the ~700-odd flights I've been on are on WN, so all 73Xs of pretty much the same airframe. Add to that unless I'm the one of the few people getting on via standby, I'm in the same seat on every flight- the penultimate rear starboard seat- and I know exactly where the closest exit doors are.
So yeah, I've thought it thru, not the least bit worried, and my shades will remain down as long as I can keep them that way.
May 12, 2019, 1:58 am
#38
Join Date: Dec 2006
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May 12, 2019, 5:34 am
#39
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
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I think most of us agree that whoever is in the window seat controls the shade, but with airlines cramming more seats into planes, the windows don't always align with the seats. So the more interesting question is who controls the shade if it is between seats. I like to look out the window and sometimes the only one I can look out of is ahead of my seat aligned with the headrest ahead of me. I find it really annoying when the person ahead of me reaches behind their head to block my view, but so far, I haven't had the nerve to actually reach ahead and reopen it. This isn't really an issue with Southwest, but has happened on other airlines where you can't just choose whatever seat you like on boarding.
May 12, 2019, 7:23 am
#40
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May 12, 2019, 8:56 am
#42
Join Date: Nov 2010
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May 12, 2019, 3:17 pm
#43
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Flyertalkers don't always agree, but in this case it's pretty universal: Sit in the window seat yourself if the open/close status is so important.
Last edited by ehallison; May 15, 2019 at 1:08 pm
May 13, 2019, 7:19 am
#45
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Default at night or if there is no sun angle issue I would say should be the person in the rearward seat because they can see the window better - it is more in their perceived "territory."