GordoN2016

I traveled a lot 7 years ago, have been traveling more recently and have noticed an annoying trend in long haul flights: feed the passengers and then force them to sleep or consume media. No matter the flight origin or time of departure, it's lights out and don't open your window once meals have been served.

I always get a window seat as I love to look out at the scenery, yet am forced to close the window or, if I'm on a Dreamliner, the windows are automatically dimmed. I then hate all of humanity for the flight's duration as I cannot imagine why so many people are content to be forced into sleep or to consume media when there's so much beauty out the window. People take scenic flights and go on vacations to seek out observation decks and their views but the views from airplanes are not marketed as worthwhile no one pays any attention.

Is this the standard operating procedure on all airlines? Any suggestions how I might be able to actually look out the window of my window seat without getting into an argument the cabin attendant?

estnet

Maybe b/c your open window creates light and glare for lots of people! How about just opening a bit a the bottom when you want to look at the scenery and be considerate of the 30 or so people you effect when you have your shade wide open?

Kamalaasaa

Or drape the blanket over your head and use it to screen out at least some of the glare.

chris19992

Not standard on all airlines but does seem to be dependent on crew and time of day.

Few examples.
On SQ, only once have I been asked to close the blind, on QR I was never asked to dim the window on their 787's despite me brightening it back up a bit after the global dim happened.
CX in my experience are the worst for it, constantly asking people to close the blinds.

However what I state above is for when it is dark outside, I have never once been asked to close the blind when the sun is still shining.
I hate when I have to close the blind, the world is a beautiful place when viewed from above, especially at night if there is a lightning storm in the distance and it's one of the things I enjoy most about flying.

ft101

Discussed in many threads here on FT and never a consensus of opinion. It's not standard on all airlines and some let you open the blind to your heart's content. If it's dark, there will be no glare. If it's light then you have the opportunity of a view.

Pax trying to sleep have the option of eye shades. Pax disturbed by glare on a screen have the option of taking the window seat themselves and keeping the blind closed. Pax who just like the dark are just a bit creepy, and there'll be many who like a brightly lit area. Pax with body clocks trying to adjust to a different time zone will have as many other folk around them trying to adjust to another zone altogether.

Just say to the attendant you're enjoying the view and trying to adjust to your destination time zone, thank you.

GordoN2016

Thank you Chris. Good to know others are enjoying the beauty below them as am I. Good to know not all airlines are so restrictive. And thank you ft101, as adjusting to the time zone and getting some much-needed vitamin D is also a reason to open the window blind.

estnet I understand that some people are trying to sleep but your comment is at the base of my argument: The presumption that everyone is trying to sleep when that may or not be the case, and I'd bet it's not the case if the flight takes off around 10am and it's lights out by 1pm.

MSPeconomist

If you have a suite with a door, I can't imagine that anyone would care or that a FA would enter to close your window shade.

Tchiowa

Yes, it's SOP on long haul flights. Most people want to sleep. Opening your shade affects dozens of other people. Others want to view their IFE. Glare from your window might affect several other people.

No one is being forced into sleeping or watching the media. It's what they want.

airsurfer

And when I want to look outside I must be able doing that.
Long ago the FA asked me to close the window, but the latest years not anymore. But when I see that people are sleeping without eye shades in my neighborhood, I open it just a few centimeters to lower the glare, and sometimes drape a blanket over my head.
Myself, I don't have problems with sleeping when the windows are open, due to longer sleep deprivation, but that varies by person.

LondonElite

Yes, it certainly is controversial and you'll find a lot of threads about this on FT. My personal view is that, if you want to sleep during a day flight, bring a set of eye shades. An aeroplane is not a flying cinema. Why would the manufacturers put holes in the fuselage in the first place?!

User Name

This.

And in response to other posts - it's far from standard practice in my experience. Actually like Dreamliners as can dim just enough to avoid the glare but still see out and enjoy the view - so a win-win.

televisor

I choose window seats on the non-sun side of the plane precisely to not cause glare. Next? (The 787 helps if you happen to end up on the sunny side.)

GordoN2016

I've contacted United to see if it's SOP on their flights or on Star Alliance flights so we'll see what they have to say.

The flight in question that has me so irked was from Houston to Tokyo, leaving in the morning and arriving in the evening Tokyo time so I wanted to stay awake to avoid jet lag. And - this is the main thing - we were flying up the coast of Alaska, across the Bering Sea then down along Siberia, so heaps of icebergs, glaciers, and just lots of scenery most people won't get to see in their lifetime.

Badenoch

The airlines are catering to the majority of people who prefer not to have glare disrupting their reading, sleeping or IFE viewing. Ultimately, the airplane and the window you are seated beside belong to them and they can decide whether the window is opened or not.

LondonElite

I suspect that, if you get a reply, it'll be some canned BS combining (i) "we do not have a policy," (ii) "we do all that we can to maximize the flying experience for everyone," (iii) "we look forward to welcoming you on one of our flights very soon, fly the friendly skies..."