Bruiser

Am I the only one who has to constantly argue with U.S. flight attendants to keep my window shades open, at least partially, during daytime overseas flights? For the record, we always flight FC (sometimes BC) so I don't feel I am being particularly obtrusive; everyone has an individual seat video monitor. And, as another flyer said to me, "That's what eye shades are for" if you want to nap. I have trouble reading with the seat lights, which are never in the proper place for reading. And I personally feel that the daylight helps combat jet lag.

I don't have a problem with BA, SQ, or LH however.

PTravel

I've had this happen a couple of times on CO. I've even had it happen on night flights, the theory being, I suppose, that morning light will awaken the cabin. I rarely sleep on transoceanic flights, and I can get a little claustrophobic if I can't look out. I have no problem with lowering the shade if the sun is shining on my seatmates, but I don't like having to continue to politely refuse FA requests that I lower the shade when it isn't bothering anyone.

Human Unit 763246B

I think in the new 7E7, they will not have window shades but rather electronically controlled frosting. The FA's will control the amount of transmitted light. Protest? They could threatened you with arrest! No joke!

Athena53

I tolerate the window seat in Coach even though it's a little cramped and you have to fight your way out to go to the bathroom- I love the view. If the view is "only" the ocean I'll leave the shade down, although I've seen some spectacular views of the stars on clear nights. Otherwise, I keep the shade up at least a few inches.

eduboys

If the open shade fills the entire cabin with light, it can be very very annoying to other passengers. I had this happen on my way to Hong Kong from SFO on CX, and it woke me up.

ChrisAtlanta

While I suppose you're not under any obligation to close it, it would be polite and considerate to your other passengers if you would. I, for one, cannot sleep with an eyemask on, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. It's also very disturbing on an eastbound overnight flight if they're not all down, and the sun starts rising. I personally would rather sleep until the last possible moment

Globaliser

Also, eyeshades are not 100% effective - it is still darker under them when the cabin is dark than when it's flooded with light.

One more thing: A dark cabin tends to be a quiet cabin. Once the cabin is full of light, then it gets noisy very fast. That disturbs everyone who's sleeping, too.

Overnight trans-atlantics are quite short enough without the sun rising halfway through the flight. We all struggle to get enough sleep as it is, so that we can function to some extent the next day.

Bruiser

I did sat "daytime" ovrseas flights - of course you have the shades down at night! And economy is a different story - more people. less privacy, most impact on entire cabin since seats are so close together. But FC is less intrusive on other passengers if the shade is open a bit. What I hear from FAs is that they are supposed to suggest putting shades down, but not to make an issue if someone wants to keep them open a bit.

We always try to be considerate of other passengers and would like them to be as considerate of us.

Globaliser

What's "daytime"?

For me, that means only that the sun happens to be up at the particular location at that particular time. I might still be wanting - even needing - to sleep at that time. For example, a typical LHR-SIN-SYD involves the following: sunrise about three hours into the flight, then an entire day and then sunset before landing - at which time my body clock is only just waking up for the morning, thinking that it's about 8 or 9 am. Then there's another night and sunrise before arriving in SYD. What of that trip is a "daytime" flight?

Or even taking the short hop on LHR-NYC or LHR-MIA - if I want to be sufficiently compos mentis to make any use of the first evening, I am best trying to get 4 or 5 hours' sleep even though the entire flight is conducted in daylight. And there are many people on those flights whose body clocks are well back into the nighttime sleep zone for most of the flight, having started their journeys in places that are another 8 hours ahead.

SkiAdcock

If I recall correctly, there's a very long thread on this exact topic (which if I also recall correctly, got pretty nasty on BOTH sides of the debate).

Cheers. Sharon

ChrisAtlanta

Why search, when we can get nasty all over again

JS

If you can't sleep in sunlight, can't sleep with eyeshades, and wish to sleep until landing, I would suggest you take a sleeping pill.

Bruiser

Please, let's not. Different people have different opinions and that is all I am asking. I personally like to open shades a bit if I need to read, but I also understand that on long flights there is daylight, night, daylight etc so it is better to keep shades down. (I have found SQ particularly flexible on long flights) I think my need to have some light in order to read or work is as important as another passenger's desire to have a dark cabin to sleep. One knows it is going to be an issue in some cases but it would be nice if we could all be considerate and understanding and I think by putting down my shades part-way is a nice compromise. And I never open them early in the AM until everyone in the cabin is awake.

If I could make another point, while window shades can be a problem, how about the people traveling who, even though the rest of the cabin is sleeping, talk and eat and make a lot of noise?

Years ago SAS had a flight with two classes of BC - one that had a dark cabin, no meals or early meals, early turn-down and that was for people who wanted to get to sleep immediately. The other was a regular class service with meals etc. That would be a nice solution for the airlines, but let's face it, that is not going to happen.

ChrisAtlanta

I know, I was kidding I certainly respect your need to get things done during the flight. While you're under no obgligation to, I would think it would be thoughtful for your sleeping neighbors if you would close the shade and use the light (which is fairly unidirectional, versus the sunlight shining through the entire cabin) for your seat instead.

I would totally go for this. If I could eat before I got on the plane, get on, take off, and get right to sleep on my eastbound trans-Atlantic flights, I would be all over it. Usually I have a hectic enough schedule that I depend on that overnight flight to be functional the next day. Even an extra hour of sleep would make a big difference to me.

cawhite

Okay, we get to hear about how we should be courteous for those who prefer the cabin as close to dark as possible... But what about those of us who do like to look out the window as we're flying? Why should we be the ones to do all the giving? I'd definitely be one to vote for there being a "library" cabin for those who wanted quiet & darkness for nearly the entire flight (just please don't make it the front C cabin on the 777, or upper deck on the 747 )

The rule of thumb I've tended to go by (on a redeye transatl) is when the FAs start serving breakfast (I'm usually on a flight that lands around 8:00 a.m.) since the cabin will start getting noisier then anyway.