WB in the spirit of keeping up, let me help you keep up with me

F.A.Rs = These are the same for every airline
Company policy = These are up to each part 121 carrier

So if this particular carrier has adopted any window shade policy then the fA can enforce it,

(I do not know of any carrier that has a window shade policy for inflight operations purposes) but that does not mean that there might not be one out there that does. Some reasons a carrier might adopt such policies for example: The viewing of inflight movie, Long haul flight that travel through several time zones

The best thing would be check with your carrier then you would be able to say "bull"

Just a note to all that there are many "hidden medical disabilities" that not everyone wants to discuss on an airplane. Two of them may be Claustrophobia and motion sickness. I know a few people that suffer from both, and they do not like to disclose this to others, for fear of getting laughed at. Yet they are brave enough to get on airplane and travel for work. Having the window shade open is necessary to prevent illness. Please be mindful of this and be grateful you are in good health.

Maybe we need a Master Thread for window shade discussions!

Tucker--a nice post.

OK.

I believe an FA has the right to demand that it be in a certain position if it is interfering with the safety of the passengers. I can see a logical link to requiring them to be open during takeoff and landing. So yes, an FA can demand it be in a certain position.

In flight, does that power extend to the comfort of the passengers, if not a safety related issue (which would be a tough arguement here)?

Can an F/A demand that someone stop screaming at the top of his lungs and shooting spitballs at other passengers? I think they do. And I believe the passenger is required to follow an FA directive (though I stand to be corrected here - I know that's the case for the pilot/"flight crew"), regardless of how stupid they think it is.

So it's an FA judgment call. They can demand that it be closed, but they certainly aren't required to. But if their professional judgment demands it be closed, individuals are required to follow the instructions.

Rights of one vs. many - never an easy subject. There are certainly ways that other pax can avoid the situation, but "you could have prevented this" isn't always a cure all to making a hard decision.

On the contrary, these people who had the window shades up were being considerate because light on westbound transatlantic flights (which are daytime flights) assists in reducing jet lag.

The FARs do not give the cabin crew the authority to issue unreasonable or unlawful instructions, and those they do issue should be related to safety and the performance of their duties. Now there's a lot of wiggle room there, but then 'interference' is nowhere adequately defined, which is why most of these disputes end up in litigation.Neither do I and I doubt any have because it would be ridiculous. Can you imagine the negative publicity any airline would get for busting a passenger because of the position of a windowshade during cruise ? And I certainly hope any judge would laugh them out of court; no better yet, cite them for contempt.

So I stand by "bull", until proven otherwise

God save us all then

"Can" an FA "demand" the window shade be closed? The FA can "demand" that I put a bag over my head and cluck like a chicken, and as far as I know, I am required to comply with crew instructions. I can secretly think the demand is idiotic though.

As far as being considerate, I don't know why it is only people who want to watch movies who are deserving of consideration, while people who would like to see the view or to read a book are supposed to take one for the team. Support literacy, bring a book. The junky "edited for content" movies that you've already seen anyway will always be there.

Is there any business class overseas flight that would not automatically include the eyeshades?

I guess I vote, as long as there is no compelling safety reason, the sucker -- I mean, the passenger -- willing to pick the window seat should at least have control of the shade. I'm happy to give that up and to stick with the aisle, to avoid that closed-in feeling. Somebody paid a lot a money or spent a lot of loyalty points for that window seat.

No, you're not.

Well...Anyone "can" "demand" anything, you know. In fact, I picked that specific example because one of my mom's professors put, as a question on a final exam, that they were supposed to put a paper bag on their head and cluck like a chicken. (It was the 60s.) Whether anyone actually did so or not, I don't remember now. But I do know that each time I board an aircraft, we're told that we have to comply with "all" crew member instructions. No mention is made that we have the option to decline ridiculous crew member instructions -- although we'll hope that the issue is never tested in the real world, since there's a limit to what an FA would "demand" you to do without themselves feeling ridiculous. I could see it as a practical joke on Southwest back in the 80s.

You know, as I was posting, claustrophobia also came to mind. Forgot to add it but glad you did.^

Well then I suppose that would apply to EVERy single conversation on these boards, since they have all been discussed, to some degree, at one point or another.

Good points. And the end of the day, there is compromise. The OP didn't seem to want that.

I got a nice apology letter from United and 10K miles deposited into my account after battling with a FA over my window shade on a daytime flight across the Atlantic. I wanted the light in to more quickly adapt to the time change at my destination, to see the Iceland (particularly clear day) and to read since both my reading lights were broken.

I made sure there was no light streaming directly in my window that would have disturbed other passengers across the aisle. It basically became a battle of wills between me and the FAs who all got in on the act of closing my shade each time I left my seat to use the lav. It was clearly personal for them and nothing more.

The letter I received told me policy was to ask passengers to close shades, but never to insist and never do what these FAs did. I was told they would be "retrained" on this issue. Oh, and incidentally, I actually had purchased the seat across the aisle for my son with miles, but he didn't use it at the last minute and no refund on that. So if that person now in that seat did want to complain (which he didn't), I suppose I could have laid claim to it for my invisible cello and he could have been back in coach.

You and me both. I am a bit claustrophobic though, so I always request a window seat so I can look out. I have to be able to see out.

I guess I am too. I'm not claustrophobic I just really enjoy looking out the window. I even bring my camera with me so I can take pictures from the air.

I'm still speechless over the rude insistence that some poor soul who (presumably) booked a window seat for the purpose of using his window close that window during the day. At night, I can see the argument that a dark environment is preferable for the majority, but during the daylight hours most people tend to expect others will be awake.

Why not use a sleep mask?