GordonGordon

Beside selfish/self-centered people like to occupy other's seat before asking to swap, I often find some selfish window-seat passengers like to keep the window shade wide-opened at all time even though most of the passengers are already in the sleeping mode or watching movie/TV. (I am talking about the long hault flights like 10 hours+, and don't care much about the short haults.)

Sometimes I wonder if why people don't want to use the reading lamp when they are trying to read. I really don't dare to open the shade when everyone else (or even only the passenger sitting right next to me) is sleeping/taking a nap or watching movie. Even though sometimes I have an idea of just opening the shade for couple of seconds to see the view by curiosity, especially the polar route (ORD-HKG), but I never dare!

For the 747-400, new config. C-class seats, there are actually 2 lights for your comfort of reading (the over-head light and the white light attached to the seat behind your head rest), but I hardly see people using the white light; they just simply open the window shade.

I used to be an aisle seat person, but I came across with couple of annoying window-seat passengers kept opening the shade from time to time, like every 15 minutes. I found it even more irritating than keeping it open at all time since the sudden strong light in the almost totally dark upper deck cabin really hurts my eyes!

After couple of incidences with the selfish window-seat passengers, I always choose to seat at upper deck window seat and have full control on all the window shades right next to me. Few months ago an aisle-seat lady who sat right next to me asked me to open the shade in order for her to read, I told her that I wasn't going to because I was about to take a nap. She insisted that I had to open the shade for her and demanded me to put on my eye mask if I wanted to nap, so I told her "now I wanna watch TV, I cannot even see the screen if I open the shade. If you have any better suggestion, wait until I finish the movie.", so I put on my headset right away pretending deaf.

Jenbel

There is an illogical argument in your OP. You, when at the window, exercise (rightly) your control over the shade. However, when you are not at the window, you expect those who are at the window to do what you want - which you refused to do for your seatmate when asked....

The person at the window has control. That for me is the basic rule. You cannot enforce your wishes upon the entire cabin. You can hope that those at the windows agree with you, but you won't always get what you want.

(and if you do a search, you'll find quite a few of these type of threads before )

jackal

I've never flown UA internationally (I assume that's who you're referring to, since you posted this in TravelBuzz! and didn't mention the carrier), but all of the carriers I have flown internationally provide a complimentary eye mask, which I have used (I actually keep my collection of airline eye masks near my bed so I can use them when the midnight sun peeks around my curtains up here during the summer).

Why can't you use an eye mask?

Many of us are window-seat flyers because we enjoy the aviation experience. I like to keep my personal screen on the moving map channel, and I like to peek out the window occasionally and try to see features we're flying over (sometimes snapping a halfway-decent picture). It seems rather selfish of you to occupy a window seat for the sole purpose of preventing others from enjoying the view.

Granted, I'm the kind of person who strives to cause as little inconvenience to others as possible, and I wouldn't open the windowshade in a darkened cabin where a bunch of people are asleep and don't have their eye masks on (well, I might open it half an inch for just a brief moment to see where we are), but I still take issue with your argument and attitude.

Were I in the aisle seat trying to sleep and were you in the window seat and wanted to open the shade to see the view, I would have no objection and, if I felt inconvenienced, I'd don my eye mask and doze away.

(I don't, however, agree with the lady who insisted you open the windowshade for her reading pleasure. That's just arrogant of her, and I agree with your reaction. Had she been a pleasant person and had she politely asked you to open the shade for a moment so she could see the view, I'd say she had a perfectly reasonable request, and had you refused, I would have taken issue with your response.)

GordonGordon

You are right, I'm talking about UA metal. UA does provide eye-mask, and I do use it when I sleep and have no problem with it, but I do have problem when watching movie (reflection of light on the TV screen makes it difficult to see). If you take UA international flight often enough, especially the long-hault flights (nrt-sfo, ord-hkg, etc, and I am talking about the 10 hrs+ flights), you will see everyone does lower the window shade for the convenience of majority of passengers (especially during or after the first meal), except couple of passengers who are being ignorant. In addition, UA flight attendants do make accouncement to ask passengers sitting at the window seat to shut the window shade for the convenience of other passengers.

Absolutely wrong! I occupy a window seat to prevent selfish people keep opening it during the entire flight when majority of the passengers are sleeping/taking a nap or watching movie. Even though sometimes I want to open the shade to see what is out there, I have never done it!!! Can people just be considerate during the long hault flight? Sometimes you cannot just do whatever you want although you have absolutely right to do so.

GordonGordon

Wrong again. I would politely explain to her that passengers sitting/lying around us are sleeping and I am not going to do the dirty job. If she really want to enjoy the view, then I will suggest her to go downstair to the rear of the plane, and there are small windows at emergency exit doors. She can enjoy the view as much as she wants.

slawecki

I read pageturners. probably for 6 hrs on a 10 hr flight. the other 4 hrs, i eat and drink and go to the bathroom.

in most cases, the reading lights suck. they are not particularly bright, and they are pointed in the wrong direction, cannot be moved.

UA intl C onna 777 is different. they have a powerful light attached to the seat back and it is adjustable.

you want to sleep and watch garbage movies, go ahead. i cannot sleep, do not like crummie movies, and just want to read and listen to my ipod in the comfort of my seat.

if you wish to provide me with an UG ticket to C class, i shall leave you in peace.

Wiirachay

I've been on flights where F/As have all passengers close their windows and request to keep them closed until "breakfast". I'm all for this for US-Asia trans-Pacific flights.

fnothaft

When I am sitting in a window seat, I generally keep the window open, as:

I booked a window so I could see out the window,
and
The pitiful amount of light that comes out of the reading lamps generally causes me a lot of eye-strain if I have to do reading.

I will try to accommodate people who are watching a movie by closing the shade half-way, but in general, if I have to use just the little reading light to read for a transcon, my eyes will burn the next day.

This doesn't even address people who get claustrophobic or who are scared of flying, who might not be able to fly without having an open window, who have better reasons than I do for keeping the window open.

TMOliver

The "Reclining Seat" rule applies....The airline would not have put in windows with adjustable shades unless my ticket price included the view, just my seat reclines as part of the fare base. Now, should the airline offer for sale at reduced price a non-reclining seat or a "window" seat without a window (or operable shade), let it do so.

I will be courteous enough to not recline during meal service - a rare worry in Y except across the ocean - but, if seated by the window, will have my shade up for sunrise, sunset, and glimmer of the Aurora Borealis, the Southern tip of Greenland and other famous historcal/hysterical landmarks. Having paid to see the world, I'm going to look when clouds don't obscure the view. I can watch the freakin' movies at home, whilst a book provides a format from which I can leave and return on my own schedule.

kokonutz

Meh, I've said it before, I'm sure I'll say it again: on an airplane everyone is responsible for their own light and sound control.

Want it dark, put on eye shades.

Want it quiet, put in earplugs.

Stop being a 'victim' and take control.

Is it sometimes annoying vis-a-vis watching TV? Sure. But the other pax has the right to take a look at the glaciers or the clouds or whatever happens to be passing below. So politely ask that the person put the shade down half-way as a compromise.

So much passive-aggressiveness on airplanes. It's so

GuyverII

+1.

RichMSN

What I can't figure out is why the OP's movie is more important than my "looking at the glaciers." I should do without so he can have what he wants? Meh.

LAS

The only problem I have is in the early morning when the sun is coming through the window and across a persons face. Close the shade or lower it as a courtesy. Other than that, do what you want with the shade.

ksandness

However, I'm all for keeping the window shades OPEN on US-Asia trans Pacific flights.

For years, I flew to Asia in full daylight, and it just felt as if I was experiencing an incredibly long afternoon. I'd read a whole book and nap (something I'm able to do in daylight) for an hour or two. I was always wide awake when I arrived in Asia and easily able to stay up till 10PM local time, which put me on the local schedule after I'd slept for eight hours.

Then a couple of years ago, FAs started pulling the shades down on westbound flights, and now I arrive in Asia groggy. I struggle to stay awake till 8PM. No wonder, since I don't get to use the sunlight to put my body clock on Asian time.

I strongly suspect that this pulling down the shades routine is deliberately designed to make the passengers groggy so that they don't bother the FAs. I've never taken the LAX-SYD flight, but I wonder if they keep the shades down the whole time then. That would really wreak havoc on someone's circadian rhythms.

Going back to the U.S. is another matter, since that's generally an overnight flight, but even there, it feels as if the FAs keep the shades down too long. It's already 10AM at our destination, we're flying over the Canadian Rockies, and I get scolded if I raise the shades or try to look out the exit door.

In general, I believe in having daylight or not in a way that prepares the passengers for the time of day at their destination.

The problem with glare interfering with the IFE could be solved by installing those shields they use to keep glare off computer screens.

Boraxo

I don't see the issue unless it is one of those long TATL or TPAC flights which span many timezones and where people generally try to sleep during some portion of the flight.
If you are flying on one of these flights, it is just common courtesy to shut the shade after the meal service has concluded when you see (almost) everyone is trying to sleep. Even if it is afternoon (which is often the case on these flights). And that includes keeping it closed until breakfast service. Not for the stupid IFE (that's not a good reason) but just of courtesy to the vast majority who are sleeping.

By contrast if it is a transcon (or shorter) day flight then by all means keep your shade open, assuming the sun is not blinding other people. And that's what really pisses me off - when dolts leave the shade open even though it is painfully obvious that the sun is bothering others.

I do find it laughable about the enjoying the window views. There is nothing to see at 38,000 feet on most of these flights, particularly at night or when the sun is streaming in. And you must be freakin blind if you can't read using the high-powered in-cabin lamps. I get some of my best reading done on the plane.