Reader Yolanda shared her experience on a recent Boeing 787 transatlantic flight. Cabin crew kept the windows locked in the dimmed position beginning after takeoff, and up until final approach to London Heathrow.
She is a fearful flyer in turbulence, and asked flight attendants to let her open her window. She was told they would, but didn’t, and believes that window seat passengers should have control of the window. She’ll even choose planes with manual window shades in the future, so she doesn’t give up control of them to flight attendants. She was just too scared when turbulence hit.
Now, I’ve been barked at by cabin crew for opening my window shade during turbulence on a long flight, just appreciating a bit of situational awareness. This is something that’s happened most often with European cabin crew while how U.S. flight attendants feel about this varies widely.
The latest generation of aircraft have electronic window shades, that you control with the push of a button instead of sliding up and down, flight crew can control them all too.
They can dim everyone’s shades in the cabin. They can also lock the shades up or down – up for takeoff and landing, because situational awareness matters in case you need to evacuate the aircraft, and down for darkness to promote sleep (and, perhaps, to promote fewer passengers bothering them).
People pay for window seats to look out the window. There are magical sights up in the clouds, they want to appreciate the approach to their destination, or maybe look down at the ice around Greenland. Other passengers want to sleep. And like so many things in a plane, preferences come into conflict.
On a night flight, open or closed window shades don’t much matter when you take off – it’s dark outside, and cabin lights are usually on for meal service. But as the flight goes on and service stops, people begin to sleep. And for the hours as you approach you destination it may be light out. You don’t want the sun shining into the cabin while everyone’s still trying to get sleep. This is especially important on short east coast transatlantics where there’s not much time for sleeping anyway.
On a day flight, such as Westbound from Europe to the U.S., it’ll be light out for most of the flight. Some passengers will try to nap, since they’ll be landing with a six or nine hour time change and struggling to stay up and adjust to local time when they arrive (plus, for some, it just passes the time better).
Some people sleep, some don’t, and it’s… day time. So I think the etiquette is different here.
- Shades should be down when it’s light outside on an overnight flight
- Shades should be at the discretion of the window seat passenger on day flights
- However be aware of your surroundings. When most of the cabin is sleeping, keep your shades down as much as you can, especially if light shines into the cabin
- Meanwhile as a passenger you should take matters into your own hands if you want to sleep. Get comfortable wearing eye shades.
I like an open window as much as possible, unless the sun is shining through the window so brightly that it interferes with screens and sleep of others. I don’t like flight attendants who require window shades to be closed on daytime flights from Europe to the U.S. since I rarely sleep on those flights and I find them less draining when I have light. But there’s not a lot I can do on a Boeing 787 when they control the shades, or when crew come around scolding passengers who open their windows.
Ultimately, the person at the window should have control of the shade. If you’re in the window seat, you decide the position the shade is in. However flight attendant direction trumps whether they’re being reasonable or not. If you’re at the window, be considerate and avoid blinding light and accommodate your neighbors. If someone asks you to put the window shade down (or up) consider doing as they ask if they have a strong preference and you do not. And in summertime at warm weather destinations close the shades before getting off the plane to help keep the aircraft cool for the next group of passengers during boarding.
To expand a bit, there are (6) principles of airplane window shades:
- Shades up for takeoff and landing. That’s so everyone’s eyes are well-adjusted to the light, in order to facilitate evacuation in an emergency.
- The person at the window has control of the shade. If you’re in the window seat, you decide the position the shade is in.
- Flight attendant direction trumps. On modern widebodies window shades may be electronic and can be locked into position. A crewmember may decide all shades will be down, for instance, to accommodate passenger sleep. You may think you have control rights because it’s ‘your’ shade (usufructuary rights) but confrontations with cabin crew over this will not end well.
- Avoid blinding light. That’s especially the case on overnight flights and on early mornings. Traveling across time zones means that even though it’s “night” for people on board who may want to sleep, that doesn’t mean the sun isn’t shining where you are physically.
- Accommodate your neighbors. If someone asks you to put the window shade down (or up) consider accommodating you, especially if they have a strong preference and you do not. Don’t just arbitrarily do the thing they object to, or object to moving the position of the shade for its own sake.
- Close the shades before getting off the plane when it’s especially hot at your destination. That will help keep the aircraft cool for the next group of passengers during boarding.
In Yolanda’s case, and for fearful flyers who want control over the window shade for help self-regulating, it seems like paying attention to aircraft type makes good sense.
The great thing about the electronic shades is they have multiple levels of opacity. It’s not an all-or-none proposition the way it is with manual shades. I like to set the window on a 787 a couple of notches above complete darkness so I can still see out but it doesn’t let in enough light to bother anyone else.
I always sit on the aisle, and have not had a window seat in the last 20 years, but if I was in a window seat then I better be able to look out. The person sitting there should have the choice, no one else (they should also be considerate of others, but ultimately that is their call).
AA is the worst with this. I’ve had them lock the window shades on the entire cruise portion of multiple day time transpacific flights. They refused to unlock them even after complaints. AA’s FAs just want all their pax to sleep so they can play on their phones or sleep.
I’ve had many astounding sights looking out aircraft windows on long flights and always book a window seat. I’m also a private pilot and just love the majesty of what we can see outside and if you’re half-way geographically literate (or use a gps) you can know exactly where you are and what you’re looking at. If you want it dark to sleep, wear damn eyeshades! As to the crew locking shades dark, I’d raise a bloody ruckus as most airlines charge extra for a window seat and I’ll be damned if the can charge extra then deny you the use of a window on the whim of a flight attendent. They know that sleeping people means less work for them so it’s pure laziness on their part.
I am in the person sitting in the window seat having control of the window shade camp. I watched out the window as the KAL flight I was on flew from USA airspace to Russian airspace. I have seen the Grand Canyon from six miles up. I have seen Mount Rainier from the top. I have seen takeoffs, landings and overflights of many places. I don’t want to be at the whims of flight attendants who are bored and boring.
This was by far the most boring article ever, even for this page’s standards
Steve_YYZ, it’s a good thing you didn’t proceed on with your ratings to become a commercial airline pilot. Raise a bloody ruckus onboard a flight? Not the cool, calm and collected that I want on my crew.
I normally now choose an aisle seat to have easier access to the “facilities” (yup, Senior here…), but when on occasion I DO select a window seat, I would expect to select the “open/close” position of the shade. If I sit in the window position it is specifically because I desire to “look out.”
The flight attendants want all of us asleep! Way less work for them! They purposefully, imo, leave them down. The last few flights I have been on this year, the window shades are kept closed the entire time. That has included take -off & landing. American is one of the worst for this but Southwest does it a lot too. I hate the cabin being left all dark. Yes…this has been daytime flights!
@ Flyer 1 . . . did you bother to read all of Steve_YYZ’s post? Evidently not as he makes a VERY reasonable point. If you must pay extra for a window seat then you should be able to enjoy the all the benefits of a window seat, although I suspect most of us have other reasons for selecting a window seat. I have the solution for Steve; get a Commercial/Instrument/Multi-engine/ATP rating and pilot employment with an airline. You will ALWAYS have a window seat . . . I guarantee that. .
I always sit by the window and I prefer to control my own shade, but I’m not gonna make a scene over it. I also prefer shades down when it’s light out, so I can sleep, but I travel with an eye mask so that I can control that factor without relying on others to close their shades. In the end, I’m self sufficient enough to handle whatever the situation happens to be without having a meltdown.
On westbound flights from Europe, I always choose window seat in business class on starboard side of aircraft. It’s light but not bright sunlight. I never sleep westbound. It’s healthier as you sleep well when you arrive home. Flight attendants “suggest” I close the shade as I could see my inflight entertainment better. I just ignore them. They want to sit in galley and do nothing.
Let’s face it– this is bizarre, given THE WHOLE POINT of Boeing’s fancy-dancy electro-opacity 787 window shades WAS to give more control over to the passenger.
And now that “control” is being over-ridden by the F/As who just want the passengers placid and sleepy..
I love seeing Greenland. I love seeing the volcanic landscape of Iceland and the huge lakes and bays of The Great White North.
I guess this is another reason to avoid Boeing products.
Who are these people who are unable to sleep when it’s light?? People sleep on the beach in blazing sunshine, cabin interiors are twilight by comparison.
And who was filming themselves trying to close the shade of the person in front of them? The only possible excuse is they are neurodiverse and unable to explain their condition. The FA should then have set them straight and advised them to put on an eye mask if it bothers them.
Don’t think I’ve ever been on a daytime flight where FAs closed shades, that’s frankly insane as your body clock is determined by exposure to sunlight. I also like looking down on the world going by.
Never seen shades down on European daytime flights either, and if it’s nighttime what difference does it make?
Genuinely bemused why anyone would tolerate being deprived of daylight if they want it. You might as well remove the windows and fit monitors!
Flying home (daytime)from Rome to Los Angeles I paid for an upgrade to business life flat seat. This is my first trip to Europe I flew coach on the way there and did not sleep. I tried to sleep after breakfast and almost fell asleep when somebody made a loud noise. I was at the window I Open the shade and the flight attendant came by and said to keep it shut because other people are trying to sleep. Wear sleep masks!!
I like to avoid the dreamliner because of the window shades. I want to see the sun rise
Yeah I had an eastbound transatlantic in winter where it was dark on leaving JFK and sunrise approaching LHR yet they locked the windows shut from 15m after take off until 15m before landing.. I’d have quite liked to have seen out across New England and Canada as we passed over towns and cities there, not like any light was going to disturb any one and there were serving dinner. Likewise before landing they bumped up the lights over 1hr before landing to serve breakfast yet kept the windows locked until 15m before landing! Everyone was awake anyway and missed probably a great sunrise and most the approach over the city of London. Very frustrating. And it’s pretty surprising how nearly 90% of people on planes these days seem to shut the windows on day flights even those that aren’t early in the morning.. Why do you want to sit in a dark tube for hours in the middle of the day when there’s plenty to look at out of the window? And it only makes it all the morning jarring when you have to get off the darkened plane back into blinding sunshine on landing.
If you are an airplane passenger and:
Want a pillow – Bring one!
Want shuteye – Bring a mask!
Want a snack – Bring some!
Want quiet – Bring earplugs!
Want a blankie – Bring one!
You are adults, prepare and cope.
If someone paid for a window seat or more legroom, it’s THEIR window and their room.
However, if someone puts their legs/feet/hands/hair or other body part on your seat…. “It’s showtime!”.
i fly pretty much every weekend, usually I book a window seat. Most of the people on these short flights are young people that are obsessed with their electronic devices or maybe scared of flying. For whatever reason, out of the entire 54 or so windows on any flight, mine is one of maybe 6 windows open, for the entire flight. It’s strange and maybe a little creepy that people just want to sit in a tube for an hour and a half, blindly transported to their destination. But when they get there, all they seem to do is stare in their phones anyway.
@JC And yet here you are. Commenting even.