[Flightlevel]

Common sense says window blinds should be open on take off or landing in case of an aircraft problem so the crew can see instantly if its safe to open the exit door on that side. They probably close them at altitude for insulation & less fuel used to heat the cabin since the outside temperature is well below freezing however it obviously should be the window seat pax choice.

[IanFromHKG]

WillieWelsh, I have read the thread a couple of times, and find nothing in Martyn’s post to indicate it was specifically “aimed” at you, and even if it were I think the worst you could say about it was “brusque” (although I wouldn’t describe it so myself), not rude.

[ba747fan1]

I fully embrace those crew on night flights who go around ensuring all blinds are closed as it saves waking up to the sun (i.e. you do not go to bed with your curtains open!). I fully supported a BA crew member ensuring in club that a blind was closed despite the persons protests and the BA person said that there was nothing to see out of the window.

[NTarrant]

Actually I do sleep with the curtains open and enjoy waking up to the sun. I hate having ground floor bedrooms in hotels, never enjoy my stay and it just puts me in a mood for the day.

Whilst I’m not claustrophobic, I know people that are and find window shades down even in darkness to be a problem for them. If there is nothing to see out the window then it doesn’t matter if the blinds are open, the BA person should be more considerate to people’s preferences

[CathayLoyalist2]

Qatar’s electronic window shades as with the old manual version allow everyone to adjust the level i.e. fully open/middling/ shut. On a daylight flight long haul that leaves early morning the last thing I want to do is sleep if I have only been up a few hours. When you are cocooned in a darkened cabin you will start to yawn as melatonin levels drop and it is not pleasant. I like to work for a few hours and the natural light is essential.

[DavidGordon10]

I am with you NTarrant, I always sleep with my curtains open (except on a very cold night midwinter). I like to wake up with the sun. I intensely dislike flights where someone decrees that all window blinds are closed. Think of my preferences as well, please.

[SimonS1]

No win situation David, especially if 9 people want them closed and 1 insists on open. At what point does your preference over-ride everyone else?

[FDOS_UK]

An aircraft journey does not involve signing up for a democratic process over the window blinds.

If 9 people want them closed, so what? The person sitting in the window seat chose to sit there and takes priority. If I were in the window (and I usually sit in the aisle or middle block aisle), I’d maybe close it halfway to stop it shining directly on someone’s screen, but that would be it – neither would I expect anyone to completely close their blind for me.

What else should be imposed on other pax? Not to go to the lav in the night, not to eat when the cabin lights are dimmed? Not to use the reading light when the cabin is dimmed?

[stevescoots]

sounds like normal BA to me. I always ask for window as i like the privacy. but i always close the blinds once in the clounds as i either want to sleep or it affects the ife screen.

[ba747fan1]

Usually in a window seat but if the person the other side of the divider had the blind open on a night flight, I would ask the crew if they could ask for it to be put down – only one person kicked off over the years.

[Carajillo2Sugar]

Travellers who do not wish to be disturbed by the blind remaining open should apply an eye-mask to the front of their face.

If they place it in the correct position on said face, then the ‘problem’ is resolved, surely?

[thecartoonman]

On a recent daytime flight from LGW to MCO, shortly after the lunch service was complete, ALL the blinds were down, basically for the whole flight until we crossed the Florida coast. I walked to the galley at the back and it was like a night flight and remember moaning to ‘management’ that why are all the blinds down on a day time flight.

Do we have this issue on day time flights within Europe, or do the crew on these longer flights just want us all in our seats and hopefully slowly nodding off, not sure they were even opened for the afternoon tea service.

Who makes these decisions? It was a day time flight for god’s sake and as the entire plane was full of ex UK passengers on BST, who feels the need to fall fast asleep at 3 pm in the afternoon?

It did make for a fairly sombre flight and even on landing some people barely had the blind up, when you would have thought the view of the approach into MCO would warrant a good look!

As they say, ‘there’s nowt so queer as folk’.

[MartynSinclair]

I am with you FDoS and the many others – I am defo an “up man”

I would be interested to hear DavdGordon10’s comments on whether it is healthy to be flying for 12 hours with the blinds down, putting the cabin in darkness and also whether sun light can assist overcoming jet lag.

When I am travelling on business (especially in sunny climates), I have to sleep with the curtains wide open – its the best way to wake up fresh…

Last nights flight from HKG to London, I got about 6 hours sleep. I had left the blinds half up (3 of them), naturally when I woke they were all down. The colour of the sky, after I had lifted the blinds half up was a wonderful blue colour, certainly not bright, but I found it very relaxing and could watch the movie screen very clearly.

Within about 10 minutes, the night squad came round and even seeing me awake, hands reached across to pull the blinds down, without even asking..

I very politely suggested perhaps I should be asked first whether I wanted the blinds down and before I was asked, requested for the blinds to be left exactly as they were….. the look of total thunder and the immediate back track ….

I am convinced crews try to turn day time flights into night time to stop passengers bothering them…

[CathayLoyalist2]

MartynSinclair

“I am convinced crews try to turn day time flights into night time to stop passengers bothering them”

..and there you have hit the nail well and truly on the head

[SimonS1]

@FDOS – fortunately on the occasions I have been in that situation the people involved have not been quite so dogmatic and a bit of compromise usually prevails.

A bit like reclining seats – I don’t believe in the ‘do you mind if I recline’ approach but I do try to be considerate of other people around me.

[Author]

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