window shades
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Somewhere under Papa 18
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Recently on a long-haul night flight (Qantas LHR-SIN) all pax were asked to close the blinds an hour or so after take off. The staff made quite a big deal of it, just as they would when ensuring they were open for landing. On the return flight, also at night, there was no such request and many blinds remained open. Any particular reason for this?
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: UK
Age: 64
Posts: 3,586
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The cynic in me can't help wondering if crews find they get less hassle if the blinds are down and everyone is encouraged to sleep.
It's a serious question - How do we win? - What should we do?
I think you're correct Tightslot, you can't win.
The particular incident that I was part of that makes me suggest the possibility was on a daylight transatlantic flight when a crew member reached from the aisle, past me to the window (using a tray as a reach extender) and closed the blind by my seat. No "excuse me", no "would you please" and, from memory, no previous annoucment on the PA. The reaction when I immediately reopened the blind was like a schoolchild who had been caught. Why would you close the blinds on a daylight flight at a time when everyone was wide awake and then (as that crew did) disappear?
It's an emotive issue. It's also one of these things that is inconsistent not only across airlines but even with a given airline which suggests to me that when it happens it is crew initiated rather than airline policy otherwise I would expect that within a given airline a consistent policy would emerge.
The particular incident that I was part of that makes me suggest the possibility was on a daylight transatlantic flight when a crew member reached from the aisle, past me to the window (using a tray as a reach extender) and closed the blind by my seat. No "excuse me", no "would you please" and, from memory, no previous annoucment on the PA. The reaction when I immediately reopened the blind was like a schoolchild who had been caught. Why would you close the blinds on a daylight flight at a time when everyone was wide awake and then (as that crew did) disappear?
It's an emotive issue. It's also one of these things that is inconsistent not only across airlines but even with a given airline which suggests to me that when it happens it is crew initiated rather than airline policy otherwise I would expect that within a given airline a consistent policy would emerge.
Long flights can become incredibly boring for crew and so the 'get them all to sleep' theory doesn't always hold water. Believe it or not most (sure, not all) crew aim to please the passenger. From experience, passengers can start getting restless and irritable if cabin service takes a while and as a consequence the lights are still on and when the lights are turned down, the closing of the window shades facilitates a passengers rest.
On various forums I have found the protests of enthusiasts to be very selfish and the subject is usually only emotive when it comes to that community. This in itself suggests that the vast majority of passengers would rather do something that helps achieve a restful flight for themselves and others.
In the AF situation as mentioned by Hartington, if I was the crew member I would have asked him politely to pull his window blind down as this would give him the opportunity to enquire why he was being told to do so. If he then chose to open it again, I'd tell him to close it again.....albeit in a polite manner.
On all the long haul flights I've flown on as a passenger the window blinds have only been closed if sunlight will disturb rest. i.e if a flight leaves HKG at Midnight and arrives into LHR at 0500 in Winter then theres not really much point in closing the blinds as it's dark all the way. Perhaps this is what happened on another posters return from SIN where as the outbound flight requested the blinds were closed as sunlight would restrict rest.
On various forums I have found the protests of enthusiasts to be very selfish and the subject is usually only emotive when it comes to that community. This in itself suggests that the vast majority of passengers would rather do something that helps achieve a restful flight for themselves and others.
In the AF situation as mentioned by Hartington, if I was the crew member I would have asked him politely to pull his window blind down as this would give him the opportunity to enquire why he was being told to do so. If he then chose to open it again, I'd tell him to close it again.....albeit in a polite manner.
On all the long haul flights I've flown on as a passenger the window blinds have only been closed if sunlight will disturb rest. i.e if a flight leaves HKG at Midnight and arrives into LHR at 0500 in Winter then theres not really much point in closing the blinds as it's dark all the way. Perhaps this is what happened on another posters return from SIN where as the outbound flight requested the blinds were closed as sunlight would restrict rest.
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Stockport
Age: 84
Posts: 282
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
In less stable parts of the world closed blinds are standard for night departures and arrivals because trigger happy locals find it easier to target brightly illuminated targets.
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Somewhere over the Rainbow
Posts: 735
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Many years as SLF and following is always consistent across all carriers travelled.
1) T/O and Landing day or night blinds open
2) Announcements to close blinds when departure at night eastwards and arriving in an hour or so after service ends into bright daylight with a substantial part of flight to go. Announcements clear and crisp stating this is to allow passengers to sleep.
3) Never had anyone except a passenger next to me insist I close the blind on a short haul, all daylight or daytime departure flight. He insisted as it was reflecting of his IFE.
I think when the lady lands back at Toronto any misunderstanding would be cleared so waiting to hear about that.
1) T/O and Landing day or night blinds open
2) Announcements to close blinds when departure at night eastwards and arriving in an hour or so after service ends into bright daylight with a substantial part of flight to go. Announcements clear and crisp stating this is to allow passengers to sleep.
3) Never had anyone except a passenger next to me insist I close the blind on a short haul, all daylight or daytime departure flight. He insisted as it was reflecting of his IFE.
I think when the lady lands back at Toronto any misunderstanding would be cleared so waiting to hear about that.
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: world
Posts: 3,424
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Although I comply, to keep the peace, I don't personally like the shades down westbound on a day flight, with the exception of the port side of the a/c which may have the Sun pouring in. Agree that CC can't win either way. It's one of these problems with no just solution.
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The way the CC can win is to have a sensibly policy that is applied consistently and explained to pax. On the many long haul flight I have been on I have never heard an explanation, and application is inconsistent.
Personally, on a long-haul night flight, I'm waiting for the cabin lights to be off and everyone to settle down. It's right that the blinds be shut in that situation to allow maximum time for sleeping. But on a day flight (e.g. BA NRT to LHR, departs around noon Japan time, arrives around 3pm London time), why should the blinds be shut? Sometimes the CC go around shutting the blinds, sometimes they don't. Some people sleep for some or all of the flight, some don't. That's a day flight, pax can entertain themselves by reading a book or watching IFE. Personally, if I slept during that flight, it would make the jetlag even worse. Of course, everyone is different, and you have to allow for peoples' body clocks to be in different time zones, but anyone who wants to sleep on a day flight can wear an eye mask while the rest of us try to algin our body clocks with our destination.
Having said that, if I'm clearly the only one with the blind open, I'll shut it. And if another pax asked me to shut the blind so they could sleep, I would.
Personally, on a long-haul night flight, I'm waiting for the cabin lights to be off and everyone to settle down. It's right that the blinds be shut in that situation to allow maximum time for sleeping. But on a day flight (e.g. BA NRT to LHR, departs around noon Japan time, arrives around 3pm London time), why should the blinds be shut? Sometimes the CC go around shutting the blinds, sometimes they don't. Some people sleep for some or all of the flight, some don't. That's a day flight, pax can entertain themselves by reading a book or watching IFE. Personally, if I slept during that flight, it would make the jetlag even worse. Of course, everyone is different, and you have to allow for peoples' body clocks to be in different time zones, but anyone who wants to sleep on a day flight can wear an eye mask while the rest of us try to algin our body clocks with our destination.
Having said that, if I'm clearly the only one with the blind open, I'll shut it. And if another pax asked me to shut the blind so they could sleep, I would.
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Cologne
Age: 34
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I always assumed blinds up for take off and landing so that whatever is outside is also the same light inside in case there is an emergency you're used to the lighting. If blinds were down during the day, you're going to be dazzled going outside, vice versa when the lights are dimmed on a night flight.
I did a cabin crew course at college - my tutor was ex BA long haul crew and that was the reason she gave.
I have heard of cabin crew turning the heat up to get pax to sleep. Some can't be bothered, same with any job I suppose
Someone mentioned the emergency lighting on the floor, that stuff is USELESS!!! I have to point it out!
I've doned (spelling?) a smoke hood, been in a cabin full of (albeit fake) smoke and in the dark and honestly it's nothing more than a faint glow.
In the panic of everything else I don't trust these to help and always make sure I know where to go beforehand.
I did a cabin crew course at college - my tutor was ex BA long haul crew and that was the reason she gave.
I have heard of cabin crew turning the heat up to get pax to sleep. Some can't be bothered, same with any job I suppose
Someone mentioned the emergency lighting on the floor, that stuff is USELESS!!! I have to point it out!
I've doned (spelling?) a smoke hood, been in a cabin full of (albeit fake) smoke and in the dark and honestly it's nothing more than a faint glow.
In the panic of everything else I don't trust these to help and always make sure I know where to go beforehand.
I have heard of cabin crew turning the heat up to get pax to sleep. Some can't be bothered, same with any job I suppose
Someone mentioned the emergency lighting on the floor, that stuff is USELESS!!! I have to point it out!
I've doned (spelling?) a smoke hood, been in a cabin full of (albeit fake) smoke and in the dark and honestly it's nothing more than a faint glow.
In the panic of everything else I don't trust these to help and always make sure I know where to go beforehand.
I've doned (spelling?) a smoke hood, been in a cabin full of (albeit fake) smoke and in the dark and honestly it's nothing more than a faint glow.
In the panic of everything else I don't trust these to help and always make sure I know where to go beforehand.
As for the blinds themselves. Open for take off and landing so that the outside conditions can be assessed in the event of an evacuation and it also helps the emergency services assess conditions inside the cabin.
Sometimes I ask pax to close blinds if the light is ruining the IFE of other passengers, or the main airshow screen. It can also be fine for the pax, but reflection off the wings can be right at CC eye level when doing the service. Standing squinting over the bar cart is not a good look 
The only time I would reach over someone to close a blind is when the rest are closed and the light coming in is unbearably bright and the person is asleep.
Sometimes the crew seem to close the blinds 'early' because it's better to do it all at once than wait til service is over and half the pax might be asleep. Now aircraft with electric window shades solve this problem... crew can override for t/o/landing and any other time it's required. Pax can still adjust shades except during t/o and landing...
The only time I would reach over someone to close a blind is when the rest are closed and the light coming in is unbearably bright and the person is asleep.
Sometimes the crew seem to close the blinds 'early' because it's better to do it all at once than wait til service is over and half the pax might be asleep. Now aircraft with electric window shades solve this problem... crew can override for t/o/landing and any other time it's required. Pax can still adjust shades except during t/o and landing...
The whole argument seems rather strange for it is presumably technically safer to fly with the blinds open, as it enables the passengers to point out an engine fire to the crew - something which is apparently not an unknown occurence.
I've had one cabin crew member who got upset when I slightly opened a blind to look out whilst at the same time trying to shield the light for my fellow pax but I suspect that she was a jobsworth. Most are understanding. Don't peole ask for a window seat so that they can look outside? (Its not for easy access to the loo.)
I don't see the 787 windows being a plus point as some regulation will tell the CC to override the pax's individual controls during cruise and if you like watching the world go by from your window - tough.
I seem to recall that tridents had tinted shades so that you could still look out when the sun was shining.
Iomapaseo mentions pulling the shades down to make the cabin cooler on the ground. I got on a KLM 737 at AMS during the recent warm weekend and it does make a difference.
I know that BA dims its lights for landing & take off at night - I believe that it is so that you can see better case of an evaculation (unless you have the reading light on) but it does make seeing things out of the window at night a lot easier.
It used to be that airlines wanted window blinds to be closed was so that the IFE could be seen better before the days of individual screens. I've heard it said taht one reason that Wardair did not fit IFE to its aircraft was because a lot of passengers liked their blinds open but the person who told be that liked her blind open!
I don't see the 787 windows being a plus point as some regulation will tell the CC to override the pax's individual controls during cruise and if you like watching the world go by from your window - tough.
I seem to recall that tridents had tinted shades so that you could still look out when the sun was shining.
Iomapaseo mentions pulling the shades down to make the cabin cooler on the ground. I got on a KLM 737 at AMS during the recent warm weekend and it does make a difference.
I know that BA dims its lights for landing & take off at night - I believe that it is so that you can see better case of an evaculation (unless you have the reading light on) but it does make seeing things out of the window at night a lot easier.
It used to be that airlines wanted window blinds to be closed was so that the IFE could be seen better before the days of individual screens. I've heard it said taht one reason that Wardair did not fit IFE to its aircraft was because a lot of passengers liked their blinds open but the person who told be that liked her blind open!
