Virgin 787 Window Shades Central Locking?
 

I like Virgin, and flew on their A350 down to JNB. I would very much like to continue flying with them, but it's putting me off that they use the 787 for that route,

I was lucky to pick the right time to fly on their A350, not sure why they don't use it anymore to JNB. Anyway, I have read several posts around the bazaars commenting that the window shades are centrally locked on overnight flights, and thus removing control from the pax.

I particularly enjoy the lightning displays mother nature puts on, over Africa during the night, when everyone else is either sleeping, or glued to the screen.

Is central locking a policy of Virgin? Guess I'll have to stick to BA if it is, which given their record with the A380 on that route leaves a lot to be desired (a game of delay or canx this past year)

The cabin crew have full control over the windows on the 787.

The 787 dimming window usually has 5 settings:
1 = Clear
2 = Less Clear
3 = Halfway
4 = Less Dim
5 = Dim

From memory, they can using the CAP (cabin attendant panel) screen in each galley to:
1. Lock/Unlock all of them to clear, dim or any setting inbetween
3. Lock/Unlock any individual window
3. Set a range (for example; so people can only select clear or less clear)
4. Change any passenger window's current setting
5. Change all of the windows in different cabin zones

This feature was added by Boeing for a number of reasons:
1. Cabin Crew can dim/clear the windows automatically for takeoff and landing in hours of daylight/night time
2. Stop those selfish (not shellfish) pax who brightens their window during sunrise on a night flight when 99% of the plane are sleeping

Check out the photo on Flickr
www.flickr.com/photos/dcmetroblogger/10745645386

The downside to a 787 window is if it malfunctions, the cabin crew have a shade which attaches to the window and blocks out any light coming through. The other downside is with a traditional window, you can pull a shade down and have partial light coming through.

Perhaps a simple request to a Flight Attendant, requesting that you be given control of your window shade so you can occasionally look outside?
Haven't flown a 787 (or Virgin) yet - although I'm scheduled to fly a Virgin 787 to LHR in a few months. But on other aircraft, I will occasionally pause the movie I'm watching to raise the shade for a quick glimpse outside to see what's going on (I'm seen some pretty spectacular sight out the window doing that in the past) - and I'd be seriously unhappy if I lost the ability to do that.

Don't get me started .... :mad: But you have.

I also have experienced this problem with VS 787. JNB is a regular port of call for me and I, too, like to see the African night and dawn. With conventional blinds, I pull a blanket over my head and cover the window, as I ease the blind up just enough. I put on my sunglasses to watch the dawn. I do not disturb anyone.

The clever boys and girls at VS don't trust me to do this so they lock all the windows. They then display a vile pink led 'sunrise' at the time they want us to wake up. Obviously the led light scheme was thought up by more clever marketing boys and girls in America. The CC say 'you can look through the porthole in the door'. Oh, really? Get up and walk to the door and peak through a tiny window every ten minutes? Great idea. As I have been travelling this route for 58 years, I think I know how to open a blind without disturbing other pax.

When they introduced the 350, we were promised it on the JNB run and the 787 would do CPT. Whenever we are travelling (and use VS) it's always the wretched 787. We are booked on them later this year for the simple reason that we have accrued a lot of points for the upgrade.

If I could, I would avoid the 787 and never travel on it again. I have found the aircraft utterly unremarkable in all aspects. Why folks say it is wonderful - I do not know. The higher cabin pressure has never made any difference to me. I can only presume that the reason we do not get the 350 as promised, is that Delta want the shiny capacity across the pond to feed their network. CPT is now southern summer only and a daylight return flight as it is a tourist route. VS has been pruned right back. I much prefer the 380 to JNB.

PAXboy, have you bothered to ask them to unlock your window?

Tdracer
Some CC from some carriers can be a little difficult in that matter I believe. Currently I have not had that issue, but I am sure I will come across this sooner rather than later.
However I generally stay away from Boeing 737 Max / 787 currently ,though flew on both in less 6 months recently. Airbus at the moment get my vote and I was a, if it ain’t going Boeing fan. If it ain’t Boeing I am not going was the chant back in the day.

Cheers
Mr Mac

The lack of control over my ability to look out window on 787 is the reason I will not fly on that aircraft.
I am perfectly willing to obey a cabin crew request for me to close my window shade if it is an annoyance.

I have had two round trips LHR-JNB on the 787. Both crews have said that it could not be done. I am always polite to CC. I recall one of the crew saying that - if I held the button down long enoug, it would override the lock. Nonsense.

The first of the trips was in PE and the second in UC - but no can do. I have managed to avoid the 787 on all other carriers. If it was not for the points, we would not be using it. But, as far as I could research, the rotations that we wanted out and back - were all 787.

Probably stuck on the dim setting.

The cabin crew, I mean, not the windows ...

You do make me laugh Mr Reid!

Sometimes the cabin crew will treat pax as an idiot and lie to them about what can and cannot be done. For sure the 787 window lock is something they regularly control and lie about.

I have even been on a flight where a passenger's window was going from dim to bright to dim on several occasions. I suspect a cabin crew member was playing tricks on her window as she was his friend.

My only 787 night flights were with Qatar. They automatically dimmed the windows but I was able to override it if I wanted to. I don't know if it made any difference but it was in Business Class.

I do not like window blinds down during daytime flights with the exception of those facing the sun.

I know a friend who is claustrophobic. She likes to sit by a window and be free to look out when she feels the need to. She won't keep it wide open but she needs control of the blind to peak out now and again. The Virgin Atlantic policy on the B787 would freak her out.

People who prefer darkness should simply wear sleep masks and not expect all fellow passengers to have to conform with their wish to travel in the dark in the middle of the day.

It should be made unlawful for airlines to control window blinds with the exception of take-off and landing.

Last time I was on a BA A380, Club World from SFO to LHR, pretty much as soon as we had had dinner the cabin crew came along the aisles leaning over the seats and snapping the window blinds shut in such an authoritative manner that I was afraid to open mine again, despite the fact that I had chosen a window seat for a reason.

DRUK you owe
​​​​half a pint of London Pride....
However why cant the powers that be not have windows at all but stream a outside view from 4 cameras showing the current view from all quarters onto the IFE. So if you want / need to look outside, even from the middle of
the cabin you can??

Well, I do like a window, but some airlines do give everyone an outside view camera or four.

Some designers have proposed walls of screens. I suspect they might be heavier than the current layout, even allowing for the changes not to have windows.

Given the regularity of IFE systems failing, I'm not sure it would prove a happy alternative.

100% agree

Thanks everyone. BA it is then. I remember flying with BA back in Nov 18 on their 787 down to JNB, I was on one of their first flights using that type, but I think they soon stopped with the 787 to JNB. Anway, they didn't dim the windows.

I don't quite understand all the positive comments ref the 787. Personally I think it feels a bit 'small' for a longhaul of 10+ hours, but that's just me.

I guess the powers that be who decided on the artificial colours imitating a sunrise, think it's better than the real thing. Hey folks, no more turning your head to look out of the window, that's progress! It's similar to an advert of a few years ago - a cat near/on a fishing boat, full of fresh fish, but oh no, the cat had to be fed on artificial food, because it's better than the natural diet of fish, they told me it was better.

I genuinely don't understand the seemingly utter lack of interest of many pax, in viewing the real world occasionally. It still continues to fascinate me, hence why I'm daft enough to pay for a window seat, but perhaps those days are coming to an end.

I predict we'll all be flying in a windowless tube soon.

Anyway,iIt's a damn shame they don't use the A350, as I would definitely use Virgin for my trips to JNB.

BA crews have snapped blinds down on me on a couple of occasions. I immediately snap them up again. Never had any backlash.

BA crew did the same to me, not long after take off from JNB-LHR, stating that 'Keep the shade down, it will be daylight soon'. Riiiiight..ok. :rolleyes: :oh:

?

Nice and easy for cc if pax asleep.

Just got off a TG 787
Took of at 1150, 15 mins later, windows dimmed and remained so until 10 mins before landing.
Most annoying.