Window Shade Etiquette

[Huntergreed]

Curious to hear opinions on this…

I’m currently on my first proper trip to the USA, and one thing that is abundantly clear is the difference in “window shade” etiquette between Europe and the USA.

Over here in America it seems to be an expectation that you keep the window shade down and ensure the cabin is as dark as possible regardless of the time/length of flight. I’ve had a flight attendant tell me off for wanting to keep mine up to look outside on a 90 minute flight between 12PM and 2PM - right in the middle of the day! Lights are also turned off accordingly, regardless of time of day (which worsens jet lag in my opinion!)

Indeed when boarding, it seems that this is the default, as when boarding my flights over here all shades have been closed. I also note that there is no requirement over here to open window shades for takeoff and landing (how people can land without knowing when the sudden “bump” will happen I will never understand).

This is in complete contrast to Europe where most people tend to keep the window shades up, thankfully!

Curious to hear, on a short haul flight (say no more than 4 hours) during daytime, do you prefer to keep the window shade up or down? I understand the need on long haul (although I do question the need on daytime Europe to East Coast flights) for a dark cabin, but I’m still puzzled by the culture over here!

 

[Bald Rick]

Up in daytime, always. Up at night time as well usually!

 

[zero]

I prefer to have them up always no matter the time, but on long-haul I usually get forced to lower them by the cabin crew, unless I'm in business class on an empty flight

 

[J-2739]

Window up, hands down.

Not a plane, but on a TGV between Brussels and Amsterdam, I was engaged in a bit of a war of window shades with a particularly irritating upper middle-aged lady. I guess it was a question of who gives up first (it wasn't me).

 

[signed]

Depends a lot if there is direct sunlight hitting through, if so down, else up.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I like the Boeing 787 LCD shades which allow you to see out even when fully dimmed, allows for both those who want to sleep and those who want to stay awake. Though to be honest I think on widebody long haul flights they should have a sleeping cabin (dark throughout, service only on demand, possibly no children allowed?) and a daytime cabin (shades allowed open, full service etc) so you can choose between the two - typically there are two economy cabins on such flights anyway.

 

[nlogax]

Horses for courses. I'm nearly always at a window seat and I keep the blinds up for short haul. Different story on long haul and outside of Business or First when over oceans there's little point and little to see. Keeping the blinds open really interferes with those trying either trying to sleep or attempting to watch seat-back screens. And on red-eyes absolutely the blind goes down without question once it's dark and we run out of stuff to see below. Am in F on a daytime leg from NYC to Phoenix in a couple of weeks and will be keeping the blind firmly open. There's always a lot to see down there!

Related; golf clap to the **** on the other side of the plane getting back into LHR from Denver the other week. Over two hours from our morning arrival, up goes the blind and floods the cabin with light when most passengers are still inspecting the back of their eyelids. Needless to say it did not go down well.

 

[westv]

Horses for courses. I'm nearly always at a window seat and I keep the blinds up for short haul. Different story on long haul and outside of Business or First when over oceans there's little point and little to see. Keeping the blinds open really interferes with those trying either trying to sleep or attempting to watch seat-back screens. And on red-eyes absolutely the blind goes down without question once it's dark and we run out of stuff to see below. Am in F on a daytime leg from NYC to Phoenix in a couple of weeks and will be keeping the blind firmly open. There's always a lot to see down there!

Related; golf clap to the **** on the other side of the plane getting back into LHR from Denver the other week. Over two hours from our morning arrival, up goes the blind and floods the cabin with light when most passengers are still inspecting the back of their eyelids. Needless to say it did not go down well.

Golf clap? I am assuming a slow handclap. I've never heard of a "golf clap".

 

[nlogax]

Golf clap? I am assuming a slow handclap. I've never heard of a "golf clap".

Well.. you have now.

 

[hexagon789]

Golf clap? I am assuming a slow handclap. I've never heard of a "golf clap".

Silent or soft clapping, so named because it doesn't distract a golfer compared to normal clapping.

 

[nlogax]

Dear lord.

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=golf clap

1. An exaggeratedly quiet clapping intended as a show of sarcastic support or disdain.

c.f. the quiet clapping sound heard on televised golf tournament coverage. Due to the distance between the microphone and the crowd, the golf clap sounds like a nearby crowd of people clapping at minimal volume.
1. He dropped his fully-loaded cafeteria tray, breaking all the dishes. Naturally, we gave him a golf clap.

2. We cheered Sue as she crossed the marathon's finish line 8 days later with a hearty golf clap.

Anyway.. window blind etiquette anyone?

 

[jamesr]

I flew Cathay Pacific at 11am from Milan to Hong Kong a few months back. With the time difference, arrival in Hong Kong was early morning (6am, I think), it would have seemed very logical for them to keep the blinds open for the first five hours of the flight in daylight , and then revert to night mode as darkness reached the plane. But very soon after take off, all the blinds were closed and the plane was put into full “sleep“ mode, in early afternoon Italian time.

Even more annoyingly, the reading lights on the plane weren’t working so there was no choice other than to sit in pitch black, and I’d paid for Premium Economy precisely because I wanted to get some work done. Very annoying.

 

[Flying Snail]

As if flying wasn't already unpleasant enough now you have people dictating artificial "night" time on you.

 

[edwin_m]

What I don't really get is insistence on making the LCD windows opaque when it's dusk or dark outside (or at least opaque enough that nothing outside is visible in low light). That probably denied me a view of the Pyramids at least once.

 

[AlterEgo]

As if flying wasn't already unpleasant enough now you have people dictating artificial "night" time on you.

Indeed.

There are eye masks for those who need a blackout to sleep. I'll keep my shade up unless it's too bright and I can't see the screen, or if it's otherwise just annoying.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

They are closed on boarding to keep the cabin cool. Temperature is quite a bit hotter here.

 

[WestCoast]

They are closed on boarding to keep the cabin cool. Temperature is quite a bit hotter here.

That’s a very US thing I’ve found. It’s not something you see in the Middle East even when the temperatures are usually above 40C all summer.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

For the record, I like my window shade open in day
Light ( mostly) and for takeoff and landing but closed at night.