to keep my flap up during a flight

[flamingnoravera]

I've just landed from a 13 hour daytime all the way flight from China. We flew over China. Mongolia, Russia etc and the scenery below was breathtaking as it was clear.
However, I was apparently, one of those passengers, because, having booked a window set to look out, I refused to pull the blind down until after lunch, some 4 hours in.
Fellow passengers were huffing and blowing but that just made me more steely resolved. It was a daytime flight, them wanting to sleep meant they needed to wear the slumber shades provided (no-one seemed to bother).
WIBU to keep it open to see the mountains?

YANBU at all.

YANBU. I love looking out of the window on flights. And surely people can still watch films even if the blinds are up?

YANBU.
I flew from Dubai to London on a beautiful clear day, the view was spectacular all the way from the desert, across Europe, the sea, I could see planes , trains, boats lakes, forest - it was the most amazing flight.

The first time I flew over the Himalayas at night it was breathtaking. I have never had anyone complain about the window blinds.

People kicking the back of my seat - that is quite a different matter.

Hmmm, well, if the sun was glaring directly into their eyes through the window I can see that it might be polite to do so, but otherwise YANBU.

If more than one person asked (which I infer from "people in the middle") then you were unreasonable. Very unreasonable. You should have tried to reach a compromise - ("I'd like to look at the view for a bit, would you mind if I kept it open for 30 mins or so, then I'll close it" or something like that.")

An aeroplane is a very vulnerable environment in terms of risk of people kicking off etc. It's enclosed, people have limited space, a lot of people are very apprehensive/frighten about flying, a lot of people will have drunk a fair amount, some people may have taken medicine of some kind to calm their nerves and then drunk alcohol.

In those circumstances, it is pretty irresponsible and highly selfish to end up in any kind of stand off with other passengers.

The appropriate way of dealing with any issue like this is:

1. Try to compromise.
2. If that's not possible, the person who is most inconvenienced should be preferred. So you not being able to see the view is trivial compared to not being able to sleep or not being able to watch a film on a long haul flight. You can easily find other ways to entertain yourself but film/tv is primary source of distraction on long haul flight - if a window glare stops someone from watching TV for a whole flight, that's pretty selfish.
3. Weight of numbers will triumph in an airplane environment. Better one unhappy passenger than 5.

I think you were selfish.

if the sun was right in their eyes, they will find that are equipped with heads that turn, and the airline gives out eyeshades.

unless it is a crew instruction (and there are safety/body count reasons why the shades needs to be in certain places at certain times) screen-addicts can be ignored.

If the sun was causing glare on other peoples screens then ywbu. This happened to me. Te arse across the aisle from me refused to shut it despite my screen being useless due to glare. I carefully positioned my make up mirror, iPad etc back to him so he got the glare back. The arse soon shut the blind. Twat.

YANBU

I once got publicly told off by a very antsy cabin steward: "you're spoiling it for all the others" when I wouldn't put my blind down during a film (back in the day when there was one big screen in each cabin). Also a daylight flight and across the centre of Australia. Amazing scenery. I was right at the back and it made no difference. I avoid Qantas whdnever possible - Australian men can be appalling.

I've been on a flight quite recently where the direction of flight and my seat conspired to ensure I had full glare right in my eyes.

It was blinding and uncomfortable

• fortunately the seat by the offending window was empty and the steward noticing my discomfort closed the blind but it would have been pretty unpleasant if I'd had to spend any time subjected to it.

Frankly I think four hours was pretty excessive when you knew it was inconveniencing others - a little give and take wouldn't have gone amiss

YANBU

YABU to be bothered about one person giving you a look.

I got told off by cabin crew for opening the flap just a tiny bit as we flew over Siberia. They had declared it night time on the flight, but it was daylight outside. It was Siberia, who wouldn't want to look at Siberia?

thing is you say it was a daytime 13 hour flight, but you do not know how many hours the people around you had been awake...maybe they had travelled a long way to the airport and had been up a long time....people think 'i will sleep on the plane'.....i do, i usually take a diazepam and wear earphones and wrap my cardigan around my head for long flight

YANBU. There are plenty of devices to deal with glare, and certainly sunglasses or eye masks for those who don't want sunshine in their eyes. Use an audio book for entertainment Problem solved.

It is amazing that people would rather peer at a little video screen at 38,000 feet and that those who wish to appreciate the wonder of aviation and the beautiful sights of the Earth from high above are now considered the crackpots. Wilbur and Orville would heave a sigh.

At any rate, window seat person traditionally controls the blind.

So you not being able to see the view is trivial compared to not being able to sleep or not being able to watch a film on a long haul flight.
**
Heaven forbid someone misses a film they can watch anytime. And eye masks are available for sleeping. Don't be absurd

OP YWNBU**
**

Bold fail.

So you not being able to see the view is trivial compared to not being able to sleep or not being able to watch a film on a long haul flight.

Heaven forbid someone misses a film they can watch anytime. And eye masks are available for sleeping. Don't be absurd

OP YWNBU

Well perhaps you could have pulled the shade down a little so that you could still see the view but it wouldn't be quite so bright? I had the opposite situation on a flight where I had the window seat, it was a late afternoon flight and the sun was at a certain level on the horizon so that it was shining into the cabin blinding everyone, I pulled the shade down and the lady next to me in the middle seat complained she wanted to look at the view. Considering that she had been leaning across me with her head practically in my lap to look out I declined to raise the shade again.

I love looking out of the window when I fly and would be gutted not to be allowed to.

Having said that sat next to a lad who was shaking with terror on his first flight with Mum. I asked if he would like me to put the 'flap' down so he couldn't be worried by the outside and he was thrilled. We shared sweets and crisps for the whole flight and had a great time. I snivelled inwardly knowing that lovely views were outside of the Alps but hey ho saw them going home two days later.

GingerMerkin that was such a kind and selfless thing to do.

Yanbu. I'm always amused by the fact some people seem to think that because they are on a flying bus, their experience should be different to a normal bus. Same for normal kid noise/ not pre booking seats/ treating airline staff like personal servants/ not wanting seats down etc. If they want to be pandered to, or expect everything to be to their liking they need to pay for an upgrade.

Yabu to only include 'flap' in the title. Aibu not to move my flaps? would have been even more amusing.

Yanbu. You were right to use that opportunity to see those stunning views. They could use the eye covers.

I always choose the window seat and often close the shutter if it's too bright. I don't choose that seat to look out of the window, I want to lean against the wall and not the person next to me.

If the shutter was open and the person next to me loomed over to stare out of the window I'd shut it. I don't want to swap seats and I don't want you in my lap.

We once had this coming home from Thailand. It was a horrible, claustrophobic experience having all the shades closed in daytime. It felt like a never ending flight. I'm totally with you op.

Limited -you are mean.

It is such a rare privelege too see this beautiful planet from the air. I feel sad that people would not only prefer to look at a screen, but want to stop other people look at the view as well.

If the blind being up is genuinely causing a glare in someone's eyes, then it should be shut. Could you not have pulled it down halfway? If you're right next to the window, then you would still be able to see most of the ground with it down halfway.

Everyone stuck in a metal tube needs to rub along together, and compromise should be found wherever possible to minimise the unpleasantness as much as possible.