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?

Difficult one. I can see why you wanted to look out of the window, but the people in the middle might have liked to do that too, but were too far away. So they might be putting up with annoying glare for no benefit to themselves. Not everyone can sit by the window.

I like to look too, but in your situation is have closed it I'm afraid, majority rule. I'd have walked down to the back and looked out of a different window, you could do that on the last long haul I was on.

YANBU, I always keep them open and I've been on long haul flights loads. That's what the eye masks are for.

Unpleasantness shouldn't extend to deciding that looking at the view is wrong. It would be like going on safari and playing on your phone the whole time. The views are unique to plane travel. It's hardly rude to want to look. Why don't they just get rid of plane windows so everyone can go on electrOnic devices in the dark. How depressing.

Surely the whole point of flying is that you can look down on a tiny, perfect version (because you can't make out all the bad bits) of the world? It's worth looking out at night, too - I saw the aurora borealis out of the window somewhere over Newfoundland on the way to NY.

I recently was on a flight - late booking, as it was for a funeral, so I ended up on the aisle, and over the wing - I couldn't see out at all. I found it quite disorientating, not having any idea where I was. Which is odd, because I've flown over cloud and in the night and not had any idea where I was, so it shouldn't have been any different. But it was certainly one of the less enjoyable flights I've ever had.

MissBattleaxe how would you feel about me snoring and dribbling on your shoulder, because that's what I would do if I didn't have the wall to lean on?

Well, I wouldn't. I'd just sit miserably because I wouldn't be able to relax, but that's okay, because you could stare in wonder out of the window, which you'd be entitled to do if you booked the window seat.

I prefer to sleep on planes,even if it's just a two hour flight. I don't want to eat, I don't want duty free or to go to the toilet. Therefore I don't want people who need the loo or want to stretch their legs to disturb me - another reason for booking the window seat.

Perhaps but actually being awake is the default when one is anywhere out in public and on public transport.

If one is able to nap despite others going about perfectly ordinary activities like looking out the window, eating, reading, getting up to use the toilet, etc., then that's an added perk. But especially in daytime hours it is not the responsibility of the traveling public to create an atmosphere for sleep or naps for those they are sharing a space with.

I would also contend that if one prefers to do awake activities in night hours on a plane, that choice is valid. Some people prefer to remain awake in case of emergency or simply cannot sleep on a plane. Unless one has a private booth or cabin one cannot expect perfect conditions for sleeping.

at Greatfuck

Fabulous flight for scenery, YADNBU! The views of the dunes in the Taklamakan desert are breathtaking.
Window sitters get to choose the flap position. That's obvious.

YANBU. If people want to sleep during the daytime they can't demand that everyone else be inconvenienced for them.

I was just thinking about long train journeys. If someone demanded that every blind be pulled down in the afternoon so that they could sleep, they'd pretty soon be told where to go.

MissBattleaxe how would you feel about me snoring and dribbling on your shoulder, because that's what I would do if I didn't have the wall to lean on?

I wouldn't mind at all, as long I could gaze in awestruck wonder out of the window. It's what I like most about flying.

That's very kind of you, but it's not going to happen.

Unless one has a private booth or cabin one cannot expect perfect conditions for sleeping.

I entirely agree. The same goes for staring out of the window if I get there first.

YANBU! One of the joys of air travel for me is seeing the world below me, I find it all fascinating. We're under a flight path for our local airport and I love flying in and out of there so that I can look for my house. Usually now I have one of my sons with me and they always bag the window seat but in March I'm flying to Dublin with my husband so I've got that seat earmarked as mine

YANBU! I always book a window seat because I get panicky and feel a bit sick if I can't look out of a window. They should have used the eye masks.

I would say window seat person gets to choose up or down - however if there was direct sunlight shining into people's faces you'd be a bit of a prick not to lower the blind half way.

You have to try and find a balance, do a bit of what you want and be nice to your fellow passengers whenever possible. It's not normal practice to put blame nods down on a day flight, however it's polite to put it down, at least a bit, if the sun is glaring into the eyes of another passenger or their TV screen. In situations like that I usually suggest to the person with the window that they shut it a bit, come into the galley and see the view through the window there while having a cup of tea (I'm crew).

Ebear no, the point of flying is to get from A to B by what is usually the quickest route. The views are a fortunate bonus.

OP, I think YANBU if it was because they couldn't see screens or whatever, but YABU if there was blinding sunlight in their faces. Other people shouldn't have to wear sunglasses indoors just to keep you happy, and if the glare is coming from the side, most sunnies won't keep that out anyway.

how would you feel about me snoring and dribbling on your shoulder, because that's what I would do if I didn't have the wall to lean on?

It wouldn't happen to me, because I would have no hesitation in telling you to fuck off back in to your own space, with added incentive of my elbow if necessary. I am no ones pillow.

Limited- I think you are very mean to book the window seat for leaning purposes AND insist that nobody else gets to look out of the window.

What a peculiarly aggressive post Midnite.

Would that really be your response to someone who accidentally fell asleep on your shoulder on a plane? I find tapping them and asking them to sit up is a bit more reasonable, at least the first time, but that's just me.

Anyway, there would be no need for you to tell me to fuck off or elbow me because I wouldn't lean on you.

As I explained in my post, if I couldn't get the window seat and lean on the wall, I wouldn't lean on someone else.

I'd be unable to relax, so I'd sit up. I'd feel miserable, but that would be okay because I'm a grown up who accepts that if someone else has beaten me to the window seat, they are entitled to sit there and do what they want.

I did make a little joke about snoring and dribbling, but didn't think anyone would take it seriously, given that I went on to say 'well, I wouldn't' and explain what I'd really do.

I think that was all fairly clear to anyone who read the post properly, but of course, if you're in a rush to look like a badass motherfucker who takes no shit, you sometimes miss things.

Anyway, now I've spelled it out at enormous length for you, there should be no confusion or air rage. Or should we start putting 'lighthearted' in posts as well as in titles?

MissBattleaxe you can think what you want.

Thank you ever so much for your consent

Missbattleaxe

On long haul flights there is often a 3-4-3 configuration. So for two people with a window seat there are eight without who cannot enjoy the majestical scenery. So eight possibly inconvenienced for the enjoyment of two? Doesn't seem right.

And there's nothing more frustrating than being on a night flight (going east usually) and having your baby/toddler woken because some selfish passenger decided to open the window blind and have the rising sun shine straight on to your child.

YANBU. Looking out of the plane window is a brilliant experience.

YWBVU.

It's not about it being "daylight the whole time". In fact you've shown right there why you were unreasonable.

Due to the time difference people will have needed to sleep on the plane.

Daytime when you take off, then 13 hours awake, then daytime when you land is NOT manageable unless you've been able to sleep on the plane. Usually we call the 12/13 hours between two day times 'nighttime'

Just because one sits on a window seat one does not own the window or the flap. To assume you do is just plane rude (excuse shit pun) and selfish.

I presume you didn't pay extra for curtain twitcher privileges and it would have been courteous and kind to not rile up your fellow passangers.

You sound like a 3 year old OP
"My window seat, my flap, my mountain and you will not sleep I want mountains me me me"

Ridiculous. I hope your mother is proud of you