Day Flights where crew insisted window blinds are shut?

[sngallai]

Recently flew to India on two day time flights. One leaving around 8am and the other leaving 2pm local time.

On both legs of the trip, the cabin crew insisted we have the window blinds down/closed. It was a 787 so not a manual shutter.

I needed to work and couldn't see properly with the horrible white light spotlight but crew insisted it's so people can sleep. I said it's the middle of the day and the stewardess just shrugged at me.

Has anyone else ever seen this? I've never ever had a full 8 hour flight in the dark

It does indeed...

FWIW and hopefully as a final comment on that...

Yesterday's BA213 LHR-BOS operated as normal by an Airbus A380 (Longhaul hull by any definition), and had a blocktime of 7hrs 40min.

In the olden days when BA had separate Longhaul and Shorthaul Cabin crew cohorts it would have been crewed by some of the Longhaul contingent, and I suspect even now the cabin service will be iaw Longhaul specifications.

Ducks, looking like quacking like applies.....

It relieves claustrophobia - something that can be quite a problem when already crammed in so closely to everybody else.

Especially if the people in front are reclining...the choice is daydreaming out the window or having a seat back too close for comfort.

Happened to me Istanbul to Bangkok in April! Felt like an excuse to not provide drinks service

It’s so the cabin crew can spot any dangers such as a fire coming from the engines. The adjusting to the light outside in case of an emergency is them dimming the cabin lights during takeoff and landing. In just a mere few seconds the difference from being in light and then stepping into dark is huge.

Prime example of that was the BA 777 that abandoned take-off at Vegas due to a fire warning indication on the take-off roll a few years ago.

After the aircraft stopped the cabin crew stayed at their doors (quite rightly, as per procedures) so couldn't see much outside but the relief First Officer left the Flight Deck at the double to check things out and because the blinds were up spotted straight away that the fire warning was real and that it was a significant fire.

FWIW everyone got off OK, aircraft flew again after a lot of repairs.