Not a big deal, but I wanted to see what you guys thought about this common situation on the airplane. I was on a flight out west a couple of days ago and the flight path took us over the Rockies. Since I don't get to see this very often, I wanted to be able to look out of the window as we passed over. I was in the middle seat, and shortly after we took off, the person next to me in the window seat promptly slammed the window shade down and dozed off. I didn't want to disturb the person by raising it again, but felt like he should have asked if anyone minded if he closed it. My friend says that its the perogative of the person sitting by the window to close the shade, but I disagree, since others may want to enjoy the view. What do you think about this?

his seat, his window

I don't think it is necesary for the person in the window seat to ask the other people in the row if they mind if the shade is closed. A lot of people reserve the window seat so that they can sleep and not be bothered by the other people moving around or whatever. Besides, from the middle seat you can't really see anything out the window unless you lean over the person in the window seat. If I am coming home from a business trip or something and want to sleep, the last thing I want is someone leaning over me trying to see out the window. Next time you fly, reserve a window seat.

I agree with the others. As a frequent business travel I always reserve the window seat usually the same seat on my flights.

I want to snuggle up in the corner, and mind my own business without disruption for the flight.

Not to be impolite but when you do this on a day in day out business, the business travellers are paying the bulk of airtravel costs.

My suggestion (and I have done this) is to get up and go to another vacant seat to view the scenery temporarily, or go to the back of the plane where there is usually a window you can look out on.

Sorry but I'm partial to my seat/my window!

I basically agree, but it does bother me when people at a window seat do NOT close the window shade when a movie is shown -- even after flight attendants ask everyone to close the shades. On some flights, I've seen flight attendants take matters into their own hands and close all shades themselves. On other flights, attendants leave it up to the passenger and many shades remain open. If you want to watch the movie and your neighbor's window shade is open, it really washes out the movie screen. (This all depends on where you are sitting, time of day, and position of screen, of course.)
If I pay for headphones and want to watch the movie, I should be able to do so. What happens in this case?

Well, if you buy the "my seat, my window" argument, then it would be the right of the person sitting by the window to leave it open throughout the movie, even if it makes it difficult for others to see the screen. For my part, I don't agree that the person in the window seat "owns" the window.

Of course it is appropriate to be courteous. But ultimately the window is the control of the window seat person.

I have never seen where windows wash out the movie screen. If a flight attendant ever told me to close my window while I wanted to have it open to get sun...I'd tell her to stuff it!

Good question though!

OK - I have a new one for you...one that really bugs me and I have faught and won this one on several occasions.

What if your bin above is completely full??? and you have no room for items?

Don't you have a right to 1/3 of the overhead?

No, you have no right to bins overhead near your seat.
You are guaranteed a seat, and the airline will transport your bags.
But if the bins fill up before you get there, they must be stowed below in storage, or in bins over other seats.

It does seem as though there should be alloted space for carry-ons. Why don't planes have assigned spots? Seems as though it would allieviate much stress.

OK - well for instance, American says you can take on 2 carryons. Ie. one under the seat and one in the above. So if the bin above you is full than SOMEONE is hogging the bin (bin hogs)

There is no way in hell I am going to check my laptop or briefcase in cargo! I have sucessfully won this several times,a nd they stored it in first class or back near the galley, but then again it PAYS to be Platinum level!

People should not put up with this, the airlines should enforce the rules on the BINHOGS!

If the airlines had better and faster baggage service there would be no fighting over the overhead bins.

As for the window I think that it is up to the person sitting there to control. Courtesy and consideration are nice but I never expect it. I travel all the time and try to get aisle seats.

DEATH TO BINHOGS!!

It's not fair that those who board the plane first, perhaps only because they are seated in a high-numbered row, can take up bin space in rows well ahead of them as they board. This means that the people who board last, because they are nearer the front, often do not get bin space. I wish flight attendants would monitor this more closely and insist that people put only one of their carry-ons in the bin. The other goes under the seat, or gets checked if its too big. People should try to limit themselves to the bin space above their row if it all possible.

Julie

I long ago gave up hope for what you have suggested. The flight attendants seem not to be there as 'hall monitors' so we are on our own to be civil and cooperative with each other. It is a lot to expect but if we want the Flight Attendants to do it they should get hazardous duty pay.

The best advice is to either fly consistently on one airline so that you get preferred boarding or to always request a seat at the back of the bus. The only other alternative is to check your bags and allow an extra 20 minutes on the arrival end.

If people (regardless of how much or how little they fly )wouldn't try to bring every damn thing they own as carry on baggage there wouldn't be a bin hog problem.

arf

amen

Julie - - - how right you are!!! I have been bitching for years that if they would load the plane from front to back there would be much less problems. The people seated at the back put their stuff in the bins in the front so they don't have to haul them all the way to the front when they leave. That leaves the bins in the back for the people in the front to try to get back there when the plane lands. What a traffic jam!!!

Now the airlines, in their infinite wisdom (joke), have started boarding by groups instead of rows and people and stuff are all over the place. Makes you wonder if they have any logical thinking people running the show.

Hmm. If the window goes with the seat, and thus entitles the occupant to ownership, then how about the floor, the arm rests, etc. If parts of the airplane belong to the person in the nearest seat, thus entitling them to control that space, then can I as the occupant of the aisle seat bar the window seat occupant from exiting to the rest room? I can if you subscribe to the theory that seat assignment determines airplane section ownership.
It is either that or you explain to me how sitting in the window seat entitles control over the shade, but sitting elsewhere does not entitle control over floor space. What is the difference?

Sounds to me like the guy in the window seat wants his ownership rights, but also wants to deny any control over over anything that might bother him/her.

We also seem to be in a biddin war here, if one subscribes to the theory that the more one pays to ride, the more parts of the airplane you control.

I really don't think there is any etiquette. You get away what you can.
I quit being caught up on etiquette when I road next to a young man who was complaining like heck because he and his new wife were in aisle seats on different rows, one in front of the other. He spent the trip reaching forward and squeezing her on her breasts. She sat there giggling like a first class idiot. I don't think either of them would win any prize for etiquette, decorum, taste, or maturity.
I finally said something to the flight attendant about the squeezing. She said something to the boy. He told the flight attendant to go do something obscene, and so it went.

As for the luggage bins. First on, first in. Last on, tough luck.
I got my fill on my most recent flight out of LGW. Some bumpkins got on with 5 foot tall Christmas trees and fully expected to store them in the overhead bins. They even asked people to remove their carry-on pieces, which were small steamer trunks to begin with, so they could store their trees unbent.

So the bottom line, airline eqiquette has gone the way of most other etiquette in the USA which now seemingly tolerates ringing cell phones in church.

I know, rode. And bidding, not biddin.
I sometimes spell phonetically.
You know, the Straights of Gibralter!!
Or a strait man.

Does anyone remember the story about the 300lbs pot belly pig United let on in first class because it was a "health" related pet accompaning the passenger.

First of all I can't believe they actually didn't put her (apparently she herself was approximately the same weight)on a flight by "accident" to Omaha Nebraska!

Now if I were in first class and a pig was sitting accross from me, I'd demand they light up the f&%$ barbecue and do a Cuban Pork roast!

If you don't know the story, just as they were landing, the piggy got aggitated and was running up and down the isles of the aircraft.

When they reached the gate, the stewardess and flight crew could not control the pig, and a group of people and crew managed to get the pig off the plane by throwing a head of lettuce out the door and it chased after it.

This is true, if you don't believe me do a search on the internet.

I saw it on CNN and FOX news.