People have lost the joy of living
By default, you should keep the window shades of the plane open so your row-mates can see out the window and the miracle of human flight. People can request it closed if they want to nap and it can be lowered if the glare is intense, but otherwise, if you close it, you are ignoring how cool it is to look out of the window in an airplane.
Window seat controls the shade and gets the outer armrest, middle gets both inner armrests, and the aisle gets the aisle armrest and a little extra legroom.
With that said, some people are jet lagged or want some extra rest, so they close the window; the wall is nice to rest on. Some may not have actively chosen a window seat and don’t like flying/get motion sickness, so they close the window. And those who can’t be separated from their phones for more than 10 seconds, so they close the window to block the glare on their device or seatback TV.
Others buy window seats for the sole purpose of looking outside. That’s the point of flying, otherwise I could’ve just driven or stayed home. But you also know how to read the room; if everyone around you has their shades closed, let at least leave yours halfway.You have to cognizant of your surroundings.
When you multiple flights per week, you would prioritize window seats. Oftentimes, the flights were before dawn, or after sunset. Not a lot to see out of the window. Even during the day, you would often close the shade.
If you fold your arms and roll your shoulders forward, you can usually manage to not make contact with the person next to you. But if you have a window seat, you can lean into the window well, and make the flight more comfortable for you and the person next to you.
It’s not just windows, but windows on the right side of the plane. For whatever reason, I find it far easier to sleep if I am leaning to my right, rather than to my left.
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