There was a time when I would do anything for a window seat on an irl flight. Not so true in recent years, when I can do an IF flight later, with more intense immersion (the cockpit view on the irl flight disengages before descending to 10,000 feet etc).
Agree or disagree?
I did a mix recently irl, depending on weather and nighttime conditions - for 15hr 40min duration mostly at night or over water, I went for the aisle access.
I go for aisle on any flight where people are likely to be asleep, so I don’t disturb anyone when I go use the bathroom. Other than that it’s window for me.
Side note: or just fly an A350 and use the cameras.
I don’t think I’ve ever flown on an A350 irl. They have camera views!? Or did I misunderstand?
I couldn’t agree more. Even if they don’t mind. Ready access makes a difference.
I’m not sure if it’s on an airline-by-airline basis but yes, every A350 I’ve ever flown on (Air France, Lufthansa, SAS, China Eastern) has a tail view camera (mounted near the top of the vertical stab) and a forward view camera (mounted on the fuselage behind the nose gear). I believe some of them may have a third but I do not remember. One of the benefits to fly one over a 787.
Darn it. Not fair. This should be a universal right. Plus I want a proper IF-like cockpit view throughout my flight.
Also, United at one time always had ATC you could listen to.
One more vent: why the heck do all the aircraft in the US these days do the entire flight with 90% of the windows closed. Is it just about summer heat? Few care about what’s happening outside?
I think people just don’t care enough during cruise, most people are watching something or sleeping. I haven’t had a case where it’s been enforced by the FAs to keep it shut, but if it’s boring landscape/clouds and people in my row are sleeping I’ll shut it out of respect. Always open for the first and last 20 minutes though.
I always go for a window, no matter what.
Yeah, this is a tough one for me. I was once doing LA to NY and the person next to me said thay dreamed of seeing the SW desert someday. Yet it was all to be flying beneath us: Grand Canyon, Canyon De Chelly, Ship Rock (New Mexico) etc. I was asked to close the shade by the person in the aisle seat so their screen could be a bit less affected.
A couple days ago I guiltily kept opening the window shade to cross check the amazing scenery across Montana. Didn’t seem to cause a problem, but the entire plane was darkened in broad daylight. I mean, the outside temp was how many degrees below zero at that cruise during the summer.
It didn’t used to be to that degree I thought.
Just go on vibes, but just opening it for a bit to let middle seat see won’t kill aisle seat.
Agreed, it’s a balance.
Though I was doing LAX to ORD about a month ago, 737 max middle seat. The window seat person very occasionally opened and then quickly shut the shade in what looked like a bit of nervous haste. The first time I remember feeling a bit claustrophobic on a flight (dark everywhere during the day…way at the back where you get more rotation and translation effect).
I guess I need an airplane filled with avgeeks to feel completely comfortable.🙂
Anyway. I didn’t used to be able to fly the flight later.
I’ve never flown on anything but a window lol
A purest, I can’t argue with that!
I definitely had some not good days in the past not getting a proper window seat (everyone in the family knows it).
@Mort
It kinda boils down to airplane etiquette.
Aisle seat - you get the privilege of getting out of your seat unimpeded.
Middle seat - gets both armrests
Window - gets to control the windowshade/take in the view.
4th option: IF, the flight of choice is all under your control (excluding violations)…
According to my family when we were coming back home on a return flight we were on a B787 Dreamliner and my dad had an already busy day but he still lined up at some desk (probably check in again) to get me a window seat. Please bear in mind I was an immature 2 or 3 year old at the time and when we boarded the plane to me and my dad’s shock, it wasn’t a window, it was one of those seats which are sold as a window but there isn’t one. So for the 9 hour flight back home I apparently had a tantrum. But I do have a vague memory of walking to the back of the plane and looking out of the window from the back door window with my dad. Man I feel ashamed that I was like this when I was young. I think I was a bit too av geeky for my age and I couldn’t control it.
By the way awesome photo.
I also try and go for a window but last year I was travelling on an A330-300 with my mum and sister, my dad wasn’t accompanying us this time and the layout of the A330 is a 2-4-2 configuration. I begged my mum to put me on a window seat but she refused meaning that I was on a middle row with no view for 9 hours. Luckily I had a window seat on the way back home (no one was sitting there and my mum asked the air hostess if I could sit there).
Now school trips is another thing because you are just placed randomly on the plane, my school doesn’t allow us to choose our seats probably due to the extra cost which would be unnecessary.
Yeah I always go window
(I started logging my flights June 2022 so this is only in the past two years 💀)
School trips?!?! Lucky.
My school does them for the AP language classes. For example, AP Spanish goes to Santiago, Chile, AP French goes to Nice, and AP Japanese goes to Ibaraki City. It’s a mutual program, and schools from all those cities come to Minneapolis, since they’re all “sister cities.”
Ah nice, we go for sports tours, ski trips and other academic activities that may require going on a plane. I don’t think we have exchange programs though.
