Why should you open the airplane window blinds during takeoff and landing

By a new report of Row your own KanooUnited Airlines has decided that after just two years, it will no longer require passengers to raise their window shades for takeoff and landing.

It’s not particularly groundbreaking news, except that until recently United was the only major US carrier to ask passengers to do so. In fact, as Mateusz Maszczynski points out, it is a mandatory measure in almost every other jurisdiction in the world, which makes the American airline industry singularly unique in that it is not required by the federal government. That’s the number one reason United chose to drop the request, as that’s technically all it was.

That said, having your window shaded during takeoff and landing is largely a matter of safety.

“From a safety perspective, open blinds help improve situational awareness,” a Flight Safety Foundation representative said. Conde Nast Traveler in 2020. “For example, during an emergency evacuation, flight attendants or passengers need to be able to see outside to determine if it is safe to open and use an emergency exit. You don’t want to send someone through an exit over the wing if the engine on that side is still running or on fire.

Additionally, there have also been reports in recent years of abnormal ice buildup on aircraft wings, first discovered by passengers with their blinds up. It’s a matter that the Association of Flight Attendants and the Federal Aviation Administration have disagreed on for years, with the former pushing to make it enforceable.

“The time an evacuation is needed is not the time to waste precious seconds opening the blinds,” the FAA said.

So, while you probably won’t be asked to do so, should you make a conscious effort to raise your window shade during takeoff and landing? The answer is…probably yes. While this is a very small thing that probably hasn’t made things worse exponentially, as a passenger it’s really just a matter of preference and stems from comfort. In the best case: you are entitled to a pleasant view. Second best case scenario: You are the first to tell the flight attendants that the plane is on fire.