✈ Air Travel | Windowless Airplanes

Not sure where this post is more appropriate.

But wouldn’t this take some of the joy of flying out of the experience?

I will never fly in one of those.

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I agree. I want to see the scenery, and if something happens, I want to see what’s going on.

There’s a reason why the sliding window shades on an airplane must be open during takeoff and landing, so that the passengers’ eyes are adjusted to the light levels incase of an accident.

I suppose proponents of windowless airplanes could say, “We can adjust the light levels inside artificially!” But what if the airplane’s electric system fails?

IMO it’s a good idea. The windows represent a serious mechanical challenge. AFAIK there has only been one recorded incident involving window failure (and that was the cockpit window) but it would still be a sensible design decision to lose the windows. Personally, I might look out of the window for a minute or two at most, although I guess YMMV.

Most avionics systems have some redundancy. Keeping the lights on for a few hours is simple enough even in the case of a catastrophic failure.

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I love the window. Addicted to the view outside. Always pissed off when they want to force me to close the window when they want to force everyone to sleep.

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Thankfully on my last international flight, after meal service, the stewardess asked if there was anything else she could bring me. I told her “about four beers.” She happily obliged.

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For a few, but most people don’t have a window seat, and a good number of those who do don’t seem to really look it the windows.

Not really.

SW 1380 had one that ended in a passenger fatality, but some extenuating circumstances there, with the engine failure and all…

That will be about as popular as the RyanAir proposal for ‘standing room only’ planes a few years back.

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“It completely fits into business, first class – and I think some of those technologies can even trickle down to the coach environment,” says Clark.

Easy solution: Don’t fly business class :sunglasses:

Also this:

Although of course that was a long time ago and the problem was addressed. Doesn’t really alter the fact that a window aperture is a lot more difficult to design than no window at all.

You may have to pay extra for windows like they do with legroom now.

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That was back in the day when metal fatigue literally wasn’t understood.

eh.

you basically already do on a lot of American airlines - ‘basic economy’ fares either relegate you to the middle seats or don’t allow you to pick seats at all.

To be honest won’t make a lot of difference, China Airlines London to Taipei basically required all the windows shut throughout anyway. Even when we had to re-route and flew over the Himalayas… that absolutely sucked :frowning:

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For real? I missed that.

Too lazy to read article. :dizzy_face: Are they talking about true windowlessness, or those fancy windows that turn opaque at the touch of a button?

Many links about, here is one of them. Suffice to say, It didnt fly.

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It’s just a design study about having big displays as virtual windows in aircraft instead of actual windows from - are you ready for the big surprise? - a company that makes displays for aircraft. :wink:

Why do they always require the windows to be open during take off and landing? I never understood why. Its not about sleep at those times.

Literally every flight i have been on.

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laughs in coach

So that your eyes are adjusted to the lighting conditions outside in case of an emergency.