Whether it’s the secret to falling asleep on a flight (opens in new tab) or why you shouldn’t post about your holiday until after your trip (opens in new tab), there’s one thing for sure – anyone who enjoys an overseas getaway absolutely loves a handy travel hack.
Once you’ve packed your stylish luggage (opens in new tab) and settled into the best seat on the plane (opens in new tab), you’ll want to know that from here on out it’s plain sailing. Well, flying.
But there’s one thing that happens on every single flight that many people don’t understand – and that’s when the flight attendant requests that you keep your blinds open during take off and landing. Regardless of whether you’re travelling during the day or overnight, it’s a precaution that we’re all pretty accustomed to following by now.
And although it could disturb your last twenty minutes of snoozing before you arrive at your destination, there’s actually a very simple reason behind it.
So, what’s it all about?
In an interview with CN Traveler (opens in new tab), a Flight Safety Foundation rep explained that it’s all to do with safety.
They said: “From a safety standpoint, open shades help improve situational awareness.
“For example, during an emergency evacuation, flight attendants or passengers need to be able to see outside to determine whether it’s safe to open and use an emergency exit. You don’t want to send someone out an over-wing exit if the engine on that side is still running or on fire.”
It’s also why you’re asked to put your seat back into the upright position, fold away your tray and put bags under your seat or in the overhead compartments – ‘to ensure the aisles and seat rows are unobstructed in case an emergency evacuation becomes necessary.’
According to the FAA – the Federal Aviation Administration – any carrier should be evacuated within 90 seconds or less. Therefore, with less than two minutes to empty a plane, flight attendants need to ensure that exits are clear and that passengers are taken to safely very quickly.
In fact, the opening of window blinds is just a very small part of a long preparation process. Take-off and landings are considered to be critical times in aviation so people are asked to open window shades to ensure everything is prepared. In the rare case that something goes wrong, things will be ready in advance so cabin crew can easily evacuate people in the short 90 second window.
So there we have it. It’s for your own safety.
And now you get to impress every passenger with your knowledge forevermore.