View of planes through an open airplane window. There are two reasons I like to pull my shade down as soon as I settle into my window seat after boarding a plane. For starters, the cabin is usually ...

The stellar view from an aircraft window makes window seats the most coveted spots in the airplane cabin, although there are some seats you'd definitely want to avoid. While some mockingly refer to ...

Raising window blinds during takeoff and landing on an airplane may seem like just a routine, somewhat cumbersome procedure. Meanwhile, as it turns out, there is an important safety reason behind this ...

The person closest to the window in every row gets to control the shade. On overnight flights, or very early morning ones, it’s just the right thing to do to keep your window shade closed so everyone ...

At some point during my travels, I noticed airplane windows have those odd, tiny holes near the bottom. I came up with my own theory about what they must be there for and didn’t really think about it ...

Close up of a tiny hole in an airplane window. Known as breather or bleed holes, these tiny holes help with cabin pressurization and keep the windows clear. Wilbur and Orville Wright—the brothers ...

Flight attendants may require window shades to be up during takeoff and landing for passenger safety. Open windows let passengers and crew quickly see hazards outside and help first responders assess ...