A woman has faced significant criticism for what many are calling "selfish" and "entitled" behaviour during a gruelling 16-hour flight, where her refusal to dim her window prevented numerous fellow passengers from getting any rest.
The Incident That Sparked Outrage
The dispute unfolded aboard a long-haul flight from Chicago to Tokyo, a journey lasting over fifteen hours. After meal service concluded, most passengers dimmed their windows using the aircraft's digital dimming system to create a darker cabin environment conducive to sleep. However, one woman occupying a window seat reportedly refused to follow suit, allowing bright sunlight to flood into the cabin.
Fellow passenger Kelly Meny documented the incident on TikTok, describing the situation as "genuinely crazy." She explained that on the newer aircraft with a 3-3-3 seating configuration, only the far left and right seats have direct window access. These windows feature digital dimmers rather than traditional shutters, which cannot achieve complete opacity, meaning some light always filters through.
Multiple Complaints and Minimal Cooperation
"Not a single other window is left undimmed," Kelly stated in her video. "There's direct sunlight coming in from our window." The situation became so disruptive that a man seated in the middle row leaned over to ask Kelly and her boyfriend if they could request the passenger to dim the window, explaining that the sunlight was shining directly into his eyes.
Although the woman initially agreed to dim the window slightly, the adjustment proved insufficient, forcing the affected passenger to shield his face with an in-flight pillow. The conflict escalated when a flight attendant approached the window-seat passenger after receiving complaints from "the other side of the plane."
The woman reportedly snapped back: "I'm not turning it down any lower. It's at 75 per cent... it's basically dark." This response left Kelly visibly frustrated, leading her to comment in her video: "The lack of self-awareness is insane."
The Broader Debate About Plane Etiquette
The TikTok clip quickly went viral, sparking a heated debate about appropriate behaviour during flights and the rights of window-seat passengers versus the comfort of others. Viewers expressed sharply divided opinions on the matter.
Some commenters defended the woman's position, with one stating: "I 100% understand the annoyance, but in my opinion, whoever pays for and sits in the window seat gets control of the window." Another added: "If you have a window-shade preference, book a window seat."
However, many others sided with the complaining passengers, branding the window-seat occupant as "selfish" and inconsiderate. One respondent noted: "I don't think people realise that having the shades open during daytime flights is not only blinding, but it also makes the cabin hot. Especially if you've got the sun directly beaming on you."
The commenter continued with a broader observation: "But as we know, and these comments confirm, people only care about themselves anymore."
Practical Considerations and Crew Authority
Interestingly, the discussion also revealed practical aspects of modern aircraft design and crew authority. One user who claimed to work on such planes commented: "I work on those planes - the flight attendants can lock the windows to a certain level too." This suggests that cabin crew may have technical means to override individual passenger controls in certain situations, though this authority is rarely exercised.
The incident highlights the ongoing tension between individual preferences and communal comfort during long-haul travel, particularly as airlines introduce new technologies like digital window dimmers that don't provide complete blackout capabilities.
