Why Are Flight Attendants Asked to Raise the Window Shade During Takeoff and Landing?
Some airlines have flight attendants who ask you and your fellow passengers to raise the curtains on the windows during takeoff and landing. It’s not about waking passengers up at the end of the red-eye effect or getting all the shades up or down for the next flight, but safety.
The crew asks you to open the window shades because it helps them to see better from the outside if they have to evacuate the plane, and since most accidents occur during takeoff and landing, this is when it makes sense to open the shades. In addition to allowing flight attendants to see the outside environment so they can guide passengers to safety, the curtains raised at night also ensure that passengers’ eyes are set to daylight if they really need to get off the plane quickly. It is not customary for all airlines to pull up the curtains on windows during takeoff and landing, but if you are asked to do so, know that there is a good reason for it.
The Real Reason Flight Attendants Make You Draw the Curtains on Airplane Windows | Conde Nast Traveler