I'm looking at some flight options which include some A350 and A380 planes, which I've never flown. I wonder if they have mechanical pull-down shades or electronic darkening, like the 787 which don't completely darken?
I looked at a few pictures and it appears the A350 has pull down shades. As does the A380.
At least from the pictures that I saw. I base this on the handle at the top of the window, which to me implies a pull down shade.
Here's a shot from a Singapore Airlines cabin.
I frequently fly on the A350 and A380 (until Air France retired their A380 fleet and sold them to other airlines). I have always had the pull down shades. The same holds true for the few 787-9s and -10s I have flown.
Just to clarify, airlines typically but not always purchase a generic configuration then order the interior furnishings and other choices to suit their liking. It is like buying a basic model of a new home or vehicle then selecting your desired upgrades. I suggest researching the airline to determine how they configure their airbus planes. Good luck.
Just my opinion but I much prefer airbus planes...I admit I am biased.
Postscript - I just checked on my KLM 787-10 aircraft for my Dec flight and I do not see window shades. There is what looks like a toggle switch or push button below the window. Perhaps that is a dimmer switch or the mechanism for opening and closing the shade. I have never seen that before. I'll let you know next year!
kfnknfzk - Every 787 I've flown has had the non-shade, electronic darkening, and have a design defect in that they don't get 100% dark. If if you're on the side of the plane where the sun is, even when "fully darkened" you'll have an annoying orange ball shining through. On those planes, I make it a point to book a seat on the side of the plane that faces north for most of its flight (in the northern hemisphere), to avoid this issue.
BKMD - I agree that would be quite irritating, especially on a long-haul flight. Which carrier(s) have you experienced that on?
I can't recall specifically. Most recently, I've flown United, Lufthansa, Air Canada and ANA
The flight attendants can control any or all window shades on these aircraft. If you are having a problem, ask the flight attendant to ‘unlock’ your window shade. They do not go completely black, but close. United has told their flight attendants not to mess with the window shades.
