There are many features on an airplane that can make people wonder what exactly they’re for—for example, the curtain dividers that flight attendants close right before takeoff.
These dividers eventually close the rows in front or behind you – depending on your perspective.
If you’ve ever wondered the purpose of these dividers, you’re not alone. Turns out they’re about more than just privacy.
“Curtain dividers are designed for privacy and to separate different classes of service — like economy and business or first class,” Maddi Bourgerie, travel expert at RVshare, told Thrillist. “They help create a sense of space and exclusivity for passengers in premium cabins.”
However, these curtains don’t really provide that much privacy or separation. A TikTok recently went viral joking about it.
“I wish I knew what was going on in first grade,” the text on the video read sarcastically. The video turns into an extremely short curtain divider that does not hide or cover any part of the first class. “Curse this curtain divider.”
The curtain completely defeats the purpose of privacy or separation. This is said to be the result of years of redesigning the aircraft in development, in line with new safety standards.
Curtains may once have been complete and provided privacy and separation, but due to changing regulations and security needs, they are no longer the same.
“In the ‘Golden Years’ of travel, the mid-1950s saw the introduction of multi-configuration cabins, known as first class and coach, and one way to separate cabins and create a sense of privacy was with curtains , ” Katy. Nastro, travel expert at Going, explained to Thrillist.
But after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, everything changed in terms of security – including privacy curtains.
“Traditional, thicker curtains were used, but over time and after 9/11, the thin, almost mosquito netting we often see today has that physical barrier between classrooms, but still allows the crew to maintain visibility in all cabins for safety reasons.”
Even if they don’t offer the same amount of privacy as they once did, some fliers like to see a compartment as a sort of divider between classes on the plane.
“They can be a nice sight for some travelers who want some peace from other passengers,” Bourgerie explained. “We’ve all seen the viral videos that went viral of unruly passengers and chaotic flights.”
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Image Source : nypost.com