Why are there still curtains on airplanes?
There are plenty of features on a plane that might have people wondering what exactly they’re for — for example, the curtain dividers that flight attendants close right before take-off
These dividers ultimately close off the rows in front of you or behind you — depending on your point of view.
If you’ve ever wondered the purpose of those dividers, you’re not the only one. Turns out, they’re for 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 lend so much privacy or separation. A TikTok recently went viral joking about it.
“I wish I knew what was happening in first class,” the text on the video sarcastically read. The video flips to an extremely short curtain divider that doesn’t hide or cover any part of first class. “Darn this curtain divider.”
The curtain completely defeats the purpose of privacy or separation. Reportedly, this is a result of years of evolving plane redesigns, conforming to new standards of safety.
The curtains were likely once full-length and provided privacy and separation, but due to changing rules and safety necessities, they aren’t the same anymore.
“Back in the ‘Golden Years’ of travel, the mid-’50s saw an introduction of multi-configured cabins, aka first class and coach, and a way to divide the cabins and create a sense of privacy was with curtains,” Katy Nastro, travel expert at Going, explained to Thrillist.
But after the terror attacks on 9/11, everything changed safety-wise — including the privacy curtains.
“Traditional, thicker curtains were used, but over time and following 9/11, the thin, almost mosquito netting we often see today has that physical barrier between classes yet still allows the crew to maintain visibility into 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 separation as a sort of divider between the classes of the plane.
“They might be a nice thing to see for some travelers who want a little peace from other passengers,” Bourgerie explained. “We’ve all seen the viral videos that spread like wildfire of the unruly passengers and chaotic flights.”
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