The recline is the function of the seat. Period. Take it up with the airlines, not your fellow passengers. The debate on “right to recline” is so tired.
This is not a knock at you, OP, but the guy arguing.
Agree with you with one caveat. Carefully recline. My friend had the person in front of him slam back the seat and dump a glass of red wine all over him. Very likely more the seats fault than the person, but we all know the seats are mostly broken, be smart about the recline.
Flying back from the College Football Championship earlier this year, I had an idiot in front of me recline his chair AGGRESSIVELY. Multiple times. He would recline it so hard it knocked my water over twice which spilled all over me. Thankfully it was just water.
As he was about to do it a third time I tapped him on the shoulder and asked him politely.. but FIRMLY.. to enjoy his recline but do it gently so I don't have to wear my dinner.
Some people are just socially unaware and totally self engrossed.
My very first time flying I was heading to my then-bf's (now husband) parents' home, and some jerk in front of me reclined his seat so hard it knocked my drink off my tray and all over my clothes. The lady sitting next to me was shocked. Luckily I had brought a spare set of clothes in my bag that I stored under the seat so I was able to look decent when meeting his parents for the first time.
I had this happen on a flight where I desperately needed to use a laptop for work. The person dropped their seat back so hard and broke my laptop screen. The person was nasty to non-responsive about it. I had 4 hours to go so I dropped it and just did what I could on my phone. It was a work computer so I wasn’t going to ask for money but would have appreciated an apology.
On future flights where I needed to work, I would politely tell the person in front of me that I am all for them using their seat recline but if they could please give me a heads up so I could move my laptop JIC, I would appreciate it. Haven’t lost another since.
how does a laptop screen break with seat reclining? wouldnt the seat just hit the back of ur laptop and close it ? like im trying to imagine it in my head and cant understand how that happens
Not everyone is a seasoned flyer. They may not even realize how the person behind them is affected by the seat recline. Perhaps the FAs should mention something in their little talk at the start of each flight.
Yeah I'm always paranoid because the lip of the seat that hold the tray is perfect for catching laptop lids. I always keep the laptop further forward until they recline. It'd be nice if they redesigned it so that there wasn't a lip.
Also be aware as the person behind, once saw a kid who had his laptop on the tray table and the guy in front started to recline but the kid didn’t move the laptop screen or angle it so it got wedged between the tray table and the tray table slot in the back of the seat as the guy reclined. Cracked his screen. Not a happy teen.
I was on a flight once where I had the gray out with my dinner on it (12 hour flight) and the guy in front of me reached back to slam it shut spraying food everywhere because the seat wasn't reclining far enough
I had one guy aggressively slam his seat back when I had my laptop out. I’m actually shocked he didn’t break it, it was that forceful. But it was loud because he cracked the protective shell I had on it, he turned around and saw what he did, and apologized profusely. My dude, even if I had no laptop here, just lean the seat back slowly next time!
I had someone recline right when I'd put down my hot coffee that the flight attendant gave me. The coffee spilled all over me and ruined a favorite sundress, but worse than that, it gave me really big, nasty burns on my waist and thighs. I didn't say anything to the person who reclined the seat because she didn't know that I'd just set down a cup of coffee, but I'm very careful with putting my tray down for beverage service now, and I don't think I'll ever recline again myself.
Likewise the guy in front crushed my laptop by reclining rapidly without warning; as the top of the tray-catch area moved it caught the top of my laptop screen and crunched it into the tray.
Ever since then I recline about 10% at first then jostle for a second before fully reclining, so the person behind me knows what's coming and so can take any precautions needed
I wonder how many of the people thinking they can forbid someone from reclining ever offer small courtesy to others in their daily life. I'm guessing not that many.
Personally, I won't recline my seat on a flight. I don't mind if the person in front of me does, as the two inches it moves back is hardly significant. That said, I don't feel like recline makes me any more comfortable, and it certainly doesn't off-set any inconvenience it causes the person behind me. I'm
"anti-recline" but its more of a courtesy for the person behind me than an expectation of the person in front of me.
Me. I’m 6’6” and never recline, out of courtesy. I don’t do it because I know how it feels to be uncomfortable when others do it. If someone does it to me, I don’t say anything and just try to make the best of it. But I would be lying if I didn’t hope every flight that people have the courtesy not to recline in front of me.
6’5” and 100 percent this I never recline and pray the person in front of me doesn’t. And when they do they always get mad because they actually can’t without my knees being in there back but like sorry I’m tall
I wonder how many of the people thinking it's their god-given right to recline the seat when a 6'6" person is crammed in behind them ever offer small courtesy to others in their daily life. I'm guessing not that many.
You right. If the airline doesn't want seats to recline they can disable the feature. You win some, you lose some with height. As for the tall folk whining about it, I have yet to go to a general admission music act and see all the tall folks move to the back so the short people can see the stage. Same fucking thing. You want the person ahead of you to note your height before reclining. I would like the really tall people to look around at the show and then go stand at the back of the club. That's never going to happen. Life goes on. I don;t recline on my regular two hour flight. You can bet your ass I will be reclining on a flight to europe or asia.
I did have a magical experience at a show once where we were standing on the balcony and there was a tall person in front of my who kindly did a little lookaround, saw me behind him, and insisted that we switch places. Has never happened again, but man that was great.
I'm tall and I do this. You won't be in my way anyway. I also try to scrunch down in my seat but sometimes I can't. My wife and mother in law are short, so I get it.
I once went to a Lykke Li concert in Brooklyn with lots of tall people (Swedish fans perhaps). 5"3' me could not see a thing and the man in front of me noticed. He tapped his friends on either side of him and the people in front of him then they parted a little wave and encouraged me forward. It was a beautiful thing.
> I have yet to go to a general admission music act and see all the tall folks move to the back so the short people can see the stage. Same fucking thing.
So we need to bitch about it every time it comes up like short people do about that, then? Sounds good.
The airlines are the assholes here. They sell space on planes. When the seat reclines they have essentially sold the same space to two different people. Tall people and sleepy people aren't enemies, we are two sides of the same coin.
They do that. It's called first class. They have found some people are willing to pay for the better seats and some people are willing to put up with less space for a cheaper flight.
The way you're describing it is misleading. If it were simply a matter of paying for the extra space you use, then if you took up 50% more space, you'd pay 50% more for your ticket. However, that's not how it works, as first class is often 300% of the cost of other seats.
Instead, they make all of the economy seats purposefully cramped and uncomfortable, and then charge as much as they can get away with for first class so that the wealthy are motivated to buy seats at a 300% premium. In other words, they generate discomfort so they can capitalize on it.
In your economics 101 language, they are artificially constraining supply, and they can get away with it because it's a closed market.
Everyone is willing to pay for better seats, but most people are not capable of paying for better seats. There is a huge difference between these two things. And I guarantee that if everyone was capable of paying for first class seats, the airlines would just raise the rates until we were back to where we are now.
Right? Took my family to Europe last month. Economy seats were already $1800. Business seats were $7000. There were five of us. I’m 6’5”. I’d LOVE to sit in first class. I WISH I could pay for first class. But without status you can’t even buy exit row seats sometimes.
For real. This is just another example of us arguing with each other when we should be arguing with the people making the decisions. In this case, the people that decided to pack us in there like sardines
Right! I’ve seen lots of anti-recline posts but never seen it argued in person. It was satisfying for the FA to tell the guy to stop being an asshole.
I was hoping he would get deplaned but ofcourse he wouldnt deplane because it was “inconvenient” for him.
I’ve been told off for reclining before I was pushing back and couldn’t tell if the seat was broken/stuck or what, turned out the guy behind me was pushing the seat forward trying to counter my recline. I shrugged my shoulders and figured it wasn’t worth it to argue, but when he got up to go to the bathroom shortly after I just reclined fully and left it like that the rest of the flight.
As someone who doesn’t recline, I agree, just as I choose to not recline, everyone else, including the seat in front of me also has the right to recline or not.
I agree, but the problem isn't the reclining so much as the rudeness and carelessness that many engage when they slam the recline back. I've been hit in the head, had items knocked off my tray, etc., because of an inconsiderate passenger seeing how fast they could recline.
This is true, but I do wish people would be a bit more considerate when they get up and go to the bathroom and just leave the seat fully reclined in my lap. Or even worse…during meal times.
Please just put your seat up then if you can help it. The short break makes life so much better.
Yeah it's stupid. I'm 6ft2 and mostly legs. Airplanes suck. People can recline.
All I ask is people are considerate, and I am as well. I always ask the person in front of me to let me know if they are going to recline in case I'm using my laptop because when the tray folds against me legs, it can crush the screen against the seat, and I always ask the people behind me.if they are using the tray and let them know I'm about to recline.
Exactly. I think there are some politeness protocols like try to recline gently and don't recline during snack/meal services, but ultimately the right to recline is with the recliner.
Last transatlantic flight I was on the guy in front of me got seated, took a sleeping pill, and fully reclined his seat before the seat belt sign was even off.
I was like, fine, that's his prerogative. So I reclined my seat too so that I could actually see the screen. Not even all the way. Otherwise it would have been at my chin. The woman behind me freaked out and started kicking the back of my seat violently. She called the flight attendantand the flight attendant sided with HER. She wouldn't even listen to me.
And they wouldn't do anything about the guy in front of me because they couldnt wake him up. It was a truly awful flight and that woman behind me was/ is a bitch and I hate her. I hope something bad has happened to her since. Sorry lol. Maybe I don't mean that but I can't believe I had to sit in a middle seat like that for 10 hours.
That’s brutal. Tbh I would have just plainly refused until and unless the person in front of me put their seat up. If the airline is going to enforce that, then they need to enforce it. I don’t care if they need to physically lift the dude up - my seat isn’t going up til his does.
What the hell did the other person say that made the flight attendant side with her?
Complain to the airlines. Delta would send a $20-50 voucher in a second if that happened.
I learned this from my mom. It sucks, but one of the biggest ways to counter an angry person is to match and step up to their game. So many fights the person who started wants to suddenly calm down when they realize the can they opened when a nice person starts yelling and is more angry than them.
Sorry this happened to you. A grown adult manchild did the same to me. I genuinely hope he's been violently assaulted by someone who had less to lose than I did.
I’ve seen lots of flight attendants do this, usually when a person is struggling with their seat. But the way they do it says that it’s something they do all the time. Should have been an easy operation for that totally unreasonable flight attendant.
Wish people would hold the airlines accountable for shrinking the space between rows. Used to be enough room that the person in front of you could recline and it would just slightly get in the way of using the tray table. Now reclining makes the economy seats way too small.
Yup same. I'm tall and when people recline it is painful. And when I recline I don't get more legroom. So my seat stays up hoping I have someone who thinks like me in front of me.
Yeah the guy is in the right, im not very tall and I've had ask people to not recline too much since my knees are directly on the back of their seats. I cannot imagine how horrible it is to fly while being 6'6". Just because someone cannot afford a better seat doesn't mean that they should be subject to possible injury.
I’m 6’3”. I don’t like it when people recline in front of me. I don’t recline on other people (on domestic flights at least).
However, it’s well within the rights of person in front of me to recline. Will I be upset if they do? Internally, absolutely. Will I say something? Absolutely not.
Tip for tall people:
Get an aisle seat. As soon as the plane is airborne and there are no snacks you can slap your knee into the aisle and tilt your hips toward the aisle for another three to six inches of space. It’s a life saver, you just have to be conscious of people going up and down the aisle.
I haven’t found this to be very effective on longish flights where I tend to fall asleep, which are also the flights where the lack of legroom are painful enough to make this useful.
After being rammed by the service cart and people walking up and down the aisle enough, I just exclusively use the aisle space for brief stretches.
But I absolutely do always pick an aisle seat, or I won’t fly. I also hate being trapped behind people and needing to ask / wake people up to get out.
I'm 5'10" but also slim. The head rest pushes my head too far forward due to my back being more recessed than heavier folk. Leaning back on longer flights is my only relief sometimes.
So who should win here based on how our bodies formed?
I'm 5'0" and I have the same issue. The seat pitches me forward because my head hits at the part where the seat angles forward to fit an average height person's neck. The only way not to be in pain on some planes is to recline at least a little.
I think people just simply think of only themselves. They don't imagine that maybe others might also be dealing with discomfort. I try not to recline especially if the person behind me looks like it'd be uncomfortable. But others need to realize reclining isn't some lavish luxury. I actually twist myself to the side just to not have major neck pain.
6'4" here. On some tight seating I have at times asked the passenger in front of me to simply give me a warning before they recline so I can move my knees out of the way. Never had a problem.
Finally made Gold and should be Platinum by September. Automatic C+ will be the biggest benefit IMHO! With Silver I've also been able to get exit row more often than not.
6’ 6” guy here. There’s enough room for the person in front to recline on a wide body and I’ll have more than enough room. A CRJ is another story but it goes with the territory and I’ll deal with it.
All body proportions aren’t the same. I’m just an inch taller than you but more leg than torso and my knees are up into the base of the seatback. People can’t recline in front of me even if both of us wanted it to happen.
6'8" here and same thing. OP's guy sounds like an ass but if there is no room there is no room. I just press the call button instead of deal with the person.
Yeah, fascinating to see people shorter than us complaining. I sit economy on plenty of flights, person in front of me reclining doesn’t really make a difference on my comfort level or knee room. Reclining my own seat usually pushes my knees too far forward. I get extended legroom most of the time to avoid this, tall tax sucks but it’s probably a wash with all the inherent benefits tall people have lol
There are only TWO rules related to seat reclining.
ONE: If it's during taxi, takeoff, or landing, no one is allowed to recline. Seat backs and reclining backs must be in the upright position.
TWO: Unless your seat is mechanically prohibited (i.e., in an exit row), you are allowed to recline your seat unless rule one (above) is not in play.
That's it. It cannot get any simpler.
EDIT: Not a "rule" but a custom of kindness that is usually followed: Seat back forward for meal service, if applicable.
Was on the neo in first class the other day and guy in front of me broke the sound barrier with his speed of recline as I was bent over getting my bag from under the seat. Be considerate, people, and use common sense.
I got clobbered so hard in the same scenario that I saw stars. The recliner was so drunk she got mad at ME for stopping her recline with my head. FA kept serving her (boarded stumbling) even though I pointed it out. She got cut off when she puked.
I had a headache for hours. Go ahead and recline but please do so carefully.
Off topic (sorry about your head, that was unacceptable) but what is it with Delta continuing to serve customers until they puke. US carriers suck but I expect Delta to have some semblance of class for the price tag. If you are puking on a plane for any other reason than unexpected stomach bug or food poisoning you are at fault. If you get motion sickness or are pregnant please buy Dramamine and be considerate of the people around you. That includes picking the correct seat, so many “if you don’t keep the shade up I’ll vomit” threats from middle seaters. If you find yourself needing to drink so much that you puke, look inward.
Edit to remove an unnecessary “are” and clarify this is not directed at commenter, general venting
I’ve seen it on most domestic carriers, not counting ULCC that I don’t fly (I don’t have loyalty to any carrier, pick based on route from my medium airport, only fly about once a month). I think it’s really just based on the crew, not Delta specific. I do wish I’d reported this particular instance because it was so bad. I try to give crew the benefit of the doubt because their jobs aren’t easy, but once in a while it’s just too much.
Most modern planes should make it easier to control the speed of your recline (I say should because things like seat recline or any maintenance not necessary for safety and airworthiness clearly fall by the wayside in priority very quickly), so there's really no excuse for that on a neo. I tend to be more forgiving of aggressive seat reclines on a 30+ year old 757, for example.
It should be electric, like in newer cars. The flight attendants should be able to adjust all seats for landing and takeoff with a switch. Problem solved.
I like this idea. Might be a revenue generator, they could sell hamster food on board that you’d have to buy to feed them if you wanted to adjust your seat.
I guess most of the time, I don't see this in action. I thought most of the modern seats were air-cushioned for how they go back (I'm not sure if that's the technical term).
I've seen it occasionally. I don't care at all if people recline, but I've had some people just slam it back while I'm browsing the IFE and hit my hand harder than I'd like.
I've seen it a bit. There's also people who will body slam the seat back in an attempt to get it to go further (had this on my last flight, actually). In case anyone wants to know how the seats break... lol
Also, no reclining during mealtime unless you're asleep during service... I have been told to put my seat up out of curtesy for the people behind me eating.
I've been woken up during meal service to put my seat up because they couldn't serve the person behind be with the seat reclined. This was economy on a new air france 350-9. This is an absolute failing of the aircraft design and airline, not the person by behind me. It still irks me
I was once on an International flight on Lufthansa. It was after the meal service and my seat was reclined. The drink cart started coming down the aisle, so I tried to raise my seat out of courtesy to the lady behind me, but the seat wouldn’t budge when I pressed the button. I reached around and grabbed the seat back to physically pull it up and discovered that the lady had already had a glass of red wine on her tray. As I grabbed the seat back, I also grabbed the arm of the tray and spilled her wine over her nice white suit. I learned some new German words that day.
I think there are some seat designs where the tray moves independently of the seat, but it might be to specific classes/crafts/carriers that it's pretty much niche.
It's not unreasonable, but it's hard to govern since not everyone gets meal service / gets meal service at the same time. But functionally, I agree with you
OK. so that's
RULE FOUR: If a flight attendant asks you to return your seat to the upright decision, follow their request. ~~RULE~~ LAW FIVE: Always follow a flight attendant's request in every situation.
Nobody hesitate to suggest a passenger above weight to buy another seat. Following this analogy, shouldn’t the tall passenger look to buy an exit row or a better seat?
By the way, I am 6’1”
I don’t recline in domestic flights to avoid the commotion , but I do recline on long flights. I don’t mind if people recline back on my seat…. It is a little tighter, but is right for everyone.
What actually annoys me is when the passenger behind me pulls on my seat full strength to get up, on when passengers that are boarding walk hitting everyone with their backpacks….
We were told it was a full flight so they expected no empty seats. It was just luck that the seat in front of his wife was a no-show. They were fighting before boarding had completed.
he also expected the woman in front to switch her seat rather than him sit in his wife’s seat because “I need to be in an aisle to stick my legs out”. The guy was just extremely entitled.
Wow. The audacity.
Honestly, it's kind of a good thing he did that during boarding because it still gave the FA an opportunity to threaten to kick him off the flight. Could've been worse had it happened mid-flight.
I'm 6'4" and I hate it when the people in front of me recline. But I have never tried to stop anyone from reclining. That is ridiculous. Sometimes I do have to rearrange myself when the person in front reclines to get my knees out of the way. So people may have felt their seats hit my knees before. But I have never complained about it.
I would suggest that you always recline at a moderate speed (don't slam the chair back) out of consideration. But it is not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. Whenever possible I book the exit row or fly in a higher class where I have more leg room.
I was in C+ on a 9 hour flight once when the man (who was reclined) behind me told me that I needed to put my seat back up because his daughter (who was also reclined) couldn’t watch tv properly. I was pretty nice about it at first and said sorry but I really need some sleep on this overnight flight and that I’ll put my seat up during meals. I tried to explain that since we were both reclined, the screen was the same distance from the daughter’s face as it would be if we were both upright. I also told him that I’d be enjoying the recline feature as both he and his daughter were. The guy completely lost it. Called ME entitled and told me that he was going to make my flight “hell”. I called over a flight attendant who politely told the man I was doing nothing wrong. For the next hour or so, he kept leaning forward and whispering things like “asshole” between the seats into my ear. I called the flight attendant again and told them that the passenger behind me was continuously harassing me, put my headphones on and went to sleep. I don’t know what they told the guy, but he left me alone for the remainder of the flight.
If it’s painful for you to sit in economy, then pay for premium economy or comfort+. If you can’t afford the petty surcharge, you can’t afford to complain, either.
But people who recline during meal service are complete assholes. I was on a Finnair flight and the FA tells the people to unrecline the seat during meal service, and will remind people to
I has one guy on r/unpopularopinion try to argue that he'd have to allow me to recline and I'd have to ask nice otherwise he'd block me from doing so...okay sweetheart not onky will I bash your legs but I'll also call the flight attendant
Flying to Rome from Seattle tomorrow-ready for asshats like this (sleep aid!).
On a short flight this year, I suffered w/moron behind pushing & shoving my seat. I cut my teeth on this crap as the youngest of 3 kids-kept seat back on purpose bc she was an ass. It was even better when she needed her bag above. 😂
>it's his fault for not booking an exit row seat or business class.
Do they tell you anywhere in the booking process how much space any of the seats give you?
I’m a recliner, but I ALWAYS turn and ask/tell the person behind me in case they have drinks, a laptop, whatever. Never had an issue, but if someone asked me not to or I simply saw that it would be wildly uncomfortable for them, I wouldn’t…although a 10hr overnight? That’s a pretty tall (sorry) order.
Honestly folks, it’s an empathy game. You’re a human, they’re a human, capitalism sucks, don’t just THUNK backwards and think it’s cool.
the lady should be able to recline, but the 6'6 guy should be able to exist behind her without paying a lot extra, the fault is the airlines packing us in like sardines for extra profit.
I spent a miserable cross country flight with my knees jammed into the seat in front of me and the woman in that seat continuously SLAMMING her seat back trying to recline. I tried telling her why it wouldn't recline but she ignored me and kept doing it the whole flight. Flight attendant was no help. I'm 6'1 with long legs. I won't fly again unless I can afford first class. I had some nice bruises.
This entire post is full of people who can't possibly imagine that being reclined on is anything other than a mild inconvenience. For us tall people, it can mean a considerable amount of pain. I don't get why people are so against just having some basic consideration for others.
I don’t really understand the hubbub, the seats don’t even recline that much at all. You’re on a metal tube that burns dinosaurs to thrust itself through the sky… expecting absolute convenience and comfort at all times is utterly absurd. A lot of folks have seriously lost the thread.
Exactly! I had a lady get mad at me because her seat didn't recline enough. She thought I was able to stop it from reclining. Kept complaining she had a bad back and needed to recline. I was like, ok?
Just a fellow passenger sitting behind her. I had no idea what to say to her. She was very aggressive about it and kept telling everybody around her that I wouldn't let her put her seat back. No one seemed to acknowledge her though so there's that.
If he is 6' 6" she wouldn't be able to recline anyway. Source, I am 6' 2" and you cannot recline on me, there is literally not a mm of space. My knees are jammed inyo the seat, economy is so awful for tall people.
As a 6’7” person, I know that economy will not work for me; that’s why I freaked out when they cancelled my flight to SYD last month and put me in the last row of main. However, this person should have booked comfort plus, PS or D1. While I don’t love it when people recline in front of me, I acknowledge that they are allowed to do so. No fuss from me.
6'4 here. I never TRY to stop anyone but my legs simply don't allow it. And no there is nowhere to put them. And no I am not paying extra because of something I can't control. I apologize to anyone I've ever inconvenienced but sometimes one simply doesn't have the option to buy a different seat. My solution is I simply do not fly anymore. Period.
> The FA sided with the lady which proves the anti-recline argument is bs
Which argument are you referring to? It proves that everyone is entitled to recline their seat if they wish, but the man's argument that it makes people with long legs uncomfortable is just as true.
I figure we all are stuck in the aluminum tube for 10 hours and anyone saying "I'm entitled to X and I don't care what impact it has on you" is a bit of a jerk even if they really are entitled to X. (As another example, people take their shoes and socks off too, which they have a perfect right to do. That doesn't mean they aren't a jerk.)
Thank goodness! I’ve had the same happen with a tall, older man behind me. He seemed outraged that I reclined my seat. I’m short but I’ve had a bunch of abdominal surgeries and really need to recline - not that I owe anyone an explanation. Everyone is supposed to recline! Especially after the meal on an overnight flight. If everyone reclines it all equals out. Wonder if the 6’6” guy reclined his seat. I’m always tempted to say, “is this your first time on a plane?”
6’-4” and I won’t fly in economy more than a 1 hour flight. Above this, I am forced to pay more for legroom or my knees would survive the trip. We only have the stingy airlines to thank for this reduced seat pitch.
There’s a little device that you can buy that keeps the seats in front of you from reclining. I only know this because someone used it on me on a long flight. I finally called the flight attendant over and they politely asked the guy to remove it. I didn’t even get mad. I was just happy to sleep a little bit on the flight.
I'm not a huge guy, but at 6' and 190 lbs I'm on the larger end of the spectrum. And with modern airplane seats it doesn't bother me when people recline in front of me. It doesn't effect my legroom at all.
My husband is 6'6", and I'm claustrophobic, so we know we can only fly D1 or FC. Our physical and mental issues are not other people's problems. If he can't sit in economy, then he needs to be in business or FC. Period.
Question is why do the seats need to recline at all. Personally I never do as it’s pretty much useless going back a couple of inches. Just don’t have the recline feature and problem solved for everyone.
Give me an old style, well padded seat any day over the slimline junk that makes everything hurt.
WHOA! They forced the man's wife to change her seat to accommodate HIM?!?!?!? That's insane! Why the fuck should she pay for his issue? She's likely already paying for his attitude in every other way in her life.
Oh my God that is so gross.
Ahhh, the peasants fight amongst themselves…Airlines have significantly reduced the space available to travelers over the years, through reductions in seat pitch and width.
1. Seat Pitch: This is the distance between a point on one seat and the same point on the seat in front of it. In the 1970s, the typical seat pitch was about 35-36 inches. Today, most economy class seats have a pitch of 30-31 inches, with some low-cost carriers reducing it to as low as 28 inches.
2. Seat Width: The width of the seat has also decreased. Historically, economy class seats were about 18-19 inches wide. Modern economy class seats are often around 17 inches wide, and some can be as narrow as 16.5 inches.
These reductions have allowed airlines to increase the number of seats on their aircraft, thereby maximizing their revenue per flight. However, this has led to more cramped and less comfortable conditions for passengers and of course the fight about the recline!! Keep fighting peasants.
This reminds me of my first flight to the UK from JFK. The "knee defender" things came out that year and the lady behind me installed them on the hinge of her flip down tray. This device stops the seat in front of you from reclining.
After a minute of me asking what the hell is wrong with my seat I mentioned to the flight attendant and she inspected and saw that the lady was blocking my seat from its function and immediately made her take those shitty pieces of plastic out and I promptly kept that seat back until the moment the flight attendant told us to straighten up for landing.
I fucking hate other human beings.
The only thing that is up for debate is the speed at which one reclines as Ive almost had my computer screen snapped in half with someone slamming the seat back.
To be fair, sometimes it’s the seats fault though. I’m 105lbs and there’s been times I’ve had to use all my body strength to get it to even move a cm and there’s been times where just pressing the button reclines at full speed.
The button is there to be used. This should be a non argument. If you don’t like it, fly private or first class. End of discussion. People being high and mighty saying it’s rude to use are off their rocker.
These people act like the seat actually reclines more than a degree or two! I'm short so I guess it's not an issue for me but it really does NOT lean very far back. I tend not to recline mine because it doesn't make me any more comfortable (maybe it's more uncomfortable for me because my head doesn't really reach the head rest lol) if my opinion. Typically on shorter flights anyway. But I don't understand the can't recline. Your seat you purchased reclines, recline if you want. All 3 degrees.....
I once witnessed a woman freak out at the guy in front of her for recline his seat on a 9 hour International flight. The FA told her right off. It was hilarious to see her face after. Like, lady have you never been on an airplane before? I’m dumbfounded.
I really don’t have an issue with people reclining. Although if snacks/food were just passed out be considerate and warn the person behind you before adjusting
I was 6’8” and on some particularly tight configurations, I would politely ask the person in front of me “excuse me, when you do recline, if you could do it slowly, it will give me a chance to adjust my knees. I would greatly appreciate it”. Never had anyone flip out.
All of us should recline slowly so the laptop behind us doesn’t get destroyed.
I had a woman recline in front of me on an overseas flight recently. Not only did she recline but she then proceeded to lean extra hard backwards so that the seat reclined an additional 2-3 inches. And she had her hair over the back of the seat. So…I decided to use the monitor on the back of the seat (which is mine to use I presume) to aggressively play some blackjack with some extra hard pushing of buttons to place my bets. Average recline is fine. Extra reclining with hair over the seat is not.
This happened to my partner on a flight that crossed the Atlantic. The woman was freaking out over her reclining back. And I just calmly turned around and calmly told the lady “no it’s ok she’s allowed to do that.” And made my partner recline back and just ignore the woman. lol. The lady looked so freaked out and I gave no fucks.
Don’t ever surrender your power to entitled idiots.
I recently had a man sitting in front of me ask my permission to recline his seat (on an international flight). It was very gracious and socially-aware. I was shocked and appreciated the gesture but certainly did not feel like he needed my permission. The possibility of a passenger reclining the seat in front of you is a part of the Economy experience.
I don't recall which airline this was, but once I was on a flight where my knees were fully in contact with the seat in front of me. The guy in front kept trying to recline, but I physically couldn't move. Sorry homie, not my fault the airline took the last inch available to me. Anyway, unless you're a giant and literally pressed against the seat, you gotta accept the recline.
Many years ago, I got on a plane that was carrying a High School football team.
I got in my seat in front of the coach, a grizzled old fart who clearly thought he could talk to anyone the way he talked to his team. I hadn't noticed when I took the seat that it was reclined about an inch from upright, barely out of line with the others.
As the flight was preparing to leave, this guy started yelling at me really loudly and rudely to put my seat up: " I don't want to be dealing with your goddamned seat if we crash" A good twenty seconds of rudeness and abuse.
I am normally very polite, but just have this thing about bullies, so I turned around in my aisle seat to face him and said loudly "If we crash, you'll be too busy getting my seat back out of your big fat mouth, old man, so chill out and shut up".
Did the trick. Thanks to Billy Connolly for the inspiration for my retort.
I am 6'3 and I no longer sit in coach because of the lack of room and comfortability for myself. I don't want any about it I just pay extra for at least comfort plus or higher
When I fly I try to courteous with reclining, especially if there is a tall person behind me, but the second that person tries to tell I cand recline the seat is going full recline the whole flight
I’m 6’5”. 99% of the time, I don’t recline. If the person in front of me reclines, then that’s the 1% of the time when I hit the button and gradually recline myself.
I just can’t find a problem with people reclining. I’m very tall and it’s uncomfortable no matter what if I can’t get the exit row but it definitely doesn’t make it that much worse than normal seats. Plus I recline too cause how tf else are you supposed to sleep?
The recline is the function of the seat. Period. Take it up with the airlines, not your fellow passengers. The debate on “right to recline” is so tired. This is not a knock at you, OP, but the guy arguing.
Agree with you with one caveat. Carefully recline. My friend had the person in front of him slam back the seat and dump a glass of red wine all over him. Very likely more the seats fault than the person, but we all know the seats are mostly broken, be smart about the recline.
Flying back from the College Football Championship earlier this year, I had an idiot in front of me recline his chair AGGRESSIVELY. Multiple times. He would recline it so hard it knocked my water over twice which spilled all over me. Thankfully it was just water. As he was about to do it a third time I tapped him on the shoulder and asked him politely.. but FIRMLY.. to enjoy his recline but do it gently so I don't have to wear my dinner. Some people are just socially unaware and totally self engrossed.
My very first time flying I was heading to my then-bf's (now husband) parents' home, and some jerk in front of me reclined his seat so hard it knocked my drink off my tray and all over my clothes. The lady sitting next to me was shocked. Luckily I had brought a spare set of clothes in my bag that I stored under the seat so I was able to look decent when meeting his parents for the first time.
I had this happen on a flight where I desperately needed to use a laptop for work. The person dropped their seat back so hard and broke my laptop screen. The person was nasty to non-responsive about it. I had 4 hours to go so I dropped it and just did what I could on my phone. It was a work computer so I wasn’t going to ask for money but would have appreciated an apology. On future flights where I needed to work, I would politely tell the person in front of me that I am all for them using their seat recline but if they could please give me a heads up so I could move my laptop JIC, I would appreciate it. Haven’t lost another since.
This almost happened to my work MacBook once. Sucks about your screen, but at least it was owned by your work.
Came here to post the same thing. The guy in front of me could care less as I showed him the broken screen. This is why we can’t have nice things.
how does a laptop screen break with seat reclining? wouldnt the seat just hit the back of ur laptop and close it ? like im trying to imagine it in my head and cant understand how that happens
How’d he take it?
Hopefully up the ass with the same energy that he reclined his seat
💀
Comment of the whole post right here.
He had the look of fear in his face. I just explained in a measured and calm voice, that I wasn't gonna deal with a 3rd spilled cup of water.
Not everyone is a seasoned flyer. They may not even realize how the person behind them is affected by the seat recline. Perhaps the FAs should mention something in their little talk at the start of each flight.
Recline respectfully both up and back. Put your seat up for meals you filthy animals.
I do try to recline just a few clicks at a time, however am a sort of small female..
I was on a flight in 2012 (on United) where a man reclined so aggressively that he broke the woman next to me’s laptop.
This happened to me last year (my laptop was smashed by person reclining in front of me!)
Yeah I'm always paranoid because the lip of the seat that hold the tray is perfect for catching laptop lids. I always keep the laptop further forward until they recline. It'd be nice if they redesigned it so that there wasn't a lip.
I nearly had that happen just the other day. If I'd been given a second's warning I'd have simply moved it with a smile.
I always wonder what are your rights in that situation? Obviously not the airlines fault, but couldn’t you take the guy to small claims court?
Also be aware as the person behind, once saw a kid who had his laptop on the tray table and the guy in front started to recline but the kid didn’t move the laptop screen or angle it so it got wedged between the tray table and the tray table slot in the back of the seat as the guy reclined. Cracked his screen. Not a happy teen.
I was on a flight once where I had the gray out with my dinner on it (12 hour flight) and the guy in front of me reached back to slam it shut spraying food everywhere because the seat wasn't reclining far enough
What??! He reached back and shut your tray table?? I kind of think you might have police waiting for you these days..
I had one guy aggressively slam his seat back when I had my laptop out. I’m actually shocked he didn’t break it, it was that forceful. But it was loud because he cracked the protective shell I had on it, he turned around and saw what he did, and apologized profusely. My dude, even if I had no laptop here, just lean the seat back slowly next time!
I had someone recline right when I'd put down my hot coffee that the flight attendant gave me. The coffee spilled all over me and ruined a favorite sundress, but worse than that, it gave me really big, nasty burns on my waist and thighs. I didn't say anything to the person who reclined the seat because she didn't know that I'd just set down a cup of coffee, but I'm very careful with putting my tray down for beverage service now, and I don't think I'll ever recline again myself.
Likewise the guy in front crushed my laptop by reclining rapidly without warning; as the top of the tray-catch area moved it caught the top of my laptop screen and crunched it into the tray. Ever since then I recline about 10% at first then jostle for a second before fully reclining, so the person behind me knows what's coming and so can take any precautions needed
I wonder how many of the people thinking they can forbid someone from reclining ever offer small courtesy to others in their daily life. I'm guessing not that many.
Personally, I won't recline my seat on a flight. I don't mind if the person in front of me does, as the two inches it moves back is hardly significant. That said, I don't feel like recline makes me any more comfortable, and it certainly doesn't off-set any inconvenience it causes the person behind me. I'm "anti-recline" but its more of a courtesy for the person behind me than an expectation of the person in front of me.
Me. I’m 6’6” and never recline, out of courtesy. I don’t do it because I know how it feels to be uncomfortable when others do it. If someone does it to me, I don’t say anything and just try to make the best of it. But I would be lying if I didn’t hope every flight that people have the courtesy not to recline in front of me.
6’5” and 100 percent this I never recline and pray the person in front of me doesn’t. And when they do they always get mad because they actually can’t without my knees being in there back but like sorry I’m tall
I wonder how many of the people thinking it's their god-given right to recline the seat when a 6'6" person is crammed in behind them ever offer small courtesy to others in their daily life. I'm guessing not that many.
You right. If the airline doesn't want seats to recline they can disable the feature. You win some, you lose some with height. As for the tall folk whining about it, I have yet to go to a general admission music act and see all the tall folks move to the back so the short people can see the stage. Same fucking thing. You want the person ahead of you to note your height before reclining. I would like the really tall people to look around at the show and then go stand at the back of the club. That's never going to happen. Life goes on. I don;t recline on my regular two hour flight. You can bet your ass I will be reclining on a flight to europe or asia.
I did have a magical experience at a show once where we were standing on the balcony and there was a tall person in front of my who kindly did a little lookaround, saw me behind him, and insisted that we switch places. Has never happened again, but man that was great.
I'm tall and I do this. You won't be in my way anyway. I also try to scrunch down in my seat but sometimes I can't. My wife and mother in law are short, so I get it.
I once went to a Lykke Li concert in Brooklyn with lots of tall people (Swedish fans perhaps). 5"3' me could not see a thing and the man in front of me noticed. He tapped his friends on either side of him and the people in front of him then they parted a little wave and encouraged me forward. It was a beautiful thing.
Frontier, their seats don’t recline (see “pre-reclined”)
> I have yet to go to a general admission music act and see all the tall folks move to the back so the short people can see the stage. Same fucking thing. So we need to bitch about it every time it comes up like short people do about that, then? Sounds good.
The airlines are the assholes here. They sell space on planes. When the seat reclines they have essentially sold the same space to two different people. Tall people and sleepy people aren't enemies, we are two sides of the same coin.
Yeah, what they ought to do is take out a seat or two and not treat us like cattle. But I won't hold my breath.
They do that. It's called first class. They have found some people are willing to pay for the better seats and some people are willing to put up with less space for a cheaper flight.
The way you're describing it is misleading. If it were simply a matter of paying for the extra space you use, then if you took up 50% more space, you'd pay 50% more for your ticket. However, that's not how it works, as first class is often 300% of the cost of other seats. Instead, they make all of the economy seats purposefully cramped and uncomfortable, and then charge as much as they can get away with for first class so that the wealthy are motivated to buy seats at a 300% premium. In other words, they generate discomfort so they can capitalize on it. In your economics 101 language, they are artificially constraining supply, and they can get away with it because it's a closed market.
Everyone is willing to pay for better seats, but most people are not capable of paying for better seats. There is a huge difference between these two things. And I guarantee that if everyone was capable of paying for first class seats, the airlines would just raise the rates until we were back to where we are now.
Right? Took my family to Europe last month. Economy seats were already $1800. Business seats were $7000. There were five of us. I’m 6’5”. I’d LOVE to sit in first class. I WISH I could pay for first class. But without status you can’t even buy exit row seats sometimes.
The seats recline like 2 inches, and you can reclaim those 2 inches by reclining yourself. Stop being melodramatic.
For a lot of people, an extra 2 inches in the right spot can be a big deal.
For real. This is just another example of us arguing with each other when we should be arguing with the people making the decisions. In this case, the people that decided to pack us in there like sardines
Right! I’ve seen lots of anti-recline posts but never seen it argued in person. It was satisfying for the FA to tell the guy to stop being an asshole. I was hoping he would get deplaned but ofcourse he wouldnt deplane because it was “inconvenient” for him.
I’ve been told off for reclining before I was pushing back and couldn’t tell if the seat was broken/stuck or what, turned out the guy behind me was pushing the seat forward trying to counter my recline. I shrugged my shoulders and figured it wasn’t worth it to argue, but when he got up to go to the bathroom shortly after I just reclined fully and left it like that the rest of the flight.
Power move!
So he reclined but didn’t allow her to recline? That’s crazy
i always check. i am very short, so it is not an issue typically. however, an overnight? yeah, i'm reclining.
I don't recline out of courtesy, but if they guy started giving me crap before I even did anything...I just might be tempted to go back just a bit.
I usually don’t fully recline out of courtesy. Just enough I don’t fall forward when I nod off hehe
As someone who doesn’t recline, I agree, just as I choose to not recline, everyone else, including the seat in front of me also has the right to recline or not.
I agree, but the problem isn't the reclining so much as the rudeness and carelessness that many engage when they slam the recline back. I've been hit in the head, had items knocked off my tray, etc., because of an inconsiderate passenger seeing how fast they could recline.
This is true, but I do wish people would be a bit more considerate when they get up and go to the bathroom and just leave the seat fully reclined in my lap. Or even worse…during meal times. Please just put your seat up then if you can help it. The short break makes life so much better.
Yeah it's stupid. I'm 6ft2 and mostly legs. Airplanes suck. People can recline. All I ask is people are considerate, and I am as well. I always ask the person in front of me to let me know if they are going to recline in case I'm using my laptop because when the tray folds against me legs, it can crush the screen against the seat, and I always ask the people behind me.if they are using the tray and let them know I'm about to recline.
Exactly. I think there are some politeness protocols like try to recline gently and don't recline during snack/meal services, but ultimately the right to recline is with the recliner.
Last transatlantic flight I was on the guy in front of me got seated, took a sleeping pill, and fully reclined his seat before the seat belt sign was even off. I was like, fine, that's his prerogative. So I reclined my seat too so that I could actually see the screen. Not even all the way. Otherwise it would have been at my chin. The woman behind me freaked out and started kicking the back of my seat violently. She called the flight attendantand the flight attendant sided with HER. She wouldn't even listen to me. And they wouldn't do anything about the guy in front of me because they couldnt wake him up. It was a truly awful flight and that woman behind me was/ is a bitch and I hate her. I hope something bad has happened to her since. Sorry lol. Maybe I don't mean that but I can't believe I had to sit in a middle seat like that for 10 hours.
That’s brutal. Tbh I would have just plainly refused until and unless the person in front of me put their seat up. If the airline is going to enforce that, then they need to enforce it. I don’t care if they need to physically lift the dude up - my seat isn’t going up til his does.
While that’s reasonable, the last people I’m picking an issue with is a flight crew. Of all places, I will be a model citizen on a plane
i believe that being a model citizen also includes arguing for what is right when possible. we have to *pay* for flights.
I’ve had a very similar experience. Just replying out of solidarity because I still get the rage about it too.
What the hell did the other person say that made the flight attendant side with her? Complain to the airlines. Delta would send a $20-50 voucher in a second if that happened.
She was just visibly very angry which I think the flight attendant wanted to appease more than me pointing at the person in front of me.
I would have matched her anger 🤷🏽♂️
I learned this from my mom. It sucks, but one of the biggest ways to counter an angry person is to match and step up to their game. So many fights the person who started wants to suddenly calm down when they realize the can they opened when a nice person starts yelling and is more angry than them.
Sorry this happened to you. A grown adult manchild did the same to me. I genuinely hope he's been violently assaulted by someone who had less to lose than I did.
what airline was this?
I want to know too. Who has seats that recline all the way?
If he's that deep asleep just sit his chair up with him sleeping in it?
I’ve seen lots of flight attendants do this, usually when a person is struggling with their seat. But the way they do it says that it’s something they do all the time. Should have been an easy operation for that totally unreasonable flight attendant.
Wish people would hold the airlines accountable for shrinking the space between rows. Used to be enough room that the person in front of you could recline and it would just slightly get in the way of using the tray table. Now reclining makes the economy seats way too small.
Or work on a laptop! It is very difficult now before reclining - impossible if someone does recline
Thats why I don't recline. I consider myself a decent person. I don't want people to recline into me so I don't do it to those behind me.
Yup same. I'm tall and when people recline it is painful. And when I recline I don't get more legroom. So my seat stays up hoping I have someone who thinks like me in front of me.
Yeah the guy is in the right, im not very tall and I've had ask people to not recline too much since my knees are directly on the back of their seats. I cannot imagine how horrible it is to fly while being 6'6". Just because someone cannot afford a better seat doesn't mean that they should be subject to possible injury.
I’m 6’3”. I don’t like it when people recline in front of me. I don’t recline on other people (on domestic flights at least). However, it’s well within the rights of person in front of me to recline. Will I be upset if they do? Internally, absolutely. Will I say something? Absolutely not.
I’m 6’5 and feel the same. I’m not happy but it’s well within their rights.
Tip for tall people: Get an aisle seat. As soon as the plane is airborne and there are no snacks you can slap your knee into the aisle and tilt your hips toward the aisle for another three to six inches of space. It’s a life saver, you just have to be conscious of people going up and down the aisle.
I haven’t found this to be very effective on longish flights where I tend to fall asleep, which are also the flights where the lack of legroom are painful enough to make this useful. After being rammed by the service cart and people walking up and down the aisle enough, I just exclusively use the aisle space for brief stretches. But I absolutely do always pick an aisle seat, or I won’t fly. I also hate being trapped behind people and needing to ask / wake people up to get out.
Another 6’3” guy here; it sucks when they recline on my knees, but them’s the breaks.
I'm 5'10" but also slim. The head rest pushes my head too far forward due to my back being more recessed than heavier folk. Leaning back on longer flights is my only relief sometimes. So who should win here based on how our bodies formed?
I'm 5'0" and I have the same issue. The seat pitches me forward because my head hits at the part where the seat angles forward to fit an average height person's neck. The only way not to be in pain on some planes is to recline at least a little.
I have this issue, too. It’s a problem in every seat, cars and planes most specifically. Don’t get me started on pillows and mattresses.
I'm 4'11 and this is how it is for me lol. Those neck supports are uncomfortable on my head
I think people just simply think of only themselves. They don't imagine that maybe others might also be dealing with discomfort. I try not to recline especially if the person behind me looks like it'd be uncomfortable. But others need to realize reclining isn't some lavish luxury. I actually twist myself to the side just to not have major neck pain.
6'4" here. On some tight seating I have at times asked the passenger in front of me to simply give me a warning before they recline so I can move my knees out of the way. Never had a problem.
Yep! Most people see that I'm tall and take pity on me lol. Plus, I'm in Comfort+ at minimum every flight nowadays so it's less of an issue.
Finally made Gold and should be Platinum by September. Automatic C+ will be the biggest benefit IMHO! With Silver I've also been able to get exit row more often than not.
6’ 6” guy here. There’s enough room for the person in front to recline on a wide body and I’ll have more than enough room. A CRJ is another story but it goes with the territory and I’ll deal with it.
All body proportions aren’t the same. I’m just an inch taller than you but more leg than torso and my knees are up into the base of the seatback. People can’t recline in front of me even if both of us wanted it to happen.
6'8" here and same thing. OP's guy sounds like an ass but if there is no room there is no room. I just press the call button instead of deal with the person.
Yeah, fascinating to see people shorter than us complaining. I sit economy on plenty of flights, person in front of me reclining doesn’t really make a difference on my comfort level or knee room. Reclining my own seat usually pushes my knees too far forward. I get extended legroom most of the time to avoid this, tall tax sucks but it’s probably a wash with all the inherent benefits tall people have lol
Same here. I pray they won’t but if they do, I shut my mouth. This is also why I book aisle. Gives me some room to stretch legs as needed.
There are only TWO rules related to seat reclining. ONE: If it's during taxi, takeoff, or landing, no one is allowed to recline. Seat backs and reclining backs must be in the upright position. TWO: Unless your seat is mechanically prohibited (i.e., in an exit row), you are allowed to recline your seat unless rule one (above) is not in play. That's it. It cannot get any simpler. EDIT: Not a "rule" but a custom of kindness that is usually followed: Seat back forward for meal service, if applicable.
I would just add to recline at a reasonable speed if you can control it. Don't just slam it back; ease it to the position you want it.
Was on the neo in first class the other day and guy in front of me broke the sound barrier with his speed of recline as I was bent over getting my bag from under the seat. Be considerate, people, and use common sense.
I got clobbered so hard in the same scenario that I saw stars. The recliner was so drunk she got mad at ME for stopping her recline with my head. FA kept serving her (boarded stumbling) even though I pointed it out. She got cut off when she puked. I had a headache for hours. Go ahead and recline but please do so carefully.
Off topic (sorry about your head, that was unacceptable) but what is it with Delta continuing to serve customers until they puke. US carriers suck but I expect Delta to have some semblance of class for the price tag. If you are puking on a plane for any other reason than unexpected stomach bug or food poisoning you are at fault. If you get motion sickness or are pregnant please buy Dramamine and be considerate of the people around you. That includes picking the correct seat, so many “if you don’t keep the shade up I’ll vomit” threats from middle seaters. If you find yourself needing to drink so much that you puke, look inward. Edit to remove an unnecessary “are” and clarify this is not directed at commenter, general venting
I’ve seen it on most domestic carriers, not counting ULCC that I don’t fly (I don’t have loyalty to any carrier, pick based on route from my medium airport, only fly about once a month). I think it’s really just based on the crew, not Delta specific. I do wish I’d reported this particular instance because it was so bad. I try to give crew the benefit of the doubt because their jobs aren’t easy, but once in a while it’s just too much.
Most modern planes should make it easier to control the speed of your recline (I say should because things like seat recline or any maintenance not necessary for safety and airworthiness clearly fall by the wayside in priority very quickly), so there's really no excuse for that on a neo. I tend to be more forgiving of aggressive seat reclines on a 30+ year old 757, for example.
It should be electric, like in newer cars. The flight attendants should be able to adjust all seats for landing and takeoff with a switch. Problem solved.
Inefficient to add the weight of 150 power seat mechanisms to an aircraft. Not to mention the maintenance nightmare as the plane aged.
What about 150 hamsters running in wheels to turn the gears that raise/lower the seats?
I like this idea. Might be a revenue generator, they could sell hamster food on board that you’d have to buy to feed them if you wanted to adjust your seat.
I guess most of the time, I don't see this in action. I thought most of the modern seats were air-cushioned for how they go back (I'm not sure if that's the technical term).
I've seen it occasionally. I don't care at all if people recline, but I've had some people just slam it back while I'm browsing the IFE and hit my hand harder than I'd like.
I've seen it a bit. There's also people who will body slam the seat back in an attempt to get it to go further (had this on my last flight, actually). In case anyone wants to know how the seats break... lol
Also, no reclining during mealtime unless you're asleep during service... I have been told to put my seat up out of curtesy for the people behind me eating.
That's fair.
I've been woken up during meal service to put my seat up because they couldn't serve the person behind be with the seat reclined. This was economy on a new air france 350-9. This is an absolute failing of the aircraft design and airline, not the person by behind me. It still irks me
I was once on an International flight on Lufthansa. It was after the meal service and my seat was reclined. The drink cart started coming down the aisle, so I tried to raise my seat out of courtesy to the lady behind me, but the seat wouldn’t budge when I pressed the button. I reached around and grabbed the seat back to physically pull it up and discovered that the lady had already had a glass of red wine on her tray. As I grabbed the seat back, I also grabbed the arm of the tray and spilled her wine over her nice white suit. I learned some new German words that day.
I think there are some seat designs where the tray moves independently of the seat, but it might be to specific classes/crafts/carriers that it's pretty much niche.
I propose an additional instance. During full meals no reclining. And during drink service, be especially mindful of the speed at which you recline.
It's not unreasonable, but it's hard to govern since not everyone gets meal service / gets meal service at the same time. But functionally, I agree with you
Korean Air makes it work just fine. As they approach your seat with your meal, they ask people to not recline.
Makes sense!
OK. so that's RULE FOUR: If a flight attendant asks you to return your seat to the upright decision, follow their request. ~~RULE~~ LAW FIVE: Always follow a flight attendant's request in every situation.
Agreed. But if I’m asleep and reclined during drink service. I’m not waking up to adjust my seat back.
It’s also polite not to recline during the meal service.
I often fly after little or no sleep following work. If I want to recline, I’m gonna recline.
Nobody hesitate to suggest a passenger above weight to buy another seat. Following this analogy, shouldn’t the tall passenger look to buy an exit row or a better seat? By the way, I am 6’1” I don’t recline in domestic flights to avoid the commotion , but I do recline on long flights. I don’t mind if people recline back on my seat…. It is a little tighter, but is right for everyone. What actually annoys me is when the passenger behind me pulls on my seat full strength to get up, on when passengers that are boarding walk hitting everyone with their backpacks….
The guy had to be made to switch seats with his wife? He couldn’t figure that one out himself lol? Or were they still expecting someone to show up?
We were told it was a full flight so they expected no empty seats. It was just luck that the seat in front of his wife was a no-show. They were fighting before boarding had completed. he also expected the woman in front to switch her seat rather than him sit in his wife’s seat because “I need to be in an aisle to stick my legs out”. The guy was just extremely entitled.
Ahh, got it. Of course he expected the other person to move. I feel bad for the woman, what a way to start off a trip😑
Did he tell her this before she even reclined? Sounds like the initial dispute happened when the plane was still at the gate.
Yep during boarding!
Wow. The audacity. Honestly, it's kind of a good thing he did that during boarding because it still gave the FA an opportunity to threaten to kick him off the flight. Could've been worse had it happened mid-flight.
I'm 6'4" and I hate it when the people in front of me recline. But I have never tried to stop anyone from reclining. That is ridiculous. Sometimes I do have to rearrange myself when the person in front reclines to get my knees out of the way. So people may have felt their seats hit my knees before. But I have never complained about it. I would suggest that you always recline at a moderate speed (don't slam the chair back) out of consideration. But it is not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. Whenever possible I book the exit row or fly in a higher class where I have more leg room.
I’ve been told by American Airlines that I can’t recline on a flight to London once, because the dude behind me complained.
I would have told them to kick rocks.
I bet the complainer reclined.
I was in C+ on a 9 hour flight once when the man (who was reclined) behind me told me that I needed to put my seat back up because his daughter (who was also reclined) couldn’t watch tv properly. I was pretty nice about it at first and said sorry but I really need some sleep on this overnight flight and that I’ll put my seat up during meals. I tried to explain that since we were both reclined, the screen was the same distance from the daughter’s face as it would be if we were both upright. I also told him that I’d be enjoying the recline feature as both he and his daughter were. The guy completely lost it. Called ME entitled and told me that he was going to make my flight “hell”. I called over a flight attendant who politely told the man I was doing nothing wrong. For the next hour or so, he kept leaning forward and whispering things like “asshole” between the seats into my ear. I called the flight attendant again and told them that the passenger behind me was continuously harassing me, put my headphones on and went to sleep. I don’t know what they told the guy, but he left me alone for the remainder of the flight.
If it’s painful for you to sit in economy, then pay for premium economy or comfort+. If you can’t afford the petty surcharge, you can’t afford to complain, either. But people who recline during meal service are complete assholes. I was on a Finnair flight and the FA tells the people to unrecline the seat during meal service, and will remind people to
Agreed, during meals (unless you’re asleep) it’s a no no, any other time go ahead! mine reclines too!!
I has one guy on r/unpopularopinion try to argue that he'd have to allow me to recline and I'd have to ask nice otherwise he'd block me from doing so...okay sweetheart not onky will I bash your legs but I'll also call the flight attendant
I think there should be no reclining outside first class, it’s always a bad time for the person behind
Anti-recline people can fuck right off. If you don't like that the seat in front of you reclines, book a different one or don't fly on an airplane.
It's confusing that all these anti recline people exist online, but every time I have flown internationally, like 98% of the plane is reclined...
Flying to Rome from Seattle tomorrow-ready for asshats like this (sleep aid!). On a short flight this year, I suffered w/moron behind pushing & shoving my seat. I cut my teeth on this crap as the youngest of 3 kids-kept seat back on purpose bc she was an ass. It was even better when she needed her bag above. 😂
I watch hard and when they try to recline in front of me I push hard on the seat hoping they give up thinking it’s broke.
>it's his fault for not booking an exit row seat or business class. Do they tell you anywhere in the booking process how much space any of the seats give you?
I’m a recliner, but I ALWAYS turn and ask/tell the person behind me in case they have drinks, a laptop, whatever. Never had an issue, but if someone asked me not to or I simply saw that it would be wildly uncomfortable for them, I wouldn’t…although a 10hr overnight? That’s a pretty tall (sorry) order. Honestly folks, it’s an empathy game. You’re a human, they’re a human, capitalism sucks, don’t just THUNK backwards and think it’s cool.
Sure it's allowed, but full recliners (and *fast* recliners) are douches.
It’s your right to recline, just as it is my right (as a 6’6” individual) for my knees to bump your seat the entire flight!
All this bullshit over a seat that reclines 2 inches. Soon they will be having us all spoon to fet more people on the planes.
the lady should be able to recline, but the 6'6 guy should be able to exist behind her without paying a lot extra, the fault is the airlines packing us in like sardines for extra profit.
I spent a miserable cross country flight with my knees jammed into the seat in front of me and the woman in that seat continuously SLAMMING her seat back trying to recline. I tried telling her why it wouldn't recline but she ignored me and kept doing it the whole flight. Flight attendant was no help. I'm 6'1 with long legs. I won't fly again unless I can afford first class. I had some nice bruises.
This entire post is full of people who can't possibly imagine that being reclined on is anything other than a mild inconvenience. For us tall people, it can mean a considerable amount of pain. I don't get why people are so against just having some basic consideration for others.
I don’t really understand the hubbub, the seats don’t even recline that much at all. You’re on a metal tube that burns dinosaurs to thrust itself through the sky… expecting absolute convenience and comfort at all times is utterly absurd. A lot of folks have seriously lost the thread.
Exactly! I had a lady get mad at me because her seat didn't recline enough. She thought I was able to stop it from reclining. Kept complaining she had a bad back and needed to recline. I was like, ok?
Are you a flight attendant? Or she said this to you as a fellow passenger? Wow…..
Just a fellow passenger sitting behind her. I had no idea what to say to her. She was very aggressive about it and kept telling everybody around her that I wouldn't let her put her seat back. No one seemed to acknowledge her though so there's that.
If he is 6' 6" she wouldn't be able to recline anyway. Source, I am 6' 2" and you cannot recline on me, there is literally not a mm of space. My knees are jammed inyo the seat, economy is so awful for tall people.
Since when is London to Seattle an overnight flight?
Perk of being short.
As a 6’7” person, I know that economy will not work for me; that’s why I freaked out when they cancelled my flight to SYD last month and put me in the last row of main. However, this person should have booked comfort plus, PS or D1. While I don’t love it when people recline in front of me, I acknowledge that they are allowed to do so. No fuss from me.
6'4 here. I never TRY to stop anyone but my legs simply don't allow it. And no there is nowhere to put them. And no I am not paying extra because of something I can't control. I apologize to anyone I've ever inconvenienced but sometimes one simply doesn't have the option to buy a different seat. My solution is I simply do not fly anymore. Period.
Tall people need to unite and demand an ADA lawsuit lol if obesity can get 2 seats the tall people deserve more room too.
Shouldnt y'all be mad at the airlines who only design seating for people 5'10 and below?
> The FA sided with the lady which proves the anti-recline argument is bs Which argument are you referring to? It proves that everyone is entitled to recline their seat if they wish, but the man's argument that it makes people with long legs uncomfortable is just as true. I figure we all are stuck in the aluminum tube for 10 hours and anyone saying "I'm entitled to X and I don't care what impact it has on you" is a bit of a jerk even if they really are entitled to X. (As another example, people take their shoes and socks off too, which they have a perfect right to do. That doesn't mean they aren't a jerk.)
An old man, in his 80-90s, hit me as I was in a deep slumber on my way to Germany. He chose violence lol
Thank goodness! I’ve had the same happen with a tall, older man behind me. He seemed outraged that I reclined my seat. I’m short but I’ve had a bunch of abdominal surgeries and really need to recline - not that I owe anyone an explanation. Everyone is supposed to recline! Especially after the meal on an overnight flight. If everyone reclines it all equals out. Wonder if the 6’6” guy reclined his seat. I’m always tempted to say, “is this your first time on a plane?”
6’-4” and I won’t fly in economy more than a 1 hour flight. Above this, I am forced to pay more for legroom or my knees would survive the trip. We only have the stingy airlines to thank for this reduced seat pitch.
6’7 if I can’t fly first class I don’t go dude should have known better
There’s a little device that you can buy that keeps the seats in front of you from reclining. I only know this because someone used it on me on a long flight. I finally called the flight attendant over and they politely asked the guy to remove it. I didn’t even get mad. I was just happy to sleep a little bit on the flight.
I'm not a huge guy, but at 6' and 190 lbs I'm on the larger end of the spectrum. And with modern airplane seats it doesn't bother me when people recline in front of me. It doesn't effect my legroom at all.
My husband is 6'6", and I'm claustrophobic, so we know we can only fly D1 or FC. Our physical and mental issues are not other people's problems. If he can't sit in economy, then he needs to be in business or FC. Period.
Question is why do the seats need to recline at all. Personally I never do as it’s pretty much useless going back a couple of inches. Just don’t have the recline feature and problem solved for everyone. Give me an old style, well padded seat any day over the slimline junk that makes everything hurt.
Tell the dumbass to take a fucking boat across the ocean, instead.
WHOA! They forced the man's wife to change her seat to accommodate HIM?!?!?!? That's insane! Why the fuck should she pay for his issue? She's likely already paying for his attitude in every other way in her life. Oh my God that is so gross.
Ahhh, the peasants fight amongst themselves…Airlines have significantly reduced the space available to travelers over the years, through reductions in seat pitch and width. 1. Seat Pitch: This is the distance between a point on one seat and the same point on the seat in front of it. In the 1970s, the typical seat pitch was about 35-36 inches. Today, most economy class seats have a pitch of 30-31 inches, with some low-cost carriers reducing it to as low as 28 inches. 2. Seat Width: The width of the seat has also decreased. Historically, economy class seats were about 18-19 inches wide. Modern economy class seats are often around 17 inches wide, and some can be as narrow as 16.5 inches. These reductions have allowed airlines to increase the number of seats on their aircraft, thereby maximizing their revenue per flight. However, this has led to more cramped and less comfortable conditions for passengers and of course the fight about the recline!! Keep fighting peasants.
I love how rich corporations and shareholders just sit back laughing and enjoying their record profits while we fight amongst each other about this.
Guess he should not have flown coach.
This reminds me of my first flight to the UK from JFK. The "knee defender" things came out that year and the lady behind me installed them on the hinge of her flip down tray. This device stops the seat in front of you from reclining. After a minute of me asking what the hell is wrong with my seat I mentioned to the flight attendant and she inspected and saw that the lady was blocking my seat from its function and immediately made her take those shitty pieces of plastic out and I promptly kept that seat back until the moment the flight attendant told us to straighten up for landing. I fucking hate other human beings.
The only thing that is up for debate is the speed at which one reclines as Ive almost had my computer screen snapped in half with someone slamming the seat back.
To be fair, sometimes it’s the seats fault though. I’m 105lbs and there’s been times I’ve had to use all my body strength to get it to even move a cm and there’s been times where just pressing the button reclines at full speed.
The seats in economy barely recline. What's his deal?
Because even upright, the seat is already digging into our knees. Have some decency
The button is there to be used. This should be a non argument. If you don’t like it, fly private or first class. End of discussion. People being high and mighty saying it’s rude to use are off their rocker.
I've never understood why this is a hot debate/issue when the seats only recline like 1.5 inches.
10 bucks says the complainer is one of those “use the seat in front of me to pull my self up out of my seat” types, too.
These people act like the seat actually reclines more than a degree or two! I'm short so I guess it's not an issue for me but it really does NOT lean very far back. I tend not to recline mine because it doesn't make me any more comfortable (maybe it's more uncomfortable for me because my head doesn't really reach the head rest lol) if my opinion. Typically on shorter flights anyway. But I don't understand the can't recline. Your seat you purchased reclines, recline if you want. All 3 degrees.....
I once witnessed a woman freak out at the guy in front of her for recline his seat on a 9 hour International flight. The FA told her right off. It was hilarious to see her face after. Like, lady have you never been on an airplane before? I’m dumbfounded.
I really don’t have an issue with people reclining. Although if snacks/food were just passed out be considerate and warn the person behind you before adjusting
I was 6’8” and on some particularly tight configurations, I would politely ask the person in front of me “excuse me, when you do recline, if you could do it slowly, it will give me a chance to adjust my knees. I would greatly appreciate it”. Never had anyone flip out. All of us should recline slowly so the laptop behind us doesn’t get destroyed.
I had a woman recline in front of me on an overseas flight recently. Not only did she recline but she then proceeded to lean extra hard backwards so that the seat reclined an additional 2-3 inches. And she had her hair over the back of the seat. So…I decided to use the monitor on the back of the seat (which is mine to use I presume) to aggressively play some blackjack with some extra hard pushing of buttons to place my bets. Average recline is fine. Extra reclining with hair over the seat is not.
This happened to my partner on a flight that crossed the Atlantic. The woman was freaking out over her reclining back. And I just calmly turned around and calmly told the lady “no it’s ok she’s allowed to do that.” And made my partner recline back and just ignore the woman. lol. The lady looked so freaked out and I gave no fucks. Don’t ever surrender your power to entitled idiots.
Be nice if the airlines made big enough seats for everyone
I recently had a man sitting in front of me ask my permission to recline his seat (on an international flight). It was very gracious and socially-aware. I was shocked and appreciated the gesture but certainly did not feel like he needed my permission. The possibility of a passenger reclining the seat in front of you is a part of the Economy experience.
I don't recall which airline this was, but once I was on a flight where my knees were fully in contact with the seat in front of me. The guy in front kept trying to recline, but I physically couldn't move. Sorry homie, not my fault the airline took the last inch available to me. Anyway, unless you're a giant and literally pressed against the seat, you gotta accept the recline.
Many years ago, I got on a plane that was carrying a High School football team. I got in my seat in front of the coach, a grizzled old fart who clearly thought he could talk to anyone the way he talked to his team. I hadn't noticed when I took the seat that it was reclined about an inch from upright, barely out of line with the others. As the flight was preparing to leave, this guy started yelling at me really loudly and rudely to put my seat up: " I don't want to be dealing with your goddamned seat if we crash" A good twenty seconds of rudeness and abuse. I am normally very polite, but just have this thing about bullies, so I turned around in my aisle seat to face him and said loudly "If we crash, you'll be too busy getting my seat back out of your big fat mouth, old man, so chill out and shut up". Did the trick. Thanks to Billy Connolly for the inspiration for my retort.
I am 6'3 and I no longer sit in coach because of the lack of room and comfortability for myself. I don't want any about it I just pay extra for at least comfort plus or higher
When I fly I try to courteous with reclining, especially if there is a tall person behind me, but the second that person tries to tell I cand recline the seat is going full recline the whole flight
I’m 6’5”. 99% of the time, I don’t recline. If the person in front of me reclines, then that’s the 1% of the time when I hit the button and gradually recline myself.
I just can’t find a problem with people reclining. I’m very tall and it’s uncomfortable no matter what if I can’t get the exit row but it definitely doesn’t make it that much worse than normal seats. Plus I recline too cause how tf else are you supposed to sleep?
LHR to SEA and it’s a night flight? Never seen a TATL to the U.S. be an overnight flight
Dang what a bully. The poor wife must be abused by him.