Reclining your seat when flying

[GB]

I was just reading an article on flying and there was a huge discussion about whether or not it is rude to recline your seat. Please answer the poll and discuss here.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

The seat recline, so how can it be considered rude. Are the seats too close together, yes.

 

[GB]

The argument that the author made, and many of the readers agreed with, is that it is rude because you are putting your comfort over the person behind you.

 

[ChefJune]

I said no, but I'll qualify that. Only a small tilt is really okay, and please tell the person behind you first.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

The argument that the author made, and many of the readers agreed with, is that it is rude because you are putting your comfort over the person behind you.

I do put my comfort over the the person behind me, but only so far as I am allowed by the reclining seat...the seat that is just like theirs.

 

[Zhizara]

I have made many flights in my lifetime and it has never been a problem if the person in front of me reclined their seat.

 

[Andy M.]

Each person has the option to recline to maintain the same distance from the seat in front of them as when not reclined. I do recline at times and accept that the person in front of me has the right to recline as well.

I hate to fly because it's a constant discomfort from partially undressing and redressing at the security gate prior to boarding until I get off the plane and collect baggage. I'm over six feet tall and the seats are too close together. I'm never comfortable, ever. You're entitled to any comfort you can get reasonably. Reclining is reasonable.

 

[Selkie]

Comfort is just about the only thing that's "free" these days on the airlines, and as one who has more than a million air miles, and is a private pilot, I'm not always interested in staring out the window. I'd often prefer to take a nap - and back goes the seat, which was designed to do that. Now, I may not put it all of the way, but only part of the way, depending on whether there's anyone seated directly behind me.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Each person has the option to recline to maintain the same distance from the seat in front of them as when not reclined. I do recline at times and accept that the person in front of me has the right to recline as well.

I hate to fly because it's a constant discomfort from partially undressing and redressing at the security gate prior to boarding until I get off the plane and collect baggage. I'm over six feet tall and the seats are too close together. I'm never comfortable, ever. You're entitled to any comfort you can get reasonably. Reclining is reasonable.

I agree with Andy, when I started flying it was kind of special. Now it is about the worst form of travel. The reclining seats were never a problem to me. The worst for me was the middle seat. I could never get comfortable in those things.

 

[Bigjim68]

I think the level of comfort for the passenger behind your tilted seat depends on the size of this person. I am tall, and barely have room with the seat forward. However, I figure this is my problem and not the person's ahead of me.

The hassle of flying today is almost not worth it. I try to get an emergency exit seat, although now some airlines are charging extra for these seats. Time was you got them if you looked liked you could help others in the event of an emergency. Barring that, I opt for an aisle seat.

 

[taxlady]

I feel that it's a passenger's right to recline their seat. That being said, be reasonable.

Don't move the seat too quickly. I hate when my meal or drink goes in my lap because the person in front of me "sproinged" their seat, with my tray attached to the back of their seat.

It's nicer if you raise your seat during meals.

If you have a seat in the second to last row, please remember that the people behind you cannot recline their seats.

Please keep your kids from kicking the seat in front.

I'm not rich, but I am seriously considering going business class next time. My last trip had me in pain from trying to sleep in the stupid seats (overnight flight to Europe). I slept on a foam mattress while I was in Denmark. It would have been fine if I wasn't already sore all over. I never stopped being sore until we missed our connection in Paris, so Air France put us up in a hotel with lovely beds.

 

[jennyema]

The argument that the author made, and many of the readers agreed with, is that it is rude because you are putting your comfort over the person behind you.

Why is that rude?

 

[Skittle68]

I've done a lot of flying and it never even occurred to me that it was rude for the person in front of me to put their seat back. Maybe because I'm only 5' tall, but it never even crossed my mind. The seats only go back so far for that reason.

 

[CharlieD]

Being a foreigner let me tell what I think. Please do not be offended, but this is how Americans are viewed on the outside. Rude and self-centered. Please understand this is not my opinion it is opinion of the world. Even if majority of you are nothing like that, the minority of those that goes traveling around the world and act like the world belongs to them create that opinion in spite of decent folks. But even further, can I blame them? Absolutely not. Thank G-d America has been a wonderful country up until now. People grew up in comfort and did not have to make any personal sacrifices, thank G-d for that. (it may change in the future, but that is a separate discussion)
So for many comfort of others is non-issue, because comfort of others did not suffer when you were comfortable. Big cars, big houses, big hamburgers. There was plenty of everything for everybody. People grew up what seems from outside selfish, where in fact they simply grew up as comfortable as a next guy, everybody were comfortable, nobody needed to think about comfort of a person behind , because that person was just as comfortable.
Now, about the plain and the seating. Todays’ plains are packed at least one third more full than the ones in the olden days, btw, by olden days I mean 15-20 years ago only. At one time even if you reclined you could not possible make a person behind uncomfortable. Just like airline food is a thing of the history so is comfortable seats and the leg space. It doesn't exist anymore. What still exist are reclining seats, and No they are not comfortable, neither for you nor even more for the guy behind you if you choose to recline. But we have not come to understanding of this problem; we still think that we are all comfortable. Believe me, we are not. That is why I said Yes.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I agree with Andy, when I started flying it was kind of special. Now it is about the worst form of travel.

Boy oh boy, I agree completely. I used to love to fly and still remember a time when airlines would pander to their customers. These days, flying has become pure hell. The rude and arrogant TSA people aside, all the airlines seem to care about is squeezing as many seats as they can into their planes - passenger comfort be damned. And at what point did flight attendants become so surly? I've found that you really have to be careful how you word any request, lest you get the stink-eye from the host/hostess.

Rant over.

I do recline my seat (hey, it's one of the few in-flight things you're actually allowed to do anymore), but always try to be mindful of the person behind me.

 

[GB]

Why is that rude?

I actually have no idea. I made this thread because it had never occurred to me that it was rude. When I read that article though and the discussion that followed I found I was in the minority, at least with that one group of people.

I do not find anything rude about it. I recline my seat slowly the second I am allowed to and I leave it reclined until the second I am allowed. One one flight I took my seat was broken and could not recline. That was my most miserable flight ever.

For those that said they have no problem reclining because everyone can recline, how do you feel when you are talking about the last row that van not recline?

 

[bethzaring]

For domestic flights, I think it is rude to recline your seat. It imposes on the space of the person behind you. My current personal mode is to never recline my seat. It gains so little comfort it is not worth imposing on the person behind you. I do not like for people sitting in front of me to recline their seats. Space is so limited on planes, and flying is uncomfortable, that I feel people can sit upright for 1 to 4 hours of time.

I have flown over 200 flights in my life.

 

[Kayelle]

I've flown many long distance flights all over the world in the last four years, and all of them have been on coach. It's a killer when it comes to comfort no matter how you look at it. I can't imagine not reclining, or expecting anyone in front of me to sit straight up for that amount of time.
It's not a matter of being rude, and my guess is that those who think so, don't have much experience with flying. I remember a long haul night flight to Tahiti, when I told the flight attendant I couldn't figure out why I couldn't recline my seat. It turned out the woman behind me was bent over and had her head wedged up against the back of my seat, sound asleep. I'm sure the woman was plenty po'd when the attendant woke sleeping beauty, so I could recline and try to sleep too. Having said all that, it's just common courtesy to not recline during meals with tray tables down, and I've seen attendants request the same.
TL, I hear you about business class to Europe. I'm going to be spoiled rotten next week when we'll finally fly nonstop Los Angeles to London with business class because of all our air miles. Dang, the seat lays flat with feet up!!

 

[jennyema]

For domestic flights, I think it is rude to recline your seat. It imposes on the space of the person behind you. My current personal mode is to never recline my seat. It gains so little comfort it is not worth imposing on the person behind you. I do not like for people sitting in front of me to recline their seats. Space is so limited on planes, and flying is uncomfortable, that I feel people can sit upright for 1 to 4 hours of time.

I have flown over 200 flights in my life.

Seats were meant to recline for the sitter's comfort. I don't think it's rude at all to recline your seat slowly, as long as a meal isn't being served -- unlikley occurance these days.

I used to live in Boston and work in Washington DC and flew down and back every week. For 4 years. I reclined if I wanted to.

 

[FrankZ]

I have done a lot of flights, both domestic and international, short haul, long haul, planes big and small. A couple of times the seats wouldn't recline, otherwise I will recline my seat to be comfortable. I don't believe your space on the plane is vertical. The space under seat in front of you is part of what you are paying for, under your seat belongs to someone else.

I do find it annoying when people feel the need to recline at high rates of speed, or are back and forth.