I have never had a problem with the passenger in front of me reclining their seat.
But then I'm only 5'6" tall.

I'm 6'1" and it bothers me, though some airlines aren't bad. What would make me mad is that "Knee Defender" they're advertising on that link! If I found out the passenger behind me was using that on a 16 hour flight I may need to be subdued as well!

I paid for that seat & all that comes with it.

I have seen instances where a simple courtesy would have gone a long way on the plane.

On a number of occasions, I have moved seats so a family can sit together.

On the other hand, I have seen obnoxious passengers absolutely refuse to move to allow a mother to sit next to her child..

On flights the reclining of the seat has not bothered me.

I had this happen on one flight.

What bothers me is the individual behind me kicking my seat.

I offered to trade seats with the father so he could feel his sons kicking, however he declined. The stewardess talked to the father and youngster about 10 year old and that did not do anything. The flight was full and i had to endure.

Comment found on internet regarding seat recline, cheap airfares and results….


Good morning. This is your captain. We'll be cruising today at an altitude of 30,000 feet, and we expect to arrive at our destination on time. Then we'll spend 45 minutes on the tarmac waiting for a gate to open up, because apparently, the airport folks had no idea we were coming.
Our flight crew will be coming through the cabin shortly to offer you a choice of lukewarm beverages along with a tiny chemical-infused snack that wouldn't sustain a gerbil through a cold night. You're welcome to take a nap, if you can sleep through me coming on the intercom to inform you of things you couldn't care less about.
And if there's anything we can do to make your flight more pleasant, please let us know so we can figure out if there's a way to charge you for it.
But I want to make a special announcement today. My last flight got diverted because a couple of knuckleheads started screaming and throwing things at each other. Turns out one of them wanted to recline a seat and the other took offense. I really hate detours. So let me tell you how it's going to be.
You all bought a ticket for a seat that reclines, which means if you want to recline, you're entitled to do it. I'm not saying you should. Just because you're free to spend the entire flight sobbing to your seatmates about your breakup or berating them with your opinion of Barack Obama doesn't mean it's a considerate thing to do. Just because you are allowed to scratch and belch en route doesn't mean your mother would approve.
But if we wanted to prevent our passengers from reclining, we would install seats that don't recline. So if the person in front of you leans back, you have several options. You can politely ask if he or she would mind not reclining, or at least not reclining quite so far. You can buy him or her a drink as an incentive.
You can pull out a twenty-dollar bill and pay an old-fashioned cash bribe. Heck, I don't care if you offer sexual favors, as long as they don't happen on board. If nothing else works, you can weep and beg.
What you can't do is use a "Knee Defender" to block the seat from reclining. You can't push against the seat until the other person returns the seat to its upright position. You can't scream and swear and throw things. If you do, we'll land at the nearest airport and let the cops put you in a seat you'll find even less comfy.
If our policy offends you, let me make some suggestions. Next time, buy a seat that has extra legroom. Or upgrade to first class. Or patronize one of the airlines whose seats don't budge.
Or just forget flying. I hear Amtrak cars have more room than airline cabins. You could get in your car and drive. You could stay home.
But if being stuck with a reclining seat in your face bothers you so much, let me bring out the world's smallest violin to play a microscopic sad song. Your ancestors probably came across the ocean in steerage, crammed into dim spaces with smelly strangers for weeks at a time, fighting off rats and scurvy.
Or they may have come in slave ships against their will, where they had a truly excellent chance of dying. They may have crossed the continent in a bone-jarring covered wagon eating buffalo jerky three meals a day.
_And you? You have to endure modestly cramped quarters for a few hours to be transported vast distances they would have needed weeks or months to cover. Boo friggin' hoo.
Face it, people: You've made it clear you want a low price more than you want comfort, so this airline has provided it, often losing money in the process. That's why we have to charge for bags and meals that used to cost you nothing. Factor in inflation, and you pay a whole lot less than passengers did back in 1979.
If you were willing to pony up for more space, my employer would be happy to install a La-Z-Boy for every traveler. But you're cheap. You squeeze every nickel till Thomas Jefferson screams. And then you wonder why we pack you in so tight.
So be grateful for the bargain fare. And notice: It's not spelled F-A-I-R.

GREAT POST !! Not only funny but, unfortunately all too accurate! One of these days airlines will have a downturn and possibly,just possibly become more accommodating . They should remember that "The asses you kick on the way up and the ones you kiss on the way down !!

If you're on a 16 hour overnight flight, go ahead and recline your seat. Heck, if you're on a 3 hour flight and it's early morning or late evening, go ahead and recline your seat.

On the 45 minute flight from Chicago to Detroit or Minneapolis, you do not need to recline your seat, making it impossible for me to open my laptop and work. Or, at a minimum, turn around and ask if it's OK. I agree it's your seat, you paid for it, and if you're tired and want to sleep and you're courteous about it, you have every right to recline. But if you're just reclining because you want to, and it's a short flight, and it encroaches the space of the guy behind you, show some common courtesy.

And for those of you sitting behind me, if you're under the age of 60 and unable to stand up from a seated position without assistance, you need to do some sit ups for crying out loud. Grabbing the back of my seat and pulling yourself up and then letting my seat spring forward is just not cool, unless you're disabled or elderly.

If you're dragging your wheeled bag down the aisle because you're too lazy to carry it, and it's banging every seat along the way because it's clearly too wide to fit, just pick the freaking bag up and carry it. I mean, come on.

Common courtesy and avoiding laziness on an airplane goes a long way toward keeping the peace when you're stuffing a few hundred people into a small metal cylinder barely large enough to hold them all.

Thanks for letting me get all that off my chest.

I'm 6'2" so legroom is always an issue in coach but the reclining feature is built in to the seat so I don't mind if people use it ahead of me. The only thing that I hate is when they slam it back quickly, it doesn't give you time to get out of the way.

I always recline my seat about 1/3rd of the way, pause and then slowly recline it the rest of the way. This lets the person behind me have enough time to move computer screens, uncross their legs, etc.

i agree. it's my seat, it will recline, i paid for it. it's not my problem if the guy behind me wants to use his laptop. i do it slowly, but i still do it. if his work is that important, he should get a business seat. and i don't give a damn if the flight is 30 minutes or 13 hours.....

I also paid for the entire space in my seat area, from your seat back (in the upright position) to my seat back. I never recline my seat and I wish all seats were locked in the upright position so no one can complain.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I have seen instances where a simple courtesy would have gone a long way on the plane.

On a number of occasions, I have moved seats so a family can sit together.

On the other hand, I have seen obnoxious passengers absolutely refuse to move to allow a mother to sit next to her child..

I ask only that nobody recline until it is announced it is allowed, that one not pummel or kick the seat ahead of them unnecessarily, and that one not thrust back into ones seat excessively either, spilling drinks off the tray behind them. I have moved when asked, and appreciate it when people have moved for me. ninety percent of the people are considerate in my experience.

quote:

ninety percent of the people are considerate in my experience.

Sadly, my experience suggests a lower percentage. But being considerate is the touchstone. Just because you paid for it doesn't mean you have to be a jerk about it. Be considerate of the people around you.

quote:

Originally posted by BuffNut:


On the 45 minute flight from Chicago to Detroit or Minneapolis, you do not need to recline your seat , making it impossible for me to open my laptop and work.

.

On a 45 minute flight you don't need to play on your laptop.

You have no special right to say when you should or should not be allowed to use the back of my seat for your in-flight office.

It's the back of my seat. Not your seat. I decide when to recline it and for how long.

I guess the point is - the back of your seat is the front of my seat and - more importantly - my workspace, since my tray is attached to the back of your seat. When you recline it, it decreases the amount of usable space I have to work in. We have to SHARE the space behind you. If people are courteous and civil to each other, there's never a problem. But it's rude to jam your seat back into my laptop or limit my space on a short flight.

If the whole world worked on "It's mine and I'll do whatever I want with it" regardless of how it affects other people, we'd be in a pretty sorry state. Come to think of it. . . .

quote:

Originally posted by Muletrain:

quote:

Originally posted by BuffNut:
On the 45 minute flight from Chicago to Detroit or Minneapolis, you do not need to recline your seat , making it impossible for me to open my laptop and work.

On a 45 minute flight you don't need to play on your laptop.

You have no special right to say when you should or should not be allowed to use the back of my seat for your in-flight office. It's the back of my seat. Not your seat. I decide when to recline it and for how long.

Correct! Just because it is a one hour flight for some passengers does not mean that it is not the last leg in a 36 hour jet-lag filled journey for others! It is not the job of other passengers to make it easy for you to "work" on a flight. If you really want to work on flights, go private! If you or your firm can't swing that, then I suspect the 45 minutes of "work" time on a commuter flight really isn't all that important anyway.

So as long as everyone sees it your way they will all get a long? You should read your own words.
The world of travel was a better place before people started dragging laptops around. I can't help it if you think you need to work. Find a seat behind a 5 year old. If I want to sleep because I have been up 24 hours you better leave me alone.

quote:

Originally posted by BuffNut:
If the whole world worked on "It's mine and I'll do whatever I want with it" regardless of how it affects other people, we'd be in a pretty sorry state. Come to think of it. . . .

quote:

Originally posted by BuffNut:
I guess the point is - the back of your seat is the front of my seat and - more importantly - my workspace, since my tray is attached to the back of your seat. When you recline it, it decreases the amount of usable space I have to work in. We have to SHARE the space behind you. If people are courteous and civil to each other, there's never a problem. But it's rude to jam your seat back into my laptop or limit my space on a short flight.. . . .

The point is it is not your WORKSPACE per se. It is how you choose to use it. Should I also ask you to close your laptop as the light from the screen interferes with my nap?

Would you be considerate then?

I have had short flights at the end of 30 hours travel. Last thing I need to deal with at that point is whiney commuters that can't organize their lives and have to work on the plane.

Buffnut:

I do agree with your comment about grabbing the seat to get up. This drives me nuts. On a flight from AMS to DTW recently I asked the guy behind me not to grab my seat. He said he couldn't get up without grabbing my seat. I said, "How do you get up from a chair at home?"

fork lift???