It's a Plane Etiquette one!! Was I AIBU?

It's all due to lack of space and the general creeping decrease in seat pitch that has been going for years.

Agreed however the issue with the seat sliding forward would be passengers with long legs would really struggle.

They could loose one row of seats and give everyone a couple of inches more space. That wouldn't make much difference to the cost but make flying more comfortable

A meal is always served so I don't believe that you didn't know. And where have you flown that served a hand held pizza? Also even if something light was served, you still need the tray. You were selfish to just recline knowing the meal part was not done. I'm also sure she would have attempted to wake you up and you didn't hear.

Cannot believe that people do not know that you put your seats up when the meals are served on flights.

Why didn’t you ask the cabin crew to tell the people in front to put their seat upright at least when you were eating.

Ah ok! OP is saying the cabin crew member whammed her seat forward, which is a bit harsh. I think they should have woken her like you do.

I blame the cabin designers.
If the seats were designed so that the back remained stationary, and the seat part moved forward to provide the recline, there would be less antagonism between passengers.

Asking passengers to upright their seats during the meal and beverage services.
I have had to wake passengers to ask them to do this but I’ve never actually whammed their seat forward…. although I’ve been tempted a few times 🤣🤣🤣
The recline button is the source of many an air rage incident. I do wish they would get rid of it totally like some of the low cost carriers have.

I think the common denominator may be you.
In my 20+ years of flying, I’ve never treated a woman any differently regardless of which class she’s flying in!
What a ridiculous comment to make.

Tell me you always wanted to be an Air Hostess but got rejected at the interview stage without telling me you wanted to be an Air Hostess!

Do you mean that you ask passengers to upright their seats? Or that you upright them for them without asking them?

I mean eating their meal whilst OP’s seat was reclined, after all she was apparently sock on asleep, it may be awkward but it’s not impossible, I have done it. And it is an option that a kind person might consider

If she had been awake then she would probably put her seat up without being asked and as I said she was unreasonable feeling entitled to put the person behind out.

I work as Cabin Crew and have done for over 20 years so I guess that classes me as well travelled too.
I can assure you that it definitely happens.

@Vive42

The steward probably thought the blanket a little excessive/odd and indeed the reaction received proved them right. They probably thought “got a right one here….”
They won't have thought anything. It's extremely common for people to do this.

It's good plane etiquette that seats are not reclined during the meal service. This has been for every single flight I've ever flown, whether flying east or west, across airlines and whether day or night flight.

I always request the seat in front is upright when eating and I always have my seat upright as soon as I know food is being served.

It's impolite not to.

I’m going to stick my oar in as ex -BA flight crew (waves to former colleagues)

I agree that 3 hours into a late night red eye is a poor choice to start a meal service.

I don’t think anyone planned a meal service three hours in, so either something went wrong on the OPs flight or the narrative is amiss.

Normal routine I saw on those services is as described by @backinthebox and others - airborne and the ovens go on pronto with the aim of getting service done, cabin quiet and some cabin crew away on a break.

Three hours out of JFK eastbound puts you almost mid Atlantic, heading and oft times into daylight.

Im a nervous flyer so I’m awake the entire flight, even on a red eye. Meals help break up the monotony and fear so it’s a welcome distraction.

Do try to remember in life we’re not all the same.

The fact they serve food should be enough for you to realise on a practical level it’s impossible for someone to open their table with you reclined into their table space, no matter what part of flight you’re in.

If it was a food-free flight with no service all well and good but such things don’t exist.

Airlines work round the clock and they assume passengers do too, so food, of course, is served. They don’t make any assumptions… unlike a certain someone with a blanket over their head.

The steward probably thought the blanket a little excessive/odd and indeed the reaction received proved them right. They probably thought “got a right one here….”

Unfortunately when you live only for yourself, you may well get a little roughed up as people remind you it’s not all about you.

Blimey. Not one mention in your posts of the needs or comfort of the person behind you and affected by your reclined seat, OP, just your own.

It was an economy seat on a flight, not a hotel room.

I have never forgiven Virgin Airlines for failing to give me my Gü chocolate pudding for dessert. Everyone else got one and I got missed out, and I didn't speak up, as she had disappeared.

Re timing of meals, on a full economy flight, how long you have to wait for your meal is going to depend at least partly on where you’re sitting - near where one meal trolley starts, or at the arse end - when ‘we are sorry that your choice may not be available’.

BA crew are generous with their mini bottles of G&T and cans to travel weary mid-lifers in my experience. Couple of those and some Penn State pretzels and I'm happy as Larry. Seat upright or not.

If you are being accurate with your recounting of the timings OP, I agree that 3 hours into a late night red eye is a poor choice to start a meal service. Some people want to sleep, some people want to eat, some people want to eat and sleep, that's why every overnighter I've been on cracked on with the meal as soon as they could. Once cleared up the lights get dimmed and that's the signal to recline and sleep.

But, that is what happened, and the person behind you has every right to have their tiny ration of space to eat their meal. Sorry OP, I understand that it inconvenienced you, but you were inconveniencing someone else following the airlines schedule, so what are they supposed to do?

And I don't think reclining in itself is the issue. Its how its done, with consideration (or lack there of) for other people.

Yes, I should have added ‘lighthearted’. 😂

@exomoon I couldn't care less about spelling and grammar it's entirely irrelevant to the post

I love how this has evolved into a discussion about airlines' poor G&T service 😂

I am one of those ghastly people as I love airplane food!

But she made a general comment whereas people are being nasty specifically about her and her spelling/grammar.