To think it's actually OK to recline your seat on a long haul flight?

That's me, sorry 😅

I usually go business on a long haul, but work send us to the US cattle class a couple of times a year. If I'm taking a 10+ flight in cattle, I'm getting as comfy as possible for as long as possible. Wing or front row ideally so nobody reclines on me.

And then that opens up questions about the arseholes who happily snore on a flight too.

Totally agree

It just depends on direction of travel. Most people will sleep east to avoid jetlag, so flying to Asia or from US to UK it's reasonable to recline immediately to sleep. Flying west, no, stay sitting up to watch films, eat or whatever. Up/ down you don't recline as it's the same time zone.

Why are people arseholes for reclining on a 2 hour flight? For all you know that person has just got off a flight from Australia or London and now has a 2 hour internal flight. If they are tired, recline away if the seats have the facility to do this! It’s never black and white. You can’t know what or how many flights a person has been on before they end up in the seat in front of you reclined!! Yes upright for meals but at all other times reclining is absolutely fine

Seats made to recline. If I'm traveling and I need a snooze or more comfortable position, I recline whether it's a one hour or 14 hour flight. If you need more space or feel your comfortable travel is more important than mine, find an alternative way to travel.

Agreed. Tall is far from the only thing that might mean someone needed a bit of room, or wanted to choose to pay for it.

Of course it’s ok to recline a seat that’s been designed to recline, except during meal times.

Really they need to change aeroplane seats to those slide forward ones where you reduce your own space by reclining, not that of the person behind.

I think that reclining is fine - but not throughout the entire flight and not during meal service.

My one bugbear though is people who think there should be one rule for some and
another rule for others. If one person on the flight can recline, everyone can. If the person in front of me has reclined, I’m not going to sit in reduced space just because the person behind is “tall”.

I’m Australian so have done my share of long haul flights. I’ve never been on a flight when passengers have been allowed to have seats reclined during meal service. The flight attendants will wake them up if necessary.

I only recline to sleep, after the lights are dimmed. At that time the majority of the cabin is reclined so it works. People who recline on a 2 hr daytime flight are arseholes. But equally people who get aggressive when you recline to sleep in the middle of the night are also arseholes. My poor 6’1 15yo was so worried about upsetting someone he kept his seat upright for 24 hours Sydney-London. Fortunately on the way back we were allocated the back row so he could recline the entire way and he had no one sitting in front of him. Best flight of his life he says.

@Hulabalu

bulkhead seats are used for the bassinets for infants, plus they are also used for people with limit mobility as often near toilets. Exit rows are for able bodied adults only - you can usually book them by paying extra. My dh is 6ft and if we want extra legroom we know we need to pay, we don’t because I’m a cheapskate!

It’s not right to do it through meal service but once that’s done it’s fine. If they didn’t want you to it would not go back.

For those saying to only recline in the evening... As someone who travels regularly through multiple timezones between North America, South America, UK and Australia, sometimes on 3 or 4 consecutive flights... I don't care if it's 'daytime'- I will recline if I'm tired and need to sleep on a 35+ hour duration journey!!
Never before the meal has been cleared away though, that's common courtesy ..

For sleep/after lights dimmed definitely but not during dinner or food service

I had that coming back from NYC this year, but I asked cabin crew to tell them twice to put their chair back up for mealtimes at least .
I was a bit annoyed that I even had to ask them to do that. They should have been on it.

Because the back row doesn’t usually recline, so someone is going to get a raw deal.

No. It isnt ok.
I wish they would just remove reclining chairs.
Its just so selfish. There is barely any room anyway so why would you think its OK to reduce that even further?

The person who sat in front of me on Tuesday night

reclined as soon as she could
remained reclined during meal service
remained reclined when she lay down using the empty seat next to her

Ok tall and able bodied then !

Exit rows can only have able bodied people sat in them who are suitable to help in an emergency. Not obese, not elderly, not infirm, not a child, no infants on laps, not pregnant, not disabled, able to understand instructions and willing. Being tall may not necessarily meet this criteria. Bulkheads are usually used for people with disabilities or babies as the extra room can allow for a basinet.

Not at meal times of course and I wouldn't straightaway but I think it's perfectly fine. If you weren't meant to then the seats wouldn't.

I wouldn't have an issue with the person in front reclining and to the poster with the toddler on her knee, others shouldn't be inconvenienced because you've decided to save money.

Or maybe they’re just tired and need to recline to sleep

I do think airlines should reserve exit & bulk head seats for tall people though and not make them pay . If you’re 6’3” in economy it’s just inhumane . I know from a friend

If the lights are off for sleeping = fine

Any other time, it’s antisocial and you’re an asshole

Just recline! Except be prepared to be told by the air stewards to put your chair up during meal times !