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Original poster

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

407 replies

winterwonder1 · 04/07/2025 19:21

I always thought it was just one of those things, but this poll seems to make out it's anti-social behaviour. And that hack is just batshit.

Best life hack to stop air passengers reclining their seat | Chester and District Standard

Flier shares 'best life hack' to stop passengers in front reclining their seat

Traveller shares her 'best life hack', involving a tub of Pringles, but is branded 'pathetic' and 'a horrible person'.

https://www.chesterstandard.co.uk/news/national/uk-today/25287018.best-life-hack-stop-air-passengers-reclining-seat/

OP posts:
Hulabalu · 04/07/2025 22:57

Laserwho · 04/07/2025 19:43

Someone did this to me when I had a toddler on my knee..they didn't like it when my toddler kept knocking into the seat due to lack of room everything he moved. Think before you recline, if there's a toddler on a knee there will not be enough room to do it.

Toddler needs to have own seat , it’s not safe otherwise

Hulabalu · 04/07/2025 22:56

Notmycircusnotmyotter · 04/07/2025 19:49

No. If you want to recline then pay for business.

If you don’t want to be behind someone who reclines then pay for business

Hulabalu · 04/07/2025 22:55

caffelattetogo · 04/07/2025 19:37

I think it’s selfish as it reduces the space the person behind has.

Why can’t they just recline?

Hulabalu · 04/07/2025 22:52

MidnightPatrol · 04/07/2025 19:22

I think it’s v annoying during waking hours, as it just drastically reduces the amount of space the person behind has.

It might not be waking hours for someone travelling from another time zone or who has just worked a night shift and needs to drive when they land …

Tryingtokeepgoing · 04/07/2025 22:52

McCartneyOnTheHeath · 04/07/2025 21:07

I find that you can generally unrecline someone's seat for them with a hard enough shove if you're quite firm with the tray table. 😇

I got upgraded to business class in flight when an irritating person behind me did that once; you should have seen the look on their face 😂 Fortunately I haven’t had to fly long haul economy for some time, so no idea if the crew would still be so accommodating.

Hulabalu · 04/07/2025 22:51

caffelattetogo · 04/07/2025 19:37

I think it’s selfish as it reduces the space the person behind has.

But why can’t they just then recline?

crazeekat · 04/07/2025 22:49

It’s the worse thing to do on a plane. Chairs shouldn’t be able
to move bit when the person in front of me
puts it back then I put mine back but tell the person behind me in going to do it and it’s only as the one in front has done it to me. It’s maddening.

Tryingtokeepgoing · 04/07/2025 22:48

H1lll · 04/07/2025 20:17

The only time it is acceptable to recline is in business or first where you reclining has no impact at all on the person behind

So why do the seats in economy recline then?

EveryDayisFriday · 04/07/2025 22:45

Not been on a plane for 5yrs but love to recline. Last time we managed to book the back row where we could recline without upsetting anyone behind us. It was lush.

Fundayout2025 · 04/07/2025 21:21

Gymmum82 · 04/07/2025 19:53

I really don’t get this. If the person in front has reclined just recline yourself. Then you still got the same amount of space! If everyone reclines everyone has the same space still. It’s really not worth getting angry about. I have no issues reclining or with anyone else doing it regardless of time of day

Am I the only person who finds the reclined seat less comfortable than upright. It hurts my back being in reclined position

notimagain · 04/07/2025 21:20

I think airlines need to invest in the seats where reclining pushes the seat forward instead of the backrest backwards. Then people reclining restrict their own space instead of someone else's.

Easier said than done.

You need to do that without increasing seat weight (feeds into aircraft fuel consumption), increasing complexity (maintenance costs and reliabilty) and comply with the rules around crashworhiness...

BernardButlersBra · 04/07/2025 21:17

Team recline here

Fundayout2025 · 04/07/2025 21:17

Wonder why they going on about passengers from Stansted. Since when have any planes flown long haul from there

McCartneyOnTheHeath · 04/07/2025 21:07

I find that you can generally unrecline someone's seat for them with a hard enough shove if you're quite firm with the tray table. 😇

Zippp · 04/07/2025 21:06

I fly long haul a lot, and I manage jet lag by sleeping on my schedule not the one that the airline might choose. Often I will recline my seat and put eye mask and ear plugs in as soon as I can after take-off. I’m not going to be doing this on a 4-hour flight as the time
difference wont be enough to have to manage my jet lag. But on longer flights if my seat wasn’t reclining I’d ask the flight attendant for help.

socialdilemmawhattodo · 04/07/2025 21:06

SirRodneyEfffing · 04/07/2025 19:28

Yep, we’re taking an 18 hour plane journey in about 10 days. Too right, as soon as meal service is cleared I’ll be reclining as far back as possible. If the person behind feels that restricts their space, then they’re quite at liberty to recline too

This is my view. Meal times everyone upright. Long haul, so potentially sleeping reclining OK. Short haul eg less than 3 hrs perhaps upright all flight would be OK.

SirRodneyEfffing · 04/07/2025 21:01

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 04/07/2025 19:53

I might be getting up to go to the loo and accidentally dropping my open water bottle in your crotch. Sorry!!

Do you have feral kids too? Extra points for that.

Show quote history

Errrr, ok.

You think it’s acceptable to drop your drink on me because I was using the space I’d paid for, but yet you’re assuming my family are feral?

onehorserace · 04/07/2025 20:33

RawBloomers · 04/07/2025 20:15

It’s obviously important for a lot of people to be able to recline on a long haul flight to facilitate sleep, but it’s also unreasonable that it impinges on someone else.

I think airlines need to invest in the seats where reclining pushes the seat forward instead of the backrest backwards. Then people reclining restrict their own space instead of someone else's.

This would be the solution but in the meantime the seats recline the way they do. The airlines policies are that seats can be reclined once altitude is reached and not during meal times. There is no " you can only sleep between x and y" - how ridiculous. If you have an issue with someone reclining a seat during mealtimes then let the cabin crew know. They will deal with it. There are idiots who suddenly slam their seats back but fortunately they seem to be in the minority or it's a faulty seat. If someone were blocking my recline with Pringles or whatever I would alert the cabin crew to it.

Ohthatsabitshit · 04/07/2025 20:31

Recline any time except when meals are served.

mondaytosunday · 04/07/2025 20:29

As someone with long legs I hate it.
I may recline a bit but upright during meals (I mean I can’t eat myself if reclined). The pitch between seats just isn’t big enough and they should restrict it.

godmum56 · 04/07/2025 20:28

Soonenough · 04/07/2025 20:27

@godmum56 If I was in the seat in front and your toddler kept knocking on my seat I would recline or do anything I could to stop it . Why do you think your kid is more important than me. It's this entitled attitude that gets kids on planes a bad name . If your child can't sit still for long which is OK , maybe you should consider alternative ways to accommodate this . Like buy a seat or travel differently . Don't make it other people's problem .

I think you have misread my post. I certainly wouldn't not recline my seat because the person behind had a child on their lap.

Soonenough · 04/07/2025 20:27

@godmum56 If I was in the seat in front and your toddler kept knocking on my seat I would recline or do anything I could to stop it . Why do you think your kid is more important than me. It's this entitled attitude that gets kids on planes a bad name . If your child can't sit still for long which is OK , maybe you should consider alternative ways to accommodate this . Like buy a seat or travel differently . Don't make it other people's problem .

Flupflup · 04/07/2025 20:26

caffelattetogo · 04/07/2025 20:23

Love this idea!

Show quote history

Sounds a great idea !

caffelattetogo · 04/07/2025 20:23

RawBloomers · 04/07/2025 20:15

It’s obviously important for a lot of people to be able to recline on a long haul flight to facilitate sleep, but it’s also unreasonable that it impinges on someone else.

I think airlines need to invest in the seats where reclining pushes the seat forward instead of the backrest backwards. Then people reclining restrict their own space instead of someone else's.

Love this idea!

ScratCat · 04/07/2025 20:23

People should not do it until after the meal service.

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