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

I have no issue with someone reclining but the “I will do as I please” attitude and super angry about it to boot, I find difficult. Basic courtesy would really go a long way on flights.

No they wouldn’t be moved as it’s up to them if they want to cross their legs - and you couldn’t recline your seat as that poster said once they’ve crossed their legs there’s no space. And of course they wouldn’t stand for you .

You would possibly be moved if they had spare seats but on many flights there’s none.

Fucking hell what world are you living in? You honestly would expect someone sat behind you to stand on a flight so that you can lounge back? Unreal. You are utterly deluded.

Your comfort does not come first to anyone but yourself. If you cannot recline because someone’s legs physically prevent it, that’s tough luck I’m afraid. You’ll get nowhere trying to force them to stand!

I think they mean why should they be impacted personally when someone sitting in front of a shorter person just lounge until their hearts were content?

I get what you are saying completely , truly I do , but it's giving the decision to individuals to exercise their own free will and who you are sat behind/ in front of is down to luck. It's not their problem essentially.

I have a bad back which would be made worse by sitting upright (and even if I didn't l like chilling back on a plane with headphones and a drink etc dozing off ) so I would absolutely expect them or me to be moved or them to stand
if they are risking injury by flying dependent on some mug sat in front of them not being able to relax then they are batshit nuts.

Never understood why using a seat function as intended gets people worked up so much. I don’t love it when the person in front reclines, but I just tend to take that as my cue to do the same. And in fact I couldn’t sit bolt upright for an extended flight now.

It’s airlines squeezing space more and more that is at fault, not passengers wanting economy long haul to be a bit less awful.

As for upgrading to business if you want to recline - well the same could be said about not wanting others to recline into your space. Pay for business and nobody using their seat as designed is going to impact you at all.

So you would physically injury someone sat behind you?

I would then expect you to be moved or for staff to find a solution

If I’m in front of you my seat is going back -
your comfort in no way trumps mine (and is of absolutely no interest to me as you need to make your own arrangements for this regarding your long legs ) if this would cause you injury then I suggest you only fly EP or BC or don’t fly

my seat is going back whoever is behind me be they 7foot tall or 25 stones

its going back- as it is designed to do -
end of

I will Not allow hot drinks passed over me I insist it’s passed to me as low as my table and then I slide it across my table onto theirs, OR they wait for me (and my kids back in the day to get out of our seats)
I was scalded when I was four
no hot drinks going over me ever thanks x

I blame Mr O'Leary for some of the missconceptions over ticket pricing (even he now reckons he may have spun this in correctly).

When people think they should pay less for a shorthaul flight than for parking at the airport, or think the airline is making much if any profit on a £300 or £400 ticket on a >10 hour flight (especially when HMG takes the first £90 in APD) the industry has done a bad job at educating people.

TBH many companies will be carrying many econ passengers at a loss, it's the premium cabins where the profit is made.

I have long legs and am most comfortable in my seat with my legs crossed. In this position my knee literally touches the seat in front and there is no space for the person in front of me to recline, even if they try to! I’ve only ever had one person get upset with me, but I’m not quite sure what she expected me to do - chop my leg off?!

Not so. What is your source of information?

Profit margins are relatively small. A significant number of airlines in the UK and mainland Europe have financially collapsed since 2000.

Yes, but it's big numbers game across the board, for example your typical.Long Haul twin can cost $30,000 an hour to fly, and A380 pushing maybe $50,000 an hour.

..so yes the profits look massive but to gain perspective you need to divide profit (after tax) by passengers conveyed ....that typically works out at around £5 to £10 per passenger carried over the reporting period...

There simply isn't the headroom for the airlines to cut much off fares and charges without going into the red.

Also bear in mind many airlines are still recovering financially from the Covid years, and no doubt tucking some of that profit away in the bank for the next downturn - and there will be one.

Economy Longhaul is still, generally very very good value.

And airlines make massive profits !!

You can copy/paste my initial reply, I cannot be bothered.

What is your evidence for it only being in the last 5 to 10 years?

I have been flying internationally for over 30 years and cannot say I have noticed any change in the reclining of seats.

Agreed and of course people will continue to use the recline function on their seat.
What next, not using the tv screen, the reading light, the window blind, the tray.... all options provided for passengers.
If anyone does not agree, speak to the cabin crew... I can already tell you what they'll say

Very true...

If you look hard enough It's still possible to get the sort of economy seat pitch available thirty years ago, with added modern knobs and bells like seat back video and in seat charging, for what you would have paid in real terms in the nineties..but in Economy plus.

Current basic economy Long Haul fares, when put through an inflation calculator, can be an absolute steal verses what used to be paid a generation ago, even with what the UK Gov takes out by way of APD.

And thats fine. Blinds down ,lights dimmed- recline at your leisure. Just boarded-dump your seat into the next row for the duration. Unacceptable.

There is a dotted line joining airline pricing ( we all enjoy relatively cheap air travel) and comfort.

I don't think it's new.

On many Long Haul daytime flights, certainly with the legacy carriers, a lot/all blinds come down after the first meal service ( I think that's a shame but it helps those that need sleep or helps with the IFE) and a high percentage of the seats get reclined to some degree...been like that for at least 20-30 years.

Its really not. Dumping your economy seat into someone's lap outside of sleep time is so selfish and a relatively new problem - maybe the last 5-10 years? No manners, no insight, utterly thoughtless.l

I fly AA and BA to the U.S a lot and they do tell you to put seat up during take off, landing and meal times.
Any other time is fine.

I don't know if it's possible on all airlines, but I always book an exit-row seat, more leg room, and the seats in front don't recline either, it's cost me a small fortune over the decades, but being 6'4" with a figure to match it's worth it, though one won't be seated there if one has mobility issues, I only travel from Britain to Europe these days, with Easy-jet, they've never let me down (unlike Thomas Cook and Thomson)

Nobody is 'dumping their seat into someone's lap'. 😵‍💫