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AIBU?

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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:
Morgenrot25 · 08/07/2025 05:32

daleylama · 08/07/2025 00:04

Really? She's the rude one here? The entitlement of the recliners in this post is off the scale

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It's not entitlement to do something you seat is designed to do.
Calling nnormal behaviour that you happen not to like 'entitlement" is probably in itself the actual entitlement.
HTH

MyLov · 08/07/2025 02:09

i recline from the minute it’s allowed as it’s uncomfortable for me sat bolt upright. If someone needs more space surely they just recline also? It’s never bothers me at all when the person in front of me reclines, I just recline too! So odd that this has become this huge issue.

Hulabalu · 08/07/2025 00:10

RufustheFactualReindeer · 05/07/2025 15:30

Thank you very much, I am assuming its just the one poster…i hate seats reclining but ive never come across it in economy, i would have totally kicked off 😀

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Are you tall?

Hulabalu · 08/07/2025 00:10

daleylama · 08/07/2025 00:07

You know you've poked the bear with your laid back economy seat. Now you want a fight as well?

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No just want to recline chair & sleep if I feel like it 😃

daleylama · 08/07/2025 00:07

Hulabalu · 06/07/2025 10:02

I manage to get up without grabbing the persons reclined seat in front of me. You lean on your own seat rather than using someone else’s.

But the passag PP mrs archer should be careful about who they’re being passive aggressive to because some people will find a way to retaliate one way or another.

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You know you've poked the bear with your laid back economy seat. Now you want a fight as well?

daleylama · 08/07/2025 00:04

Morgenrot25 · 06/07/2025 21:15

Are you always rude, or just on planes?

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Really? She's the rude one here? The entitlement of the recliners in this post is off the scale

daleylama · 08/07/2025 00:01

Morgenrot25 · 06/07/2025 21:15

Are you always rude, or just on planes?

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So dumping your seat into someone's lap us somehow courteous?

daleylama · 08/07/2025 00:00

Hulabalu · 07/07/2025 22:37

Expect retaliation!

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I've been flying long haul for fifty years. Believe me, people know when to keep schtum

Hulabalu · 07/07/2025 23:15

caffelattetogo · 07/07/2025 22:44

They wouldn’t necessarily be knocking your seat deliberately, but if you recline into their (limited) legroom or space to move, stretch or get up and down, you probably will feel them moving around more. Moving on flights is recommended to avoid DVT.

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That PP meant deliberately.
i manage to avoid knocking seat in front & get all my DVT exercises done . It’s very easy & I’m not even a small person

Doingtheboxerbeat · 07/07/2025 22:57

NotMeNoNo · 07/07/2025 21:44

They should just have a rule that you should put your seat upright if staff request you to. e.g during meals, if the passenger behind is taller than average or has some other particular issue. Airlines are using the same old seats designed for comfortable reclining at a reasonable spacing, but have moved them closer together causing these arguments. DH was forced out of his seat to stand in the aisle by a selfish person reclining on our last flight. The man was literally slamming the seat back into DH's knees. You should only recline if there's space to do it safely.

So if my friends are sat in front of short people, they can recline after meals but the one sat behind me is 6 ft 7 so I can't? 🤔 How is this equal and fair and even my problem?
You were right about everything else though, there needs to be a blanket rule for everyone and not different rules for those sitting in front of long legged folk with toddlers on their laps.

Spinachpastapicker · 07/07/2025 22:50

Laserwho · 04/07/2025 19:56

The toddler wouldn't have done a 10 hour flight without cuddles on my knee

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Your toddler is not my or anyone else’s problem.

Recline after food when lights go low and time to nap/watch films etc - fine.

Recline during meal service - annoying.

caffelattetogo · 07/07/2025 22:44

Hulabalu · 07/07/2025 22:37

Expect retaliation!

Show quote history

They wouldn’t necessarily be knocking your seat deliberately, but if you recline into their (limited) legroom or space to move, stretch or get up and down, you probably will feel them moving around more. Moving on flights is recommended to avoid DVT.

notimagain · 07/07/2025 22:40

Hulabalu · 07/07/2025 22:22

I think that’s fair enough if someone is that tall, the seat just isn’t going back & if it does it will cause pain to the person behind. airlines should reserve exit seats for tall people with long legs ( as long as able bodied)

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Varies from aircraft to aircraft but you may only have one exit row that actually gives extra legroom in the basic economy section on some wide bodied aircraft , so maybe 8 or 9 extra leg room seats for 160- 180 economy passengers...I"m not sure how you'd decide who gets those..and of course the airlines would like to be able to charge for their allocation...

I seen the routine calls have started for airlines to be banned from cramming people in but passengers like cheap flights...you can't have basic economy seating with pitches at 1960s or 1970s levels and also enjoy some of the current fares available.

Have to say you can sometimes use seatguru to spot the better seats (e.g. bulkhead) and of course there is economy plus...

Hulabalu · 07/07/2025 22:37

daleylama · 07/07/2025 20:56

Common sense and common courtesy says don't recline unless you want to sleep- preferably when everyone else is doing so. Otherwise expect a trip notable for the back of your seat being regularly pinged, heavily and abruptly leant on and bumped. Especially when you have your eyes closed.

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Expect retaliation!

Hulabalu · 07/07/2025 22:35

caffelattetogo · 07/07/2025 17:08

That’s the thing - I don’t recline because it’s not that much more comfortable for me but it’s much worse for the person behind.

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I’d be very uncomfortable bolt upright , I don’t mind person in front reclining

Hulabalu · 07/07/2025 22:34

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.

Just recline , no need to explain yourself , it’s not a problem

Hulabalu · 07/07/2025 22:31

yakkity · 07/07/2025 13:54

Why when there is a perfectly functioning recline button on the seat?

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Exactly ! Recline away!
exceptions being meal times & if there is someone v tall & long legged behind to whom it would cause pain
airline should upgrade either one of those passengers though imo

Hulabalu · 07/07/2025 22:29

MondayYogurt · 07/07/2025 17:13

Let it be known that I do not care if someone reclines. If you're sitting in front of me, go wild. Hammer that button, I simply couldn't care less.

Agreed!
but I might think differently if I’m 6’4’’

Hulabalu · 07/07/2025 22:27

daleylama · 07/07/2025 20:56

Common sense and common courtesy says don't recline unless you want to sleep- preferably when everyone else is doing so. Otherwise expect a trip notable for the back of your seat being regularly pinged, heavily and abruptly leant on and bumped. Especially when you have your eyes closed.

Show quote history

why not just recline your seat instead of being a baby about it ? Maybe the person in front needs to sleep?

Hulabalu · 07/07/2025 22:24

NotMeNoNo · 07/07/2025 21:44

They should just have a rule that you should put your seat upright if staff request you to. e.g during meals, if the passenger behind is taller than average or has some other particular issue. Airlines are using the same old seats designed for comfortable reclining at a reasonable spacing, but have moved them closer together causing these arguments. DH was forced out of his seat to stand in the aisle by a selfish person reclining on our last flight. The man was literally slamming the seat back into DH's knees. You should only recline if there's space to do it safely.

I would think that is the rule .
airlines should not be allowed to cram people in like they do,

Hulabalu · 07/07/2025 22:22

krne · 06/07/2025 23:25

I have never reclined and can't stand it when the person in front of me does.
We had issues on our last flights as my husband and son are both 6ft4" and the people in front couldn't recline due to their legs. One woman was absolutely screaming at us but there was physically nothing they could do about it.

I think that’s fair enough if someone is that tall, the seat just isn’t going back & if it does it will cause pain to the person behind. airlines should reserve exit seats for tall people with long legs ( as long as able bodied)

NotMeNoNo · 07/07/2025 21:44

They should just have a rule that you should put your seat upright if staff request you to. e.g during meals, if the passenger behind is taller than average or has some other particular issue. Airlines are using the same old seats designed for comfortable reclining at a reasonable spacing, but have moved them closer together causing these arguments. DH was forced out of his seat to stand in the aisle by a selfish person reclining on our last flight. The man was literally slamming the seat back into DH's knees. You should only recline if there's space to do it safely.

notimagain · 07/07/2025 21:34

It's at about this point in threads on this subject (this isn't the first)I remember why some of my former colleagues had fond memories of flying freight around....

daleylama · 07/07/2025 21:02

ThistleTits · 06/07/2025 21:12

As long as you remember the passenger behind you may be eating, even when you have finished. Pretty difficult to recline when eating and drinking.

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Just remember that the pax behind you may then need to lean heavily on your seat numerous times as they get in and out of theirs, or even extend their knees into the back of your reclined seat

daleylama · 07/07/2025 20:59

yakkity · 07/07/2025 13:54

Why when there is a perfectly functioning recline button on the seat?

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Yes, there is- and also perfectly functioning pax behind you who may need to lean heavily on your seat because they can't get out of their seat otherwise