Airplanes and reclining seats

[MrsCampbellBlack]

So on flight with infant daughter on lap and woman in front keeps reclining her seat leaving us with very little space to even breathe. Not surprisingly DD gets a little ahem upset and screams loudly - god so loudly! Woman in front does lots of tutting.

Stewards asked her to put seat up but she reclines it as soon as they go away.

So am I mad to think she was being incredibly inconsiderate or is it just part and parcel of plane travel.

Other passengers utterly charming and Airplane staff agreed she was a nightmare but nothing they could do.

[BupcakesandCunting]

Hmmm. I flew at seven months pregnant with severe SPD/back pain and still didn't need to recline. My logic being that if I spend time sat in cars/buses/trains/chairsa at home/restaurants/work without being semi-reclined, I could probably manage another three hours on a plane without it.

[MrsCampbellBlack]

My child was not kicking her seat. I have said that I think

And the woman reclined her seat as soon as she was able to and kept it like that until she was told to put it up for food/landing.

So not like I caused it.

But hey its AIBU so of course it must in some way be my fault and probably the other lady probably had some pressing problem that meant her seat needed to be reclined

[squeakytoy]

Bruxeur, try it. Logically if you tilt something backwards, like a chair, the bottom bit of it then slopes away from you. It may be closer to your head, but it is slightly further from your knees.

And yes, I dont need extra legroom, however my husband does and on the occasions when we havent sat in extra legroom seats, he just accepts that he may be uncomfortable, he certainly doesnt begrudge the person in front reclining their seat.

[AbsDuCroissant]

I would LOVE to fly bupcakes airline, it sounds fabulous.

I think it is one of the most controversial topics in the world - recline or not recline. I had one daft woman who decided it was her "right" to decline her bloody seat at every opportunity, even when the were going into descent, and even after the air steward told her to put her seat up, as she was putting the life of the person behind her (me) into danger. She even reclined her seat while we were taxiing. Moron.

I think the rules should be - flight of 3 hours or less, especially during day/afternoon - no reclining. Or if you're going to, ask. Early morning/night time/over three hours (particularly overnight 11 hour flights to Jo'burg) - can recline, but don't be a pain in the arse about it.

On one of my most recent flights, these two women started screaming at each other at about 3 am "if you wanted to recline, you should have booked first class!" which I thought was a bit uncool, and stupid, as it was a medium haul overnight flight.

[MrsCampbellBlack]

She also kept getting up to go and chat to her DH who was sat further down the plane and left her seat reclined then.

I just don't think she gave anyone else a thought.

It was her right to recline her seat and she exercised it.

[bruxeur]

Try it?? Head off to LAX right this sec and barge to the front of a queue?

I will instead use the combination of past experience and a functioning memory, thank you.

[dreamingbohemian]

YANBU

I don't get all this 'oh it's so uncomfortable to sit upright for a couple hours'... do you recline your chair at work? on the tube? on the bus?

I have had back problems and I sympathise but that's my problem, not the problem of whoever is sitting behind me.

If you really need to recline your seat, nicely ask the person behind you, and if it's a problem the air stewards will gladly help rearrange seats.

There is actually a plastic device you can buy that prevents the seat in front of you from being reclined, but I think airlines are trying to ban them because it's actually led to fistfights on board.

[BupcakesandCunting]

Bruxeur is bringing the LOLZ to this thread

[MrsCampbellBlack]

Oh yes - overnight and long haul its a totally different matter and I would of course expect people to recline.

But anyway - am just going to wait for Bupcakes airline and fly that with all the likeminded people. We will all be terribly polite to each other and it will be delightful.

[worraliberty]

But hey its AIBU so of course it must in some way be my fault and probably the other lady probably had some pressing problem that meant her seat needed to be reclined

Yes, that's my point. She could well have had a problem that you are unaware of. It doesn't necessarily mean she's a nightmare.

[squeakytoy]

When I fly to LA, we go Premium, wider seats, more legroom... and .... wait for it... extra recline .

[Groovee]

I was in a seat on a flight to new york when the girl in front of me reclined the seat and the boyfriend was laying practically on top of her. My biggest bug bear is when people recline while you are eating and you spill everything.

[BupcakesandCunting]

The fucking idiot woman who was sat in front of me on the way back from Corfu had her seat reclined as soon as she sat down, whilst everyone was still boarding. I had to ask her to put her seat back so that we could get into her seats. I spent the whole flight wanting to lay the smackdown on her as she moaned the entire way home, was rude to the air stewards (who did a very bad job at veiling their urge to smack her in the teeth) and then barged her way to the front as soon as the seatbelt lights were switched off on landing.

Was very nice to see her still waiting at the baggage carousel after most people had collected their luggage. Karma, I think it's called, you daft cow.

[bruxeur]

Poster-girl for the reclining classes.

[BupcakesandCunting]

It's Cunting Airlines NOT Bupcakes Airlines.

Cheers.

[MrsCampbellBlack]

My mistake.

May I please reserve my seat on the inaugural flight of Cunting Airlines though?

[dreamingbohemian]

Ah Groovee brings up a good point

Surely we can all agree it's rude to recline during meal service?

I love airlines where the stewards make people put their seats up during meals. Damn straight.

[lulu05]

YANBU

She wasn't wrong to recline her seat but she was inconsiderate.

[sherbetpips]

my rule is always, upright till the food comes, then you can recline - after asking the person behind if they mind. You do see people getting on and the first thing they do is recline which is daft as they dont get that wonderful sensation when they do recline later in the flight.

[Hullygully]

I have noticed that etiquette has changed over many years.

It used to be (when I were a gel) that everyone reclined their seats and it was seen as absolutely a right and the thing to do, and everyone did it the second the seatbelt sign went off. But these days the sophisticated and frequent flier knows that it is Not Done, even though technically possible and legally permissible.

[Rocky12]

Oh dear, all sorts of replies! The thing is - airline travel unless you are travelling business or first class is horrible. Something you just have to go through to get somewhere nice!

I do think that airlines need to decide. On short flights do they have seats that recline? If they do then I think people have the right to recline them. Airline costs have come down dramatically over the last decade. £5 RyanAir flight anyone? You get what you pay for. Is it really the fault of the person in front of you that you have a child that is large for his age, havent chosen to buy them a seat, are too tall, too large etc?

[roulade]

If you fly sleazyjet nowadays it's not even free for an infant travelling on your lap, the bastards charge you £20 each way!

[Hullygully]

Overnight, of course, one waits until dinner is finished and the lights dimmed, and then everyone may recline.

Any other time, it sorts out the tossers from the nice, and the frequents from those on their two week of the year job.

[BupcakesandCunting]

Again.

You CANNOT buy seats for a child under TWO.

Thanks.