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.

[PlinkertyPlonk]

I want a ticket on Bupcake Airline - where do I get one?

But in the meantime, I reserve the right to (politely) recline my chair. If there's a child on the lap of the person behind, I'll ask if they mind. If it's a problem, I'll find a compromise that works for everyone, such as swopping seats if I'm that desperate for a nap.

For those saying 'no reclining seats on short hop flights' YABU. Have you considered that the passenger in front may be on a connecting transatlantic flight, or that they have been up since the crack of dawn, having had no sleep because DCs have been up all night, with a full day of business meetings ahead of them. I reserve my right to recline my seat and grab all the sleep I can.

[MrsCampbellBlack]

Rocky - am pretty sure under 2's have to be on your lap.

Do easyjet recline - am not sure they do - may choose them next time.

Hully - think you may be right and of course I am a sophisticated frequent flier [in my dreams]

[VivaLeBeaver]

People who recline seats on short, day time flights are toasted.

[BupcakesandCunting]

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

Yes, it does file you into the category of Daft Tosser. There should be a Tosser or Good Guy quiz in life.

Do you:

Recline seats on flights of less than 4 hours during the day?
Take two baskets full of shopping into the Basket Only queue?
Straddle the middle lane of the motorway at a consistent 50MPH?

There are more.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Tossers. Though I may toast them!

[Collaborate]

Good Lord there are so many people here who have lost the ability to be considerate to others.

YANBU

I'm definitely not in the "sod whoever's behind you and how uncomfortable I'm going to make them" brigade.

[roulade]

Easyjet used to recline but I haven't used them for the last four years.

[Likeaninjanow]

YANBU as it was a short flight.

On a 10 hour overnight flight I had a tall 'gentleman' sat behind me. He made a HUGE fuss about me reclining my chair to sleep. Rather than 1 person having an uncomfortable flight, 2 people did .

On a short flight I'd definitely not recline.

[Rocky12]

Yes, you can buy a seat for an under 2. Look at the Easyjet website. Most people dont though!

[QueenOfAllBiscuitsandMuffins]

YOU CAN BUY SEATS FOR UNDER 2.

Under 2s don't have to be on your lap, they can have their own seat if you pay (I know this as DS travelled in own seat at 18months to SA, we did take his car seat however so not sure if that was a requirement for him having his own seat)

[youonlygetonelife]

You can buy a seat for a child under 2 but they have to sit on an adult's lap for take off and landing and in case of turbulence.

[janinlondon]

I think if you paid for your seat you can do what you like with it. But you can't dictate what other people can do with the seat they paid for. I have paid for an under 2 yo to have a seat.......????

[BupcakesandCunting]

Ah, when I flew to Mahon with BA, it was on lap or nothing. Same with Monarch. That was a few years ago though.

[BupcakesandCunting]

Actually, the carseat thing is ringing bells. I think that that might be the condition of babies having their own seat.

[IvyAndGold]

'I spent the whole flight wanting to lay the smackdown on her'

now i have hobnob spattered all up my screen :(

[HerHissyness]

I have been known to get up and put seats up of those who have reclined in front of me when they have left their seats.

I also complained every single time they put the seats back when I had DS on my lap, it's inconsiderate and needless. You buzz that dinger, and get the flight attendant to do it every time, only the shittiest of passenger ignores it. Mealtimes are the worst, I can't even eat as I can't get close enough to the tray.

If that woman had a bonafide issue that meant she had to recline her seat, she'd have said.

I'd have complained, I'd have been leaning on that call button, and if that failed, I'd have TOLD DS to kick the back of her chair until she put it back upright.

[jicky]

You can ( or could ) buy seats for children under2. You may have to hold them during take off and landing if your seat doesn't have the required safety marks, but they can sit in their own seats, plus car seat if you wish, the rest of the time. Ds3 had is own seat at 6 months so know it can definitely be done.

[cathers]

Still can , and think always have been able to buy a seat for under 2. We have taken the car seat part of the pram on the plane, strap it in, job done.

[cathers]

Not saying reclining onto a baby's skull is correct of course... But def can buy a seat to prevent such Inconsiderate behavior.

[Jude89]

I tend to push my feet against the chair infront when they first try and recline it, they tend to assume it doesn't work. (same with coaches)

antisocial

I was once on a short flight where the person in front of me recline his seat so much that I could see over it and his head was almost in my lap

If you have to recline your seat try to sit in the last row!

[BupcakesandCunting]

"I have been known to get up and put seats up of those who have reclined in front of me when they have left their seats."

I did that to the Tea Woman. I could easily reach my arm through the gap and press the button. Didn't stop her re-reclining when she got back though. It's not even like she was trying to sleep. I mean do you REALLY need to recline your seat just to bitch and moan about/to the flight attendants? No, thought not. You just want to exercise your "right" to recline your seat. Because you can.

[AKMD]

YANBU, just because you can do something doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.

I don't really see any excuse for such rude behaviour other than medical problems (and she sounds like the kind of person who would have made sure evryone on the flight knew if she had any). For example, I was on a business trip last week. I decided not to stay the night in a hotel but do the trip there and back in one day, which meant getting up at 2am and not getting back home til midnight. The flight portion was 2 hours each way. The inbound flight was late evening, I was exhausted but I would never dream of reclining my seat for such a short flight and inconveniencing the person behind me. If I was that fussed about getting a nap, I would have chosen a window seat on check-in and taken a travel pillow.

[Hullygully]

Entitlement Bups. So many of the world's woes are caused by Entitlement.

[BupcakesandCunting]

Also, another thought; if people with longer legs/kids on laps ahould buy extra leg room/extra seats, shouldn't people who absolutelymustdefinitely recline their seats due to back problems etc just buy a more comfortable seat up in first/business class? If flying in economy was so uncomfortable for me that to get comfortable, I had to irritate others, I'd just bugger off to FC.

[BupcakesandCunting]

It's what I've said all along, mate. Recliners only recline because "ugh I PAID to so am ENTITLED."