Reclining aeroplane seats?

[MrsRaegan]

Flew to Spain yesterday with DS who had to sit on my lap. We were the row behind extra leg room.

Woman in front tried to recline her seat but there was literally no room for her to do so. We couldn't even put the tray down when her seat was fully upright as he had to sit on my knee.

She then ranted like a mad woman to her husband about "inconsiderate parents" I'd like to point out DS slept for most of the journey.

So AIBU to think on a 3 hour flight with a toddler on a parents knee behind you, you don't really need to recline your seat?

Last year, I spent many miserable hours on a flight from Heathrow to California where the gentleman in front of me reclined his seat immediately after he arrived, and then proceeded to snore his way through the 11 hour flight.

BA flight attendants said NOTHING to him if they could even wake him

That being said, there's a reason why I didn't fly anywhere with my son when he was from about 11 months until his 2nd birthday. He was too big to ever be a comfortable lap child.

Batfish has just written my post for me :)

I agree with the flight etiquette rules outlined above - certainly been my experience everywhere except flights to / from India (immediate reclining for the whole journey being popular)

There is absolutely no need to walk the aisle. As for drinks, get up and go to the back of the plane and ask for a drink

Make your bloody mind up

Pahahaha good catch BadLad

My experience is the same as Eurochick - besides which, well designed seats can recline without interfering with anyone. Neither of you WBU.

I think it's about entitlement. Most people are lovely and wouldn't dream of impinging on the personal space of a mum with bored small children who is frankly going to have enough work to do for that flight anyway. Frankly, however tired you are, she is probably more tired.

Others are simply selfish and see only their own comfort and not that of others, and thus insist on their right to recline irrespective of everything.

The argument that reclining doesn't disturb other people is wishful thinking and absolute nonsense. The laws of physics do not change simply because you feel entitled. There is a certain amount of space, and leaning back into another person's lap is going to make their journey less comfortable (though I will admit that this problem is worse on some models of seat than others).

It's just about decency and thoughtfulness. And yes, I have taken lots of long haul flights, sometimes in a state nearing exhaustion, and I have never reclined.

You should be able to recline on night flights, otherwise no.

New charter planes don't offer recline function any more and it makes life a lot easier

Totally agree shove. You see it time and again nowadays; if someone is 'entitled ' to do something, or 'there's no rule/law against it' then consideration, evaluating the situation etc just doesn't come into it with some people.

Then they complain about over regulation, nanny state and so on.
Some people need a nanny state, because they don't understand how to behave properly without one.

yy plasticgnome.

There's no law against lots of things but that doesn't mean to say you don't do them. Just wish people would have more some consideration for people around them. Same as people with headphone music I can hear, beeping of mobiles while typing etc.

I am always amazed that people HAVE to recline during a short, daytime, flight.

they might easily spend as much time in an waiting room seat, train seat or bus seat without even the option to recline, nor any idea that they should be able to recline, not even on a train journey.

But because the airline seat can be reclined, it must be reclined, they deserve that really barely noticeable difference of reclined vs. not, being expected to remain upright is the most unreasonably unfair thing that could possibly happen to them!

it's really quite strange, and I wish airlines would just end the problem by using the sort of seats people sit in upright for hours on train journeys. yes, even on overnight flights (which are almost the only kind I make) because really, those two inches make not a damn bit of difference in comfort or ability to sleep.

I was on a one-hour domestic flight last month, in the middle of the afternoon, and the man in front of me reclined as soon as the plane was in the air. I have a medical condition that causes restless legs, and I need to cross and uncross my legs a lot to stay comfortable (about every five minutes). When the seat in front of me is reclined, it's quite difficult to do this, and I find that my knees bump the back of the seat in front.

My view was that it was ok for the man in front to want to be comfortable by reclining his seat, but it was also ok for me to want to be comfortable by crossing and uncrossing my legs. After about 45 minutes he put his seat upright again...

I don't think that paying for a reclining seat entitles anyone to be disrespectful of the needs of the person behind them. YANBU.

I don't recline (am short enough to not need to, nor to be bothered if the person ahead of me does).

I do wander around though.

These threads are always hilarious stealth boasts about who flies the most/with the best airline.

I think it's about entitlement

Yes, people travelling economy who think they are entitled to business/first class comfort.

I wonder if these people would buy a Smart car and then write a letter of complaint moaning that it's not as roomy as a Bentley.

TTWK are you talking about the people who want to recline even though they're not in business class, or the people who want reasonable space even though they're not in business class?

Yes, people travelling economy who think they are entitled to business/first class comfort.

Oh yes...how dare those peasants expect to travel without being squashed into their seats.

But she physically couldn't recline her seat. I didn't do anything to stop her. There was just no room. I did try to buy him a seat but wasn't allowed to.

MrsRaegan what airline was it and how old is you little one.

I find it strange how reclining a seat makes a 'barely noticeable difference' to the person sitting in it and yet results in people being unable to eat or drink behind - is there some kind of space-time disruption where by reclining a seat takes more space from behind than it gives in front??

I love the outrage that someone on an 11 hour flight was rude enough to utilise those 2 inches to sleep for 11 hours - how rude - perhaps they should have spent 11 hours bolt upright and awake, regardless of their clear exhaustion, in order not to offend the totally non-entitled no not at all person behind them.

I've paid for a ticket on a plane - why is it my responsibility to ensure the personal preferences of the person behind me? Surely that expectation is pretty entitled. And kneeing/kicking seats etc is just petty and passive-aggressive - use your words.

YANBU. I wish seats didn't recline.

I recline my seat if it reclines. I've got severe back problems and it's the most comfortable way for me to travel. I don't have it down when drinks and meals are served. We flew Jet2 once, I could hardly stand up when we landed.

but if you cause someone else that sort of discomfort, too bad for them.

OK then...putting my legs up over the person next to me on a bus...not illegal....but a bit uncomfortable for the other person....But hey ho, I'm comfy.

Are you numpties getting it yet?

Apart from people who have very long legs, I honestly can't see what difference it makes when people recline seats. I'm a pretty average sized person, and even on budget airlines it's never made a difference to my comfort if someone reclines in front of me. Which is why I will recline my seat if I want to, I think the people who don't like it must just be being unusually uptight.

Oh yes...how dare those peasants expect to travel without being squashed into their seats.

But you know it's squashed when you book. I travel both business and economy, usually economy. It's "entitled" to pay for fish and chips and expect lobster and caviar. And entitled to pay for squashed and expect room.

I find the whole thing so stressful. I always get the loud parents, recliners and pissheads who want to chat. I pay to fly business now because it is the way to avoid all of those things. It is a very simple fact. you can lie down, sleep, enjoy your meal and be seated next to the smelliest loudest person with sextuplets screaming on their lap and you wouldn't notice.

I think the problem is that some people who fly economy think they are too glam to sit there and expect to be treated so. spend an extra grand like the rest of us or shut up is my opinion (to the shrill recliner not op)

Oh FGS, business is unbelievably expensive. If we were talking a hundred quid extra or so, but most people can't pay those kind of prices. Are we saying they should suck up extreme discomfort? I agree with eurochick way up thread, she had the etiquette bang on. Learn it, folks and abide by it.