Are you an aeroplane seat recliner??

[Sotuko]

If so, do you not feel a bit guilty about the poor sod sat behind you who now has even less space than they had before??

I don't understand why airlines still allow this, there isn't the room for it!

During a long flight last night/this morning/I don't know I've lost all track of time, I wasn't able to use my telly as the woman in front made sure it was RIGHT in my face and don't even get me started on meal time.

So are you a seat recliner and if so, do you think about the impact on the person behind you?

The tray was sloped and when i got my coffee I had to ask cabin crew to ask her to sit up, as it was digging into my stomach and the coffee was in danger of spilling

Hmm you see, all I read here is 'my big fat gut got in the way'

I have seen a reclining argument on a plane. The person in front reclined and because the person behind was so fat the chair was actually resting on his stomach. It got pretty heated, but the air stewardess basically said tough shit and shut up.

I don't usually recline my seat but the person in front of me never does, I have very long legs and my knees are always jammed up against the seat in front. I have had people try to reline but they can't do it and give up eventually - except for one person who complained to the crew that the seat was broken as it wouldn't recline - I was politely asked to move my knees from the back of the seat and when I asked where I supposed to move them to as my feet were flat on the floor the guy in front was told he couldn't recline the seat as there wasn't room to do so, he spent the whole flight trying!!

It is the airlines fault for shrinking the gap between seats, but people could be more considerate. At 6' 1" I'm not exceptionally tall, but if the seat in front reclines I cannot cross my legs. Basically if I sit with my legs crossed the seat in front cannot recline. Had a guy in front repeatedly try, thought there was a problem with his seat.
Me reclining would not help improve the gap for my legs. On any long flight I will book extra legroom if possible.
To the people who think there is no problem with reclining, please understand there really is, and be more considerate!

Reminds me of the kerfuffle on a flight last year on a Thomas Cook Airbus. Was hilarious. A woman 2 rows in front of us reclined as soon as the plane had taken off. The guy behind her shoved the back of the seat. Then there was lots of angry muttering, shoving back and forth before the lady stood up, glared at the guy, threw her bag in her chair and marched off to speak to a flight attendant.

She was moved. We all found it entertaining sat behind them.

Saw her in one of the exit row seats later on, sat like a grumpy cat, completely wrapped up from neck to feet in a blanket. The angry guy who had shoved her when she reclined then reclined in front of my mom. Her face was a picture.

Can honestly say I have never (on my limited amount of flights tbf) had someone recline in front of me. Or if they did I did not notice. Longest I have flown was to Egypt.

When we fly as a family of four DH always sits behind me, as I am quite short, and he is 6ft 2, so I know I wont recline into him. And we tend to get the seats right at the back anyway, where the last row usually only has 2 seats so he can turn into the space a 3rd seat would have been. Or if not available, then have the 2 children sat in the window and middle, him in the aisle, and then I am across the row in that aisle seat. Then he can stretch into the aisle as and when he can or stand up without having to ask someone to move. At the end of the day, you are responsible for your comfort, and you cannot tell what sort of person you might get in front of you. You just have to try and assume they will recline and try and pick the best seats to cope with that if you can.

The only time I have been annoyed and thought someone was cheeky was a few years ago when we had paid for specific seats when travelling with the children. DH got on first and was walking down the aisle, then the kids in the middle and me at the back. Saw DH get to our seats and there was a couple already sat there and a flight attendant starting a spiel about how they "needed" to sit there, until Dh turned, she saw the kids behind him, and soon moved the other couple out of our seats.

I was travelling with children who still have the incident etched on their brains. My husband had been separated by a few rows and was then told as a result of his association with me he would be served no alcoholic drinks!!

Seriously as Umm says, why didn't you swap with your DC or DH?

And most people don't get warned that they will get police to come deal with them once, let slone TWICE.

I seriously doubt things happened as you described and you sound a drama llama.

I recline on a night flight when I'm going to sleep. People who recline 'because they can' as soon as take off is done, for the duration of the flight, or those who do it through an in flight meal, are inconsiderate wankers, imo. Yes, it's a right, but like anything, it doesn't hurt to think a little about how it might impact others. It makes bending forward to get something out of your bag (which has to be stowed under the seat) impossible without pressing your forehead against the seat, or eating from the tray table very difficult/uncomfortable.

Anyone game to take the 17-hour direct flight from Dubai to Auckland without reclining?

I was on a short haul flight, BA out of Gatwick, one i do fairly regularly, flight time in the air 90 mins. I was feeling unwell (fine to travel just under the weather) and slightly claustrophobic as a result. It is a route where I find many recline for reasons that escape me, I mean, seriously?? 90 mins? It is always a small plane, as many seats crammed in as you can get and therefore vlittle room. Nose already virtually against seat in front. I tried to stop the over glammed up woman in front from reclining, i tried to explain to the cabin crew when she started a row that I was feeling claustrophobic and the reclined seat made me feel panicky I tried to ask that she not recline on this one occasion, that it would be simple human decency to consider your fellow man. Extraordinarily unpleasant crew threatened me with calling the police on landing, got the pilot to write me a written warning! Just stunningly bad management, woman in front offered an upgrade! I was travelling with children who still have the incident etched on their brains. My husband had been separated by a few rows and was then told as a result of his association with me he would be served no alcoholic drinks!! I am usually teetotal especially when travelling and was entirely sober, I guess I was insufficiently glamorous! BA just such a contrast from wonderful cabin crew to utterly shoddy can’t be arsed people you wouldn’t leave your worst enemy’s cat with. Like the time we questioned the BA information desk as to why there was no information on a 2 hour delay with no new departure time , we told them it was unacceptable, we were perfectly calm, 2 toddlers in tow, they called the police airport security who of course carry guns! Since when does spending your hard earned cash on a service mean you are not entitled to that service in comfort or reasonable explanation of why not?

You asked the person in front not to recline, and the airline got the captain to warn you and called the airport police when you arrived.

Yeah, right. Methinks you have rather minimized your own contribution here.

LoL. Reading is such an underrated skill.

I bet you asked about the delays in the manner I used to enjoy watching on Airline though. Miss that program. Calm, my arse.

Seriously it sounds like that was a problem that you created yourself.

Definitely a no goer. Folk who do this are selfish and very inconsiderate. There is a gadget think that can be clipped into the seat in front to stop reclining but this has caused a few complaints when been used. Unfortunately planes have these reclining seats but some airlines are changing to non reclining because of the problem they cause. Yippee!

tombstoneteeth I fly UK to Sydney with stop over usually in Middle East and not once reclined the whole journey and that's in Economy!

But I never recline, I don't find it comfortable at all personally. I would expect anyone who does to check first, it's only polite.

Are the people who have issues with reclining all British? I have never heard this discussed other than on Mumsnet?

I recline my seat on long haul flights. As does my husband. He is also 6 foot 5 & well built so flying economy is not always the most comfortable experience but he has never complained about the person in front reclining or rammed his legs to try to prevent in front reclining etc because its a normal thing to do. He normally just reclines his chair as well and life carries on. So I really find it quite hard to believe these people venting that the person in front should sit upright due to their physical proportions.

If you are having an issue at meal times, the seats should be upright anyway so speak to the air hostess. If it bothers you that much then yes, you absolutely
should pay extra for extra leg room seats.

On Long haul I normally pay the extra and travel Premium Economy to avoid this. Life's too short and suffer from claustrophobia

QueenPenguin, good for you - if I did that my back would be in agony 😣

I'm flying the 17 hour Akl to Dubai then a further flight to Glasgow next year. Of course I will recline (but as others said I do check behind me before doing so although don't ask permission). Virtually everyone on proper long haul does so on every airline I've been on (including Air NZ, BA, Virgin Atlantic, Quantas, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa etc).

I am tall as is my DH - flying is uncomfortable generally but if you recline as well then you can generally stretch your legs out. And when flying with babies in lap we always booked the skycot and were fine - it is unusual for there to be more under 2's on flights than cots in my experience.

I blame easyJet for a lot of things but this is one of them - they're all cramming in as many seats as possible, it's just not as comfortable as it used to be.

If I'm flying business or virgin premium economy (I could bloody live upstairs on one of the virgin planes!) I will recline. If I'm flying normally, no, I don't think it's fair on the person behind, so I don't. Plus those seats are so uncomfortable that reclined or upright makes sod all difference IMO!

If you want to blame someone for your discomfort put it on the greedy airline executives, who would literally put their passengers in a tuna-can if they could get away with it. But blaming your fellow passengers for this mess just makes you an asshole. If you can't go with the flow, why fly at all?

This is it in a nutshell!

NEVER ever have I put my seat back even when visiting my son who lives in Australia.I too do the knee in the back also when I need to get up to use the loo I use the seat in front head rest to "bounce off" when leaving my seat and returning.If they still sell them i might invest in some blockers that stop the seat in front from reclining.

Always upright for food, if i recline it's only a tiny amount, never all the way as i do appreciate it hinders the person behind me and having had it done on numerous flights i know it's annoying

Stuff like this makes me so thankful I don't have to fly more than a few hours anywhere. Unless I had a double bed, you wouldn't get me on a long-haul flight. Why the fuck do people put themselves through this?