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?

[AccrualIntentions]

I don't recline - it doesn't actually make it more comfortable so I don't even know why they bother having seats that do it (in economy).

[Trafalgarxxx]

Nope I have baolutely no issue reclining my chair. Sorry.
But
1- the person in front of me is reclining their chair sontht gives me a bit more space between myself and the other seat
2- it allows me to not get out of the plane with a backache as I’m much more settle
3- i can sleep which I can’t when the chair is ‘upright’
4- the person behind can easily do exactly the same than me and recline their chair, this having the same amount of space as before
5- if the chair is designed to recline, why on earth shouldn’t i do it???

The reality is that in long haul flight, if you want to be able to sleep, you need to be confortable enough to do so and that means reclining the back of the chair. That’s why chairs have been designed like this.

As for only doing so when it’s night time... you do realise that not everyone will have started their flight/journey on that airport and they might well already have a 12 hits flight behind them, making what you call day their night? Ive done a few of those flights and yes that means I will sleep when it supposed to be day time

[KatharinaRosalie]

If you have less spafe, recline your seat as well. Why should your wish to sit bolt upright trump the wishes of the person who wants to recline?

Seats that recline can be reclined. If you need more room for your knees then your options are to pay for upgrade/extra legroom or choose which airlines you fly depending on seat pitch.

[InternetHoopJumper]

OMG, this discussion again. I see this pop-up everywhere.

On short flights I don't recline, but on long flights I do. I get blood flow problems to my legs if I don't and then can't walk after. Reclining allows me to stretch my legs out underneath the seat in front of me.

Usually I recline with everyone else. There is this point, where people just all recline and even if I was doing something else, I will recline with the rest. It just works better that way.

Usually flight attendants will pull the shades down after a certain point for long haul night flights and everyone reclines and during meal services they will tell everyone to put their seats back up again and everyone does once they have fully woken up.

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?

[maddiemookins16mum]

NEVER. I got on a flight from LHR to Nairobi once, the person in front of me reclined her seat as soon as we took off practically and stayed like it for 9 flippin hours.

[BeetrootTart]

I don't recline on short haul day flights because I'm awake. I recline on night flights and long haul flights because I'm tired and need to sleep or reduce risk of jetlag. I don't recline until after food service. I don't ask permission to recline and no one has ever asked me.

On night flights and many long flights the cabin crew turn the lights off. They are expecting people to sleep and pretty much everyone does. If awake, I have never had a problem watching TV as the screens can be tilted...

Sometimes people recline on short day flights because they've just connected from a long international flight.

If you are exceptionally tall then you should pay for extra leg room seats.

I really can't get worked up about it.

Seat-kicking children with non-reactive parents on the other hand...

[brasty]

I always end up sitting behind seat recliners, and then have to recline mine as well so I don't feel claustrophobic.

[TsunamiOfShit]

I would never recline (but only do short haul).

Last flight I was on the guy in front reclined his seat. I kneed him in the back constantly during the entire flight, to which he decided to turn around and give me dirty looks every now and then, but it never crossed his mind to pull his seat up.

I didn't knee him in the back just to be rude, his seat was actually touching my knees when it was reclined and yes I did feel like I had his bald patch in my face the entire flight.

And no, I wasn't gonna say something. If he didn't realise he needed to pull it up himself it probably wouldn't help me pointing it out. But at least he didn't get to nap.



A couple of years ago I had DS, then 1, on my lap and the person in front decided to recline. Again, they got a good kicking.

[Trafalgarxxx]

Re people who are tall (DH and Dc1 are like this), the issue here is the same than for people who are ‘bigger’ than The average and struggle to fit in the seats too.
In effect, seats are designed for the average person (minus something IMO) so airlines can fit more people in the plane.
Most people who are taller or bigger than the ‘average’ will struggle. Some much more than others.

The only solution is to leave more space between seats and/or making them bigger. Which means prices will go up.
Or you can pay extra to have the extra room (same principle).....
Putting the responsibility to deal with it on someone else isn’t right IMO.

[Trafalgarxxx]

Errr... unless I’m mistaken, short flights don’t allow you to recline the seat anyway???

[hellsbellsmelons]

New cheap planed no longer have reclining chairs.
I would always check the person behind me and if they had theirs reclined then I would recline mine.
But I wouldn't do it if they hadn't.

[welshweasel]

Yes I always recline my seat. I will check behind me first and if they have a drink or something on the table I'll politely let them know I'm going to recline so that they don't spill it but I don't ask permission.

The TVs and tables are designed so that you can use them when the seat in front is reclined and I've never had any issues using them. I'm almost 6 foot and manage not to dig my knees into the back of the seat in front, I usually put them out straight under the seat. If someone dig their knees into my seat I'd ask them to stop and if they didn't I'd ask the cabin crew to intervene.

I've paid for my seat, which usually includes the function to be able to recline it.

[crunched]

I get more angry about recliners than almost anything else don't tell me to get a life.
If the passenger in front asks, then I would never refuse but when they thrust back, just as I have arranged my book and drink I have uncontrollable anger. It seriously is an issue, my DH has suggested I seek help for it as I don't have this rage about anything else.
Any flight over two hours has to be business class which hinders my choice of holidays (first world problems I know) and even shorthaul I have to pay for premium seats.
It is good for me to read on here that some people cannot see a problem to try and get some prospective...unclench.

[wasonthelist]

Yes I recline. The seat reclines. The plane has toilets I sometimes use them. I use the reading light sometimes, and the air vent.

If any of this doesn't suit you OP, you are free to use a plane without them fitted (or another mode of transport).

[wasonthelist]

I kneed him in the back constantly during the entire flight

What a wanky way to behave.

[wasonthelist]

I get more angry about recliners than almost anything else

Talk to the airline.

[TsunamiOfShit]

What a wanky way to behave.

Not as wanky as it is to recline a seat.

If you had continued reading you'd have seen that this was because the seat once reclined was pushing against my knees. Was I meant not to move at all?

[Northernlass99]

Short haul no not necessary. But if the person in front of me reclines I might. And the person behind me is at liberty to do the same.

Long haul - have the meal, go to the loo, recline for a sleep. If everyone followed this it would all be fine!

[TsunamiOfShit]

If you need more room for your knees then your options are to pay for upgrade/extra legroom or choose which airlines you fly depending on seat pitch.

You want ME to pay more for my flights so that YOU can recline your seat?

[welshweasel]

How tall are you tsunami? I've flown with plenty of folk well over 6 foot who manage not to inconsiderately knee people in the back all flight. You must be a giant!

[Kpo58]

If you had continued reading you'd have seen that this was because the seat once reclined was pushing against my knees. Was I meant not to move at all?

Maybe they expect you to remove your legs and put them in the overhead lockers?

Some people don't understand that if you aren't short, you cannot always physically sit down without having your legs pressed against the seat in front and you can't always afford to pay ££££ for the height tax to have more legroom.

[allertse]

TsunamiOfShit yes. Reclining is completely normal and acceptable on long flights.

[Sparklingbrook]

Ooh I love a plane chair reclining thread.

I don't, and I don't really want someone else's head virtually in my lap but there's so many annoying things about flying it's hard to choose the worst.

[TsunamiOfShit]

How tall are you tsunami? I've flown with plenty of folk well over 6 foot who manage not to inconsiderately knee people in the back all flight. You must be a giant!

Tall enough for my knees to touch the back of the seat in front of me.

I don't know what people you've flown with, but maybe they have disproportionately short legs for their height, maybe the person in front didn't recline or maybe it was a different airline?