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?

If it’s a night flight, fair enough, but it drives me insane when no sooner have we taken off the person in front of me’s head is practically in my bloody lap! Just sit up for a bit for goodness sake.

Am also very tall so it’s uncomfortable for me!

"Knee defender" - banned by most US airlines.

I’ve seen this. Good job the in-flight cutlery is plastic!

I once flew back from Sri Lanka. The couple in front of me got on at the Maldives and fully reclined their seats. It was day time. I couldn't watch the monitor nor pull the tray out to eat my meal. The stewardess didn't want to wake them (they were in a drunken stupor and snoring). Reclining my seat didn't help, as I can't recline fully or I have problems with my back then.

It was the journey from hell.

Why is it necessary to recline seats in economy at all? If you want to recline and sleep, buy a business class seat for gods sake.

I’ve just had this fight. I was on an overnight 9 hour flight with an infant strapped to me in a carrier. After they darkened the cabin the baby fell asleep and I reclined my seat. As I did the man behind me pushed forward on the seat with all his force and rocketed the baby and I forward. He then jammed his knees into the seat with his foot on the seat. He wasn’t a tall man either.

I now I had a screaming awake baby. When I turned around and asked him to take his knee out of my back he told me to fuck off. DH then got up and had words with him. Now the whole plane was awake listening to the argument. He was a rude entitled fucker.

No where is it written that you can’t recline your seat! Everyone is entitled to do so. Was I meant to sleep bolt upright clutching the baby? DH is 6’3 and if he declines his seat and stretches his legs out under the seat in front he’s fine so I call absolute bollocks to anyone who says they don’t fit. Go ask a crew member if the person in front is entitled to recline. You will get the answer yes every time.

I always recline, long haul, short haul, doesn't matter. I expect the person in front to recline too. Most people have good manners and put the seat upright for meals. If not the stewards tell them too.

I'm not too tall but my husbands well over 6ft as are his brothers who we often travel with. I'm not aware of any general shock and amazement from them when people their seats.

Never heard the drama llama idea that no-one should recline the reclining seat!

Now children kicking seats, that's something to get worked up about!

If I fly two long hauls, which is over 24 hours then I will recline when I want to go to sleep without giving a fuck about the poor sod behind me. They can recline themselves if they want more space. Have you flown 24-30 hours ever OP? Because sleeping in a non reclined chair is awful (I can't).

FWIW it was the air steward who ended the argument saying the guy who had his knees in my back would be met by the police if he didn’t remove his knees and it was grounds for being charged with assault as he threw me forward. I have no idea if he was just bluffing or not but it shut up entitled knee jammer mighty quick. The air steward said they were sick of people refusing to let other recline and causing drama on the plane.

If you want to recline and sleep, buy a business class seat for gods sake
If you don't want to be affected by the person in front using their seat as intended, buy a business class seat for gods sake

Ha! FrancisCrawford I do this as well!!

I find sticking a hardback book down the back of the seat and then padding your side with pillow and blanket quickly results in the knees being moved as they encounter a hard and inflexible surface

I’ll make a mental note of that.

Mind you, if I had someone kicking the back of my seat for the duration of a flight because they didn’t “approve” of me using the seat in the way it was intended, I couldn’t promise not to suddenly recline on them when their meal and sparkling water was served...

Reclining for long haul night flights is fine.

Also Emirates is fantastic.

Also Emirates is fantastic.

Yes. I ended up with four seats to myself on a long haul Emirates flight once. 🍷

#winning

I reclined last night. As did the person in front and she asked. I couldn’t ask the person behind as she was fast asleep in her reclining seat. It’s only ever the odd person that seems to have an issue on long haul. I would never recline on short haul though.

I do not recline - unless the person in front of me reclines, then I feel that I have not choice but to do likewise.

I check before I recline that I'm not about to spill someone's drink or hurt a particularly tall persons knees, and I really don't understand the angst over reclining seats on MN.

I would love to experience one of these planes where seats being reclined a couple of inches results in a head being in someone else's lap. It sounds impressive. I fly pretty frequently on a variety of airlines and have never seen it happen, I feel like I'm missing out.

I do however feel for the passengers in the very back row of the aircraft where there is no room to recline their seat if the passenger in front reclines there

I would love to experience one of these planes where seats being reclined a couple of inches results in a head being in someone else's lap. It sounds impressive. I fly pretty frequently on a variety of airlines and have never seen it happen, I feel like I'm missing out.

This is a photo I've just found online for illustration purposes. It is quite easy to see that if a tall person is sitting in front here, the back of their head will end up very close to the person behind.

Of course you can recline your seats. You’re meant to as it will give you a bit more space and improve circulation. You have no right to tell someone not to do something just because you don’t like it, you’re taking the piss.

There’s all sorts of frustrations when travelling by aeroplane. I once had to sit next to a very big man who very nearly took over my whole seat as well as his own. I’ve never been so uncomfortable in my whole life.

They get knees in the back from me too. I have long legs and if the seat in front is reclined then there just isn't room on many flights (and many coaches nowadays)