Regarding fully reclined seat at mealtime on a flight?

[Linguaphile]

What exactly is seat reclining etiquette on long haul flights? I was on a long haul flight last weekend (on the way home from visiting my parents for Christmas), and just as meals and drinks had been handed out, the woman in front of me abruptly fully reclined her seat and decided to sleep, nearly spilling my meal and drinks into my lap in the process. I had to sit like a pretzel during the entire meal with her chair digging into my knees and my tray shoved right up next to my body about an inch below my boobs, awkwardly trying to cut up food without elbowing the person next to me in the face. It wasn’t late at night, maybe 7pm. She stayed that way for the remainder of the flight, even after she had been told to put her seat upright for landing 7 hours later.

Now, I realise that some discomfort is to be expected in steerage class on flights, and I understand someone wanting to recline a bit to sleep once food has been cleared away and cabin lights are down (though even then I try not to recline all the way as I know how uncomfortable it is for the person behind me). But casually shoving your seat all the way down right at meal time when space is obviously already tight just felt... well... rude.

AIBU to have been irked?

If you stents likf mr it’s quite uncomfortable to be jammed behind a recliner for a full flight.

What can the cabin crew really do though to enforce seat up during landing. The plane has to land and if the cabin crew are all strapped into their jump seats there isn’t much they can do. One flight I was on a passenger got out of his seat to rummage in the overhead locker during landing. All the cabin crew could do was make an announcement for him to take his seat, which he ignored. The crew had to stay in their seats.

That's why I always fly first or business away from the plebs
Yes @Starlink, no need to recline when you’re at the inflight bar!

Next time put your blower on full and angle at their head. Works a treat without you needing to say anything-they soon realise what tits they are being.

Seat upright during take off and landing and at mealtimes. Option to recline the rest if the time. I really don’t understand why this is a debate? If we weren’t supposed to recline why did they build the seats with this feature??
And I can’t believe PP suggesting kicking, pulling hair etc. Is this how you settle any annoying situation in your life?

You obviously ask the flight attendant to intervene. I’ve done this before and it’s not been a problem. If it happens again, ask. The attendants are near if they are serving meals so it’s not that difficult. Don’t resort to petty tit for tat.

It’s imperarive to have seats upright for take off and landing. What shoddy airline was this?

I was on a long-distance bus journey in South America, where they have these really amazing buses with huge comfy seats as the journeys can be 20+ hours at a time.

The guy in front of me sat down and immediately reclined his seat all the way back before we’d even left the bus station. But even worse was that he kind of swung his hands up over his head and rested them so that they were draped over the back of his seat. Right in my face.

People just don’t think sometimes do they?

When i was expecting my last born, i was on a flight and i had my tray down with a coffee and my book on it. Without warning, the bloke in the seat in front suddenly reclined his back, sending hot coffee all over me and the tray to dig painfully into my bump.
Inconsiderate idiot.
You should have called the flight attendant OP.

I always ask the cabin crew to tell person with reclined seat to move it back for meal times - they always oblige

I was sleeping through a flight...woken up by flight attendant to put up my seat as the person behind wanted me to, it was meal time.

I was already asleep well before meal time, and obviously it’s a double edged sword, who gets priority the sleeping person or someone eating

I have ridiculously long legs and can’t always justify the cost of extra legroom (not my fault my parent didn’t let me become a super model other wise I’d be able to afford it.
Someone reclined their seat in front of me once and the huffed and puffed everytime I moved/shifted as unsurprisingly I kneed them in the back constantly 🤷🏼‍♀️

I have the same issue Lou, compounded when I had a child on my lap for a while.. happily the children now sit in their own seats so we're back to me being 80% leg being the main issue! I've been pretty lucky with the people in front of my in the last few years with no recliners. I like to think at least SOME people take notice of the people sitting behind them and are considerate enough to not recline if they see someone leggy. (or ask to be moved if they have a condition that means they need to recline)

On day flights, I check behind to see if they have reclined their seat. If they have, I don't feel guilty reclining mine.

I don’t understand. Our main carrier ensures people are upright at meal times from hand out to collection. They also ensure people are upright for take off and landing, although once the crew takes their seats I guess there is nothing stopping the person from reclining again.

When the announce the meal service is beginning the state you must put your seat upright if it’s reclined and if people are sleeping they wake them up to do it. I assumed all airlines did this?

She was thoughtless but I would have asked her to wait until I had finished my meal.

Next time put your blower on full and angle at their head

Genius

The last few times I have flown I have been on planes with seats that don't recline. If I did want to recline my seat I would check with the passenger behind me if it was OK. We all need to be considerate towards our fellow passengers.

I think airlines should make an announcement at the beginning of the flight saying that they will request passengers to put their seats into an upright position at mealtimes.

ivykat44 I'm jealous that you can actually sleep on planes.

Ex cabin crew, we always asked passengers to put their seats upright for the meal service. She was being very inconsiderate! She could have waited even 10 mins to let you eat!

I had a fractured knee from a recliner. I sued them. I was also compensated for the damage to my clothes. The vile bitch in front of me refused to move. I spent the rest of the flight kicking the back of her seat and shaking the seat. That was the last economy flight I took and ever will. Economy isn't worth the trip, it's grim.

I had a fractured knee from a recliner. I sued them. I was also compensated for the damage to my clothes. The vile bitch in front of me refused to move. I spent the rest of the flight kicking the back of her seat and shaking the seat. That was the last economy flight I took and ever will. Economy isn't worth the trip, it's grim.
You sound pleasant.

I had the same problem before Christmas on an 11and a half hour ride. Both there and back. I asked the first person listen I don’t mind if you recline any other time but do you mind making the chair upright while we eat? He was fine with it. The second flight back I had to poke the woman in front of me several times before asking the air hostess to tell her to put her chair upright which she did. Some people being inconsiderate make me so mad 😡

It’s ok to ask a crew member to ask the passenger to put their seat up during the meal service if the passenger is awake. If the passenger is asleep it’s not ok to ask the crew member . Some passengers enjoy shouting at crew and it’s not really fair to put the crew member in this position . Crew are not the police and they are not there to be shouted at either .

Meal times they should be up but other times it’s fine to recline. If you asked me outside of a mealtime/landing to be “more considerate” and put my seat off I’d tell you where to stick it - how rude. I’m very considerate to other people (usually to my detriment according to my DH) It’s perfectly acceptable to recline any time other than meal times. Just suck it up and recline yours too and then it won’t bother you as much.

If you know a meal will be served, wait to recline the seat until after the meal! It’s good manners. No one really sleeps much before a meal and in economy its difficult anyway. Just be considerate of others.

Totally ill mannered the steward should have corrected her!!

She was being a selfish ass. Next time, get the flight attendants to assist. They should have done anyway, so they were not on their game.

Also "steerage"?

There are gadgets you can buy to lock their seat in the upright position. Plus also put your knees against the chair in front and they can't recline. I had this on a long haul once, jammed my knees against the seat and as she tried to recline, I feigned pain of crushing and gave her seat a massive wallop, nearly throwing her onto the floor. She didn't try it again.