to think its rude to recline seat on long-haul flight

[needabreak5]

....for the entire flight (except during meals), unless its a night flight and everyone is reclined? I had a 9 hour (day-time) flight yesterday and the family in front of us were fully reclined for the majority of the flight. Most others (including those behind us) remained upright so we also remained upright for the entire flight with less room due to the seats in front being reclined. DS (3) was asleep across our laps which didn't help with space, but i did feel it was 'unfair' that they were able to recline, whilst I felt it would have been rude for us to do the same to those behind - 3 tallish men. AIBU?

do you class everyone who use furniture in the way it is intended as ‘hateful’? Must be exhausting to expect everyone to follow your specific personal rules.

for the entire flight (except during meals), unless its a night flight and everyone is reclined?

No it’s not unreasonable. I often recline on a day flight to New York- I generally need to sleep as I have to hit the ground running with work meetings and events through to the late evening so I need to get some rest in.

They raised their seats at meal times.

Oh - you were planning to read and are unable to hold a book/kindle?

Your preference to read in a specific way is definitely more important than the selfish needs of other people on long journeys to sleep or be comfortable.

that’s a totally reasonable expectation

No. You just don't get them - they get given to people who need the cots and the disability spaces. You can book them but no guarantee you will get them.
And all would be solved with my left/right aisle solution. A bit like train travellers choosing forward/backwards or with table/without.

I read sitting upright holding my book. I don't recline as that's worse for my back and worse for my legs. It really isn't a good position to read in for anyone.

I have neither a child nor a disability.
I’ve booked plenty of bulkhead seats

so you actually do expect your preference to read to trump the need for sleep/comfort of other passengers ?

If you fly cattle class, you know how the layout works, you know the seats, you know everyone can recline, and you agree to it when you buy a ticket and board. The only thing that's fucking inconsiderate and rude and selfish and cunty and hateful (ffs!) and whatever else is to accept this deal and then start demanding that everyone else should be restricted or uncomfortable to suit you and your delusions about a few inches of the air space in front of you. If you want to stretch your legs, get up and walk about a bit. And in no universe is anyone unable to read while reclining unless they have some very specific disability which renders the whole discussion pointless anyway.

I travel a lot for work and leisure, and my impression has always been it’s totally acceptable unless food is being served. It may not be pleasant, but to expect people not to use the facility when it is available to them is absurd. For all you know, they may have already been flying for hours and this was a connecting flight, they may have been jet lagged, they may have just come back from a big event and be knackered etc. Or maybe they just find it comfier. If you really want to avoid it pay for the emergency exit seats at the bulkhead.

Well it may be a day flight but you have no idea if someone is on a connecting flight having flown overnight on the previous flight , in which case they are likely to be exhausted

I know it can be very irritating and I would not have liked it if I was stuck in an upright plane seat behind one that is reclined for 9 hours but I also wouldn't have blamed the person on front or thought of it as ' unfair'. I'd just have been unhappy about my bad luck

I don't understand why airlines allow seats to recline at all.

I flew to Australia recently, via Singapore, leaving the UK at around 9 in the morning. As soon as we were in the air the cabin crew turned all the lights off and made us close the blinds. It was like being forced to take a nap, for 13 hours after you've only just started your day.

So what should have been a daytime flight was made into a very long nighttime starting when we had all just had breakfast. Anyway it's not fun when the people in front slam their seats back without warning the moment the seatbelt sign goes off, but they are entitled to do it. I usually look round to check the people behind aren't juggling drinks or have a child on their lap before I gently recline, a bit at a time.

I am not going to spend 24 hours of flight sat bolt upright getting back ache. I sit up for meals though and indeed cabin crew ask everyone to sit upright to eat.

Literally the whole point of reclining seats is that they recline, so that you can have a tiny bit of comfort during the hell of a long haul flight. Everyone is free to recline so they get their 3 inches of face space back. Except the poor people on the back row. They should do something with the design of those seats.

Secondly, the seats at the back of the row which back onto a wall don't actually recline at all.

I've sat at the back or in front of a partition several times and have always been able to recline. If Seatguru doesn't recommend otherwise, I book them whenever possible so I don't have to worry about the people behind being seat kickers or vengeful knee jammers.

You don't, huh.

I think a little recline is fine - but all the way back is a bit cunty. I have long legs (I'm 5'10"), but can't afford business class every time I go to the Far East/Antipodes. I do struggle a bit to get in and out for the loo, when someone is reclined, tbh, and trying to get anything out of a bag is a nightmare. I always check around behind me before reclining about 1/2 way.

Mind you, nothing like the time a guy in front of me slammed his seat straight back, the minute we got out of Dubai....and then refused to put it up for food, or when there was turbulence. When i - genuinely accidentally - caught the back of the seat, when going to the loo, he threatened to 'rip my face off'. BA cabin crew were spectacularly unhelpful, even though there were witnesses to him threatening me. Still, the £300 of flight vouchers I got in apology went some way to smoothing the blow.

Anyway - I do think there needs to be a better design, so that, if you choose to recline, then you only affect your own space. The seats that slide forward seem so much better than reclining into the person behind's lap.....

Just recline too.

YABU

I think a little recline is fine - but all the way back is a bit cunty.

Please let us know exactly what angle is acceptable before a person officially becomes a cunt.

That's why they make them do that

😂😭

Other than meal time it’s fine. When I used to travel more with work, my body clock was often out of whack and I’d sleep on day flights because my body thought it should be night.

I think it depends on what they do when they recline. On the last flight I was on the person in front reclined pretty early in the flight, but they were obviously asleep, so it didn't bother me. People who recline and don't even look tired are dicks. If the people in front don't recline, I try not to.

This is a very funny read.
Some people get very cross with recliners.

I'm 6ft tall and I recline to make myself more comfortable.
I might want to sleep at any time of day.
I don't care if the person in front of me reclines - I fully expect them to.

The notion of wedging your knees up against the seat in front is both sad and laughable. Enjoy your flight sitting like that, and whatever you do, don't get up to go to the toilet!

Perhaps if you can't cope with cunty people in front of you who recline to the incorrect angle, you should book 2 seats so you have an empty seat in front of the one you want to use.

"don't decline a recline!" God I miss Caroline Aherne 🙁

People who recline and don't even look tired are dicks.

This is honestly the thread that keeps on giving. I can't wait to see what we're going to get next. I can't even be bothered to take the piss any more. The challenge is gone.

Please let us know exactly what angle is acceptable before a person officially becomes a cunt.

And, you know, there are some transwomen around who would like that information!