Page 11 | To recline my seat in the airplane tonight ?

Redeyeflight · 2023-10-23T11:52:54+00:00

We are flying from Boston and Dh told me I’m not allowed to recline my seat on our night flight ? We are on economy and flying with BA. I don’t fly often so not sure about the etiquette. I mean if it was a day flight I wouldn’t recline but a night one ? Everyone would want to ?

NotMeNoNo · 24/10/2023 21:44

DH is very tall. We flew recently on a long haul from USA but there were no extra legroom seats left when I booked. The guy in from reclined his seat so it was literally stuck in DH knees. The guy then went on to kick DH's feet. DH ended up standing up in the aisle rather than be in pain. In the end I swapped with him as I had an empty seat in front of me. I would conclude go ahead and recline your seat as long as there is room to, but for a small number of tall people there will not be.

pollymere · 24/10/2023 22:51

I've always completely reclined my seat and had people in front of me doing the same. I've actually never had anyone complain or ask if I can raise my seat a bit. They're designed to do that. And on buses.

Tigger1895 · 24/10/2023 22:54

BlowDryRat · 23/10/2023 13:06

Totally normal on a long-haul night flight. Just make sure you put the seat up fully for take off, landing and meal service.

I was asked to sit up because the person behind me was eating. I wasn’t eating however, the person in front of me was reclined and I was told because they weren’t eating I couldn’t ask them to sit up. I got a bit snooty and in the end, the person in front was asked to sit up. It seems even staff aren’t sure of the etiquette.

ellyeth · 24/10/2023 23:14

Why have reclining seats if it is bad form to recline them? I don't suppose anyone else will be reluctant to recline their seats, especially on a night flight.

Lovely13 · 25/10/2023 00:34

Reclining seats on aeroplanes are just one of the many hideous things about flying. You have a few inches of space and then someone invades it!

Mydogmybestfriend · 25/10/2023 02:30

Airlines need more space for this it's less money for them but it causes so many arguments on flights

Evilspiritgin · 25/10/2023 05:24

I for some reason can’t sleep on planes, so I don’t recline.

I’m just wondering what happens if the person behind you are using the seat extenders or blow up foot rests? I wonder if they will go the same way of the seat defenders

Ahfeckingfeckit · 25/10/2023 07:16

‘Reclining seats on aeroplanes are just one of the many hideous things about flying’

its a lot better that sitting upright for 7+ hrs

Pandor · 25/10/2023 07:35

If the person in front of me reclines I just have to accept it. The seat is literally designed to be adjustable for the user’s comfort, it would be ridiculous for me to blame them for using it as intended. I might not like the lack of space it leaves me with , but my complaint should be with the airline for designing the plane like that - it would be incredibly entitled for me to blame the other passenger.

Of course in reality I don’t complain to the airline either as I know that air travel, particularly in economy, is a low margin business - squeezing my comfort is one way of keeping the cost down for them and for me. If I want more space I can pay extra in Premium or Business.

The only exception to reclining is meal service, at which point everyone should have their seats in the upright position.

notimagain · 25/10/2023 08:43

Mydogmybestfriend · 25/10/2023 02:30

Airlines need more space for this it's less money for them but it causes so many arguments on flights

It’s not so much “less” money, more a case of any profit at all.

If you dig around the airline annual reports you’ll find that in the last year most airlines made around £5 to £10 on the average passenger (averaged over the season)…so no, they are not going to rip out seat rows to increase pitch…the economics don’t work.

The good news for some is more and airlines are installing economy seats that don’t recline - but don’t kid yourself that’s done to placate passengers, it’s done for financial reasons (see one of my p.p.s)

As @Pandor has mentioned at many airlines you do have the option to pay if you desire more space..

Dacadactyl · 25/10/2023 08:50

Depends where you're sat. I had a family in front of us recline their seats and they had no seats ahead of them with full on leg room galore.

I kept my hand on the son's chair to prevent him fully reclining. I nearly started a riot but I couldn't believe the fucking cheek of them.

Solonge · 25/10/2023 08:50

Wolfiefan · 23/10/2023 13:03

I generally recline my seat whether it’s day or night. That’s because I have a health issue that causes constant pain.

So you ask for a seat in the back row? Or just discomfort the person behind you?

EasternStandard · 25/10/2023 08:52

notimagain · 25/10/2023 08:43

It’s not so much “less” money, more a case of any profit at all.

If you dig around the airline annual reports you’ll find that in the last year most airlines made around £5 to £10 on the average passenger (averaged over the season)…so no, they are not going to rip out seat rows to increase pitch…the economics don’t work.

The good news for some is more and airlines are installing economy seats that don’t recline - but don’t kid yourself that’s done to placate passengers, it’s done for financial reasons (see one of my p.p.s)

As @Pandor has mentioned at many airlines you do have the option to pay if you desire more space..

Edited

Show quote history

Yes to this, although as much as people post I hate reclining seats more will likely be annoyed when airlines don’t provide them at all

morechocolateneededtoday · 25/10/2023 08:56

ProvisionsOnTheDock · 23/10/2023 13:42

Anyone who reclines into me, day or night, gets regular thumps in the back. Oops. It's so selfish!

I was stuck in front of a jerk like you a few years ago - had worked night shift and then straight to the airport as had to fly at short notice to visit a sick relative. I reclined my seat to sleep after meal service and a stupid cow behind me kept thumping me. I asked to be moved but there were no spare seats - cabin crew had a firm word with her to no avail.

Came to a head when crew walked past as she intentionally grabbed my hair when supposedly trying to get up. Resulted in an upgrade to business for me for rest of the flight and talk of ban for her (no idea if it was enforced in the end, couldn’t care less). I had the most comfortable flight after that.

Cabin crew are explicitly clear on this - seats are designed to recline and this is acceptable at all times except for take off, landing and meal services. Everyone travelling has their own circumstances and there is no such thing as not reclining on a day flight

SoupDragon · 25/10/2023 08:59

Solonge · 25/10/2023 08:50

So you ask for a seat in the back row? Or just discomfort the person behind you?

Show quote history

Or the person who can't cope with being "behind" could request a front row.

Why is one more selfish than the other?

Wolfiefan · 25/10/2023 09:28

@Solonge how exactly does reclining a seat a bit cause discomfort? Plus read my later posts maybe?
Thank God my DH paid for business class upgrade for our next flight. I would hate to be sat with some of the attitudes on here. I don’t want to make others uncomfortable but neither am I not going to recline just in case. If there’s a problem then talk to me as I’ve already said.

SurprisedWithAHorse · 25/10/2023 09:35

People can recline their seats whenever they like except for mealtimes and when the captain instructs otherwise. If you don't want to accept that, don't book the seat.

I know, I know, you absolutely must travel etc. That's not anyone else's problem. Accept the conditions of the ticket or don't buy it.

Cherryonthetop2019 · 25/10/2023 10:24

We pay to sit in the front row and we recline our seats. Nobody is going to stop me doing that and anyone that tries with crap like this will mean me getting cabin staff to intervene.

ginandtonicwithlimes · 25/10/2023 10:32

MolkosTeenageAngst · 23/10/2023 12:56

I always recline my seat even on a day flight, it’s much more comfortable for me reclined. Obviously when the food arrives you should put it back up so the person behind can use their tray, but otherwise it’s fine to recline. What would be the point in the airline putting in reclining seats if you weren’t ever actually able to use them!?

Hope it wasn't an easy jet flight? As a tall person please don't recline during a day flight.

Dacadactyl · 25/10/2023 11:09

Cherryonthetop2019 · 25/10/2023 10:24

We pay to sit in the front row and we recline our seats. Nobody is going to stop me doing that and anyone that tries with crap like this will mean me getting cabin staff to intervene.

Oooh no! Not cabin crew intervening!!

You sound like the charmers in front of us.

Mercurial123 · 25/10/2023 11:57

Cherryonthetop2019 · 25/10/2023 10:24

We pay to sit in the front row and we recline our seats. Nobody is going to stop me doing that and anyone that tries with crap like this will mean me getting cabin staff to intervene.

I hope I never sit behind you on a flight

Cherryonthetop2019 · 25/10/2023 12:20

Some of you are unhinged! You don’t get dictate if people who have paid their fare on a plane recline their seat! How you feel about it is your problem and nobody else’s. If it’s that much of an issue don’t fly!

Pandor · 25/10/2023 12:32

I think people who get unduly angry about it need to reframe their expectations of what their ticket buys them.

just assume, particularly on long haul, that the seat in front of you will be reclined for most of the flight. What is left is the space your ticket buys you. If you want more space you can:

research airlines to make sure the one you have chosen has the most space between rows;

recline your own seat; or

pay for an upgrade.

If the person in front doesn’t recline then take that as a win - an unexpected but welcome bonus bit of space. What you can’t do is try to gain more space than you have paid for by dictating how the person in front uses their seat - provided of course that they follow the instructions of the crew.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 25/10/2023 12:57

ginandtonicwithlimes · 25/10/2023 10:32

Hope it wasn't an easy jet flight? As a tall person please don't recline during a day flight.

Show quote history

If you were sat behind me and politely asked me to unrecline on a short haul flight I would probably comply. I’m not going to refrain from reclining my seat as a default just in case the person behind me doesn’t like it, as shown on this thread lots of people wouldn’t be bothered by it and would expect to be able to do the same. I will use my seat as it is designed to be used unless of course somebody speaks up and explains that this is a problem, or if they have social anxiety or a problem speaking up (I have autism o appreciate it’s not easy for everyone) I would be happy to be handed a note politely requesting me to move my seat up or even a message via cabin crew. I’m not completely selfish and happy to modify my behaviour if it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient for others, but I’m not going to modify my behaviour as standard considering for lots of people it wouldn’t be an issue at all.

Daddydog · 25/10/2023 12:58

Why I fly economy I sit in the very last row of any of the cabin so I can recline my seat as much as I want without complaints. May take a little longer to get off plane but worth it. They often taper into two rather than three seats per row for the final row on 777 etc which if you pick the correct one you end up without a seat directly in front of offset for more space. Always use Seat Guru to work out which config the plane is in. If I'm not in those seats I just ask the person behind how far I can recline before I'm on their knees.