To recline my seat in the airplane tonight ?

[Redeyeflight]

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 ?

I’m sure that as soon as the person in-front of your DH reclines, he will recline his too.

Why are people going on about the DH saying the OP isn't allowed to recline her seat and making out as if he is some sort of controlling twat? It's a common turn of phrase to convey something you aren't permitted to do, not someone giving an order.
"You're not allowed to smoke on flights"
"you're not allowed to do 100mph on a dual carriage way"
"you're not allowed to buy alcohol if you're under 18"

stop making it out to be something it's not just because he's a man!

It’s only polite and common sense to warn the person behind you though. Just been on a flight where I nearly had my hot drink spilled all over me cos the idiot in front just suddenly reclined (day time)

Of course you recline on a night flight. Long haul, on day flights too once the meal is done with

Pretty much everyone reclines their seat after dinner on a night flight, day flight not so much and pretty selfish imo.

Because those are things nobody is allowed to do, so ‘you’re’ is understood to mean people in general
It isn’t forbidden to recline a seat, therefore in this context ‘you’re not allowed’ specifically means the person being spoken to.

Well they have the option to recline their seat too. Or to book a seat at the very front if they really can’t abide the person in front of them reclining. It wouldn’t bother me if the person in front of me reclined their seating during the day so I’m not going to worry about whether reclining my seat to a position it’s designed to go in may or may not bother the person behind me. If it was really bothering somebody and they politely asked me to move it back to upright I’d consider moving it back up but otherwise I’m only going to focus on my own comfort and not tie myself in knots worry about whether the person behind me is someone who cares about the seat in front or someone (like me) who wouldn’t be bothered at all.

Seriously, I tend to only do long haul flights and it doesn't matter if its day or night at least 80% of people recline. Why wouldn't you - you've paid for the seat.

Why is it only selfish during the day? I don't sleep on planes (im terrified and uncomfortable most of the time) so if they person in front of me reclines I'd be doing exactly the same thing at night as I would in the day time. Watching film or reading etc. So why are they apparently selfish for disturbing my TV watching during the day but not at night? (I don't think it's selfish at all and despite being quite tall I don't care if someone reclines in front of me. I just recline myself and have the same space again).

100% OP definitely.

good airplane etiquette would be to wait until after the first round of food and drink is sorted and they dim the cabin.

Selfish during the day but ok on a night flight

Thank you everyone!

You can recline it on any long haul flight, day or night as long as it's not during the food service. Plenty of people travelling long haul are on multi-stop flights and could be in any timezone (or trying adjust to the timezone in their final destination) or just knackered from travelling and want to rest.

wait until after dinner and ask the person behind you in case they are on a tablet or laptop

It's a night flight, it's perfectly acceptable to recline your seat when they dim the lights.

Of course it’s fine, apart from during meals

You can recline your seat whenever you like except mealtimes and when instructed by the captain to be upright. Everyone who buys a standard class plane ticket knows the seat in front can recline. If you don't want to accept this condition, don't buy the ticket.

This! Seat recliners on short flights are so inconsiderate

Reclining overnight is fine. But never during meal times.

If the person behind me has reclined, I will 100% do it too. They canna complain can they.

People have the right to recline whenever they want. Otherwise it wouldn't be an option.

It's polite not to do it for a meal though and very often if you are reclined during food service the staff will ask you to put your seat up.

It really isn't.

lots of posters are telling the OPP she "can't" redline her seat on a day flight as it is selfish. Same thing. It's not being controlling it's a common use of the word "allowed".

Of course you recline.

The person behind you can also recline.

Don't many airline seats have more than one recline position? I haven't flown since the lockdowns but as far as i can remember even Easyjet sets recline one or two notches? Happy to be corrected!
The national carriers, Virgin Atlantic etc certainly do. So on a daytime flight (but not a short haul one of under c.three hours) I would recline my seat slightly if I wanted to sleep, and would see many other passengers doing the same. Some do recline fully, however.
On a night flight of course just about everyone reclines the seat as far as it will go. (Except my DH who can sleep on a fence.)

YABU for calling it an airplane. It's an aeroplane.