Angry woman on plane, Was we BU?

[Raynaud]

7 hour flight with DH and DS(4). As soon as seatbelt lights went off DH fully reclined exhausted DSs seat so he could sleep. The woman behind snapped at DH to put the seat back up as drinks would be coming around soon. DH said no as drinks currently not being served. She called him a selfish twat to her OH.
Drinks/snacks start coming around. Woman tells DH to put the seat back up. DH put the seat back up half way so to not wake DS. She tells him to put it fully up. He tells her DS is sleeping. Her OH then tells her to speak to steward which she does. Steward asks DH to put the seat back up - he tells her DS is sleeping. I tell him to just put it back up, he again says DS is sleeping. Air Steward starts getting pissed off, I snap at DH to put the bloody seat up. He does so reluctantly and DS does not wake.

Once everything is cleared away he puts the seat fully back again. The woman complains that he’s doing that out of badness because “the kid” is still asleep. Her OH confirms that yes, DH is a twat.

My take on it is that both were being unreasonable at different times. My sister however says this was all on DH.

Well obviously it's helping someone out. Someone in the seat in front, sleeping or whatever they needed it for 🙄🙇🏻‍♀️

You don’t need to recline your seat to sleep. It might be slightly more comfortable for some people but it’s definitely possible to sleep without reclining.
However, they’ve got the rest of flight to sleep. Seats should be upright during the meal service and I’m surprised that the cabin crew allowed it. one every single long haul flight I took last year the cabin crew announced it as a policy and went along the rows of seats asking people to comply.

Have these passengers actually asked you to put up with their seat reclined during the meal service rendering your tray unusable or are you making assumptions and indulging their selfish behaviour?

Because people who keep their seats reclined during the meal service are incredibly selfish.

I fly a lot and selfish passengers really wind me up!!

It’s getting worse!
I fly long haul regularly for work and we have to fly economy. I’ve stopped flying direct because the amount of times I’ve ended up near/next to someone behaving selfishly or rude for 14 plus hours has pissed me off too much!
Two 7 or 8 hour flights at least means I change it up 😂😂

My favourite recently was the flight where I was sat on a row of three and had the aisle seat (which I paid for as I need it due to my hip issues) and on the two other seats were young kids. Their parents were on a different row! They refused to split up and take a child each so just left them sat with me! The parents had a great flight 🙄

I don’t recline unless there’s no one behind me but I do think that if what you say here is the “rule” then it would be very easy for the airline to address. State no reclining before Xpm of whatever and then anyone breaching is bang to rights. They don’t say that and so they rely on compliance with some social norm that not everyone agrees with.

I am with you on this. Literally, why 😂

But if it's that important, why don't they say that seat reclining isn't allowed until after service?

I don't fly, so am absolutely clueless about this. I wouldn't have realised this was an issue at all and personally would've wanted to prioritise my child's comfort too... Surely the woman behind is unhinged, being so rude?! She should've paid for a higher class of flight if she wanted more space, surely?

What you need to do is comply with the cabin crew instructions. If they ask you to put your seat up, you must. You don't always know when they will serve food and to whom (like special meals). Some very late flights I've been on which are about 6-7 hours, serve a quick snack after take off and then a hot meal before landing. So you can put your seat back after take off if you like and if you haven't noticed there's a meal service or didn't know the etiquette, it's not a big deal, just comply with a passenger or cabin crew request to put your seat up (with the cabin crew one being obligatory).

Nearly everyone who flies long haul agrees it's fine to recline and nearly everyone does it.

It’s fine to recline outside of the meal service. A fully reclined seat can make it difficult for the person behind you to use their tray.
On every long haul flight I’ve been on the cabin crew have told passengers to put their seat in the upright position when food is being served.

However, a 4 year old doesn’t need a reclined seat so I can see why the women behind would be frustrated as it is pretty miserable to be sat behind a fully reclined seat for a long period of time.

😳
I’m speechless for once

I think they were hoping I'd swap to a window seat but I need an aisle seat and that's what I'd paid for. I explained that but I think they thought I was being awkward.

Your DH is a colossal bellend.

Years ago I was working offshore in Angola where I heard news that my Irish grandfather had passed away. Irish funerals tend to happen pretty quickly so I had to get back to Limerick sharpish and the quickest way was a 23 hour multi stop flight via Johannesburg, London and Shannon. By the last leg I was absolutely shattered, I had a row 1 seat so I could scarper off the plane quickly and meet my family. As soon as I was sat down I fast asleep, but not for long, some woman was shaking my shoulder and asking me to move, no please, no sorry to wake you, just a "can you move so we can sit together". I dont swear often, but she got both barrels.

Some people! Don’t blame you at all!

Never been my experience with easy jet or ryan air.or transavia .I suppose it depends where you’re going maybe.

Fine to recline for part of the flight after the meal when lights go out I think most people agree with. I doubt everyone thinks fully reclining as soon as the flight takes off is fine.

Oh well, you continue being wound up '& I'll continue not to disturb sleeping people when it doesn't bother me 💁🏻‍♀️

Sorry but I’m with your DH, those seats recline for a reason 💺 The only time you’re required to sit them up is during drink/food service and take-off & landing. Any other time, you’re perfectly entitled to recline and she could’ve reclined her own seat.

But he didn’t put the seat back up during the drinks service. That’s the point.
The cabin crew had to intervene. That’s what makes him unreasonable.