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.

This.

I don’t get these responses at all. If someone on a plane reclines their seat, I would just recline mine too. I expect people to recline their seat if it’s reclinable!

Your 4yo child was asleep.

Did the woman really think your dh was going to go out of his way to be nice after she’d called him a twat?

reclining seats are there so people can recline, especially on long haul flights.

It’s really entitled to expect you can kick off and call someone awful names bc someone reclines their seat.

Yep your DH was being a cunt, sorry.

Why did he even need to keep reclining the seat when DS was asleep for the whole flight? A 4 year old who can sleep in a upright seat does not need the seat reclining.

It really is time the airlines stopped it for short haul flights.

However, just because you can, doesn't mean you must.

If DS was in between you he could have cuddled up against one of you with his legs across the other. That might not be as comfy for you but why should someone else be made more uncomfortable? It's horrible having a seat reclining into your very limited space and should only be done at night when everyone is doing the same

I can’t watch the TV in front of me if the person reclines their seat as it’s too close. It’s rude to recline unless it’s a night flight, especially for a child that can lay across you.
your husband sounds awful and did he think it was ok to argue with the air steward trying to do their job?
you both sound entitled.

Everyone knows you can recline unless food and drinks are being served. Both adults should be able to remain polite during such an interaction though, is your dh always so childish? The child was comfy and sleeping so he really didn't need to act like a stroppy toddler.

So the seat was tipped back so she had less room?

I think your husband was being unreasonable the whole time

Was it an overnight flight?

Who says?

@Clefable do you think it was reasonable to argue with the Cabin Crew?

Convention is its polite to recline once the meal service has been cleared and not before

Airplanes should either be built with seats far enough apart to recline or with non-reclining seats!

Meals and drinks yes, not the night thing though as people are likely to be on a variety of different time zones so 'night' can be any time on a plane.

Arguing with cabin crew can get idiots removed from planes. You husband is an idiot and a twat who was unreasonable.

This was all on your “D”H. He was rude, selfish, arrogant. He started it, he continued it. No one reclines until after the food/drink is finished, 99% of people then only recline on a night flight, and a 4-year-old doesn’t need a seat reclined anyway. Above all else, don’t argue with the cabin crew when they ask you to do something (or not to do something!), that’s the ultimate idiotic behaviour.

Bring your laptop on flights and put it on the table in front of you whilst the lights are still on

If it’s a night time or long flight remove it when the lights are put out and if someone reclines in front of you then you can do the same
Job done

( I’ve never been on a plane that has really tight seats though, but no one reclines ime if you’ve got your laptop out )

you don’t recline during drinks and meals so DH is BU and your DS is 4 and would have had plenty room without reclining

@pottymouth40 you should not recline until
after the meal service otherwise people can’t really sit and eat properly

I think airlines deliberately retain reclining seats in the knowledge they cause passenger friction and discomfort, to encourage people to pay for upgraded flights.

DH is a twat and his wife seems to enjoy it.

This. Unwritten rule that you do not recline until after drink and meal service. Then it's fine to recline until/if another meal is served

You don’t recline on day flights IMO

However it’s a bit of a grey area if it’s a night flight and kids need to get to sleep earlier than adults but they haven’t yet dimmed the lights. Like if the flight leaves at 7pm but they will do meal etc and then dim at 9.30 - kids will need to sleep before then.

Your DS could clearly sleep without the seat reclined though so this is all irrelevant and your DH was being a twat.

Yes but he obviously wasn’t planning on putting it back up when they were being served, as he showed by being a twat for the entire flight. Extra twat points for making the staffs flight difficult too. Well done for being the shit entitled family on the flight.

I agree for meals it should be up. But I don’t blame the dh for being a bit unwilling at that point after he’d been called a twat for doing something he was well entitled to do.

The DH was slightly U (in that he should’ve put it up for the meal when the steward told him)

But the woman was VVV U and entitled and nasty and I’d have told the silly bitch to shut her fucking gob actually!

Your dh did well to keep his cool OP.

It's not OK if it leads to massive discomfort for the person behind....

I had this flying back from China... An entitled arse thought it was OK to put it back maximally... I could barely squeeze out of my seat... When u was sitting I couldn't even make a fist between my face and the reclined seat... Literally 4-5 inches...

The stewards remonstrated with him... He refused and started waving his fists around...