Reclining the seat in Economy: when is it ok?

[tiaretiti]

Who is ‘right’ to recline a seat in Economy?

My thoughts are that reclining the seat in Economy is perfectly fine overnight if it’s sleeping time. During meal times the seat should not be reclined as it’s unfair on the person behind. During the day it’s preferable not to recline fully unless sleeping.

Recently though, on an 8 hour day flight, the couple infront reclined their seat all the way back for the duration of the flight. They were watching films. They even ignored the air stewardess’ request for them to put the seat in the normal position when they serve food. I couldn’t even eat my food so I had to ask them to put it upright. They shrugged their shoulders until an air stewardess very firmly told them to consider other passengers.

It’s okay anytime apart from meal time, landing and takeoff.

If there were actual rules/expectations then they would be written somewhere or clearly explained by the crew. It seems the only time the crew care is for meals so clearly that is the rule/expectation.

Reclining can be comfier for some people and is absolutely nothing to do with sleep. If it was there would be a clear rule to only do it if sleeping or when the lights are dimmed.

All these people saying it’s awful if someone does it. You are nuts. Can always recline your own to make the space.

This.
I'm a weekly short haul flier and a monthly ultra long haul flier and these are the rules!

One leg of a flight I regularly take is 17 hours. On an A380. You telling me you are sitting bolt upright the whole time?
I can tell you the entire cabin is reclined when your are staring into the face of 17 hours in a seat.

I don't recline if there is someone behind me unless it is a overnight flight but to be honest I am short and don't sleep on planes anyway so really don't. The only time I did recline during a day flight was on a morning flight back from Croatia. The man behind me had verbally abused the check in staff, was vile to security staff and rude to the gate staff. His seat's back was against the toilet wall and there was no one else in that row. Both I and the person next to me reclined fully.

@Okunevo But generally the majority of people are asleep or dozing, so that's when it makes sense to recline as most people will. During daylight hours for that time zone most people will be awake, moving about, trying to entertain themselves, so it makes sense to have seats upright and everyone have the maximum available space.

I just cannot imagine being of the mindset to impact someone else's comfort on a long flight to marginally increase my own. If increasing my own had no impact then fair game, but it clearly does.

The sooner all economy seats are changed to slimline easyJet style ones the better.

In my experience they often put unaccompanied minors in the back row, on their own if there is space. Or often leave seats free if an adult passenger. DS had no complaints about reclining in this row.

You've bought the space where your seat is and the space into which it declines. Expecting someone not to use the space for your own comfort is entitled IMHO. There'd be no point in having reclining seats if they were not to be used.

This subject comes up so often that it should have its own official topic heading, so they can be hidden properly archived for posterity.

See also: tables in a cafè, shoes on/off as a guest, baby and child parking spaces, should I book seats on the flight for my young children or risk it.

This.

People are so bloody selfish. It's horrible having a seat reclined into your face.

@QueSyrahSyrah In daylight there are more people awake, and more asleep in darkness, but there are many unable to sleep in the nighttime or trying to get any sleep they can in the daytime too.

I would not put an overhead light on when it's dark, but that's as far as I would differentiate. If someone was trying to sleep in daylight I'd keep any noise to a minimum and would not mind at all if they recline in front of me. I know what 20-24 hours of flights when you are struggling to sleep is like!

What I find interesting is that 5 years or so ago this thread would have been that reclining is the act of a selfish arse. Now it’s that why would the seats recline if it’s wrong to do it.

@Okunevo As do I, but no matter how tired I am I still don't think my comfort is more important than that of the person behind me.

As it happens DH and I always book exit row in long-haul economy to side-step the whole problem. Nobody can recline into us, and we have space to breathe so we don't need to recline to find more.

Ah OK. I think I might see the source of some disagreements. For me, it's not marginally increasing comfort. It's the difference between pain or significantly less pain. Sitting that upright is hugely uncomfortable and a very unpleasant experience. esp on my neck which is already vulnerable and significantly jarred by the shape of the seat.

I would hate to think that someone was going without sleep in front of me rather than just reclining. It honestly makes little difference to my comfort outside of meal times. I don't need a lot of empty space in front of my face.

Fine at any time except when meals are served. You pay for a reclinable seat and an unreclined seat is very uncomfortable for much more than 20/30 minutes.

I can't believe that some people seem to think that kicking or punching the seat in front is more acceptable than reclining a seat made to be reclined! That's appalling behaviour.

I was mortified when my then two year old was accidentally doing it when adjusting position. He wasn't kicking, his legs were too short to bend on the seat but long enough to reach the seat in front. Of course I reminded him not to sit like that but it was a long flight and he did need to move. I can't believe that adults are doing it on purpose.

What I would say to recliners, is that turning round to ask would they mind / warn them you're going to anyway / check they don't have a hot drink balanced or a child on their lap or their legs crossed costs nothing.

As much as a I just quietly fume for the most part, the brash loud bloke on my flight to Florida that slammed his seat back without warning, slamming the edge of my tray table into my kneecap and tipping over my drink got a very firm shove and some choice words in return.

I agree that only on long flights and never during meals. I also think it’s polite to ask.

On one memorable occasion the man in front polished off his food in record time and suddenly shot his seat back, knocking food and drink into the lap of the lady behind him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so angry.

I always check behind, always recline slowly, always after meal trays have been collected.

I am surprised by the amount of people who think it’s acceptable to shove and kick.

Anytime aside when the person behind you is eating

That would just make me fully recline the chair of someone kept shoving the back of the chair

It's not ok during meal times and it's not ok when cabin crew ask you to sit upright for meals, take off and landing.