Reclining Your Airplane Seat: Right Or Privilege, And Why Is It Controversial?

There is no issue in F.

Hi Ben,

I like to provide another angle about what you call a „misconception“:

„There seems to be a common misconception about legroom being reduced when the person in front of you reclines:

Only the upper part of the seat generally moves, and not the lower part
If you recline your seat as well, then you’ll still have the same space between you and the seat in front“

If your knee is above the pivot point of the seat back then legroom/ knee room definitely is reduced when the person in front of you reclines.

I believe that this is the case for many persons. You do not need to be really tall.

But if you are around 185cm your knees are definitely higher than the pivot point and your knees might be already touching the seat back. So reclining is definitely an issue because your butt can‘t really go back when you recline as well.

Being 205cm I definitely take the emergency exit on short hauls given I am based in Europe and it really sucks that we have to suffer from EU business.

My butt hurts pretty quickly (after 30min) on these slimline seats and this is especially the case when I cannot recline because then more force is put on the butt. If you recline then some of the weight is put to the seat back.

If we ain‘t not getting a proper business class seats in Europe I would actually vote for standing seats. On my last flight with Ryanair/ Lauda Air I actually stayed most of the flight because the seat without recline and a really steep seat back was so uncomfortable.

As I said you simply do not get F on every route, even in the US

This is the dumbest debate ever. The seats have a recline function. If they weren't supposed to recline, then they wouldn't have added that capability. End of story.

The person in front of me has a the right to recline their seat whenever they want, except when there are told the seat must be in the upright position. That right also applies to me. Simple. The only controversy comes from people who think they should be entitled to special treatment.

A seat that reclines costs more, requires more maintenance, and is heavier (thus burning more fuel). It costs the airline money, so they include it for a reason. So, what, they add them only to be used when the seat behind is empty? Have you flown recently? Medical experts suggest that it is better for your back to recline. So, yes, every pax is entitled to recline. Don't like it, fly Ryanair.

Felix, one finds that as there are so few international standard F seats fitted on U.S. carriers aircraft, why would one want to subject oneself to the indignity of flying U.S. domestic?

Long haul, I recline.
Short haul, I don't.
Simple.
I don't really care if the person in front reclines, unless it's during meal time, which FAs usually requests everyone to sit upright anyway. If the passenger behind me tells me to not recline on long haul flights (outside of meal hours/ take off or landing), i tell them to book a first class seat.

I recline my seat just a little. As I get older (I am 63), sitting in the same position for hours is painful. I do try and book extra leg room when I can but sometimes the cost is not worth it for a shorter flight. I always bring my seat upright for meals. I try and be considerate but in the end it is my seat and I will recline if I want to.

I know this is just an engagement farm post but understand that if you reline your seat you are possibly making another passenger's experience worse.

"Some people suggest that if the person in front of you reclines, take your air nozzle and point it right at the head of the person in front."

i don't recline much, but if i'm hearing that it's an easy way to get some extra air sent my direction while we're stuck in the metal tube, i might just have to start...

Another repeat or re-post of a topic you have written about before. Why all the repeats lately? Slow news? Click bait? Ad revenue? Just wondering.

Can we just discuss the American Airlines coach seat already, that slides forward to recline so you are not encroaching upon others space.

As a tall person (6ft 6) I find that most people don't look when they go to recline. They try to recline but usually my legs are pressed up against their seat (not really anything I can do about that) so the seat won't recline. They then usually immediately assume the seat is broken so try to force the recline when the chair simply can't move back due to my legs, often causing a lot of pain to me. I'll usually politely ask the person in front to stop as they're starting to cause me a lot of pain, apologise for impeding their recline and offer to swap seats if they're so desperate to recline. I've received a lot of abuse and anger from people when I tell them this but usually people are very understanding on short haul flights and very aggressive on long haul flights.

I understand the argument that I should pay extra for an exit row or extra legroom but as someone with a limited budget I don't really have the luxury of doing this. I also find it to be quite unfair for the only reaction to something I have no control over is to be told I need to pay extra, for the sake of a couple inches of recline for the person in front. However my mantra has always been this. Short people get the luxury of fitting on planes, tall people get the luxury of always having a good view at concerts

Ben has the misconception because he doesn't travel in economy often and long enough.

To simplify his "misconception".
He is looking at seats with 2 dimensions and humans mass have no volume.

It's not a misconception at all.
When the seat in front of you reclines your space is definitely reduced unless you body is literally paper thin.

Cripes mate get some new story ideas. You rehash the same stuff too often. If you pay for a seat and that seat is able to recline, then there's no question. End of story. Too bad for the person behind. They have bought your seat. End of story now fricking move on. FFS.

If one doesnot have the right to recline the seat,then airlines should stop providing reclining seats.

I am surprised that you have never heard of the "In your face club'. It's a secret society and the president always sits in front of me. How he knows where I will be sitting i do not know. He will go down first and for the longest. Other members scattered throughout the cabin may do likewise. Often he travels alone in front of me.
There may be many chapters scattered throughout the world.

Just make it a "Chain Reaction". He/She/It does it, you do it and so on and so Forth till it all ends in a ..................

How about overnight flights where your neighbor insists on keeping his light on the entire flight.

The airlines are responsible for this problem but they leaf it to the customers to solve which is not fair.
They should in Economy Class make 2 section, seats which recline and seats which do not recline. Problem solved.
They should charge for recline more.

I don’t mind the recline, I agree that doing it slowly is necessary, but sometimes it’s so cramped it’s hard to make eye contact. The one caveat I have is during meal service. And not the free drinks on a domestic flight… I mean when it’s like a dinner on an international flight right after take off. If the flight is 12 hours and we’re eating in the first hour, please keep your seat upright or at least mostly upright so we can eat. I really appreciate it when the F/A make an announcement about that. I feel like I hear it less and less. That’s the only time I think it’s truly inconsiderate.

Yes courtesy is helpful. But there something is called Entitlement, which causes problems no matter what you do.

I’m solely in airlines created the problem (with small seating spaces) and are the only ones that can fix it. Get a clue if you feel otherwise.

Agree, reclining is a right. But, please, do it slowly. I can't tell you how many times I almost had my laptop or iPad crushed by the "slam the seat back fast" recliner. And, to FrozenKiwi's point, put your seat up during meal service, please.

The whole debate is silly. This article is vastly correct. Reclining is a right. Courtesy is human. But there is a segment of the population which seems to have suicidal empathy on this issue and it's insane.

I agree with Ben's view, as far as courtesy is concerned. I strongly disagree as regards extra legroom. Yes, I am prepared to buy extra legroom seats, but in particular outside the US, the number of such seats is very limited, often only exit row, which sometimes comes with local language fluency (I speak 5 languages, but there are many more). Also, sometimes airlines don't honor such reservations.

But I'm 6ft 7', with a short upper body and legs corresponding to a 7ft 2' tall person. So my legs simply don't fit into a regular economy seat.