It kind of amazes me how often we see viral stories about arguments that arise over seat recline on airplanes. Perhaps the reason this always goes so viral is because of how polarizing this topic is. Don’t get me wrong, I have my opinions, but fundamentally my belief is simply “let’s all be considerate to one another and minimize confrontations.” That belief doesn’t seem to be shared by many people.
As airlines increasingly squeeze more seats into planes, these situations will likely only continue to get worse. In this post I wanted to share my in-depth take on seat recline, and also address some of the arguments that I frequently see made. I’m then curious to hear what OMAAT readers have to say.
In this post:
Reclining your seat is a right
For me it’s quite simple. Reclining your seat, when the functionality is available, is a right. After all, the recline button is located at your seat, and not the seat behind you.
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
Again, none of this is to suggest that everyone should recline, but I do firmly believe that the right to recline belongs to the person with the button.
You should still be courteous
While you have the right to recline, that doesn’t mean that you actually should. If you’re going to recline your seat, you should be courteous with how you go about it. If the person seated behind you kindly asks you not to recline your seat (and has good reason for it), you should do the right thing, in my opinion.
For example, personally if I’m traveling in economy I don’t recline my seat at all (in fairness, I’m fortunate to generally not fly long hauls or redeyes in economy). Space is limited enough, and I am happy just sitting upright.
How to go about reclining your airplane seat
If you are going to recline your seat, I think there are a couple of things that you should do:
- You should make eye contact with the person behind you, or somehow make them aware that you are reclining
- You should slowly recline your seat, so that they have time to shift a laptop or whatever else they might have on their tray
What if the person in front of you reclines?
My stance on being reclined on from the seat in front of me is as follows:
- If you’re reclined on and it’s absolutely unbearable, kindly ask the passenger in front of you if they wouldn’t mind keeping the seat upright; remember that you’re asking them a favor, and that you’re not entitled to that, so phrase the question accordingly
- If they have an issue with it and it really is unbearable, explain the issue to a flight attendant and see if they can reseat you or somehow intervene
- If you know in advance that economy will be extremely uncomfortable (for example, if you’re really tall), pay extra for a seat with more legroom — almost all airlines will sell you extra legroom seats for a premium, and that can be worth it to avoid misery
- If you really have an issue with seat recline, fly an airline that doesn’t allow you to recline seats, like Spirit (then again, airlines with non-reclining seats typically also have among the least seat pitch)
Avoid confrontation at all costs
This should go without saying, but given how many viral stories we see about seat recline, I guess it needs to be said. At 35,000 feet and in a post-9/11 world, you should never:
- Do anything that would provoke another passenger to take physical or verbal action against you
- Approach another passenger in an angry way in order to “take matters into your own hands”
- Do something passive aggressive
I’m not opposed to non-reclining seats
While I do think reclining your seat is a right when the functionality is available, I’m not opposed to the trend we’ve seen among some airlines to introduce non-reclining seats. If airlines are going to keep seats as tight as they’ve become, I think it’s not a bad idea.
The thing about seat recline is that it’s a useful feature when everyone is on the same page. For example, on a redeye I think just about everyone is happy to have a reclining seat, since most people want to sleep. If everyone reclines, everyone is better off.
The issue arises from flights where people aren’t on the same page — for example, where one person wants to sleep, and the person behind them wants to work on their laptop.
Delta is a customer centered airline, and in 2019 the airline reduced seat recline on A320s without completely eliminating it, and it’s not a bad decision, in my opinion.
Arguments that I don’t agree with
When the topic of seat recline comes up, I see people making some arguments that I don’t personally agree with, and I want to share why. Again, to me this all comes down to just trying to be a reasonable human being who is looking to minimize confrontation.
“Airlines are at fault for making seats tighter”
There’s no denying that airlines are making seats tighter, and consumers don’t like it. At the same time, the introduction of these dense planes (look at the business models of Frontier and Spirit, for example) has allowed airfare to be at among the lowest we’ve seen in history (adjusted for inflation).
This makes travel more accessible for all, and I’d argue on balance that’s a good thing. For the most part airlines give passengers opportunities to purchase seats with extra legroom, so if you want to look at it differently, you’re still usually coming out ahead buying a seat with extra legroom compared to what airfare used to be in the “good old days.”
“Tall people should just buy first class”
To counter the point that airlines are at fault, some people say that tall people should just buy first class. Obviously that’s not always possible financially. I do think there’s an important distinction to make here, though:
- People who will be physically uncomfortable in economy as a result of reclining seats should try to do what they reasonably can to avoid those seats (whether that’s booking an airline with non-reclining seats, or paying for an extra legroom seat)
- Sometimes that’s simply not possible, and in those situations we can still be compassionate and considerate to those people who are really uncomfortable, rather than doing things to spite them
“Just point the air nozzle at the person reclining”
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. There are several other similar suggestions I’ve seen people make, and all of them come down to people being jerks.
It shocks me that people see this as an appropriate response:
- Generally speaking, people aren’t reclining their seat with malicious intent
- If you point your air nozzle at someone else, that’s malicious and passive aggressive
This will all go downhill pretty quickly. You’ll “accidentally” point your air nozzle at another passenger, and then that person will “accidentally” spill hot coffee on you.
Can’t we all try to just be courteous to one another, express concerns with words rather than passive aggressiveness, and try to make situations better rather than worse?
Bottom line
Personally I think seat recline is a right and not a privilege, but I actually don’t think it matters (and this is my key takeaway from all of this). There are people who have very good logic for believing it’s a right, and there are people who have very good logic for believing it’s a privilege.
Short of airlines creating “pro-recline” and “anti-recline” sections of the plane (which isn’t happening), we are just best off being considerate toward one another.
A vast majority of people aren’t boarding a flight looking for a fight, but rather they’re just trying to get between two points as comfortably and punctually as possible.
If you are going to recline your seat, do so slowly, and make sure the person behind you knows. If you’re being reclined on and it’s unbearable, politely ask the person if they wouldn’t mind putting their seat back up.
No matter what, don’t be a jerk. If you can’t come to a reasonable agreement with the other person involved, immediately ask a flight attendant for help, and don’t try to take matters into your own hands.
Where do you stand on seat recline etiquette?
Lucky,
Of course, I always recline. Don’t you?
I only travel in Business or First class (International, not US domestic).
Ben,
I have been following my own rule to avoid this situation, where possible for several years, regardless of class.
First up, never recline your seat during meal/snack service. A hot beverage/meal on the passenger behind you will, at the least, cause many blue words.
Second, before we are all belted down, I stand up, stretch, and say hi to the people un the row behind me. Not exactly new friends, but not exactly...
Ben,
I have been following my own rule to avoid this situation, where possible for several years, regardless of class.
First up, never recline your seat during meal/snack service. A hot beverage/meal on the passenger behind you will, at the least, cause many blue words.
Second, before we are all belted down, I stand up, stretch, and say hi to the people un the row behind me. Not exactly new friends, but not exactly full-on strangers. And I may casually say I am going to take a nap and recline my seat. But I will raise it before meal service.
And if the person behind me says: "no way Jose," I may ask him if he would ask the FA to have him moved.
At that point, I have done all I can do under the circumstance. At this point, I will recline my seat.
The caveat is if the flight is less than two hours, I will restrain myself from reclining.
While the plane is filled with and assortment of people, I refuse to be the person who has to yield to everyone all the time.
Why can't there be an announcement asking that seats not be reclined during meal service? I had just received my dinner tray when the guy in front of me reclined all the way quickly; part of my food got on my seat mate and me and I also got burned by the hot coffee that went flying.
Sorry but you completely lost me when you started defending the airlines. This is most certainly an issue created by airlines cramming in more and more seats. Your suggesting that people can just buy extra legroom is a joke. I'm 6'2 and the seats are unbearable. I got charged $170 extra each way just to have extra legroom. Seriously? This is reasonable? I'm not looking to fly on a budget airline. I'm already paying a...
Sorry but you completely lost me when you started defending the airlines. This is most certainly an issue created by airlines cramming in more and more seats. Your suggesting that people can just buy extra legroom is a joke. I'm 6'2 and the seats are unbearable. I got charged $170 extra each way just to have extra legroom. Seriously? This is reasonable? I'm not looking to fly on a budget airline. I'm already paying a premium to fly on some of these airlines. To be charged additional costs just because I'm a bit taller than other people is pretty absurd. Used to be plenty of room on airplanes. I'm not interested in cramming in with budget shoppers. Frankly travel would be a bit more tolerable without low cost airfare. Would reduce crowding at the airports and various destinations and drastically reduce the number of conflicts. On the flipside i almost never recline my seat unless in an individual lay flat seat.
As a long haul crew member this is probably the one thing we will encounter every single flight - someone complaining the person in front of them has reclined their seat.
Look, from our perspective as crew it is pretty straight forward - especially on long haul flights. The airlines purchase seats that have a button to enable recline. By default, one would assume people will use their 'feature' as they will also use the...
As a long haul crew member this is probably the one thing we will encounter every single flight - someone complaining the person in front of them has reclined their seat.
Look, from our perspective as crew it is pretty straight forward - especially on long haul flights. The airlines purchase seats that have a button to enable recline. By default, one would assume people will use their 'feature' as they will also use the IFE screen.
During meal services, we always ask everyone to bring their seats forward, to allow everyone a little more space.
Outside these times, if someone complains that the person in front reclines we suggest they also use their own seat 'feature' and recline their own seat.
Your right to recline your seat ends where my knees begin.
If you deliberately recline into
my knees that is assault.
If you innocently recline into me that’s a mistake. If you slam your body against the seat when you know it will hit my knees, that’s a crime.
The worst offenders need to be reported and a police complaint filed.
Complete and utter garbage.
Normal use of the recline function is absolutely permissible and intended as per the design of the seat. If this makes you uncomfortable, buy an extra legroom seat, a bulkhead row or a higher cabin class.
What a total and complete load of nonsense.
There is a very simple solution to this challenge, for those with the means to effect it …. purchase an F or J ticket …. :-)
Like Ben, I mostly use my laptop to work while flying. Unlike Ben, I actually fly Economy. So, the person in front of my reclining is really painful. I wish it weren’t an option.
I paid for a ticket that advertises certain amount of recline. The fact that they recline suggests that its allowed. If people don't like it perhaps they should not fly its part of the price of flying being able to recline and accepting the person in front of you will recline.
If this is a issue then simply immobilize the seats. Then there is nothing up for interpretation. They could monetize this feature as well.
My freedom/personal space ends where freedom/personal space of other person starts. Thtas my opinion and I am living like this. I am two meters high nad knwo that reclining really stealing space from people. Just because there is a button this does not mean that I need to press it. I have hudnres of examples what I can do but not doing it jsut "because I can".
Like some others have written, I try to only recline the seat about 33% of what it is capable of. When you're crammed into a tight economy seat and the person in-front reclines their seat fully, it makes a bad cramped situation, much worse. I don't want to do that to the person behind me.
If the seat has a recliner button, it a right to use it. Yes I look to see if someone is behind me and if so, I do not recline all the way.
Usually I would recline halfway so it won’t be to obstructive. But if there is no one behind me or they are sleeping, then I would go all the way
This would not be an issue among passengers, if the airlines had the decency to offer a large enough pitch.
To keep discussing this issue as a courtesy or etiquette issue, is to ignore the real culprit of corporate greed.
Corporate greed is the sibling of Comsumer Cheapskate. It cuts both ways and if consumers don’t vote with their wallets corporates are not going to budge.
Life is a dual responsibility it’s never a one side fault
I’ll recline back as soon as takeoff . I’ll do full way and then retract about halfway. I’ll look behind and give the pax a nod lol. Sometimes they are asleep or it’s vacant or it’s a kid. If you’re complaining about seat recline congratulations this is an intermediate level complaint difficulty level medium. You can ask politely for a passenger do you mind reclining only halfway ? Can you recline a bit less please...
I’ll recline back as soon as takeoff . I’ll do full way and then retract about halfway. I’ll look behind and give the pax a nod lol. Sometimes they are asleep or it’s vacant or it’s a kid. If you’re complaining about seat recline congratulations this is an intermediate level complaint difficulty level medium. You can ask politely for a passenger do you mind reclining only halfway ? Can you recline a bit less please ? TBH idgaf . Very few things bother me anymore. Everyday not flying American is equivalent to being six feet above ground.
Just got off two back to back 10 hour overnight flights. The most I reclined is 1-inch. I may have the "right" to go back further but I'm not going to infringe on the person behind me.
Were you beginning your trip or ending ? On the return flight I don’t mind spending $100-$200 for extra leg room.
Maybe they can have a reclining and non reclining sections on airplanes…
I'm a student and I'm 6ft 5. I don't travel very often but when I do I'm always in economy as that's all I can afford. In practice, there is no seat besides the bulkhead that I will fit in. My last long haul flight I was fortunate to get a bulkhead but in my experience bulkhead seats are almost always booked up first, or are charged a significant cost I can't justify on top...
I'm a student and I'm 6ft 5. I don't travel very often but when I do I'm always in economy as that's all I can afford. In practice, there is no seat besides the bulkhead that I will fit in. My last long haul flight I was fortunate to get a bulkhead but in my experience bulkhead seats are almost always booked up first, or are charged a significant cost I can't justify on top of my ticket already. Therefore it's very difficult for me to try to be anywhere besides a regular economy seat.
I last flew long haul on British airways on the 787-10. On this flight I have to remove everything from the seat back pocket to be able to fit my legs in. On this flight the woman in front of me attempted to recline her seat, in this case the seat did not move at all as my legs were pressed up against the back. Instead of looking what was the cause of her seat not reclining, she proceeded to slam her entire body against the seat back repeatedly which really hurt my knees. Upon her finally realising what the cause was, after I'd tried to get her attention as best I can, she proceeded to shout and swear at me for spoiling her sleep. In these situations I usually offer to swap seats or at the very least apologise for the fact I'm sat behind. For the remainder of my flight she chose to complain to every member of cabin crew who walked past her about me, despite offering to switch on top of my apologies. Furthermore when I got up to go to the bathroom she reclined her seat and refused to put it back up meaning I couldn't fit in my seat and was sat with my legs hanging out into the aisle.
I guess what I'm trying to get across is being tall on a flight is a genuine burden. Airline seats are barely big enough for someone who is average height, never mind someone significantly above it. It would be nice if people could show some empathy and realise there's really nothing we can do about it.
@Lucky - I don't have a strong POV here, but I do see you being a little duplicite...
You say... The person with the button controls whether to recline or not (to the extent the seat reclines).
Then you say... do not push your air nozzle all the way forward. Why not? Should the person with the nozzle control where it goes?
100% agree it is a little passive aggressive, but isn't...
@Lucky - I don't have a strong POV here, but I do see you being a little duplicite...
You say... The person with the button controls whether to recline or not (to the extent the seat reclines).
Then you say... do not push your air nozzle all the way forward. Why not? Should the person with the nozzle control where it goes?
100% agree it is a little passive aggressive, but isn't it your 'right'?
They had the best solution but doesn't seem like it has been rolled out... the seats that create recline by moving the base forward. That seems to solve all the 'territory' issues.
Oh no... Not this again...
The only time I approve of reclining in coach is if it's an overnight flight as it's easier for everyone to sleep when reclined a little.
I would love fixed shells for all seats. You get to make a choice that only impacts you: 1) Reclined, but less leg room. 2) No recline, but more leg room.
I’m on team don’t recline unless the seat behind you if vacant. This applies only coach not business or first which should have more space
I don’t know how many times someone in front of me tries to recline and it doesn’t hardly move because it hits my knee. For the record I am between 5-7 and 5-8. Tallish for a woman. Very average for an adult human.
Sometimes the person in front keeps...
I’m on team don’t recline unless the seat behind you if vacant. This applies only coach not business or first which should have more space
I don’t know how many times someone in front of me tries to recline and it doesn’t hardly move because it hits my knee. For the record I am between 5-7 and 5-8. Tallish for a woman. Very average for an adult human.
Sometimes the person in front keeps trying over and over. Why ???? I get that they can’t see why it doesn’t recline. Why keep hitting me in the kneecaps
I like to keep my legs crossed, one way and then the other. When the person in front of me moves back too far, they will meet my knee and it ain't budging. They ain't going back any further.
unless you’re proportioned in a really strange way what you claim is physically impossible. i am significantly taller and never had that issue
I am like Kingbob
If I am sitting my legs are crossed.
Actually pretty evenly proportioned
Left hip to crossed right knee is pretty close to the entire pitch of a low cost carriers 28-29 inch pitch
The legroom is reduced when reclining. It is not just the upper part that moves it is the entire seat back that moves. If you look at the point of rotation vs the level of your knees, obviously part of the room disappears, it is simple trigonometry.
That does not mean I disagree, it is your right to recline, that's why the function is there.
It has been shown time and again that by and...
The legroom is reduced when reclining. It is not just the upper part that moves it is the entire seat back that moves. If you look at the point of rotation vs the level of your knees, obviously part of the room disappears, it is simple trigonometry.
That does not mean I disagree, it is your right to recline, that's why the function is there.
It has been shown time and again that by and large consumers prefer price over comfort, so generally consumers get what they ask for. Low prices
I have no problem with it, you pay for a seat, you should have the right to use the recliner mechanism in it.
As others have said, just be careful about how quickly you do it so you don’t knock the person behind you.
I’ve never really had a problem with it, even with the economy seats on Virgin A350s where I noticed that if the person in front of you reclines, the IFE...
I have no problem with it, you pay for a seat, you should have the right to use the recliner mechanism in it.
As others have said, just be careful about how quickly you do it so you don’t knock the person behind you.
I’ve never really had a problem with it, even with the economy seats on Virgin A350s where I noticed that if the person in front of you reclines, the IFE screen gets really uncomfortably close to your eyeballs, because you can just….recline your own seat. Problem solved :)
My feeling on the matter is that you may recline your seat to any extent, assuming the seat is not broken. However, you must recline slowly to avoid damaging the person's computer behind you.
It is acceptable to ask the person to recline less during meal times, if the seat obstructs your food. That person should comply unless there is a good reason not to.
This kind of article is typical of Your Mileage May...
My feeling on the matter is that you may recline your seat to any extent, assuming the seat is not broken. However, you must recline slowly to avoid damaging the person's computer behind you.
It is acceptable to ask the person to recline less during meal times, if the seat obstructs your food. That person should comply unless there is a good reason not to.
This kind of article is typical of Your Mileage May Vary except that blog is very HeilHitler because they heavily censor and even not publish reasonable comments. It's probably because they have thin skin and like to be a dictator. They, unfortunately, are veryTrumpian.
Agree. I don't have any issues with people reclining, I do have an issue with someone who goes to full recline in a fraction of a second, immediately hitting my laptop, hard.
Either go slow or give me a heads up.
Have you ever tried CXs former shell seats?! :P