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’d like 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 (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?
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yes courtesy is helpful. But there something is called Entitlement, which causes problems no matter what you do.
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...
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.
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.
How about overnight flights where your neighbor insists on keeping his light on the entire flight.
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 ..................
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.
If one doesnot have the right to recline the seat,then airlines should stop providing reclining seats.
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.
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...
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
Can we just discuss the American Airlines coach seat already, that slides forward to recline so you are not encroaching upon others space.
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.
"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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
There is no issue in F.
As I said you simply do not get F on every route, even in the US
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?