Is it okay to recline your airline seat?

[Monnyjay]

Just recently flew home from Europe and yes, we reclined our seats. It's a hell of a long haul if you had to sit upright. That being said, you don't need to recline the seat back as far as it goes. Sometimes people have not consideration for others

 

[momhappy]

Why are the seats made to recline if it is rude to recline them? That's like saying it's rude to use the restroom or the light or the air outlet. They are all options the airlines give to make the passenger comfortable and everyone gets there own (except a few seats that don't recline). I use all the comforts that are offered.

I agree with this. If a reclining seat is an option that is standard on most airlines, then why would it not be okay to use that option? I always make efforts to be polite in shared spaces and I fail to see what's rude about reclining your airplane seat when the seat was designed to recline in the first place.

 

[missy]

I agree with Dee Jay and Kaleigh on this. I would ask the person behind me if they minded and then be mindful of how much I reclined my seat. I try treating others the way I like being treated and I feel being polite goes a long way in making life pleasant for everybody. Civility and respect go a long way regardless of what we are allowed and not allowed to do IMO.

That being said, I do always look behind me and see if the person is working on a laptop or exceptionally tall, in which case I just don't do it, and even if they aren't either of those things I still ask if they mind if I recline. I only wish people in front of me would exercise the same level of courtesy, but it is what it is.

 

[mr_kroshka]

And then there are those annoying kids behind you who keep kicking your seat (whether it is reclined or not) even though you ask them to stop several times. The pain of traveling in coach..

 

[arkieb1]

I am another person that finds kids or indeed adults kicking the c@#p out of the back of the seat or moving around every 30 seconds and kneeing me in the back repeatedly (even when my seat is not reclined) more annoying than reclining the seat in front onto my lap. People in Australia don't ask they just generally put their seats back if they want. On long haul flights this is fair enough, during the day flying domestically it sucks.

 

[VRBeauty]

I used to fly between northern and southern California quite regularly - a flight of between 1 and 1 1/2 hours - on a low-cost airline that doesn't offer business class. People were generally very considerate and very rarely reclined their seats. Travelling for vacation last week involved four two-hour trips fairly packed planes. Again, no one in front of me reclined their seats. Long flights are another matter, of course, but for short flights I don't recline my seat and I appreciate it when people around me don't, either.

 

[purplesparklies]

Why are the seats made to recline if it is rude to recline them? That's like saying it's rude to use the restroom or the light or the air outlet. They are all options the airlines give to make the passenger comfortable and everyone gets there own (except a few seats that don't recline). I use all the comforts that are offered.

I agree with this. If a reclining seat is an option that is standard on most airlines, then why would it not be okay to use that option? I always make efforts to be polite in shared spaces and I fail to see what's rude about reclining your airplane seat when the seat was designed to recline in the first place.

Agree with both. People need to get a grip. The seats were designed to include this option. One may prefer that others not take advantage of the option but it is certainly not rude of those who do so.

 

[missy]

Why are the seats made to recline if it is rude to recline them? That's like saying it's rude to use the restroom or the light or the air outlet. They are all options the airlines give to make the passenger comfortable and everyone gets there own (except a few seats that don't recline). I use all the comforts that are offered.

I agree with this. If a reclining seat is an option that is standard on most airlines, then why would it not be okay to use that option? I always make efforts to be polite in shared spaces and I fail to see what's rude about reclining your airplane seat when the seat was designed to recline in the first place.

Agree with both. People need to get a grip. The seats were designed to include this option. One may prefer that others not take advantage of the option but it is certainly not rude of those who do so.

LOL and we all know how well designed airplane seats are for comfort. NOT. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you always should. Not saying it is always wrong to recline by any means but it certainly is nice to ask the person behind you and recline it just enough for your comfort but not to the max just because there is someone behind you who will be impacted. Coach is not designed for comfort these days and not sure it ever was.

 

[purplesparklies]

And that is certainly your option. Ask away. My opinion is that it is unnecessary. I regularly see people recline their seats and I have never heard anyone ask permission to do so. Those who think they should be able to recline without asking permission are not rude simply because they use a seat as it was intended to be used.

 

[facetgirl]

My experience of late is that flights are packed and there is often very little room to be comfortable. I respect that people have a choice to recline or not, its all good. I'm tall, and no one ever asks me if they can recline. They just do- and when they do, the experience is so abrupt - it is such a bummer.

Granted, I'm that person that won't sit in front of someone in a movie theatre if given a choice.

 

[Karl_K]

my back gets very sore after 20min in an un-reclined plane seat so I always recline and frankly those devices need to be banned.
If they made the seats half way comfortable it would not be so much of an issue.
Every time I fly I find they had the seats made even more uncomfortable.

 

[missy]

My experience of late is that flights are packed and there is often very little room to be comfortable. I respect that people have a choice to recline or not, its all good. I'm tall, and no one ever asks me if they can recline. They just do- and when they do, the experience is so abrupt - it is such a bummer.

Granted, I'm that person that won't sit in front of someone in a movie theatre if given a choice.

Me too facetgirl. And I agree. It is a bummer when someone does something that might negatively affect another without any concern or care.

my back gets very sore after 20min in an un-reclined plane seat so I always recline and frankly those devices need to be banned.
If they made the seats half way comfortable it would not be so much of an issue.
Every time I fly I find they had the seats made even more uncomfortable.

That sucks Karl. I am sorry about your back and I agree that if they made the seats more comfortable everyone would be so much better off. Flying coach can be really unpleasant these days for all involved.

 

[purplesparklies]

Many movie theater seats recline a bit. I am curious if you choose to sit completely upright or if you choose to take advantage of the recline.

 

[missy]

Many movie theater seats recline a bit. I am curious if you choose to sit completely upright or if you choose to take advantage of the recline.

None of the seats at the theaters we go to recline. Interesting. If there is enough leg room for those behind me I would have no problem with that but then again I rarely sit in front of others in the theater unless it is stadium seating. We also don't go to the movies at high traffic times for the very reason we don't care for crowds or noise (is it just me or do you notice people are way more noisy when watching a movie these days) so it is not a problem not to sit in front of anyone or to have anyone sit in front of us. Stadium seating makes sitting in front of someone or having someone sit in front of us a moot point of course.

These days I watch most of the movies at home and maybe it is because I am getting to be an old fart but I prefer the comfort and convenience of watching movies at home. I can pause the film to go to the restroom or get refreshments etc. and watch the movie in relative peace and quiet.

 

[ericad]

Rather than asking if it's ok to recline, I'm more inclined to ask if it's ok to tamper with another person's seat. That's crazy to me! He deserved a fist to the face - got off easy with just water, lol.

Want leg room? Buy a 1st class ticket or pay for 2 coach seats - yours and the seat in front of you. Sure, you can politely ask someone to refrain from reclining, but any sense of entitlement one feels to restrict another passenger's use of her seat is a bit much.

(If y'all can't tell, I'm a recliner, lol.)

 

[NOYFB]

I very rarely recline my seat (I usually forget it's an option unless I'm on a flight that's 2+ hours), but it doesn't really bother me if others do. It's never disrupted me, as I can still use my tray table. It does annoy me when kids continue to kick the back of my seat, though, and I've been known to give the "evil eye" to parents when that happens

With the price of flights these days, if the option is available (which it is), I have no problem with folks utilizing it.

 

[missy]

Another airplane ruckus and over reclining the seats again...sigh.

http://abc13.com/travel/flight-grounded-after-fight-over-reclining-seat/290854/

Tuesday, September 02, 2014
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- An argument between two passengers caused the pilot of a Delta flight from New York to Florida to make an unscheduled landing.

The LaGuardia-to-West Palm Beach Flight 2370 was diverted to Jacksonville after taking off around 7pm Monday.

Eyewitnesses say the trouble began when a passenger who was sleeping on a tray table became angry when the woman in front of her reclined the seat.

"The flight attendant came over, and that just exasperated what was going on, and then she demanded that the flight land," one passenger said. "She said something to the effect of, 'I don't care about the consequences, put this plane down now.'"

The flight landed in Jacksonville, where the woman was taken into police custody. Passengers went on to West Palm Beach a few hours later.

Delta issued the following statement:

"Delta Flight 2370 from New York-LaGuardia to West Palm Beach was re-routed to Jacksonville International Airport due to a passenger disruption. Out of an abundance of caution, the captain elected to divert to the closest airport. Local law enforcement met the flight and removed the passenger. The aircraft continued to West Palm Beach arrived at 11:13 p.m. We apologize for the inconvenience to customers."

Looks like I was right in that the airlines are reducing the leg room available for coach customers.
http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/travel/67938-etiquette-legroom-airplanes-flights?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rappler+(Rappler)

In fact, a Wall Street Journal study in October 2013 found that airlines were reducing space for economy class passengers in order to make more room for first and business class passengers, who pay far higher ticket prices.

The norm for long flights has gone from around 18 inches (46 centimeters) in the 1970s and 1980s, briefly up to 18.5 inches before shrinking down to just 17 inches in recent years, the newspaper reported.

In comparison, legroom on a typical US train is more like 20 inches.

To stop the legroom battles, some low-cost carriers, like easyJet and Ryanair, have removed the reclining option on short flights.

 

[cmd2014]

My preference woul be that airlines take the option out given how little space there is. When people abruptly recline it can damage your laptop if you are trying to work while traveling for business. It will also spill your drink, shove your tray into your lap, and put your courtesy tv less than 3 inches from your face. It has made for more miserable, claustrophobic flights than I can count. I think those who travel occasionally for fun might have a different view than those who travel regularly for work (and no, most companies will not pay for business class or first class seats...that seems to be a fantasy of those who don't actually travel for work in this day and age of tight bottom lines). But although I personally hate being squished by the reclining person in front of me (and don't pass that favour on to the person behind me unless the flight is an overnight one), so long as the seats have that option, people will have the right to, and feel entitled to, use it. Sadly, I think manners and courtesy to others has eroded in current culture, in all sorts of ways.

 

[momhappy]

The thing that bothers me the most about this issue (and I don't know why it's even an "issue" if airline seats were designed to recline in the first place), is that grown adults can't seem to handle themselves appropriately in public (to the point where flights are redirected, forced to land, etc.). I think that it's completely unacceptable that a single individual can throw a tantrum equal to that of a two year-old (perhaps with the addition of a few swear words) that can cause an entire flight of people to be greatly inconvenienced. It's utterly ridiculous to me. Have we become so entitled over our personal space that we have to disrupt everyone around us at the slightest invasion? People have been reclining their airline seats for years, so whatever happened to just dealing with it and moving on with life?

 

[missy]

My preference woul be that airlines take the option out given how little space there is. When people abruptly recline it can damage your laptop if you are trying to work while traveling for business. It will also spill your drink, shove your tray into your lap, and put your courtesy tv less than 3 inches from your face. It has made for more miserable, claustrophobic flights than I can count. I think those who travel occasionally for fun might have a different view than those who travel regularly for work (and no, most companies will not pay for business class or first class seats...that seems to be a fantasy of those who don't actually travel for work in this day and age of tight bottom lines). But although I personally hate being squished by the reclining person in front of me (and don't pass that favour on to the person behind me unless the flight is an overnight one), so long as the seats have that option, people will have the right to, and feel entitled to, use it. Sadly, I think manners and courtesy to others has eroded in current culture, in all sorts of ways.

I completely agree cmd2014. Civility and common courtesy are not so common anymore.

The thing that bothers me the most about this issue (and I don't know why it's even an "issue" if airline seats were designed to recline in the first place), is that grown adults can't seem to handle themselves appropriately in public (to the point where flights are redirected, forced to land, etc.). I think that it's completely unacceptable that a single individual can throw a tantrum equal to that of a two year-old (perhaps with the addition of a few swear words) that can cause an entire flight of people to be greatly inconvenienced. It's utterly ridiculous to me. Have we become so entitled over our personal space that we have to disrupt everyone around us at the slightest invasion? People have been reclining their airline seats for years, so whatever happened to just dealing with it and moving on with life?

The thing is momhappy things have changed and not for the better regarding flying. Airlines have in many cases (see my link in post above) been reducing the space between seats making reclining that much more uncomfortable for everyone around. If people were more thoughtful they could make the best of a bad situation and only recline as much as they needed to allow the person behind them to be more comfortable too.

IMO the expectation for personal entitlement has been increasing and the willingness to compromise and be polite towards others has been decreasing. A lose lose situation all around.

 

[momhappy]

My preference woul be that airlines take the option out given how little space there is. When people abruptly recline it can damage your laptop if you are trying to work while traveling for business. It will also spill your drink, shove your tray into your lap, and put your courtesy tv less than 3 inches from your face. It has made for more miserable, claustrophobic flights than I can count. I think those who travel occasionally for fun might have a different view than those who travel regularly for work (and no, most companies will not pay for business class or first class seats...that seems to be a fantasy of those who don't actually travel for work in this day and age of tight bottom lines). But although I personally hate being squished by the reclining person in front of me (and don't pass that favour on to the person behind me unless the flight is an overnight one), so long as the seats have that option, people will have the right to, and feel entitled to, use it. Sadly, I think manners and courtesy to others has eroded in current culture, in all sorts of ways.

I completely agree cmd2014. Civility and common courtesy are not so common anymore.

The thing that bothers me the most about this issue (and I don't know why it's even an "issue" if airline seats were designed to recline in the first place), is that grown adults can't seem to handle themselves appropriately in public (to the point where flights are redirected, forced to land, etc.). I think that it's completely unacceptable that a single individual can throw a tantrum equal to that of a two year-old (perhaps with the addition of a few swear words) that can cause an entire flight of people to be greatly inconvenienced. It's utterly ridiculous to me. Have we become so entitled over our personal space that we have to disrupt everyone around us at the slightest invasion? People have been reclining their airline seats for years, so whatever happened to just dealing with it and moving on with life?

The thing is mom happy things have changed and not for the better regarding flying. Airlines have in many cases (see my link in post above) been reducing the space between seats making reclining that much more uncomfortable for everyone around. If people were more thoughtful they could make the best of a bad situation and only recline as much as they needed to allow the person behind them to be more comfortable too.

IMO the expectation for personal entitlement has been increasing and the willingness to compromise and be polite towards others has been decreasing. A lose lose situation all around.

^and I agree with you that space on airlines has continued to decrease over the years. However, that doesn't change the fact that most of us don't turn into raging lunatics when our personal space is invaded (it happens so frequently these days and in many types of scenarios). Most of us deal with it and move on with life. If it's inconvenient to deal with a reclining airline seat in front of you, imagine the inconvenience of missing your connecting flight because your plane had to make an emergency landing over something as ridiculous as a passenger who throws a tantrum over it?!?!?! This whole thing has been blown way out of proportion IMO.

 

[missy]

^^I agree momhappy. As I said, the sense of personal entitlement on all sides is incredible. People behaving badly and failing to take responsibility for their actions and behavior and it is appalling. It seems many don't think before they act and then need to blame others for their actions.

A little common sense and common courtesy can go a very long way in keeping things civil and comfortable for all.

 

[cmd2014]

I agree. Inconveniencing 150 other people on a flight is the height of narcissism...and it seems that it has gone both ways over this issue....both with the woman who threw a drink because she could not recline, and the one who tantrumed because she was reclined on. I've also been on delayed flights because people have refused to make their children sit down and/or be belted in and the plane was unable to take off as a result, and once we were not able to land because someone tantrumed about being asked to return to their seat for landing (they wanted to walk the aisle apparently). I also can't count the number of times I've been bumped on the head (while seated) by someone too impatient to get their luggage down to wait the extra 90 seconds for the line to move far enough ahead to reach it properly, even though it will be another 5 minutes until the door opens (and never apologizes). There is definitely a "me" mentality happening these days, which is disturbing to see. That said, I'm still grateful to live where we do, as these are definitely first world problems!

 

[ericad]

Interestingly, I've heard the word "entitlement" used towards people on both sides of this debate. People feel entitled to recline and people feel entitled to space and max legroom. Recliners want the people behind them to suck it up, and the leggers want the people in front of them to suck it up.

I kind of don't understand how it's rude or not courteous to use one's seat in the manner in which it was intended. Should I also refrain from using my tray because it may jiggle the seat in front of me when I raise it up and down, or accidentally bump it with my knees? And refrain from using my personal air vent because it might cause the person next to me to feel too cold? And refrain from using my reading light because the person next to me wants to sleep? Should I hold my bladder for the duration of the flight because climbing over the person next to me, or asking them to let me out, might disturb them when they're working or sleeping or staring at the ceiling? Maybe the person next to me is a vegan and will be offended by my turkey sandwich - should I refrain from eating on the flight too?

I'm not being snarky - I'm genuinely curious to know where people draw the line with regards to expectations of courtesy from the people around them, who also paid for their seats, just like I did. I feel that, as passengers, we each have a personal bubble of space within a shared bubble of space, and allowable actions within that space as dictated by the airline (reclining, eating, drinking, watching TV with headsets, use of bathrooms, etc.) Reasonable use of the space by each passenger kind of goes with the territory when one wants to fly, even if we wish people would use their space differently.

 

[missy]

Interestingly, I've heard the word "entitlement" used towards people on both sides of this debate. People feel entitled to recline and people feel entitled to space and max legroom. Recliners want the people behind them to suck it up, and the leggers want the people in front of them to suck it up.

I kind of don't understand how it's rude or not courteous to use one's seat in the manner in which it was intended. Should I also refrain from using my tray because it may jiggle the seat in front of me when I raise it up and down, or accidentally bump it with my knees? And refrain from using my personal air vent because it might cause the person next to me to feel too cold? And refrain from using my reading light because the person next to me wants to sleep? Should I hold my bladder for the duration of the flight because climbing over the person next to me, or asking them to let me out, might disturb them when they're working or sleeping or staring at the ceiling? Maybe the person next to me is a vegan and will be offended by my turkey sandwich - should I refrain from eating on the flight too?

I'm not being snarky - I'm genuinely curious to know where people draw the line with regards to expectations of courtesy from the people around them, who also paid for their seats, just like I did. I feel that, as passengers, we each have a personal bubble of space within a shared bubble of space, and allowable actions within that space as dictated by the airline (reclining, eating, drinking, watching TV with headsets, use of bathrooms, etc.) Reasonable use of the space by each passenger kind of goes with the territory when one wants to fly, even if we wish people would use their space differently.

Hi erica, for me it is all about moderation and common sense. It's not so difficult IMO but I understand YMMV. Here are some common sense courtesies I agree with. With the exception of the gentleman who paid the girl not to recline LOL but to each his own.
http://www.businessinsider.com/13-airplane-etiquette-rules-2013-2?op=1


Just because we can do something doesn't always make it a good or kind idea. Personally I don't have anything vested in this debate because these days I rarely fly but I do remember how unpleasant flying coach is and now it is even more difficult. We all do what we feel is right and I am not trying to change anyone's minds. Just sharing some of my thoughts on this topic.

I don't feel it is wrong to recline and in fact answered other for the poll. It all depends on the situation and I would always make sure to ask the person behind me if it is OK and then only would recline as much as necessary. I understand we are allowed to recline and am not discussing the legality of it. That's clear. Just discussing the less clear gray area. I find it interesting how people feel because it is allowed they are entitled to do it no matter how it might affect the person behind them.

I feel we could all do better by thinking about how our actions affect others and what we can do to make life a bit easier/kinder for everyone.

 

[marymm]

I consider myself a savvy, thoughtful and frugal traveler who prefers to travel with a minimum of fuss and baggage - that said, I would never consider asking the person behind me if they would mind if I reclined my seat. By the same token, if I were asked by the person in front of me if I minded if they reclined their seat, I would reply that they should feel free to recline or not, whatever their preference. For me, travelling economy/coach requires not only my patience but also the recognition/acceptance that my personal space and freedom of movement is curtailed for the journey's duration.

 

[momhappy]

I consider myself a savvy, thoughtful and frugal traveler who prefers to travel with a minimum of fuss and baggage - that said, I would never consider asking the person behind me if they would mind if I reclined my seat. By the same token, if I were asked by the person in front of me if I minded if they reclined their seat, I would reply that they should feel free to recline or not, whatever their preference. For me, travelling economy/coach requires not only my patience but also the recognition/acceptance that my personal space and freedom of movement is curtailed for the journey's duration.

Sadly, it appears as though many folks don't feel this way… I agree with you 100% and if someone feels that they have suffered a terrible injustice by having the airplane seat recline in from of them, then please feel free to pay for a ticket that offers extra room (like that available in business class, first class, etc.) or don't fly at all.

 

[GliderPoss]

I'm petite so it doesn't both me in the slightest. I only ever recline on evening flights (trying to sleep) and only if I've checked there isn't a tall person sitting behind me.

 

[tuckie]

I fly about 90x a year.
The vast majority of this is domestic travel for work, where I, on principle, don't recline.
Some of this is international travel for work, but I typically am flying business class and therefore this is less of an issue.
A bit of this is international travel for holiday, only coach, and I do feel ok about reclining.

Just one gal's POV. I don't think the domestic-recliners are monsters or anything, but I do find it somewhat rude and therefore prefer not to do so myself when I can avoid it.

To me, international travel assumes you will try to sleep and so somehow I see this as different than domestic short-haul flights - I guess I might lump an LGA-LAX flight into the "international" category as well. Also, I think there is a vast difference between a small recline to change the angle of your seat, and reclining as far as the seat will take you. But this is just me.

 

[Venti25]

I fly long haul (12 hr + flights) regularly. On those flights I understand people are trying to sleep and will want to recline. That being said I seem to always get the passenger in front who will recline their seat fully as soon as they board despite having to have upright for takeoff AND/OR will suddenly recline without looking. As a result I've had drinks on me, and my laptop lid smashed, so now I'm always hyper aware that this might be incoming. It REALLY bugs me when people don't have the common courtesy to at least give the heads up that they're going to recline their seat. By heads up I mean, a slow recline or at least looking to see that my tray has been cleared of my drink/laptop so I can accommodate. I'm not psychic and I think it's just plain rude to slam your seat down without looking or indicating.