reclining seats...

there is quite the discussion going on over on the X boards about rude passengers - people not getting what they expect, etc.... it is deteriorating into a discussion about reclining seats which seems to be a better fit for this board... so what do y'all think... recline or no?

the following is my experience with reclining - though there are two issues for me - the extra large passenger seated next to me and the seat reclined into my lap in front of me...

the most uncomfortable flight i ever had was on Delta - returning from our Alaska cruise - five hour flight from Anchorage to MSP - woman next to me took her seat and half of mine - woman in front of me with two very undisciplined school aged children who were old enough to know better than how they behaved - their mom reclined fully into my lap and refused to sit up when i asked nicely - she then left her seat for most of the flight to flirt with the pilot flying standby on our flight and with the male flight attendant - leaving her seat in my lap - flight attendants did nothing even when asked repeatedly by my husband and by me - if i were claustrophobic, i would have freaked! (good thing i'm not)

having said all of that - a follow up email to delta netted me a $250 refund, which was more than the cost of this leg of the flight, so i guess i can't gripe much. we were a large family on a trip of a lifetime - this one bad experience did not ruin it (or even tarnish it) - but it will be hard to forget...

airlines either need to provide enough space for reclining or take out the reclining feature all together...

With the woman in front, if she left for a while, I woul have reached up an raised her seat. The seats on your flight must recline a lot more than the ones I have flown.

As to the large person next to you, did you put down the arm rest? I thought the airlines all required passengers to fit in the seat with the arm rest down.

Arm rest down is my first rule. If the neighbor passenger refuses to do so I ring for the FA long before the flight takes off.

I think seats should not recline, and I've been saying that to my family for years and years. The recline is only comfortable for the person in the reclining seat but makes it even more uncomfortable for the person behind. I think people who recline their seats are incredibly selfish! It really only is a good idea if the entire row reclines, which isn't reality.

I say remove the recline feature from all economy-class airline seats. There just isn't enough room.

We book our travel well in advance. If at all possible, I will get us seat where there are only two seats in the row. For instance, a 767 is usually configured as 2-3-2. I will get one of the 2s. That way my wife and I aren't worried about the large person overflow.

Sorry, this quote actually comes from another thread, but the discussion was asked to be moved to a separate thread.

The airline seat reclining issue is new and mysterious to me. I recline mine all the time, albeit slowly. The people in front of me recline theirs all the time, too. Just never thought about it one way or the other. I'ts my seat. It reclines. 'Nuff said!

I have to agree. This is the first time I've ever heard that reclining an airline seat is rude. I am a very considerate person and always try not to intrude on others as I would not want them to intrude on me. I keep my music down or use earphones, do not slam my cabin or hotel door, but rather hold it and close it slowly. Keep my voice down after a late hour. I don't speak loudly when walking down hallways late at night. Always let people off the elevator before I get on. I even let people on an elevator who have been waiting longer than me, even if it opens up right in front of me. However, I do recline my airline seat when flying. I do understand the issue with tall people because my DH is 6'5" tall and has issues constantly with flying. If there is a tall passenger behind me I have no problem with refraining from reclining but other than that and if under normal circumstances I don't see the issue.

I would be interested in reading that thread from the Cruise air board if anyone has a link

On a United flight to Chicago a couple years ago the man in front of my husband reclined his seat and literally his head was in my husbands lap. It was very uncomfortable and since then, we have opted for economy plus or whatever variation exists with a particular airline. The airlines have put rows so close together that seats should not be able to recline in economy, only if sufficient space i.e. Southwest seems to have decent spacing, so far,

Jetblue has had good legroom thus far also, and they are my first choice. DH has been able to fly comfortably in coach with them. However, just read an article stating that Jetblue is now reducing the legroom from 32" in their economy seats to 31" to make room for additional economy plus seats. This is not good news. Now I will have to pay more for DH to fly comfortably.:(

Given that one of the selling points for DL's Economy Comfort is increased recline, I don't think the "no recline" position has much traction.

I think most of the "complaints" come from 1) those who don't recline themselves, thus not maintaining the same pitch separation from headrest to headrest, 2) those who want to work on a computer inflight and don't want anything to intrude in their workspace and 3) those who want to get a head start on complaining about things aboard ship.

I say to them.....give Ryanair a try. Come back and let us know how it went.

Sorry, this quote actually comes from another thread, but the discussion was asked to be moved to a separate thread.

 

 

 

I have to agree. This is the first time I've ever heard that reclining an airline seat is rude. I am a very considerate person and always try not to intrude on others as I would not want them to intrude on me. I keep my music down or use earphones, do not slam my cabin or hotel door, but rather hold it and close it slowly. Keep my voice down after a late hour. I don't speak loudly when walking down hallways late at night. Always let people off the elevator before I get on. I even let people on an elevator who have been waiting longer than me, even if it opens up right in front of me. However, I do recline my airline seat when flying. I do understand the issue with tall people because my DH is 6'5" tall and has issues constantly with flying. If there is a tall passenger behind me I have no problem with refraining from reclining but other than that and if under normal circumstances I don't see the issue.

 

I would be interested in reading that thread from the Cruise air board if anyone has a link

I'm the one that mentioned it on the other thread, here you go;

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1434772&highlight=recline

I say to them.....give Ryanair a try. Come back and let us know how it went.

How does RyanAir reclining work? Do you have to insert one euro in your armrest for your seatback to recline? And then the passenger behind you gets to insert their own euro to get your seat to go back up?

I think seats should not recline, and I've been saying that to my family for years and years. The recline is only comfortable for the person in the reclining seat but makes it even more uncomfortable for the person behind. I think people who recline their seats are incredibly selfish! It really only is a good idea if the entire row reclines, which isn't reality.

 

I say remove the recline feature from all economy-class airline seats. There just isn't enough room.

I'm guessing you've never flown on a red eye?

I'm the one that mentioned it on the other thread, here you go;

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1434772&highlight=recline

Thank you.

On a United flight to Chicago a couple years ago the man in front of my husband reclined his seat and literally his head was in my husbands lap. It was very uncomfortable and since then, we have opted for economy plus or whatever variation exists with a particular airline. The airlines have put rows so close together that seats should not be able to recline in economy, only if sufficient space i.e. Southwest seems to have decent spacing, so far,

If that happened to me, I think I would find myself doing a lot of sneezing.

I can usually put up with a little recline in front of me, but if someone intrudes into my space - and the area in front of my seat is my space - they will just have to put up with a few bumps from the back ...

I'm guessing you've never flown on a red eye?

What does that have to do with it? Are you talking about sleeping? I have flown many red-eyes in my day and I sleep frequently on planes.

What's your point?

I still maintain that choosing to recline your seat and rob the other passenger of 4-6" of space is selfish. You get a reclining seat and they get nothing but LESS space on an already crowded plane. :P

It've had young children in front of me recline their seats from beginning to end of flight so not just adults do it.

It also makes it very hard when all the seats in front of you are reclined to try and manuver out of your seat to use the restroom or to stretch your legs.

I also do everything in advance to book the carrier with -2 side- configuration..but that's not always possible...as that can change at any time.

Let's just hope the "Saddle" type economy seating doesn't fly :eek::D

What does that have to do with it? Are you talking about sleeping? I have flown many red-eyes in my day and I sleep frequently on planes.

 

What's your point?

 

I still maintain that choosing to recline your seat and rob the other passenger of 4-6" of space is selfish. You get a reclining seat and they get nothing but LESS space on an already crowded plane. :P

You know, you can also recline your own seat and regain those 4-6" of space. Why annoy the person in front of you when you have the power to fix the problem yourself at the push of a button?

You know, you can also recline your own seat and regain those 4-6" of space. Why annoy the person in front of you when you have the power to fix the problem yourself at the push of a button?

Sure, then I cause the guy behind me the same problem, and force him to do something he may not want to do to "regain" that space. I don't like reclining my seat, and I don't want to be forced to recline it in order to "regain" something that was taken from me. Why should I be forced to sit in an uncomfortable position that I don't like so that someone else can recline their seat?

The age-old discussion of recline or not recline!

Given that one of the selling points for DL's Economy Comfort is increased recline, I don't think the "no recline" position has much traction.

 

I think most of the "complaints" come from 1) those who don't recline themselves, thus not maintaining the same pitch separation from headrest to headrest, 2) those who want to work on a computer inflight and don't want anything to intrude in their workspace and 3) those who want to get a head start on complaining about things aboard ship.

 

I say to them.....give Ryanair a try. Come back and let us know how it went.

Well said.

When recline is offered by an airline, it is not "rude" or "selfish" to do something with your seat that the airline allows you to do and in fact promotes (as with Delta). If someone truly is reclined so that the head is in the lap of the passenger behind them (which is almost always an exaggeration), then the passenger behind the recliner should ring the FA call button because the seat is broken.

In the past two months I have been on two airlines within the US, including Delta, and not seated in seats in front of an exit row, where there was no recline button. In these cases the airline is saying to the passenger, "In this case you are not allowed to recline."

Sure, then I cause the guy behind me the same problem, and force him to do something he may not want to do to "regain" that space. I don't like reclining my seat, and I don't want to be forced to recline it in order to "regain" something that was taken from me. Why should I be forced to sit in an uncomfortable position that I don't like so that someone else can recline their seat?

"Economy" = "Uncomfortable"...and what "forces" me to do it at times is my budget :D:D

As I've said time and time again....if you want to see why airline rows are so close together, look in a mirror. And at all those folks in the gate area.

The traveling public is obsessed with the bottom line, and value be damned.

If given the choice between a more comfortable environment and a slightly cheaper price, price wins hands down.

So, having dictated the drive to the bottom, passengers on UA and DL (and I believe soon on AA) can take their choice...pay those "cheap" prices and get today's coach experience or buy up to Economy Plus/Economy Comfort and get some of that room back.

MRTC was a watershed moment in air travel. It posed the question to the marketplace and the marketplace said "Give us cheap". Had the answer been "give us value", you'd have more room for all seats.

As Walt Kelly wrote in Pogo, "We have met the enemy and he is us".

Sure, then I cause the guy behind me the same problem, and force him to do something he may not want to do to "regain" that space. I don't like reclining my seat, and I don't want to be forced to recline it in order to "regain" something that was taken from me. Why should I be forced to sit in an uncomfortable position that I don't like so that someone else can recline their seat?

Why should I sit in an uncomfortable, unreclined position? Sorry, if the seat reclines, that's the position my seat will be in. I don't recline all the way and I do it slowly, but I will recline.

I don't always like to recline my seat. However, if the person reclines in front of me, then I will recline my seat halfway. I always put my seat up for meal service and I expect the person in front of me to do the same. If they don't I ring for the air hostess and ask them to put it up so I can eat my meal on the tray.

What does that have to do with it? Are you talking about sleeping? I have flown many red-eyes in my day and I sleep frequently on planes.

 

What's your point?

 

I still maintain that choosing to recline your seat and rob the other passenger of 4-6" of space is selfish. You get a reclining seat and they get nothing but LESS space on an already crowded plane. :P

When you're on a red eye, everyone reclines so they can sleep. I think it's ridiculous to expect someone to not recline at 2:00 am.

Sure, then I cause the guy behind me the same problem, and force him to do something he may not want to do to "regain" that space. I don't like reclining my seat, and I don't want to be forced to recline it in order to "regain" something that was taken from me. Why should I be forced to sit in an uncomfortable position that I don't like so that someone else can recline their seat?

Then book a seat where the seat in front of you doesn't recline. Problem solved.