Seat recline - is it the cabin steward's responsilbilty??

Hi All

I am sure there are many discussions on this topic but cannot find one in 'Australia' forum.

I seem to always get behind persons who love to recline every God given minute apart from when 'they' are eating or get up to go to the loo. Last time I flew back from the USA, fellow in front of me reclined as soon as he sat down, then was told to sit up during take-off, sat up while he had his meal and back he went even though we were still eating and trays were not removed:( Steward asked him to sit up until all were finished but this request was ignored. This was a day time flight!

My husband and I decided we would not do economy on long flights again and would pay the extra to upgrade to avoid these issues.

I recently flew from Brisbane to Melbourne and low and behold same scenario on a 1.5 hour flight. I asked this passenger to kindly sit up until coffee was finished. Got a dirty look but don't care.

While I like to recline also, especially on long haul flights am considerate of timing and passenger behind me.

Not sure how much responsibility if any is the airline steward or should be a personal request.

End of rant.

Lucky there are no reclining seats on cruise ships:confused::confused:

Unless you include deck chairs of course.

You already have the answer, pay to avoid these issues

Only way to avoid it is to pay for the row behind the bulk heads (but then you get the screamers) or an exit row or pay for a seat in a higher class. If the seats recline then there will always be people who recline their seats. I do, not the full way back, but a little bit. But I don't get annoyed with someone who does. It is what economy is.

Only responsibility the air hostess should have is to ensure seats and trays are up for take off and landing and during meal service until people have finished eating etc. Other than that, I don't see it as the hostess responsibility to police some one who has purchased a seat with reclining capability.

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You already have the answer, pay to avoid these issues.

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I concur, simple fix.

Guess we are all lucky Ebola is not spread through the air, water, food, mosquitoes or beastly lounging lizards or then there would be a reason for a good ole fashion whinge err rant eh...:eek:

Now where is that soapbox? :D

:cool:

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Don't blame the person in front of you for reclining their seat to a position that is comfortable for them!

Blame the airline for jamming too many rows into a plane so that passengers cannot travel with any degree of comfort. :mad:

I have had a Qantas steward ask the passenger in front of me if they would put their seat in the upright position while a meal was being served.

Later the person asked me if it was ok to recline a bit and checked that they hadn't come back far enough.

I suppose it depends on the steward and the passenger.

I have had a Qantas steward ask the passenger in front of me if they would put their seat in the upright position while a meal was being served.

Later the person asked me if it was ok to recline a bit and checked that they hadn't come back far enough.

 

I suppose it depends on the steward and the passenger.

You were lucky you had a passenger with manners and consideraton.

Reclining seat rage on an aircraft is far worse than Laundry Rage, Sun Lounge Rage, Theatre Seat Rage or Buffet Rage on a ship.

There are some really inconsiderate people on aircraft who want to recline all the way back throughout the flight and as has been said refuse to even adjust their seat upright when it is meal time. I have on a couple of occasions seen cabin crew trying to reason with pax, asking them to put their seat up with no avail.

There is some gadget you can buy in the USA that the pax wedges into the seat mechanism of the seat in front, to prevent recline, but apparently they are banned on flights now after recent rage incidents. Anybody else heard of these gadgets?

I know it is expensive but to ease my anxiety state now whilst travelling long distance we go Premium Economy, which allows for a little more personal space. But am planning (and saving) to travel business class to London and back next year for my P&O UK cruises. Even if it means going with Malaysian Airlines who are the best deal around at the moment, I wonder why?

I suppose the final solution to seat recline rage is to weld up all the economy seats into an upright position, permanently.

But to answer the question, certainly in my view it is cabin crew responsibility to request pax to put their seats upright at meal times, but not at other times. I got advice from my niece who is a flight attendant with British Airways, she tells me she has seat back rage dramas on just about every long haul flight.

But I have often thought of this method: When you arrive at your seat position in economy, put on your most glaring, scary face and say to the pax in front of you, recline your seat and I will bop you on the head. LOL. A little extreme perhaps?

Food and drink time on Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu to Los Angeles earlier this year the cabin crew didn't just ask passengers to bring the seat to the upright position " THEY TOLD THEM" never seen so many seat backs come forward so fast..... bravo :D:p:D:D

Food and drink time on Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu to Los Angeles earlier this year the cabin crew didn't just ask passengers to bring the seat to the upright position " THEY TOLD THEM" never seen so many seat backs come forward so fast..... bravo :D:p:D:D

Yes, well done Hawaiian, Still think they are one of the best!!

Don't blame the person in front of you for reclining their seat to a position that is comfortable for them!

 

Blame the airline for jamming too many rows into a plane so that passengers cannot travel with any degree of comfort. :mad:

Spot on!!!

Food and drink time on Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu to Los Angeles earlier this year the cabin crew didn't just ask passengers to bring the seat to the upright position " THEY TOLD THEM" never seen so many seat backs come forward so fast..... bravo :D:p:D:D

That should be the bare minimum.

For the rest, everyone's in the same boat so it's just arrogant to intrude on another's space for a short flight.

Its entirely up to the person in front and absolutely nothing to do with the person behind how and when a seat in front of them is reclined!

Courtesy usually prevails during meal times unless the person in front is sleeping during meal times when usually staff will wake a person and "request" them to put their seat up as a courtesy.

People have started to make their own rules up and they believe others should abide by them:confused:

I never recline my aircraft seat past one or two positions but thats for my comfort and not the person behind me!

I have done many long haul Australia to UK and quite a few Australia to US and have never had a problem with others seated in front:confused: "Beside me" is another matter when large people invade my seating space or insist on using both their own and my armrests and the reason I now only sit in an isle seat.

On our Qantas flight a couple of months ago to New York return on both legs the people in front dropped their seats as far as they would go as soon as takeoff was over. Made for a very cramped flight in both directions and it was especially difficult to get out for calls of nature as even though we asked them to put their seats upright so we could get out, they wouldn't. Very rude! And inconsiderate!

On our Qantas flight a couple of months ago to New York return on both legs the people in front dropped their seats as far as they would go as soon as takeoff was over. Made for a very cramped flight in both directions and it was especially difficult to get out for calls of nature as even though we asked them to put their seats upright so we could get out' date=' they wouldn't. Very rude! And inconsiderate![/quote']

Very rude. They could have just put it up so you could get out. That when you use the back of their seat to pull yourself up.

Very rude. They could have just put it up so you could get out. That when you use the back of their seat to pull yourself up.

Exactly, rude behaviour encourages further rude behaviour. If they want to sleep through a meal and keep their seat reclined that is their prerogative, however that seat will be rocking, bumping, jolting every time I move (and maybe even some times I don't).

There is some gadget you can buy in the USA that the pax wedges into the seat mechanism of the seat in front, to prevent recline, but apparently they are banned on flights now after recent rage incidents. Anybody else heard of these gadgets?

I have heard of them, didn't know they were banned. There is nothing they can do about my knees (I am tall), they end up in their back if they recline, so they soon get the message.:p

I try and get Premium economy or at least exit row seats.:D

Very rude. They could have just put it up so you could get out. That when you use the back of their seat to pull yourself up.

Indeed, if one is jammed in by some inconsiderate pax in front of you, wait until they are asleep, then get up, with the aid of their seat back, give it a good shake, hopefully they will get the message, when they wake up grumpy.

I always fully recline my seat when flying after the take-off and god help anyone who tries to challenge me on it. I paid for the seat and I am entitled to recline it. All that space that the seat can recline to belongs to me for the duration of the flight.

If you want more leg room fork out the cash for an exit-row seat, premium economy or business. People who purchase economy seats have no right to complain about others when they know full well that they will be cramped.

If I fly economy I always fork out for an exit-row seat and an assured plenty of leg room and still always recline my seat during the flight for the most comfortably flight possible.

I think that the airlines could make a nice little earner by making half the rows recline [either 1st or 2nd half doesn't matter much] and the other half not, then charge extra [say $20] if you wanted to choose recline or non-recline, otherwise you just take your pot luck at least then you'd get the choice, stop of lot of complaints and seat rage

I always fully recline my seat when flying after the take-off and god help anyone who tries to challenge me on it. I paid for the seat and I am entitled to recline it. All that space that the seat can recline to belongs to me for the duration of the flight.

 

If you want more leg room fork out the cash for an exit-row seat, premium economy or business. People who purchase economy seats have no right to complain about others when they know full well that they will be cramped.

 

If I fly economy I always fork out for an exit-row seat and an assured plenty of leg room and still always recline my seat during the flight for the most comfortably flight possible.

I hope you put up your seat for meal time.

I always fully recline my seat when flying after the take-off and god help anyone who tries to challenge me on it. I paid for the seat and I am entitled to recline it. All that space that the seat can recline to belongs to me for the duration of the flight.

Actually, you paid for the transport, not the seat.

And just because you _can_ do something doesn't mean you should.

But it's the old, I paid for it so I can do whatever I want argument that comes out to justify any behaviour at all onboard. You hear bogans say the same about a cruise holiday that they can justify going to dining in their swimmers cause hey they paid for their holiday and the food so can dress however they want.

The gadget is called "Knee Defenders" and it can get quite ugly on a flight if they are used.

Big M, thank you the word bogan came to mind to me also

Maybe it is because i have usually done long distance flights and many of them, but i have always reclined my seat.

To be honest i never realised it was bad manners to do this.

Usually you see everyone reclined during the lights out period.