"To Recline or Not Recline"

[Butts]

What do people feel about the etiquette regarding this ?

Personally I always try and get Front Row or Bulkhead so no one will recline on me and I will not recline on anyone if in these seats.

You hear anecdotal accounts of people complaining that someone has reclined on them only to find their seat is already reclined on the person behind them !!

Has anyone had any bad experiences or witnessed events associated with this practice that may amuse or horrify us ?

 

[duncanp]

Reclining should be banned.

There is nothing worse than someone taking away a bit of what little personal space you have.

 

[tomuk]

If the seat has recline use it that's what its there for

 

[Vespa]

I've had it and its annoying when they get arrogant about it.

I think it should be banned or reclining within a seat shell so if you recline You also lose leg space.

Short hauls to Europe have removed reclining seats, it creates more seating space and no repairs or maintenance of reclining mechanism, less weight on flight, saving money so it's a win win for airlines and passengers.

Just need to work on long hauls next.

 

[zwk500]

Tbh if the seat has recline why shouldn't somebody use it? If the legroom is important to you use an airline with roomier seats/no recline or pay for the bulkhead.
It would be better if instead of the seat back reclining, the seat base moved forward, but there's probably a weight concern there that adds up across 2-300 seats.

 

[yorkie]

Shouldn't be allowed (at least not in the current way it can be done); I made a return trip this month and on both legs the person in front of me reclined suddenly and without warning.

The first occasion almost broke my laptop (presumably the person reclining would be liable for damages?)

It also made it difficult if not impossible to get out of my seat without asking anyone else in the row to get out of their seat, which would be problematic if they were resting.

 

[duncanp]

I've had it and its annoying when they get arrogant about it.

I think it should be banned or reclining within a seat shell so if you recline You also lose leg space.

Short hauls to Europe have removed reclining seats, it creates more seating space and no repairs or maintenance of reclining mechanism, less weight on flight, saving money so it's a win win for airlines and passengers.

Just need to work on long hauls next.

This is what should happen.

If seats are to recline, then they should recline within a seat shell (such as happens on first class on Avanti, LNER and Eurostar) so that your reclining doesn't take away someone else's personal space.

It is this that causes resentment, when someone (often without asking) helps themself to some of your personal space in an environment where personal space is already limited.

But perhaps part of the problem is that greedy airlines are trying to cram too many cattle class seats into the available space.

If you look at Premium Economy seats on BA, for example, they are like Economy seats for most airlines used to be in the 1960s and 1970s.

 

[zwk500]

But perhaps part of the problem is that greedy airlines are trying to cram too many cattle class seats into the available space.

Not part of, but the whole problem. If seats are able to recline, they should be spaced far enough apart that reclining does not infringe on the person behind. If they aren't then don't install reclining seats.

 

[nlogax]

Agree that short-haul flights shouldn't feature recline. If I'm in economy for a long haul flight I will recline. That's what it's there for. However I'm not going to be whacking it all the way back once the seatbelts signs are off. I'll wait for meal service to complete and then I'll ease the seat back halfway. If the person behind me has theirs fully reclined only then I'll do the same.

Don't know about you but I find a little consideration goes a long way.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Short haul: best for it not to be there at all.
Long haul: recognising that things are tight, you have a right to recline as you've paid for that function, but you should warn the person behind you're going to do it, and do it slowly.

 

[londonteacher]

Just flew back from Orlando this morning, I was in row 82 so had no one behind me and the recline was great. I always feel conscious not to recline too much if someone is behind as I don’t want to intrude!

 

[Butts]

Just flew back from Orlando this morning, I was in row 82 so had no one behind me and the recline was great. I always feel conscious not to recline too much if someone is behind as I don’t want to intrude!

Doesn't the rear seat have limited recline or is there no bulkhead behind it ?

Did the person in front of you recline ?

 

[185]

52 hours worth of flights, two of the four legs used a Combi 747 (with freight behind the wall behind our back row). The wrongly fitted partition wall jammed the seat reclines and the airline gave us an (unexpected) 50% refund on the entire flight. Recline repay

 

[londonteacher]

Doesn't the rear seat have limited recline or is there no bulkhead behind it ?

Did the person in front of you recline ?

On the A350-1000 with Virgin Atlantic, the recline is fairly decent!

Yes they did recline but still generous space.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Short haul: should be abolished, although where it still exists its only 1-2 degrees so doesn't make much difference.

Long haul: I've paid for it, I'll use it, but I won't be inconsiderate- I'll move slowly, only really use it all the way back for sleeping, and I'll sit up at mealtimes. But if everyone reclines then everyone still gets the same personal space.

The real issue is how airlines cram so many seats in. 10-abreast on a 777 is grim, even on Emirates

 

[DanNCL]

Reclining economy class seats where the base slides forwards has been done before. I seem to recall an article about one of the Japanese airlines (ANA?) fitting them.

 

[Butts]

Short haul: should be abolished, although where it still exists its only 1-2 degrees so doesn't make much difference.

Long haul: I've paid for it, I'll use it, but I won't be inconsiderate- I'll move slowly, only really use it all the way back for sleeping, and I'll sit up at mealtimes. But if everyone reclines then everyone still gets the same personal space.

The real issue is how airlines cram so many seats in. 10-abreast on a 777 is grim, even on Emirates

Is that in Economy - it is 8 abreast in WTP on a BA 777

I think Beldray have secretly branched out into seat manufacture for both Trains and Planes as both seem to be homogenising into their most famous product

 

[Bletchleyite]

The real issue is how airlines cram so many seats in. 10-abreast on a 777 is grim, even on Emirates

Oddly, and I'm a really, really big guy (don't know if you've met me or not), I've been on 3-4-3 777s a few times (KLM and Air Canada 777-300ERs) and didn't find them (or indeed 3-3-3 787s) that bad. I'd probably rate the AC 777-300ER one of my favourite large aircraft, and the other features of the 787 (massive windows and electronic shades, plus lower altitude air pressure and less dry atmosphere) make that my favourite.

I'd probably take the 3-4-3 layout with more legroom over the 3-3-3 layout with less, though I have been on a 3-3-3 one and they are nice and wide! (Malaysia and Thai's at least used to be 3-3-3 with 34" seat pitch, which is just superb, many airlines would sell that as premium economy).

(It's one reason I don't mind 350/2s that much and why I hate 720s with a passion - sure, they are 3+2, but it's compensated for with significant additional legroom in the facing bays).

 

[Tetchytyke]

Is that in Economy - it is 8 abreast in WTP on a BA 777

Yep, Emirates economy is 3-4-3 on a 777. It's snug.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Reclining economy class seats where the base slides forwards has been done before. I seem to recall an article about one of the Japanese airlines (ANA?) fitting them.

The difficulty with them is that they don't work when you have tight seat pitches, as hardly anyone has any space to actually recline, so you mostly only see them in business class.

 

[TheBigD]

On the A350-1000 with Virgin Atlantic, the recline is fairly decent!

Yes they did recline but still generous space.

On BA's A350-1000 there is no recline for 6 seats in economy, 35ABCHJK. They do however get an extra 1 inch of legroom, 32 inches vs 31 inches.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Oddly, and I'm a really, really big guy (don't know if you've met me or not), I've been on 3-4-3 777s a few times (KLM and Air Canada 777-300ERs) and didn't find them (or indeed 3-3-3 787s) that bad

I changed straight from a 3-4-3 A380 to a 3-4-3 B777 so it probably felt worse than it was, to be fair. Still beats the width on narrow bodies, mind.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I changed straight from a 3-4-3 A380 to a 3-4-3 B777 so it probably felt worse than it was, to be fair. Still beats the width on narrow bodies, mind.

With most of my flying having been on easyJet A320 series, which have deliberately narrowed seats to give a wider aisle, I suspect anything else (bar Eireflop) is spoiling me!

 

[vlad]

I took a Russian internal flight several years ago (I won't name the airline except to say they're no longer in existence) on a plane that seemed a little worse for wear.

I managed to annoy the bloke sitting behind me for most of the flight given that the recline on my seat was broken and wouldn't stay in the upright position - unfortunately all I needed to do was put some weight on the seat back and it moved!

(I didn't enjoy it either but taking it up with anyone would have been more trouble than it was worth - and require Russian arguing skills I don't have.)

 

[Cloud Strife]

Ban it. There are far, far too many entitled people who recline without warning, or who think that it's their right to do it regardless of what the person behind is doing. It can be dangerous as well, especially if you've got a hot drink in front of you.

Personal experience: I had one flight with my son where the person in front reclined almost within minutes into his space, even though (as a small child), he was just about to eat because he was hungry now and couldn't wait for the in flight meal. I asked the guy politely to move back so that we could use the table, and he gave it the usual "I paid for my seat and I'm going to recline if I want".

The flight attendants were called, and he returned to an upright position when I calmly explained that I wanted to feed my son. They told him to move upright, and he did so in a a very grumbling way. My son could sit for hours over dinner while watching TV, and that's exactly what I let him do. The guy actually checked several times, and I told him "sorry, he's still eating".

Just ban it, because it doesn't help anyone and causes a lot of conflicts. I also had someone recline fully into my space on one flight, so I decided to play a video game, and I have the unfortunate tendency to kick my leg when jumping in a game. I asked them first if they'd consider reclining less, but I got met with an arrogant response, so not my problem.

The first occasion almost broke my laptop (presumably the person reclining would be liable for damages?)

They would be. I've known it to happen to a friend on a US flight, after a rather obese passenger slammed her seat back with absolutely no warning.

 

[Mojo]

On long haul flights overnight it’s perfectly fine, but on other routes I’d consider it rude if someone did it to me.

Personally I think it’s one thing Ryanair have got right (along with actually charging a reasonable fee to reserve a seat), not having this function on their planes.