Angry pax declines to Raise Reclined Seat During Service...

[sinophile888]

I firmly belong in the no recline camp. I can't get out of my economy seat when the seat in front is reclined.
My initial solution was to book two aisle seats, one behind the other. My husband was very co-operative in this matter.
Now, I just fly Business.

 

[lonewolf]

If the seat can recline then obviously it means its part of the service / ticket price for the recline to be used for better comfort or sleeping etc especially because it changes the angle of pressure and stress to different areas of the body. If the airlines didnt want to provide that service then they would ensure the seats dont recline, I know the budget airlines seats recline far less than the full fare airlines seats, so it is different depending on the airlines and some people do look at that when they decide to choose which airlines to book on. Budget airlines has less recline as i believe it also allows them to jam pack more seats and provide less legroom.

IMO reclining in general is fine as it is something you have paid for / part of the ticket costs for that seat. Saying that for food service i can definitely see the issue with reclining as depending on the airlines sometimes the recline can really diminish and get in the way of the tray table. Saying that, usually the airlines staff tell people to lift their seats and i think it should really come from them if it is their policy. If they dont have a policy for that, then i think its a scenario of well in that airline you are allowed to recline your seats during the food service and if people dont want that, they shouldnt fly on that airline.

I have noticed that lately people have gotten to the point of just asking in general to not recline your seats which makes no sense to me at all as that really changes the comfort level especially to sleep as well lets you stretch out your legs and get the blood flowing. But more than that again it is part of the seat, It would be like going to the gold class cinemas and asking people to not recline the seats, you paid for those seats.

Saying all that, on my last trip back i was on a budget airline / scoot, so the vast majority dont get/ order food online. It was around midnight on the flight when i was asleep and reclined (not much as scoot doesnt recline much) when i got a tap on the shoulder as the girl in the middle seat behind my row ( I was in the window seat in the row in front of her) was asking me to bring my seat back up as the person( I couldnt see the person) who was directly behind me had ordered some food. I do admit i was a bit annoyed, not because of the request but probably because it was late at night and i was fast asleep and suddenly jolted awake but i immediately brought my seat forward as i felt that was a fair request.

 

[Forg]

hope you will get a jerk just yourself behind you and make your flight miserable as you do to other's!

But if they’re behind you, how can they recline into your face?

 

[tweetmema]

On a flight to Broome several years ago, I had a similar experience. The woman in front had completely reclined her chair and I couldn’t get my tray down. I ask politely and she threw a horrendous tantrum, not dissimilar to the way my 2 year old wails on the ground, thrashing his legs and arms about. I was rather shocked by her outburst and her refusal.
The qantas flight attendant spoke to her firmly and insisted she raise her chair.
Throughout the entire meal she loudly whinged and kept throwing her body against the seat, causing my drink to spill everywhere.
Again the flight attendant spoke to her.
I’m pretty sure she was on her honeymoon as her groom looked like he was mortified at her behaviour.
I never spoke a rude word to her, instead I very subtly turned up my air con vent and directed it straight at her.
She froze the rest of the flight. Kept whinging to her new husband that she needed a blanket, for which the lovely hostie refused.
It’s one flight I’ll never ever forget.

 

[cvmceg]

Odd bunch on here sometimes. Normally all sticklers for the rules and obeying orders - "The rules are rules!" responses to many a complaint in this forum.

Yet on this occasion, not so? Why is that?

Seems clear to me, cabin crew asked pax to do something and they didn't.

Instead, a number of replies here have said it was the recliners 'right'! ... well not according to Cathay themselves!

Do I have to listen to the safety briefing, or is it my 'right' to stick my fingers in my ears?

 

[DC3]

Odd bunch on here sometimes. Normally all sticklers for the rules and obeying orders - "The rules are rules!" responses to many a complaint in this forum ..

Not to mention some FA's not wanting to get involved (in the rules), one way or the other …..

 

[Moody]

cough Neanderthalensis - previously thought to have been a dead end of human evolution, but now rediscovered via DNA examination of chronic seat recliners. Most commonly found in the exit/bulkhead rows of economy class cabins, they are often oblivious of their actual destination (see "Status Runs"), as their #1 priority is to demonstrate how important they are. None have achieved that aim to date .....

 

[Forg]

Odd bunch on here sometimes. Normally all sticklers for the rules and obeying orders - "The rules are rules!" responses to many a complaint in this forum.

Yet on this occasion, not so? Why is that?

I think because there aren't any?

There's etiquette & politeness in this area, but no rules per se. The recliner's pleasure is the reclinee's suffering, yet there's no actual rule stopping the recliner from reclining.

 

[lonewolf]

I think because there aren't any?

There's etiquette & politeness in this area, but no rules per se. The recliner's pleasure is the reclinee's suffering, yet there's no actual rule stopping the recliner from reclining.

Thats right, There are safety rules i believe in take off and landing and thats because the person behind can more likely be hit by the seat reclined if something goes wrong i guess, plus maybe it affects the brace position etc. But besides take off and landing, i have never heard of rules for reclining. But I do think its the polite thing to do and i think if a FA asks you to do it then you should really do it. But i dont agree that people should never recline, that makes no sense to me, part of my choice of airfares is also selecting the ones that i know have better reclines, thats like paying for a flat bed and not using it...

 

[Max Samuels]

The other day on QF from Tokyo the FAs made people put up their seats for meals - i have seen them do this a lot of late. They wake people up for breakfast to ask them to put their seats up. They don't take no for an answer

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thats right, There are safety rules i believe in take off and landing and thats because the person behind can more likely be hit by the seat reclined if something goes wrong i guess, plus maybe it affects the brace position etc. But besides take off and landing, i have never heard of rules for reclining. But I do think its the polite thing to do and i think if a FA asks you to do it then you should really do it. But i dont agree that people should never recline, that makes no sense to me, part of my choice of airfares is also selecting the ones that i know have better reclines, thats like paying for a flat bed and not using it...

A reclined seat would prevent the optimal brance position and slow/block egress to the aisle for pax sitting in the row behind.

in a more general sense, everyone is buying an economy ticket to sit in a cabin they know has seats close together, and they know recline. There are options to minise the impact - choose or buy an extra legroom seat, or choose a carrier that has limited or no recline.

That a passenger does not personally like to recline should not impact others (if everyone reclines, personal space is maintained). Some pax feel they are 'setting a good example' by not reclining, but ask youself, at what cost to the peace and amenity of others?

 

[Forg]

That a passenger does not personally like to recline should not impact others (if everyone reclines, personal space is maintained). Some pax feel they are 'setting a good example' by not reclining, but ask youself, at what cost to the peace and amenity of others?

Not as much as the cost of reclining!

 

[mrsterryn]

Being of the plus size variety of someone reclines it may end up meaning my tray won't come down
It is another reason I try to buy a comfort seat when in economy

 

[JohnK]

The other day on QF from Tokyo the FAs made people put up their seats for meals - i have seen them do this a lot of late. They wake people up for breakfast to ask them to put their seats up. They don't take no for an answer

And this is how it should always be done. I struggle to get tray table down with unreclined seat. No hope if seat is reclined. And I also struggle to get out of seat.

So I should do the right thing and be considerate of the recliner?

 

[Forg]

^ No, if every recliner was quietly murdered & thrown overboard at 30000 feet, there would be no recliners left before long & hence no problem.
World peace.
I wouldn't be surprised if it ended all conflict in the entire world.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

^ No, if every recliner was quietly murdered & thrown overboard at 30000 feet, there would be no recliners left before long & hence no problem.
World peace.
I wouldn't be surprised if it ended all conflict in the entire world.

But it's only a problem for you because you choose to make it one - you have plenty of optins to avoid it.

 

[cvmceg]

Cabin crew asked the person to unrecline the seat. Cathay said in their email that they shouldn't be reclined.

Pretty straightforward really!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Cabin crew asked the person to unrecline the seat. Cathay said in their email that they shouldn't be reclined.

Pretty straightforward really!

Yeah, but it's not illegal to recline your seat outside of the critical stages of flight (unless there's some other safety related incident).

You could be in trouble for interfering with crew member duties... if it ever got to that stage. But if the crew ask you to put your seat up and you say 'nah' and they simply move on... no law would seem to be broken.

 

[Forg]

But it's only a problem for you because you choose to make it one - you have plenty of optins to avoid it.

Forking out for Y+ or J?
Is that really “an option”?
Why can’t the greedy recliners be the ones to fork out the extra? They’re the ones actively performing the actions that are causing the problem.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Forking out for Y+ or J?
Is that really “an option”?
Why can’t the greedy recliners be the ones to fork out the extra?

Choose a bulkhead, exit row, or airline that offers limited or no recline (when flying overseas).

Window shades open, alcohol is served, seats recline, noise leaks from headphones, peanuts are served, guide dogs are permitted. This is all part of flying.

(I actually think PE is the worst when it comes to recline - once the person in front has reclined it's virtually impossible to get out from the seat behind.)