Article: What's Your Seat Recline Strategy?

[AFF Editor]

Seat Recline Strategy: What’s Your Approach? is an article written by the AFF editorial team:

Seat Recline Strategy: What's Your Approach?

Frequent flyers discuss the correct etiquette and different approaches to reclining your seat on a long-haul flight. It's a guaranteed source of conflict if done wrong.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[luxury-lizard]

I must admit I never fly Y on flights more than 1-2 hours (rarely 3 hours and never international) - so I never recline my seat.

 

[Forg]

My strategy is to wait until the person in front reclines so I can no longer use the IFE or read a book /magazine, sigh, and recline mine to sit there awake for what feels like the next 29-or-so hours.

 

[kpc]

I avoid fying Y on overnight flights. On daytime flights, I "half recline" if flight more than 2 hours unless the person in front of me fully reclines, then I will fully recline to "regain" my space.

 

[RealtimeY]

My most frustrating experience with the person in front was the "Just shoving the seat all the way back" and then walk away (to sit with other family) strategy.

 

[Tiki]

I don't recline on short-ish daytime flights unless the person in front reclines, then I basically have to. On long haul, I try to get the back row so at least I don't have some kid behind me kicking the seat, aggressively punching a video game on the screen or whatever. And most of the time I get an empty middle seat because no one will choose to select a middle seat in the back row.

 

[AmandaCaldwell]

No no no. Seat reclining is an outrageous practice and should not be allowed. Why do people think it's ok to push back on someone else's space while we're all crammed in like sardines? It's so selfish and a symptom of modern ethos of "I'm ok and don't care about you". It's dreadful for anyone with long legs or slightly bigger frames. I really think it should be banned. And the argument of airlines allowing it simply because the seats do recline is specious. Look, international travel is a privilege. But to have to do it with your knees jammed up around your ears and no breathing space in front is appalling. The only reason it's not banned is because politicians typically fly up front. Airlines could do better by providing some education on etiquette while flying.

 

[Clayton]

I'd prefer economy seats be built with either no recline or a minimal degree of recline, and locked in that position.

In response to those who believe a reclinable seat provides an inalienable right to recline it at any time, I would suggest access and egress to your seat is a more inalienable right of carriage than a 4% recline which is just large enough to prevent egress for those of us no longer in the teens or 20's. Toilet access when the row in front of your row are reclined is only possible for middle or window passengers if those between them and the aisle are woken and then get out of their seats and stand in the aisle so you can inelegantly shuffle across their seats. Then rinse and repeat when you return from said loo.

In any case, several years ago when I last sat in economy on a night flight, I found that I could sleep more effectively sitting upright than partially reclining.

 

[Ecco]

I flew back from BKK-syd on that qf, Finnair operated overnight plane in Y, as booked too late to get any premium seat. Those Finnair planes in Y are hideous. My knees were touching the seat in front already when I sat down. The lovely lady in front of me proceeded to recline back fully. I was unable to do that as the big guy behind me could barely even fit into the space of his seat and had to hang his legs out in the aisle anyway. Out of courtesy I didn’t recline my seat back the whole flight and was munted by the time we landed at what was 3am Bangkok time. Will never fly again on those Finnair qf flights. Was the worst experience I’ve had on a long haul overnight flight.

 

[Neil64]

No no no. Seat reclining is an outrageous practice and should not be allowed. Why do people think it's ok to push back on someone else's space while we're all crammed in like sardines? It's so selfish and a symptom of modern ethos of "I'm ok and don't care about you". It's dreadful for anyone with long legs or slightly bigger frames. I really think it should be banned. And the argument of airlines allowing it simply because the seats do recline is specious. Look, international travel is a privilege. But to have to do it with your knees jammed up around your ears and no breathing space in front is appalling. The only reason it's not banned is because politicians typically fly up front. Airlines could do better by providing some education on etiquette while flying.

Sitting bolt upright overnight for 14 hours is a tall ask for anyone. The people I know who are of above average height usually pay a little bit extra and select a seat with extra legroom. Collective reclining puts everyone in the same comfort versus inconvenience situation of having their forward space impinged but having a more favourable recline for sleeping. But as many here have commented, I too prefer to fly long haul in a premium seat, which could be extra legroom in economy, a premium economy seat or, if my luck’s in, a business class bed.

 

[Beano]

My most frustrating experience with the person in front was the "Just shoving the seat all the way back" and then walk away (to sit with other family) strategy.

You can push the seat back without pressing the button!

 

[Beano]

More seriously, I follow all the solutions in the article. No recline on short flights but anything goes on long flights though I do think that no recline during meal service is correct for any flight. I have seen an FA not ask a passenger to place the seat upright because they were already asleep during meal service but that is rare. As for putting my seat back--continuously but slowly; no hard landing!

 

[SpudOz]

I live in Perth and often travel to the US. After a 14 hour flight across the drink and then on to a 4.5hour flight from SYD to PER, I am going to recline because I’m stuffed. Of course it’s upright for takeoff, landing and meal times.

 

[Beano]

I can sleep upright!

 

[funnybrus]

I have 0 issues if the person in front of me reclines to sleep, but do get annoyed if they do it when watching movies etc.

 

[Beano]

I was once on a flight where everyone reclined and the pax beside me decided to go to the toilet (I'm an isle preferred PAX). The pax in the seat in front had long hair and the one beside me somehow managed to disturb her hair when holding the back of her seat. She was mot pleased!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Reclining is not out of bounds on short flights. Case in point, I was sandwiched between two burly pax in the A and C seats. The only way if could even fit was to recline my centre seat so my shoulders could decompress.

Pax are paying for a seat with recline. If the person in front reclines, you too can recline.

If everyone reclines, everyone still has the same amount of space.

My approach to recline is the ‘little by little’. I don’t need to interact with the person behind me then. What if they say ‘no’?

Besides, the science supports sitting with your back at an angle, not upright: BBC News - Sitting straight 'bad for backs'.

For this reason we should be encouraging everyone to recline, even on short flights. Outside of mealtimes, of course

On the issue of grabbing the seat in front to get out to the aisle… I cannot think if a circumstance where this is necessary. A lot of people do it, it they could just as easily grab the back of their own seat. The etiquette issue here is that the people between you and the aisle should stand to let you out.

 

[matrad]

I believe everyone has the right to recline. That's why my rule for anything longer than SYD - CNS, it's J or stay home. Having said that I don't find it comfortable to recline in Y.

 

[Beano]

I believe everyone has the right to recline. That's why my rule for anything longer than SYD - CNS, it's J or stay home. Having said that I don't find it comfortable to recline in Y.

So, you consider it is OK to recline MEL-CBR?

 

[matrad]

So, you consider it is OK to recline MEL-CBR?

Yep. I wouldn't do it, and I wouldn't like if someone did it in front of me but that's life, I'm 186cm, there's no comfort in Y and I hate the expression but I have been "raw dogging" it for years in Y. People can create all these "etiquette rules" but that doesn't mean everyone else is going to follow them.