Article: What's Your Seat Recline Strategy?

[Pammy]

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.

Agree

 

[Mattg]

On a related note, has anyone noticed that in the marketing shots airlines use for economy seats, the passengers in the photo have usually fully reclined their seats while the seats in front are unreclined?

What expectations does that set about space on board, and whether airlines think it’s OK to recline?

 

[Beano]

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.

Ah, the joys of travel! The rough with the smooth! Recently on a WLG-MEL-ADL-BNE-MKY-BNE-SYD-WLG tour. Not a single recline.

 

[DejaBrew]

For short haul, I don't tend to recline unless - as others have suggested - the situation with the passenger in front makes it a necessity. For long haul in Y (shudder.....) I take the slowly slowly approach. Having been on the receiving end of the passenger in front slamming their seat into full recline, I don't want to be "that guy". Everyone has a right to recline, but a little consideration for your fellow sardines goes a long way!

On a related note, has anyone noticed that in the marketing shots airlines use for economy seats, the passengers in the photo have usually fully reclined their seats while the seats in front are unreclined?

How else are they going to give the appearance of whY being "spacious"? Oh, yeah, I forgot they also often employee the shortest and/or slimmest models (male or female) for those photo shoots too as they're representative of the "average" passenger.

 

[Bad Seed]

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.

Oh yes, recline, and then lean forward for the rest of the flight to chat, use the tray, read watch movies etc. Lean, that's your right (and mine too) but use the lean to relax, snooze, sleep!

 

[Tiki]

I don't know why airlines don't simply make a section of seats that don't recline that can be selected at check in. Like maybe the right side of a 3-4-3 seater, let the 3 on the right be non-reclining.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Perhaps someone could explain this to me but I've never encountered an issue about seat recline flying long haul in business class. Neither my seat has protruded into someone else's space nor has someone else's seat protruded into my space, even if they fully recline their seat for lie flat bed mode.

-RooFlyer88

 

[DC3]

I've never encountered an issue about seat recline flying long haul in business class. Neither my seat has protruded into someone else's space nor has someone else's seat protruded into my space, even if they fully recline their seat for lie flat bed mode.

More of an issue for Y-flyers I imagine.

And a few favour the back row for toilet access and then realise that they can’t recline while the row in front does recline.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

On a related note, has anyone noticed that in the marketing shots airlines use for economy seats, the passengers in the photo have usually fully reclined their seats while the seats in front are unreclined?

What expectations does that set about space on board, and whether airlines think it’s OK to recline?

And they also use very short models! Not your 6’3 variety.

 

[DC3]

And they also use very short models! Not your 6’3 variety.

Oh, surely not.

 

[Daver6]

Why do we keep having these threads on AFF? It's the same old arguments of those who believe it's ok to recline and those who don't. These threads just seem to bring out the worst in people.

Everyone's situation and circumstances is different. You generally don't know the full story yet there is so much judgement here.

 

[Lynda2475]

If in whY on domestic (or trans tasman) I never recline, I wish the the recline function could be disabled on these flights under 5 hours. There is IMO simply no need to recline on domestic daytime flights. Similarly on domestic J on 737, I don't recline.

On over night flights, I only recline outside meal services and then only sometimes. I cant sleep sitting up nor reclined, so only reason to decline is to get some space when person in front reclines.

I really wish the FAs could override the recline such that during meal service seats are returned to upright position and locked there until all trays are cleared. It really annoys me when the FA doesnt force reclining passengers to un-recline their seat during meal service.

In J/F on A380/B789/A330 recline away you are not impacting anyone else. On a 737 SYD-MEL you can sit upright for just over an hour you happily sit upright in a car, bus or train for similar duration journeys.

 

[matrad]

Why do we keep having these threads on AFF? It's the same old arguments of those who believe it's ok to recline and those who don't. These threads just seem to bring out the worst in people.

Everyone's situation and circumstances is different. You generally don't know the full story yet there is so much judgement here.

Because, it's fun to watch! People have these made up "rules" in their heads and can't comprehend why the rest of the world doesn't abide by their imagined "rules". Same thing happens when tipping is mentioned in a Vegas forum - you MUST tip 30%....

 

[Forg]

Perhaps someone could explain this to me but I've never encountered an issue about seat recline flying long haul in business class. Neither my seat has protruded into someone else's space nor has someone else's seat protruded into my space, even if they fully recline their seat for lie flat bed mode.

Geez, I reckon you'd have to go back a few decades to before business & first seats were introduced that had a hard shell &/or were built into a fixed frame, to find such seats that impeded the space of the passenger behind!

OK maybe not that far, now I think about it, I had a KLM flight on a 747 in 2008 where J was still the old style, was basically a reclining armchair and the backrest moved towards the passenger behind you. I don't remember enough about it to remember how much effect that had, but it must have had some, the seats can't have been so far apart that it had none.

Why do we keep having these threads on AFF?

Because they are wrong, and they need to be educated!!

"I'll be with you in a second honey, I just have to deal with this first, someone is being wrong on the internet!"