Article: What's Your Seat Recline Strategy?

[Beano]

There are several airlines with non-reclining seats or with limited recline. Those include Ryanair, Easyjet, Jet 2, Vueling, Condor (Germany) and a couple of USA budget airlines. One has a 5 hour flight. Enjoy reclining while ye may!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

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.

The medical evidence doesn’t support your assertions.

 

[Forg]

The medical evidence doesn’t support your assertions.

Which assertions? The only one I can pick out is the bit about domestic daytime flights, is there some medical evidence saying there's a blood-flow positive of not reclining or some-such even for only a couple of hours? (I'm thinking DVT with that Q)

 

[Lynda2475]

The medical evidence doesn’t support your assertions.

What evidence?

People sit upright for same duration as domestic flights in other situations everyday and aren't suffering major ill health effects.

Most office workers participate in regular meetings or conference calls that exceed the duration of a SYD-MEL flight, it is not usual to recline in such situations. In fact ergonomic guidelines recommend an upright posture, feet flat on ground so spine is in a neutral position.

People don't recline when driving and plenty (professional or amateur) drive for more than 90mins at a time.

I've done 100s of domestic flights in whY without reclining and am yet to experience myself nor witness anyone else suffer a medical emergency or other medical consequence due to sitting in a non reclined position.

If the medical evidence is so strong then there would be warnings about sitting upright on the plane - never seen one. The DVT videos advise you to rotate your ankles and move your feet (something much easier to do when there isn't a recliner in front of you), not to recline to avoid dvt.

I see no evidence of agreement from medical professionals that says one should recline for duration of flights.

Im sure they would agree not having the seat infront pressing on your knees or forcing tray table into your ribs is healthier.

One far more likely to tweak a back or roll an ankle due to having to lean at a weird angle to get out of seat due to people in front reclining, than if seats were upright and you could just stand up straight and walk out.

 

[Seat0B]

I’m in the recline slowly over time camp. Reclining suddenly is just rude. And I don’t really want to talk to the person behind, especially if they interpret my statement of intent to recline as open to discussion. I agree that it’s the height of rudeness not to sit upright for meal service.
I generally do not recline on domestic flights But I do try not to judge when others do. For all I know they are just off a 14 hr long haul flight and are totally wrecked.

 

[Happy Dude]

My strategy is if you can't or won't get your fat cough into or out of your seat without grabbing the back of my seat, then I'll recline.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

What evidence?

People sit upright for same duration as domestic flights in other situations everyday and aren't suffering major ill health effects.

Most office workers participate in regular meetings or conference calls that exceed the duration of a SYD-MEL flight, it is not usual to recline in such situations. In fact ergonomic guidelines recommend an upright posture, feet flat on ground so spine is in a neutral position.

People don't recline when driving and plenty (professional or amateur) drive for more than 90mins at a time.

I've done 100s of domestic flights in whY without reclining and am yet to experience myself nor witness anyone else suffer a medical emergency or other medical consequence due to sitting in a non reclined position.

If the medical evidence is so strong then there would be warnings about sitting upright on the plane - never seen one. The DVT videos advise you to rotate your ankles and move your feet (something much easier to do when there isn't a recliner in front of you), not to recline to avoid dvt.

I see no evidence of agreement from medical professionals that says one should recline for duration of flights.

Im sure they would agree not having the seat infront pressing on your knees or forcing tray table into your ribs is healthier.

One far more likely to tweak a back or roll an ankle due to having to lean at a weird angle to get out of seat due to people in front reclining, than if seats were upright and you could just stand up straight and walk out.

I posted the medical evidence unthread, as summarised by the BBC.

Extensive MRI results have disproved the notion of sitting upright in offices, with back straight.

Your assertions are based on outdated theories.

 

[Forg]

My strategy is if you can't or won't get your fat cough into or out of your seat without grabbing the back of my seat, then I'll recline.

Heh heh … reclining of the seat in front makes people use that seat in front as a rattle-rattle-rattle-shake-shake-shake handle to get out.

 

[Lynda2475]

Extensive MRI results have disproved the notion of sitting upright in offices, with back straight.

And yet absolutely no one works all day in an office in a seat reclined to the position of a reclined whY aircraft seat. Completely impractical to view an array of monitors and drive a mouse half laying down. You'd be craning your neck and wrist.

One unique study doesn't a consensus make. A study that did not cover how one could type, take handwritten notes, nor view multiple screens from that angle. My optometrist has been specific about the distance I need to sit from monitor/screens and angle for optimal viewing as to not create eye strain. My physio and I have also worked on seating posture and my back pain and knee pain has lessened.

Official guidelines at my workplace and from WorkSafe also support the upright neutral spine. Whilst standing desks were popular for a while, standing all day is also not recommended.

Your assertions are based on outdated theories

No my assertion on what is best for me is based on my personal experience. Practice not theory, and also the practical recommendations of Physio and Optometrist.

I won't be reclining at work or on any day flight, sitting upright with spine in neutral position is both comfortable for me and practical given the work I need to do.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

And yet absolutely no one works all day in an office in a seat reclined to the position of a reclined whY aircraft seat. Completely impractical to view an array of monitors and drive a mouse half laying down. You'd be craning your neck and wrist.

One unique study doesn't a consensus make. A study that did not cover how one could type, take handwritten notes, nor view multiple screens from that angle. My optometrist has been specific about the distance I need to sit from monitor/screens and angle for optimal viewing as to not create eye strain. My physio and I have also worked on seating posture and my back pain and knee pain has lessened.

Official guidelines at my workplace and from WorkSafe also support the upright neutral spine. Whilst standing desks were popular for a while, standing all day is also not recommended.



No my assertion on what is best for me is based on my personal experience. Practice not theory, and also the practical recommendations of Physio and Optometrist.

I won't be reclining at work or on any day flight, sitting upright with spine in neutral position is both comfortable for me and practical given the work I need to do.

So that’s good for you. But you seem to imply that your preferences should apply to all others?

It might be that work safe has made those recommendations, but if it can be shown that work safe or the employer was aware of an alternative which could prevent injury, that might not be enough to protect the employer from damages.

And besides, why would employers be happy to pay increasing worksafe premiums when they could be lowered if fewer people suffered back injury?

 

[426dfv]

Saw it right in front of my eyes on route from HKG - MEL last week. The pax just shoving the seat all the way back violently after meal being served. The young girl behind still have a can of lemonade on the tray table. You can sort of imagine what happened afterwards. The crew came around with some tissue and wet towel to help with the clean up. The pax at the front didnt even look back after she knew what had happened. Sucks really.

 

[Lynda2475]

So that’s good for you. But you seem to imply that your preferences should apply to all others?

No a conclusion you jumped to. I stated my preference and opinion just as others have.

Noting that your article starts with the premise too many people are sitting for 10 hours+, not getting up for lunch, then sit more at home.

Even the longest Australian domestic flights top out at ~5hrs and one can adjust their position in their seat more easily if not pinned in place by the recliner in front.

Also they only looked at the back and not neck the picture supplied shows the unnatural head position serious craning, looks to be just swapping one problem for another.

Guidelines to avoid neck pain have the ideal head position is to keep your head aligned directly over your spine, with your ears positioned directly over your shoulders, essentially maintaining a "neutral" posture where your neck muscles aren't strained; avoid tilting your head forward or to the side excessively.

The only way for your neck to be properly aligned with your shoulders whilst reclining at 135degrees it to have head on a rest essentially looking up at ceiling not at screen. As i said impractical for work.

It might be that work safe has made those recommendations, but if it can be shown that work safe or the employer was aware of an alternative which could prevent injury, that might not be enough to protect the employer from damages.

I dont think they are quaking in their boots over a gimmick piece in an online news site that didnt consider impact to neck or productivity.

And besides, why would employers be happy to pay increasing worksafe premiums when they could be lowered if fewer people suffered back injury?

Premiums based on claim volumes and failure to comply with their recommendations. I worked extensively in workers compensation industry for years, never saw a claim for back injury attributed to having to sit for work plane travel.

OTOH claims for back pain related to incorrect lifting procedures, and sitting at work stations which didn't meant ergonomic guidelines (i.e. adjustable chair, monitor height etc) were relatively common.

So i stand by my position for domestic day flights zero need to recline; its a want of the imo inconsiderate. So if you do recline you dont have the right to complain about people knocking your seat back if they need to get up because the sole reason they dont have enough space to get up without bumping into you is because you chose to unnecessarily recline.

 

[Rich]

So i stand by my position for domestic day flights zero need to recline

Things aren't so black and white. I tend to get lower back pain and I find reclining my seat one "notch" makes a big a difference, so I will do that on most flights, however short. But not during meals.
Likewise some people may struggle to get out of their seat without touching the seat in front of them for whatever reason. My last flight on Jetstar I managed to, but felt I had to angle myself 15 degrees to do it. A less mobile person would have struggled.