Is this the new norm? [Qantaslink Cabin crew won't ask passengers not to recline during meal service]

[Phobic]

Not sure if this was a one off, but on a recent regional flight from Karratha to Perth with Qantas link, a gentleman reclined his seat fully after takeoff. When the cheese and crackers came around for our evening meal, I asked the attendant if he could request the guy to put his seat back up. The response was “sorry we can’t ask them anymore, you have to ask him yourself”. So, is this the norm now and if so, what do our introvert travellers do? Anybody else come across this?

 

[RooFlyer]

The response was “sorry we can’t ask them anymore, you have to ask him yourself”. So, is this the norm now and if so, what do our introvert travellers do?

Sounds like a cop-out by the FA; implication is that its a company directive? If someone just said a flat 'no' when requested to un-recline by the FA, then I guess the FA wouldn't want a 'scene' and may leave it at that, but 'can't ask anymore' sounds unlikely (I hope).

 

[Ade]

The response was “sorry we can’t ask them anymore, you have to ask him yourself”

WHAT!?!?!?!? unbelievable ... I thought the FA, crew, airline staff were the first port of call for anything that happens during the flight!

When the cheese and crackers came around for our evening meal

As part of this snack service, did the CSM/FA announce that all seats must now be in the upright position?

Although (and I could be wrong) - I think there might have been a change in the announcement wording at QF re un-reclining for meal service. I think the words used these days are something along the lines of "please un-recline blah blah for the *comfort* of the pax behind you". Comfort is a very relative word ... I usually listen to the announcements and I think I notice a change in the vocabulary.

Sounds like a cop-out by the FA;

Yes, sounds like a cop-out

I don't think (jeez, I hope not) it's a new company directive - I think the FA may have misheard/misunderstood some other directive ... I usually ask the person behind me if it is ok to recline and all responses but one (so far) have been in the negative..

Post automatically merged: Nov 18, 2023

then I guess the FA wouldn't want a 'scene'

And here I thought, FAs are trained to manage such scenes :S Too bad, eh!

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Never heard the unrecline your seat PA on a QF flight tho.
Not even on the QFlink flights I have taken, Dash 8 several times even.
---
He (FA) was probably protecting his back.
You know people these days, they are so self righteous, and self interested, self serving, that the pax in front probably felt he had a right to do as he did.
Decorum when flying went out the window a few years ago.
Remember when no one dared to rest their foot, shoes or without, on the divider between J and Y on a 330.
Or when planes allowed smoking on them, and even had ash trays on the arm rests!

 

[Forg]

Or when planes allowed smoking on them, and even had ash trays on the arm rests!

The smoking ban wasn't a health thing at all, they just knew that the way society was going pax would be stubbing their Winnie Blues out on each other.

 

[Phobic]

On the interstate flights they do sometimes announce to put your seat back up during meals, but I don’t think I have heard it said on this regional flight. I am heading back in a couple of weeks, so I’m going to politely ask one of friendlier FA about this, it may have been just one off cop out.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Was this literally just cheese and crackers? Can understand requesting seat upright for a full meal service, which they still do on Qantas international flights. But wouldn’t have thought that necessary for a hand held snack.

 

[DC3]

… I asked the attendant if he could request the guy to put his seat back up. The response was “sorry we can’t ask them anymore, you have to ask him yourself”. So, is this the norm now and if so, what do our introvert travellers do? Anybody else come across this?

Similar experience SYD-CNS, admittedly more than 3 years ago. Full meal service. FA wouldn’t ask the passenger in front of me to place her seat upright.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I think the guy in front was like, trying to be the head chook, sort of thing.
Sometimes, its hard.
In one of my past assignments, I had to clean shops, and customers kept stepping on the vacuum cleaner cord.
Its orange, and long, so people can see it for sure.
So, once or twice, I politely asked if they could just move a bit, as I had to finish vacuuming.
I had to clean partly when/after the store opened, 8am to 10am clean, store opened at 9am.
And boy, I got bombed/told off by the store manager, from the "kens" who felt agrieved.
Complain from a customer.
On a plane, I would not lean the seat back, as to cause others to be at a disadvantage, but some people do things like that.
Cutting toe nails in a lounge, now, that takes the cake!

 

[DC3]

Cutting toe nails in a lounge, now, that takes the cake

Oh. Poochie

 

[DC3]

And here I thought, FAs are trained to manage such scenes :S Too bad, eh!

Maybe that is the training. In that situation, to do nothing.

 

[JohnK]

Was this literally just cheese and crackers? Can understand requesting seat upright for a full meal service, which they still do on Qantas international flights. But wouldn’t have thought that necessary for a hand held snack.

I can't get the tray table fully down when seat in front is upright so have zero chance if seat in front fully reclined.

And yes I know so naive of me to expect others to consider those around them on public transport.

 

[Forg]

What I wanna know is when AU airlines are going to fit those blissful fixed seats you see in pictures of airlines overseas?!

 

[downgraded]

I can't get the tray table fully down when seat in front is upright so have zero chance if seat in front fully reclined

It won't make any difference. The recline of your own seat will increase the space to your own tray table but the position of your tray table is constant irrespective of what the person in front does.

 

[lovestotravel]

Or when planes allowed smoking on them, and even had ash trays on the arm rests!

My parents made such a big deal of booking us into the non-smoking section

Meanwhile a row of smokers behind us!

 

[Forg]

It won't make any difference. The recline of your own seat will increase the space to your own tray table but the position of your tray table is constant irrespective of what the person in front does.

This does not reflect my experience. The total volume may not change, but the angles & distances change making tray-tables pretty useless when the seat in front is reclined; same as with the IFE screen.

My parents made such a big deal of booking us into the non-smoking section

Meanwhile a row of smokers behind us!

Noooo, the smoke was scared of that curtain &/or sign, and the aircon system definitely didn’t pump it ‘round the ’plane either!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

This does not reflect my experience. The total volume may not change, but the angles & distances change making tray-tables pretty useless when the seat in front is reclined; same as with the IFE screen.

The tray table positioning is independent of the recline function. If you can’t get your tray table down with the seat in front upright, it makes no different if the seat in front is reclined.

What is different is your ability to position yourself over the tray so you can actually get the food to your mouth! The reclined seat back makes it difficult.

With IFE the problem is solved by reclining your own seat. I know some folk won’t recline as a matter of principle, but if everyone else has reclined in the cabin, and you’re the only one insisting on being ‘polite’, it’s kind of creating your own problem.

 

[Phobic]

Was this literally just cheese and crackers? Can understand requesting seat upright for a full meal service, which they still do on Qantas international flights. But wouldn’t have thought that necessary for a hand held snack.

Yes

Was this literally just cheese and crackers? Can understand requesting seat upright for a full meal service, which they still do on Qantas international flights. But wouldn’t have thought that necessary for a hand held snack.

yes, with couple of drinks, but you have to realise the planes on regional flights are generally smaller, the space is small, and when someone reclines it’s in your face, 95% of the people on this type of plane do not recline due to the consideration of the people behind them.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yes

yes, with couple of drinks, but you have to realise the planes on regional flights are generally smaller, the space is small, and when someone reclines it’s in your face, 95% of the people on this type of plane do not recline due to the consideration of the people behind them.

Smaller plane ok, but having a drink and a packet of crackers would be no different to having a movie snack or midnight snack on any other flight… I wouldn’t expect the person in front to put their seat up while I eat a chocolate bar or bag of crisps and have a can of drink.

 

[downgraded]

95% of the people on this type of plane do not recline due to the consideration of the people behind them

I suspect that's a little to much an altruistic interpretation. Some percentage may have that thought, but I suspect most simply don't feel the urge to recline on the short day time flight.