passenger behind won't let you recline

[ducklite]

Interesting logic.... only those who like to sleep are entitled to fly. Not those who are tall, not those who are sick or pregnant or otherwise have to use the bathroom frequently. You live in an interesting world.

 

See my above post on this. I was thinking people with GI problems. There are some cases where the person might need to use the bathroom more often, in that case they need to speak to the gate agent prior to boarding about a seat change.

[waterbug123]

the person in front fully recline the whole trip which was really miserable for my husband. His comment about it was (he guy was so close that he could give him a scalp massage as his head was in DH lap

 

Is it really necessary to resort to such gross exaggeration?! I've been on all the legacy carriers and several discount carriers within the last 5 years, and have yet to encounter a seat in coach that reclines so far that the recliner's head ends up in the lap of the person behind them! :rolleyes:

[vjmatty]

Well duckie, it looks like we will just have to agree to disagree, and simply accept the fact that we aren't going to change each other's mind on this topic. I am bowing out now as I don't want to be this guy-

 

 

 

:rolleyes:

 

 

 

Have a glorious weekend and I hope you are staying drier than we are here. :(

[overthesea]

Interesting thread as usual. it says a lot about personalities. What no one has mentioned and what I have seen is the situation where a seat is inclined all the way back and the person behind has to use the restroom. It is impossible to get up and out of the row without interfering with the recliner, especially if in the window or aisle seat. I saw one situation where someone seemed to have a problem and had to use the restroom often.

 

If someone has their seat reclined that far then they need to be bothered. Of course they will probably turn around to see what the other person's problem is.

[Jade13]

This isn't about choices, or taking a position of not "letting" the chair recline. It is the simple physics that two objects can not occupy the same space at the same time... and since the legs are attached to someone's body they aren't going anywhere.

 

 

 

And do what, tell the other passenger to please put their legs in the overhead bin? :)

 

The common sense I thought others were referring to was that if you start to recline your seat, feel resistance and hear "ouch", the courteous thing to do is stop the seat.

 

I'd think that any comfort I'd get from those extra degrees of recline would be lost with the knowledge I was causing someone pain. :(

 

That is my point. There was no way I could recline my seat. The other passengers legs were in the way. He wasn't doing anything on purpose. He was just big and tall and legs against my seat in a normal sitting position.

 

Oh yea. I asked. The plane was full and there were no empty seats.

[happy cruzer]

It should be common sense and courtesy.

 

But ultimately, if push comes to shove, the recliners are in the right. That's what the airline and its staff will say. And that's really the end of the story.

 

Thank you for posting this.

 

I am short. But I am uncomfortable in the seat until it reclines, for some reason it makes me bend forward enough to hurt both my neck and my lower back. So on a longer flight, I get miserable if unable to recline. Glad to know that the recliners are in the right.

[Steph123]

My husband is 6'8" so I book myself in the seat in front of him and don't recline my seat into his knees. This is ok for me and we don't bother anyone else. I can recline my seat a little which is fine.

Our only problem was on a transatlantic flight that was a tour and by the time I found out the flight info there were no seats to change to. I don't think I will ever book a tour like that again. At the airport we were told my husband was moved to a exit row for the 11 1/2 flight but it was not an exit row, the gate agent could not read the seat plan. It was a full flight so no changes could be made. It was awful flight but a wonderful trip to the holyland.

[Globaliser]

Not to be argumentative, but seat pitch, as you know, is defined as the point in one seat to the same point in the seat in front or behind. When someone reclines their seat, they are taking part of the seat pitch from behind, and that person can't gain that space back by reclining their own seat since the bottom of your own seat doesn't move back to bring your legs back.

Pitch is simply a measurement of the "frequency" of seat rows; it doesn't define who has the right to which bit of space. Regardless of how the distance between rows is measured, when the person in front of you reclines their seat and takes up some of the space ahead of you, they're still using space that they're entitled to use. If your knees are there, technically they're in space that you don't have a better right to use.

[DanJ]

Pitch is simply a measurement of the "frequency" of seat rows; it doesn't define who has the right to which bit of space. Regardless of how the distance between rows is measured, when the person in front of you reclines their seat and takes up some of the space ahead of you, they're still using space that they're entitled to use. If your knees are there, technically they're in space that you don't have a better right to use.

 

That's about the most ridiculous thing I have ever read from you LOL.

[ducklite]

I'm not sure why there's even an argument about this. Airlines sell seats that recline, passengers have the right to recline them according to those same airlines.

 

For those that have a problem with this, they should either choose a seat behind a non-reclining seat, choose a carrier with seats that don't recline, or not fly. Pretty simple!

[Globaliser]

That's about the most ridiculous thing I have ever read from you

Well, they're in space that the pax in front has paid for ...

 

But maybe your knees are more important than that?

[Zambini]

If you are not supposed to recline them then why do they tell you to return them to upright before you land?

 

:confused:

 

:rolleyes:

[ducklite]

if you are not supposed to recline them then why do they tell you to return them to upright before you land?

 

:confused:

 

:rolleyes:

 

+1 !

[jean95404]

Why would you think that all the people writing on this board, that want to recline their seats, are Americans? I always check to see who is sitting behind me before deciding to recline. Most times I end up putting a pillow between my neck and shoulder and just zone out. One one flight I was in the middle seat and needed to excuse myself to the lavatory. The seat in front of me was in full back position, as was the seat in front of the seat next to me on the aisle. When asked to sit up so that I could get out, I was told that if I wasn't so fat I wouldn't need to bother them. Travelling on planes has become a trial.

[MMDown Under]

This is an argument that passengers should be having with the airlines, not amongst each other.

 

Let the airlines justify the inadequate amount of space between rows of seats, especially for long haul flights.

 

There used to be enough room between rows for me to lie on the ground between rows, with the younger child.

 

There used to be enough room so that I didn't have to ask my husband to get up from his aisle seat, so I could get out to go to the toilet.

 

The floor space under the seat in front used to be mine.

[Bowie MeMe]

This is an argument that passengers should be having with the airlines, not amongst each other.

 

Let the airlines justify the inadequate amount of space between rows of seats, especially for long haul flights.

 

There used to be enough room between rows for me to lie on the ground between rows, with the younger child.

 

There used to be enough room so that I didn't have to ask my husband to get up from his aisle seat, so I could get out to go to the toilet.

 

The floor space under the seat in front used to be mine.

 

Well and at that same time there was several hours between the flights where the floor was swept and the plane cleaned and made ready for the next flight. You would not dare lay on the floor these days -- filthy!

I really hate the seat that is reclined and the arm that does not raise on the aisle but forces you to get your whole ham out of the seat and over the arm:eek: I look like a black and blue disaster for the rest of the vacation. Some planes are worst than others but for sure recliners and unfriendly nasty folk do make travel that much harder.

 

Don't forget to get up and stretch your legs. DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) is REAL and even if exiting the seat is a problem -- just do it!

[Globaliser]

Let the airlines justify the inadequate amount of space between rows of seats, especially for long haul flights.

 

There used to be enough room between rows for me to lie on the ground between rows, with the younger child.

 

There used to be enough room so that I didn't have to ask my husband to get up from his aisle seat, so I could get out to go to the toilet.

The airlines don't need to justify a thing. History speaks for itself on this.

 

35 years ago, I started flying regularly between London and Hong Kong, doing three round-trips a year. I can't get to my old tickets at the moment, but the cheapest economy class ticket was something like £450 round-trip (for non-stop flights on BA, as are all the following examples). In today's money, that's about £2,800.

 

Today, the cheapest non-sale ticket between London and Hong Kong is about £685 round-trip.

 

So seeing as passengers are paying so little for their tickets, is it any surprise they get less space than in years past?

 

You can still buy a ticket for a cabin in which there's enough room between rows for you to lie on the ground between rows, if you want. You can still buy a ticket for a cabin in which there's enough room so that you don't have to ask your husband to get up from his aisle seat, so you can get out to go to the toilet.

 

You can buy a business class ticket. Can you afford it?

 

After all, the cheapest business class ticket between London and Hong Kong is only about £2,200 round-trip - that is, for about only three-quarters of the cost of the cheapest economy class ticket in 1976.

 

Or you could just slum it in premium economy, which is only about £1,200 round-trip.

 

So, no - the airlines don't have to justify anything. The market wants bargain basement prices for flying, so that's what they're getting. There are downsides to buying cheap tickets. If you want the space that you got in yesteryear, be prepared to pay yesteryear prices for it.

 

Otherwise, you're simply yearning for a caviar and lobster lifestyle at meat pie prices - which is obviously unrealistic.

The floor space under the seat in front used to be mine.

It still is.

 

To the extent that the space is taken up with boxes for the whizz-bang electronics that drives the personalised in-seat entertainment, you can blame that on a generation that can't cope with sitting in one place for a dozen hours without constant electronic babysitting.

[beetle9]

it realy doesnt matter what you think if you are sitting in front of me you will not recline there is not enough room and no its not my problem if you have to recline you can go to first class. Its not my job to make room for you .:)

[ducklite]

it realy doesnt matter what you think if you are sitting in front of me you will not recline there is not enough room and no its not my problem if you have to recline you can go to first class. Its not my job to make room for you .:)

 

And what pray tell do you think you'll do about it? The flight attendants will ALWAYS side with the passenger who wishes to recline. And if you try to argue with a FA, you'll likely find yourself arrested when the plane lands.

 

I love these people who give these absurd ultimatums.

[Jade13]

it realy doesnt matter what you think if you are sitting in front of me you will not recline there is not enough room and no its not my problem if you have to recline you can go to first class. Its not my job to make room for you .:)

 

It is not your job, BUT, you could have thought of your fellow passengers and secured an aisle seat, instead of forcing me to sit up the entire way on an international flight. Yes, you are right, I could not put my seat back because of the big tall guy behind me with knees against the seat.

 

Btw, my parents were recently on an international flight where my mom had the middle seat and dad the aisle. The person in the window seat was so big she was in my moms space. When she got up to use the restroom they did not let her back in, and apparently the women found another seat.

[srlafleur]

Thank you for posting this.

 

I am short. But I am uncomfortable in the seat until it reclines, for some reason it makes me bend forward enough to hurt both my neck and my lower back. So on a longer flight, I get miserable if unable to recline. Glad to know that the recliners are in the right.

 

Hail, fellow short person. I posted previously with the same issue. Throw in a little arthritis in the neck for good measure. I don't usually need to recline all the way, and I don't suddenly jerk my seat back (that's rude), but I will recline to the point of my own comfort. And, yes, I may not always be leaning back against the seat (it would probably be more annoying to the person in back of me if I were to be repeatedly moving my seat), because I sometimes need to sit "indian style" in order to stop my legs from dangling for a while and and do some stretches to increase circulation. It's not only tall people who get uncomfortable on flights.

[Zambini]

Well and at that same time there was several hours between the flights where the floor was swept and the plane cleaned and made ready for the next flight. You would not dare lay on the floor these days -- filthy!

I really hate the seat that is reclined and the arm that does not raise on the aisle but forces you to get your whole ham out of the seat and over the arm:eek: I look like a black and blue disaster for the rest of the vacation. Some planes are worst than others but for sure recliners and unfriendly nasty folk do make travel that much harder.

 

Don't forget to get up and stretch your legs. DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) is REAL and even if exiting the seat is a problem -- just do it!

 

 

I see that you have taken some international trips, are you indicating that you don't recline your seat the whole way?:confused:

[ok4now]

I'm a tall guy and my knees are usually up against the seat in front when I sit up normally. Coming home from our last cruise, I had my son next to me, and the row in front was a dad with 2 of his young kids. He sat in front of me. When he tried to recline, I politely said that was my knee preventing him from reclining. He was nice about it, and swapped seats with one of his kids, so he was in front of my son, and could recline. His kid didn't need to recline, so that worked out well.

 

I did have one time where the person in front was adamant she was reclining anyway. So, when she did, I just leaned forward, put my arms on the top her seat, laid my head down on my arms and had a nap. Unfortunately for her, I tend to snore when I sleep like that LOL.

 

You're lucky that I wasn't that woman, I would have snapped the seat forward when I heard you snoring....LOL....what arrogance....

[melligene]

Thought I had a clever answer but,........NOT. Deal with it or don't travel by Air (or with others). They have their problems too.Maybe one day it may be YOU they are refering too. Think about it. (if you can get past yourself). Just sayin.............

[Kentucky Mockingbird]

Lack of plane etiquette can get expensive.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/01/united-airlines-flight-seat-fight