reclining seats...

[ducklite]

I don't always like to recline my seat. However, if the person reclines in front of me, then I will recline my seat halfway. I always put my seat up for meal service and I expect the person in front of me to do the same. If they don't I ring for the air hostess and ask them to put it up so I can eat my meal on the tray.

 

I was on a flight with meal service recently and the FA's made an announcement before service began that everyone was to take their seats out of recline during mealtime, and the cabin crew would let them know when it was OK to recline again. Anyone who didn't comply was told they wouldn't get a meal or drink until they did. I thought that was a pretty cool way to handle it. :D

[kenish]

So, having dictated the drive to the bottom, passengers on UA and DL (and I believe soon on AA) can take their choice...pay those "cheap" prices and get today's coach experience or buy up to Economy Plus/Economy Comfort and get some of that room back.

 

MRTC was a watershed moment in air travel. It posed the question to the marketplace and the marketplace said "Give us cheap". Had the answer been "give us value", you'd have more room for all seats.

 

Couldn't agree more (as FYI for others, MRTC= More Room Throughout Coach, an unsuccessful AA attempt about 10-12 years ago to provide more legroom for a very modest premium).

 

I'm no apologist for the airlines but they provide very safe and usually efficient transportation for a price that's affordable to most of the population. And the "dark days" seem to be over...those who want to pay more for a product that meets their needs have it available. That wasn't the case 5 years ago without upgrading to First or Biz. Absolutely rock-bottom fares are still available to everyone who wants them, but don't expect the airlines to improve things. It would just be a disincentive to "buy up"/

[rkacruiser]

I was on a flight with meal service recently and the FA's made an announcement before service began that everyone was to take their seats out of recline during mealtime, and the cabin crew would let them know when it was OK to recline again. Anyone who didn't comply was told they wouldn't get a meal or drink until they did. I thought that was a pretty cool way to handle it. :D

 

Now that is a great idea for all cabin crews to use!

 

After trying to eat lunch on a Continental Rome to Newark flight with the seat in front of me in total recline, such an announcement by the crew would have been greatly appreciated.

 

May I ask what airlines were you on in which this happened?

[ducklite]

Now that is a great idea for all cabin crews to use!

 

After trying to eat lunch on a Continental Rome to Newark flight with the seat in front of me in total recline, such an announcement by the crew would have been greatly appreciated.

 

May I ask what airlines were you on in which this happened?

 

It was a US Airways flight. I'm not sure which one, probably PHL to FCO.

[Ashland]

I was on a flight with meal service recently and the FA's made an announcement before service began that everyone was to take their seats out of recline during mealtime, and the cabin crew would let them know when it was OK to recline again. Anyone who didn't comply was told they wouldn't get a meal or drink until they did. I thought that was a pretty cool way to handle it. :D

I agree also...This was an inflight crew with attention to detail...

Something that usually lacks in the economy cabin...

It's sometimes even hard to find the FA (where do they go :confused:) let alone get them to do anything ;).

[frugaltravel]

I don't want to be forced to recline it in order to "regain" something that was taken from me. Why should I be forced to sit in an uncomfortable position that I don't like so that someone else can recline their seat?

 

Unfortunately what you want to do is take some of the space allocated to the seat in front of you and claim it as your own. Nothing to do with "regaining" anything!

 

Why should I sit in an uncomfortable, unreclined position? Sorry, if the seat reclines, that's the position my seat will be in. I don't recline all the way and I do it slowly, but I will recline.

 

I don't always recline and I also recline slowly. But if this feature is offered, it is obviously meant to be used.

 

I don't always like to recline my seat. However, if the person reclines in front of me, then I will recline my seat halfway. I always put my seat up for meal service and I expect the person in front of me to do the same. If they don't I ring for the air hostess and ask them to put it up so I can eat my meal on the tray.

 

Delta and KLM have also made such announcements. In any case, if an announcement is not made, when a flight attendant serves my meal I request that they ask the person in front of me to pull their seat up for the meal service. It is much easier when a FA asks and not a fellow passenger.

[calliopecruiser]

Why should I sit in an uncomfortable, unreclined position? Sorry, if the seat reclines, that's the position my seat will be in. I don't recline all the way and I do it slowly, but I will recline.

 

Yup, people have the right to recline their seats. Never claimed otherwise. However, just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

 

I'm done :)

[ducklite]

Yup, people have the right to recline their seats. Never claimed otherwise. However, just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

 

I'm done :)

 

If the seats shouldn't recline, then they wouldn't. If you choose not to select a seat with a non-recliner ahead of you, business or first where it's not a concern, or a bulkhead, then you really have no right to complain.

[waterbug123]

On a United flight to Chicago a couple years ago the man in front of my husband reclined his seat and literally his head was in my husbands lap. It was very uncomfortable and since then, we have opted for economy plus or whatever variation exists with a particular airline. The airlines have put rows so close together that seats should not be able to recline in economy, only if sufficient space i.e. Southwest seems to have decent spacing, so far,

 

It must have been many, many years ago. There are no airlines today with enough seat pitch to allow a seat to be reclined anywhere close to the point where a passenger's head would be in the lap of the person behind him/her. Might we be exaggerating just a tiny bit? :rolleyes:

 

Sure, then I cause the guy behind me the same problem, and force him to do something he may not want to do to "regain" that space. I don't like reclining my seat, and I don't want to be forced to recline it in order to "regain" something that was taken from me. Why should I be forced to sit in an uncomfortable position that I don't like so that someone else can recline their seat?

 

You have options. Choose a bulkhead seat, where there is no one in front of you. Or on aircraft where there are 2 exit rows, one in front of the other, choose a seat in the 2nd row; the seats in the first row don't generally recline. Or pick one of the seats, usually near an exit, where there are 3 seats in one row but only 2 seats in the row in front, so that you're sitting behind the "missing" seat. See? Lots of options, so no need to be "forced" to sit behind someone who reclines. Wait- what is that you say? You don't want to have to pay extra for these premium seats? You can't have your cake and eat it too, so decide what's most important: Having no one reclining in front of you, or getting the cheapest seat possible. Life is about choices!

[Fattony]

On a United flight to Chicago a couple years ago the man in front of my husband reclined his seat and literally his head was in my husbands lap. It was very uncomfortable and since then, we have opted for economy plus or whatever variation exists with a particular airline. The airlines have put rows so close together that seats should not be able to recline in economy, only if sufficient space i.e. Southwest seems to have decent spacing, so far,

 

Southwest has started reducing legroom and ability to recline, but says it's an upgrade. http://www.smartertravel.com/blogs/today-in-travel/southwest-airlines-incredible-shrinking-seats.html?id=10279231

 

Since I started buying biz class for international travel, we've gotten spoiled, and now my wife complains if the seat isn't at least nearly lie-flat (e.g., United 767 vs. American or US Airways).

[Zach1213]

I kind of like the seats that recline forward (the seat moves forward instead of the back reclining). It's not the best, but it also means the only person who can impede upon your personal space is yourself.

 

Southwest has started reducing legroom and ability to recline, but says it's an upgrade. http://www.smartertravel.com/blogs/today-in-travel/southwest-airlines-incredible-shrinking-seats.html?id=10279231

 

Since I started buying biz class for international travel, we've gotten spoiled, and now my wife complains if the seat isn't at least nearly lie-flat (e.g., United 767 vs. American or US Airways).

 

Yeah but, Southwest is God's gift to America and they don't lie. If they say it's an upgrade, it clearly is.

[WpgCruise]

If the seat reclines, I'm going to use the feature. If there is a meal service, I'll put my seat up until the service is completed and trays removed, but otherwise the feature is there for me to use. What you do with the feature is your business.

 

If someone behind me has a problem, then that's their problem, not mine.

 

To suggest reclining is rude, insensative or wrong, to me is just plain silly.

 

And another thing, the person in the window seat controls the shade. I pick an asile seat and would often like the window shade up, or down depending on circumstances, but if they want it down, and I want it up, too bad for me.

[Zach1213]

If the seat reclines, I'm going to use the feature. If there is a meal service, I'll put my seat up until the service is completed and trays removed, but otherwise the feature is there for me to use. What you do with the feature is your business.

 

If someone behind me has a problem, then that's their problem, not mine.

 

To suggest reclining is rude, insensative or wrong, to me is just plain silly.

 

And another thing, the person in the window seat controls the shade. I pick an asile seat and would often like the window shade up, or down depending on circumstances, but if they want it down, and I want it up, too bad for me.

 

Yeah...I'm an aisle person, and there are plenty of times I wish the window person would keep the shade up. But I know that, by choosing an aisle, I've lost control of that option.

[sparky-elpaso]

I think the best decision I made on our flights to and from Australia (14 hours) was to get bulkhead seats. My thought was that we wouldn't have anyone reclining in front of us but it also turned out that I think we had a couple inches more leg room. Downside was that we had to put all of our carry-ons in the overhead bin but priority boarding got us on early enough to beat the crowd. And we didn't recline so we wouldn't bother the folks behind us.

[ducklite]

Southwest has started reducing legroom and ability to recline, but says it's an upgrade. http://www.smartertravel.com/blogs/today-in-travel/southwest-airlines-incredible-shrinking-seats.html?id=10279231

 

Since I started buying biz class for international travel, we've gotten spoiled, and now my wife complains if the seat isn't at least nearly lie-flat (e.g., United 767 vs. American or US Airways).

 

Uh, about half of US Airways international flights have 180 degree lie flat seats in Envoy (the US version of a hybrid business/first). Most of the others have a 160-170 degree lie-back with a footrest and room for the window seat to get past the aisle seat without disturbing them, even if the aisle seat has the footrest up.

[Hoyaheel]

I kind of like the seats that recline forward (the seat moves forward instead of the back reclining).

We really like the hard shell seats in AF Premium Voyageur for this reason. Well, it's one of the reasons we like that cabin:p

[jnc411]

If that happened to me, I think I would find myself doing a lot of sneezing.

I can usually put up with a little recline in front of me, but if someone intrudes into my space - and the area in front of my seat is my space - they will just have to put up with a few bumps from the back ...

 

Yes I think the sneezing and perhaps a case of restless leg syndrome, bump , bump , bump, I think may be the seat my go up a tad. :)

I don't mind a slight recline in the seat in front of me , and I try not to recline to much in my seat. No matter where we go there are going to be thoughtless / rude people, who think that they are the only ones who paid for their ticket. My DH is a large man, he is 6'6" tall , vision a football defensive lineman so I try to get the seats with the more space, it costs us more , but he is more comfortable and so are the people around us. Jet Blue has the more space seats, and that is a good option for us.

Cori

[twoputt.plusone]

I don't want to be forced to recline it in order to "regain" something that was taken from me.

 

I really am not trying to be argumentative but nothing was "taken" from you. It was "given" to the passenger in front when he/she purchased a seat that had a reclining feature. When purchasing a product, you often get options. With an airline seat, one of those options is to be able to recline. They just chose to make use of it. I'm amazed at those who have issue with that.

[t60]

I kind of like the seats that recline forward (the seat moves forward instead of the back reclining). It's not the best, but it also means the only person who can impede upon your personal space is yourself. snip...

 

We´re flying long haul with Cathay Pacific who have this sort of seat. Have used them before and found this aspect of their seating better than seat back reclining. Although many people disagree, judging from their reviews

 

Sandy in Spain

[Zach1213]

I kind of like the seats that recline forward (the seat moves forward instead of the back reclining). It's not the best, but it also means the only person who can impede upon your personal space is yourself. snip...

 

We´re flying long haul with Cathay Pacific who have this sort of seat. Have used them before and found this aspect of their seating better than seat back reclining. Although many people disagree, judging from their reviews

 

Sandy in Spain

 

It's no wonder people don't like it. Why choose to give up your space when you can force the person behind you to give up theirs?

[icat2000]

I have flown Cathay Pacific from Melbourne to Hong Kong in those types of seats. I didn't like it. They are uncomfortable and hard and you feel like your sliding out of the seat.

[Ethel5]

What trips my trigger are those that recline their seat as soon as they are seated and then sit up the entire flight with the seat still reclined!:mad::eek:

[cb at sea]

There is no way I could sit in an airline seat totally upright for more than 2 hours...they are incredibly uncomfortable on my neck when fully upright. I've never had a seat that actually reclined to the point where I was in someone's lap....what airline do you folks fly???, but getting the seat to go back so I can move my neck is essential!!!