Which is a great argument for asking the person behind you if they mind you reclining.
Bolding mine.
When I fly, it’s almost always 3+ hrs, usually longer. I usually take a red eye. I expect people to recline their seats, and I generally recline. Most people on these flights are trying to sleep anyway.
When I don’t take the red eye, or I’m not trying to sleep, I generally do not recline, but I still fully expect others to recline if they wish. I hope they don’t, but I certainly don’t think they are rude if they do.
As someone who’s 6’2, 290, I think that’s exactly the point of people wanting to keep the armrests down. To keep people who can’t fit in their seats from spilling over into yours. I have no problem jockeying for “top or bottom” elbows with a family member, but with a complete stranger for a 12 hour flight? :eek:
No, I don’t.
I look for the fare that takes me from where I am to where I need to be. Currently I can fly from ZGZ, BIO, BCN or MAD to GLA or EDI, and back. I’ll also take any other airport in the area.
The only companies which involve two planes or less, no airport change in London, happen to be the kind which doesn’t have first class, the cheapos who charge you for water.
If there was a BA flight Edimburgh-Madrid, I’d take it and be happy to pedal to move the freaking plane. But I don’t have that choice.
Lisa-go-blind, you’re labouring under the mistaken assumption that it is your space. According to the airline, it isn’t your space, it’s mine. And I find it rude that you would just assume that I was not going to use it.
Having said that, I will consider special circumstances. Sorry, but using your laptop throughout the entire flight is not a special circumstance. Disability, infant on your lap, etc., these are special circumstances.
Or, maybe the guy could have some manners too and ask before he sends his seat back into full recline?
I agree with you.
The onus is on everyone to be polite. But the recliner has to be as polite as the reclined upon (reclinee? :dubious:0)
Sorry that’s just selfishness. If you’re making someone else uncomfortable because you’re reclining your chair to an uncomfortable point, well… kudos for you taking up all the space that’s entitled to you… hope you enjoy it at someone else’s expense.
I hit send too quick, apologies, I meant I agree with you on the above statement, but why can’t you ask, also, before you send you seat into full throttle backwards?
(Yes, I have had some nightmare flights :p)
The only time I recline my seat is when the person in front of me does so or there is no one sitting behind me. It’s really annoying when I’m using the little tiny itty bitty table for something (food, magazine, etc) and the person in front of me leans all the way back and shoves the back of the chair into my forehead which forces me to either sit uncomfortably for the rest of the flight seeing his nappy hair or simply pressing the button and going back into the comfort zone…
So hey, if you want to complain about me leaning my chair back you need to try picturing yourself in my seat for a second. I’m not going to sit uncomfortably the entire flight because the guy in front of me decided to lean his chair back. If he does it, then I do it. It’s that simple.
I only recline when the lights go out on a long-haul flight. Otherwise, only if the seat behind me is free.
Hopefully it will demarcate a space which your hips and legs are not supposed to exceed! If they do exceed it, then you need to get a second seat. I’m sorry, I know you probably don’t want to be into my seat, I know it must suck donkey balls to be fat and have to fly, but if you are in my precious 14 inches that’s really unfair to me. That’s my seat, I paid for it, and I deserve not to have you touching me. This is not rush hour in Tokyo - I have paid for a cube of air in which you should not be. I do not want you to touch me for any reason. I am not oozing under my armrest and you shouldn’t be either.
I can understand this and just trying to eak out a bit of comfort in this situation is fair but it doesn’t make the first guy any less rude.
I think this brings up a good question. Did you pay for a cube of air? the theory of the leaners is that you paid for x number of inches away from your seat and any position that the seat can get into you still have the same x inches as your right. On the other hand most of the non-leaners seem to be saying that we have a cube of space going up from the front of our shins that we can use for eating, reading, playing with laptops, or trying to be comfortable.
I’m not commenting on the armrest thing because I don’t care my shoulders stick over the top so far that I am more concerned about them then our butts touching.
I don’t mind when the person in front of me reclines their seat.
I usually recline mine, especially if the seat in front of me is reclined.
There have been a few occasions when I was in that middle seat in the back row that doesn’t recline. However, I usually get that seat when I have been desperately waiting for a stand-by seat and in those cases I am so happy just to be on the plane that I would probably be smiling even if they stuck me in the overhead.
My peeve is the guy that hogs the armrest. Not lifting it, which would be presumptious but no one hs ever tried that next to me. But putting your whole arm on that armrest like you own it is a declaration of war, and I can promise that if you move your arm for just one second I will take the opportunity to make that armrest mine.
Timely thread, I’ll be getting on a plane in a couple of hours. The plane I am taking offers extra legroom seats for a small fee ( although I didn’t get one, the fare was steep enough already) so I will feel less guilty about reclining.
This is absolutely the craziest thread I’ve ever read. You pay for a seat that reclines, so you recline in it. Every other person on the plane has the same option. By default if the person in back of you has a problem with you using the seat the way it was intended then they are the ones who should speak up. Why should I ask before I recline? That is just stupid.
If someone was freakishly tall and asked me not to, he had better not recline himself. Otherwise, I’m reclining.
This is what is really rude. Anyone can find out the configuration of the plane they are booking on (eg. seatguru.com) and ask for a bulkhead, an exit, or a seat on the aisle. Plan things out and book further ahead to get the proper seat for you. Don’t punish me because of your lack of planning and I won’t complain to you about not being able to dunk a basketball, okay? If none of the seats in cattle allow you to fit in them, then buy a business class seat and qwitch yer bitchin’.
No, what’s selfish is that because of the choices you have made ie: choosing to fly in coach instead of business class, deciding to work on your computer on the plane instead of at the office or at home, I am expected to forego my comfort, which I might remind you, I paid for.
That is selfish, your the one imposing on me, not the other way around.
Absolutely. I boggle at the responses of the passive-aggressive sociopaths who advocate taking their frustrations out on their fellow passengers by sneezing, kicking pushing, moaning, etc.
The airlines set their spaces for seating and reclining deliberately and intentionally. If you don’t like it, go take your wankerish passive-aggressive urges out on the airlines company offices and reps, go lay down in front of their office and moan and stretch and kick until someone pays attention to you. Your fellow passengers are the wrong target for your selfish entitled lashings.
My Wife and I do plan far ahead. Usually months. Still, it can be very hard to get an exit or bulkhead seat. And I never have seen business class on the flights we take. Just first class or coach. And offen first class has been cut out and the whole plane is coach.
How much more is a business class seat? Sounds wonderful.
To all those who think it is rude to recline your seat, a hypothetical if you will:
Individually, you and I both go out to dinner at the same restaurant, a chop house located amidst a strip of different themed eateries. We both look at the menu ,which offers a delicious array of choices. We both order the same thing, the 10 oz steak with potatoes and vegetables for $24.95. When it comes to the table we both tuck in to our steak. Half way through my dinner I’m feeling pretty full. Not surprising seeing as I’m a 5’2" 110 lb woman, but I continue to eat beacuse it’s just sooo good. You , on the other hand, being a 6’4" 240 lb man, eat your whole dinner and are still hungry. You saunter over to my table, size me up , decide that I must be full already, and ask if you can finish my meal.
I say no.
Who is rude in this situation?
It’s amazing the sense of entitlement so many in this thread have. The complete lack of understanding of basic civility is truly astonishing.
Kinda makes me glad I can’t stand most people and don’t get out much.
See to me the person who is tall and wants to finish your dinner corresponds to the recliner on a plane. He wants more room so he takes up more space, just like in your analogy the rude person wants more food so tries to take yours.
I’m amazed that such a simple question has proved so divisive. Reclining airplane seats are totally the new “I hate kids in public places, don’t you?” hot topic. Hurrah.
Yeah, I’m surprised by the split between rude and not rude, but what really blows my mind is the fact the people think all this crap is a reasonable response to people doing exactly what the airplane is designed to do. It reminds me of a thread where people were bitching about restaurant service, and one doper said that if there was a pickle on their plate they threw it at the waitress. Seriously, do adults really behave that way in public? It’s amazing!
I usually only recline to sleep, or if my back hurts. I cannot sleep sitting straight up - as soon as I drop off my head falls forward, jerking me awake. So, if I can’t recline I am forgoing my own comfort so that someone else can be comfortable (and enduring extra discomfort if the person in front of me is reclined). I think rather than the steak analogy, maybe it’s more like giving up your seat on the bus. If I’m on the bus and someone old or disabled or with a small kid gets on, I would probably get up and let them sit down. But if some regular guy gets on, he can stand, or if it was a long trip maybe we could agree to take turns sitting. But I’m not going to agree to be uncomfortable the entire time just so that he can be comfortable the entire time.