I’m 5’9". I have long legs. I have lower back issues. I dislike flying in general, the curves in the seat are never in the right place, the recycled air, the crappy food. And then there’s the people.
I am a firm believer in the pressing my knees in the back of someone’s chair method. Worked for me the last time I was on a plane. And while I understand the need to recline, it’s NOT nessisary on a one-hour flight, on a commuter plane. Really. You’re there for an HOUR. Suck it up.
My work often requires extensive air travel. I’m 6’3” and most of that length is leg. Over the years, I have developed really effective strategies for finding comfort in coach class.
First, the legs. As a man, I don’t have any issue spreading my knees to either side of the seat in front of me. Since I rarely encounter people as tall as myself, this is usually not a problem for someone sitting next to me. I don’t have to do this often because I have another technique. Sitting with my ankles crossed so that the sides of my feet rather than the soles are on the floor allows my knees to drop lower. Thus I achieve greater clearance between myself and the seat in front of me. I am very comfortable in this position on a plane or off. It might not work for everyone.
Now, when that seat in front just cannot be tolerated, I’ve found it to be extremely effective to just lean forward so that my face is very close to the ear of the person in front of me and simply say, “I’m very tall. Could you put your seat up a bit?” Even the crankiest, most self-righteous air traveler will be so unnerved by your sudden invasion of their space that they will comply immediately.
Be careful about exit rows. Many of United’s 737’s have plenty of legroom in the exit rows but the seat backs do not recline at all. Terribly annoying, that. United is not the devil, though. They have added a section to mane of their 737’s and 747’s that offers 5” additional inches of forward legroom. I know it doesn’t sound like a lot, but it really is.
As to reclining myself, I just don’t do it much. That is to say that my seat is always reclined, but only partially. I find that creating a difference of just a couple of inches between the angle of my seat and that of the person next to me gives a perfect little ledge for my head to rest against as I sleep. IMO, this is better than reclining.
Of course, the person next to you might be a little uncomfortable with you leaning against his or her seat. This is where shameless flattery and flirtation come into play. As soon as I sit down, I begin playing up to the person next to me. It doesn’t take much – just a simple, “That’s a very nice _____ that you have” or “You’re reading _____? I’m impressed.” Then you wing it and make them feel comfortable. The whole process should not take more than 120 seconds and will pay off big later when you want to hog the common armrest and lean on their seat. If you’re really good, they won’t even think of adjusting their own seat for fear of disturbing you while you sleep. I’m still working my way up to convincing someone to stand for an entire flight while I spread out and relax. No luck yet.
Why, yes. Yes I am an evil bastard.
Jesus, don’t be such a baby.
Or such a bully.
spoke- (6’4" 220 lbs.)
Pooh pooh. 6’4" 245 here 
I should expound on my last post. Yes, it was rude for the other passenger to “slam” his seat back (as opposed to easing it back cautiously). On the other hand, a more polite response would have been to explain your predicament to the guy, rather than stiff-arming his seat. (Of course, if he refuses to accede to your request that the seat remain upright, you may body-slam him at will. While keeping your pinkie fingers extended, of course.) 
Ha!
Yeah, I retrospect, I feel as if I were a little overzealous in my protest. I do still think, however, that if he hadn’t done the muttering, it would have been fine and well.
Mr. Cynical, get back in your box!
Usually adults will cooperate if you explain how uncomfortable you are when they fully recline their seat. I have, on a couple of occasions, told rude people I would see them in the terminal. On both occasions, the seat was returned to the upright position. And I am only 5’11", 160 lbs. so I don’t feel that I was bullying anyone.
I don’t recline unless there is no one behind me, or my seat is broken and will only recline. I don’t complain when others recline in front of my but if they do it suddenly i am apt to yell because and ask them to sit back up for just a sec because i can’t put my tray back up unless they sit back up.
Yeah, some of those Lay-Z-Boys! What jerks! Overstuffed and a foot rest sticking out and… oh, you don’t mean those kind of recliners!
It’s so hard (giggle) to concentrate on the OP with all these big hunky folks hanging around in here but I’ll try.
I’m a tall lady myself but I prefer to sit up straight so I can read more comfortably. I don’t mind if someone in front of me wants to lean back but I do appreciate them going slowly. Banging it back is sure to get me to “accidentally” kick the back of their chair a few times.
After another thread about butt size it seems to me planes need to be reworked. Folks, by and large, are getting taller and bigger. But the seats are staying static.
semi-hijack mini-rant: If they’ll let you sit in a seat with a broken seat that cannot be made to stay upright, then why do they make it such a huge deal that (unbroken) seats be upright for takeoff and landing?
I always figgered that this was because they wanted NO obstructions for the folk sitting behind should anything happen during the takeoff/landing. Alternatively, it might be because seat belts work better when the passenger is upright, something which is (again) important during takeoff and landing.
They take these regulations pretty seriously. So if that’s so fricking important, then how can they let a plane leave the ground with a seat that violates these oh-so-sacred safety regulations? I mean, heck, I wouldn’t care personally as long as it wasn’t my seat (or my safety zone) but it seems bizarrely inconsistent.
Cranky, I think what was meant was that the seats had the gear stripped so that it was completely up, or completely down. It happens, the driver’s seat in my old car was like that.
–Tim
I think I see part of the problem here. Why engage in a silent battle? the guy’s two feet from you. Presumably the guy has ears. You could say “excuse me I don’t have enough room, could you not recline so much.” If he doesn’t, of course you’re totally justified in chopping him up in little pieces and flushing him down the pressurized toilet. But you should a least give him the chance. Do you really want to be comfortable or do you just want to resent him?
Yeah we could get into “he should have been thinking about the person behind him to begin with.” OK he should have. But if we start thinking like that, I guarantee civilization is doomed.
Stuyguy:
What the fuck does that mean?
(Get your head out of your ass)
I’m 5’2"
If the person in front of me reclines enough, the seat is nearly in my face.
The bean counters in the airline industry figured out that they could add one more row of seats to all of the planes and sell more tickets that way. Of course, this meant more crowding, less pleasant flights, shorter tempers… and more complaints. The airlines are getting punished for their decisions.
AA is now retro-fitting their planes to take out a row of seats and adding more leg room (but alas, not more width) I wonder how much this is costing them.
I also have been annoyed by seat recliners. I think it’s partly the fault of the airlines and/or seat manufacturers but also the general thoughtlessness of “recliners” not considering the unfortunate “reclinees” - perhaps they should only use max. recline when the seat behind is empty or ask if it’s OK [a nice person actually did ask me once].
I find a similar annoyance in theatres with a person in the seat behind me kneeing, poking or prodding my seat back. Again, probably due to theatres cramming seats too closely together.
With airlines at least one has the option of flying business class. Maybe what’s needed is a “business class” seating section in theatres…I know I would pay extra for it.
My friend Tim (everbody calls him Stork) is 6’-7" and had a tiny Asian woman bang his knees repeatedly on a recent Southwest 737 flight. She evidently didn’t understand his request to not lean the seat back.
I’ve recommended he get a translation card like the ones at the security check, saying “I am very tall” in seven different languages…