Airline etiquette?

[dvcjane]

I know this is a touchy subject but last year we had some really obnoxious people in front and behind us :(

the ones in front reclined their seat for the whole journey which is fine theyre allowed to I guess since theyve paid but then when we reclined just a little bit the woman behind went mad with us. Finally it took two attendants to calm her down at least a little but she was still kicking off the whole journey and I was quite scared

The thing is, because the people in front had reclined we had no choice we couldnt eat, drink or even see the screen without reclining ourselves. We didnt even recline the whole way :(

The attendant said to the woman behind if theyd asked would it have been ok and she said no way should anyone put their seat in my face

Im quite worried about the next trip so what do you all do?

[Johnie]

Ugh this can be such a touchy subject for many people. IMO, I don't think anyone should recline their seat. Really, there is just not enough room to do that. If you must recline your seat, it would be nice to give the people behind you a bit of warning. Alysia got her head smashed by a seat that just came whipping back. I've had a drink spill on me when someone reclined.

Edited to add that I have only flown domestically. I couldn't imagine what people do on an international flight. I would hope there is more room between seats.......

[Britchick]

mmmm i am a polite recliner, put it back a smidge when just sitting watching tv- always up when it's time to eat but for afternoon nap/night flight i do recline but i look behind me first. If everyone stuck to those rules imo there wouldn't be a problem

[Ursula]

On short haul I believe you shouldn't. It won't kill you to not recline, but for long haul it is no fun sitting upright through the night for 10 hours :( Sooooooooo I do recline late into the flight but not all the way, I also look behind me to see if there is room for me to do it so it doesn't leave the person too uncomfortable, as if they are larger build I don't recline as much as I would if it was a small child but even then I wouldn't recline the whole way. I don't know how else to get around this.

[Ursula]

mmmm i am a polite recliner, put it back a smidge when just sitting watching tv- always up when it's time to eat but for afternoon nap/night flight i do recline but i look behind me first. If everyone stuck to those rules imo there wouldn't be a problem

Here here... if it's during the day I tell them that I am about to recline but that it won't be for too long so don't worry and if you need me to sit up so you can get out then by all means wake me up.

[princess-pink]

I really hate it if someone does it to me (especially 1 hour in to the flight), so I don't do it unless the lights have gone out and it's clearly sleeping time like the middle of the night on the homeward trip, but I do ask first.

Sometimes I can be naughty, when the person in front starts to recline, I push against them and then they think its broken and it won't go back, so they give up and stay up straight! ha ha

I'm too excited on the way out to relax anyway!

[ukwdwnut]

ive always reclined and mostly the whole way and the whole flight, had no problems ever but would never stay reclined even one click at meal times everybody should have their seat fully up, and the stewards/esses should tell everyone who hasnt to put them back up

sorry PP i totally think that stopping someone from reclining is not the way to go about things. EVERYBODY is entitled to recline if the seat gives you the option to, the seat is paid for and should and can be used for that purpose JMHO :)

also you have to take into account that some people cannot sit bolt upright all the time on a longhaul flight, i know i cant :)

[simonwebb74]

Being a taller person I am pretty crammed into airline seats as it is.

I, as a matter of course now, wedge my knees against the seat back in front for a while at the beginning of the flight untill the person in front gives up trying to recline.

In my opinion economy seats should have fixed backs, there isn't really enough room to move as it is let alone when the seat in front is reclined.

[mumof2]

it's ok if people are good mannered about doing so but we had people on our last flight both outwards and on the return journey that fully reclined - no warning given - all seats just appeared in our faces leaving us no room to settle down for the journey. the boys were struggling to get comfy in the little space they had left and DS then 5 was getting quite upset but the people in front just didn't care.

Even at meal times we had to ask them to put their seats up so we could eat and drink. That was wrong and the crew should have told them to like they used to in the old days!

Good manners go a long way and unfortunately some people just don't have them....:thumbsdown:

[ukwdwnut]

Being a taller person I am pretty crammed into airline seats as it is.

I, as a matter of course now, wedge my knees against the seat back in front for a while at the beginning of the flight untill the person in front gives up trying to recline.

In my opinion economy seats should have fixed backs, there isn't really enough room to move as it is let alone when the seat in front is reclined.

there is if everyone reclines lol

[simonwebb74]

The biggest problem is people who recline when they don't even need to.

I was on a flight to Mexico when the kids in front reclined there seats all the way back as soon as they could, then spent most of the flight sat upright in the chair playing with games consoles.

I dont necessarily agree with smacking children, but I was sorely tempted!!

[ukwdwnut]

The biggest problem is people who recline when they don't even need to.

I was on a flight to Mexico when the kids in front reclined there seats all the way back as soon as they could, then spent most of the flight sat upright in the chair playing with games consoles.

I dont necessarily agree with smacking children, but I was sorely tempted!!

simon whether they need to or not is imaterial imo they have the option so why not, and i think its more rude trying to stop them

[princess-pink]

Sorry ukwdwnut, should only be allowed at sleep/night time, when someone puts their seat in my face its too close to watch the tv screen, so then that forces me to recline into someone else which I am not happy to do & which is not fair on them, it's like a row of dominos, one sets the rest off.

Seems most people on here have my thoughts dvcjane, johnie, crayola, simonwebbe, mumof2.

Would be better if the seats were fixed then we would be all in the same boat (well plane!)

People are just so selfish and rude, I remember coming back from a skiing trip on a bus with a broken arm, my best friend and her husband sat in the front seat which was infront of me, she reclined her seat into my plastered up arm, when I asked her to sit up her reply was 'ooh I can't I need to stretch out, my legs are all cramped' and she had all that extra room infront of her!

[ukwdwnut]

some people cant sit bolt upright tho can they so they recline, as long as they arent rude about it but its worse when people try to stop them with a knee in the back etc surely thats not right!!!

this is a very touchy subject and can go on and on tooing and frowing it will always upset someone tho

[simonwebb74]

simon whether they need to or not is imaterial imo they have the option so why not, and i think its more rude trying to stop them

I agree that if you have the option you use it. That is why I personally would be quite happy if airlines had fixed back seats in economy.

[ukwdwnut]

I agree that if you have the option you use it. That is why I personally would be quite happy if airlines had fixed back seats in economy.

but what if people have back probs and need to recline??? 9hrs is a long time to sit bolt upright

[mumof2]

no offence intended towards you Mick, but it really annoys me when you hear people onboard saying 'I paid for my seat so I can do what I like with it' - we've all paid, so why should they be able to take up the little space we all have?


As I said, no offence to you Mick! :hug2:

[ukwdwnut]

im not taking an offense at all mum :D

but im not saying you can do what you want with it at all just if the option to recline is there then use it

ok when i reclined fully on all my trip ive not had a problem but if someone behind asked me politely to move it up a bit then sure thats not a problem....why shouldnt people be allowed to recline their seat if they are going to be more comfortable. another reason is disabled peolpe may neen to recline would you not allow them to and be nasty to them as well like some are grabbing hair, kneeing in the back and the like just coz they dont like them reclining??

[princess-pink]

no offence intended towards you Mick, but it really annoys me when you hear people onboard saying 'I paid for my seat so I can do what I like with it' - we've all paid, so why should they be able to take up the little space we all have?


As I said, no offence to you Mick! :hug2:

Yay! hear hear! mumof2

What's happened to common courtesy and care towards other people?

quote Mick "why shouldnt people be allowed to recline their seat if they are going to be more comfortable" - which then makes the person behind UNCOMFORTABLE!! DON'T YOU GET IT!! ME ME ME!

[ukwdwnut]

Yay! hear hear! mumof2

What's happened to common courtesy and care towards other people?

quote Mick "why shouldnt people be allowed to recline their seat if they are going to be more comfortable" - which then makes the person behind UNCOMFORTABLE!! DON'T YOU GET IT!! ME ME ME!

sorry PP there is not a need for attitudes on this site im not getting all het up by people who dont want others to recline so why are you?? people have an option to recline or not to recline thats what im saying and i take up that option if theres one there if i want to. who is anyone to say im not allowed to if the seat reclines??

[uscwest]

As airlines try to crowd more and more seats into, what to me are already, too crowded planes, this subject is going to be more and more touchy.

I have had the opportunity to do a LOT of flying in my life, starting when I was a child, because my dad worked for the airlines. Also as a result of that I got to do a lot of First Class flying, where there has always been lots of room.

I love window seats but have gotten to the point where if I'm not flying either first or business class, and I can't afford this very often, and I'm not flying with Donna I will ask for an aisle seat so I disrupt as few people as possible if I need to get up. No I don't like it when someone reclines in my face but there isn't much I can do about it. And yes the flight attendants should ask these people to bring their seats upright during meal and beverage service. If the seat in front of me is reclined and I have to get up I can't do that from a reclining position myself so I may have to disturb that person to get out of and back into my seat. As I've aged I'm not as flexible as I once was.

Yes, I do believe we need a lot more courtesy on flights, especially those of the short variety but unless the airlines quit trying to crowd more seats on the plane I fear this is something we will just have to live with. :surrender:

[tb2830]

i wouldnt dream of reclining my seat fully to make someone else's journey uncomfortable ive been bought up with manners and consideration to others.

[princess-pink]

sorry PP there is not a need for attitudes on this site im not getting all het up by people who dont want others to recline so why are you?? people have an option to recline or not to recline thats what im saying and i take up that option if theres one there if i want to. who is anyone to say im not allowed to if the seat reclines??

I don't have an attitude, just airing my views.

I am 'het up' (if you want to call it that) because I strongly dislike a seat in my face. Obviously you're not getting 'het up' because you clearly accept it.

I'm not saying anyone can't do it, but I personally find it uncomfortable & almost claustrophobic.

I also think it can done in a very rude and selfish way. That's just my opinion, and I realise we all are different, so I end my comments there with no offence directed to anyone, we are all entitled to our view.

:surrender: PS are we still friends?

[wdwgrandma]

I remember one flight where the person behind me put her feet up in that space between my seat and the one beside me. YUCK! Why on earth would anyone do something so rude?

And then there's the little kid that continually kicked the back of my seat the entire flight, and the parents get upset with me if I politely ask the child to stop.

And when the person in front of me reclines their seat so their head is practically in my lap, well, I tend to go to the restroom more than usual so I can press down on their seat back as I get up, or I give it a good "bump" as I attempt to get in and out of my seat. And when they look at me like I've inconvenienced them, why, what did little old innocent me do??? I am not normally a rude person, and I try to be as courteous as possible. But even my limits can be pushed...

[ukwdwnut]

I don't have an attitude, just airing my views.

I am 'het up' (if you want to call it that) because I strongly dislike a seat in my face. Obviously you're not getting 'het up' because you clearly accept it.

I'm not saying anyone can't do it, but I personally find it uncomfortable & almost claustrophobic.

I also think it can done in a very rude and selfish way. That's just my opinion, and I realise we all are different, so I end my comments there with no offence directed to anyone, we are all entitled to our view.

:surrender: PS are we still friends?

i did get the impression with the capialised me me me text that there maybe an attitude in the way it was said......thats ok then :lol: :hug2: i dont get het up because im not that type of person not just because i recline and agree with it :)

i should state that i dont fully recline unless at night just a few notches tho, maybe halfway

when someone fully reclines in front of me i just recline mine i really dont mind if someone does that its their perogative if they so wish but ive never encountered a full recliner the whole flight

oh i know it can be done in a rude way ive seen it happen and its so not called for you dont have to have an attitude or be rude when you recline

no offense taken PP really, was only getting my views across too :D

[Tink]

I fly very often for work. I've had a seat back come crashing down in my laptop (when open) and I immediately told the man that did it he needed to put his seat upright as he had hit my laptop, and I was trying to work. He did, and never said a word. That is the first time I've said anything to anyone about that subject. I do my best to fly in first class, but can't always purchase an upgrade, so it makes it tricky in coach class.

I don't recline as it hurt my back! LOL! The angle of the seat back when reclined is very uncomfortable for me.

On over seas flights it would be a whole other ball game. I don't recall reclining, and I was in the first row of seats directly behind the divider wall so didn't have to deal with anyone reclining into me...

I've had people recline back (when I was in the window seat) and it was a dreadful flight (cross country) as a result. Since then I've always taken the aisle seat which seems to help a bit. I've had people ask me to trade out the aisle for the window and I've declined. In coach it's just too crowded when someone reclines into the passenger in the window seat.

Courtesy for all is the key. Unfortunately, very little of that seems to be prevalent in the world today. :(

[Ursula]

Greedy airlines cramming people into their flying cans like sardines are to blame :(

[mumof2]

ive never encountered a full recliner the whole flight


we did Mike, Two different families of four, one on the way out, one on the way back. All of them.......for the whole flight. Apart from when *we* asked them to sit up at meal breaks. :nono:

[Ursula]

This is why I pay that bit more to upgrade... just a tad more room makes a huge difference. I have actually paid for an empty seat on this next flight, it was cheaper to do that than to upgrade, however the upgrades had gone, so I decided to purchase an extra seat so it is in front of me and no one can sit in it and recline on me.

[ukwdwnut]

we did Mike, Two different families of four, one on the way out, one on the way back. All of them.......for the whole flight. Apart from when *we* asked them to sit up at meal breaks. :nono:

i know its a hard one but they are entitled to if they want to i guess, BUT saying that its a different ball game i spose if your sitting behind so all you can do if they wont put the seat up a tad is recline yourself. i dont think apart from meal times you can force people to not recline, or recline fully

[Johnie]

Greedy airlines cramming people into their flying cans like sardines are to blame :(

Oh I completely agree.

I will sit in the exit row if at all possible just because there is so much leg room! Of course, I then spend the rest of the flight praying I won't need to actually do anything :tongue: Just joking....I am probably the best one for an emergency anyways.

I know this is a touchy subject. I do think there should be some sort of disability seating on airplanes. Some people need accomodations (like reclining the seat or more leg room). I had to sit in the very front row of our last flight so I could have a place to stretch out my right leg. I have a torn miniscus and having my leg in a bent position for a couple of hours would have probably left me unable to walk off the plane.

[uscwest]

I know this is a touchy subject. I do think there should be some sort of disability seating on airplanes. Some people need accomodations (like reclining the seat or more leg room). I had to sit in the very front row of our last flight so I could have a place to stretch out my right leg. I have a torn miniscus and having my leg in a bent position for a couple of hours would have probably left me unable to walk off the plane. I TOTALLY agree with this. When I was in Albuquerque in March 2008 and tore my knee up the plane ride back was very uncomfortable. I could not bend my knee and there was literally no place to put my leg.

[uscwest]

This is why I pay that bit more to upgrade... just a tad more room makes a huge difference. I have actually paid for an empty seat on this next flight, it was cheaper to do that than to upgrade, however the upgrades had gone, so I decided to purchase an extra seat so it is in front of me and no one can sit in it and recline on me.How did you guarantee that the empty seat is in front of you? Can't the airline decide which seat they will leave empty if the plane is full? Just curious.

[ukwdwnut]

is that wth VA CD...you know that any booked seat is not guaranteed to be your seat when you book in dont ya?

[Ursula]

It has been crossed referenced and the airline know about it and why I want it. It's to do with my op. So it's been guaranteed that I have it. (Thomas Cook)

[ukwdwnut]

It has been crossed referenced and the airline know about it and why I want it. It's to do with my op. So it's been guaranteed that I have it. (Thomas Cook)

oh ok thats cool then :D

so you cant stick it out the window then :lol:

[Mari]

I honestly NEED to recline...

I get nauseous on planes, and reclining and tilting myhead back seems to help..

Also, I have knee problems, and sitting in the same position for a long time just kills me, so reclining gives me the chance to flex my knee, pull it under me, etc...

However, having said that, I DO tilt the seat back up for meals, or if the person behind me needs to get out of their seat.

I honestly dont believe I could survive a 12hour flight (from Mexico City to London) or 13hr to Paris, without being able to recline.... but that doesnt mean that Im rude or that I dont consider other people's needs....

[Tink]

Yep. :yes: See? There are always multiple, differing perspectives that are just as valid as the next.

Really, it all boils down to being polite, doesn't it? :yes:

[Johnie]

And we could certainly use more politeness in this world that we all share.

[Britchick]

And we could certainly use more politeness in this world that we all share.

amen

[Dawn]

I have a curve in my spine. I cannot sit bolt upright for 9 hours. I have to tilt back a bit sometimes. :shrug:

[Shellyamc]

I'm always more worried about how small the seats themselves are getting :unsure:

I realize after 2 kids that I am getting a bit bigger, but not that big..and not that fast either!:thumbsdown:

[mumof2]

And we could certainly use more politeness in this world that we all share.


Yep. :yes: See? There are always multiple, differing perspectives that are just as valid as the next.

Really, it all boils down to being polite, doesn't it? :yes:

absolutely!

I wouldn't deny anybody the right to recline but please, just be polite about it and think of the people behind you that are affected by your actions :thumbsup:



(P.S. that's just a general remark, not aimed at anybody here!) :D

[mainecoon lover]

Sorry ukwdwnut, should only be allowed at sleep/night time, when someone puts their seat in my face its too close to watch the tv screen, so then that forces me to recline into someone else which I am not happy to do & which is not fair on them, it's like a row of dominos, one sets the rest off.

Seems most people on here have my thoughts dvcjane, johnie, crayola, simonwebbe, mumof2.

Would be better if the seats were fixed then we would be all in the same boat (well plane!)

People are just so selfish and rude, I remember coming back from a skiing trip on a bus with a broken arm, my best friend and her husband sat in the front seat which was infront of me, she reclined her seat into my plastered up arm, when I asked her to sit up her reply was 'ooh I can't I need to stretch out, my legs are all cramped' and she had all that extra room infront of her!


Can i just ask that you think sometimes. Some people for medical reasons may need to be in recline. We always have to recline dd once in the air as she has no sitting ability at all. Sadly days of economy and i think flying after this year are over for her. I always let the person behind know we have to recline her and if there are a number of us with always ask for a family member to sit there. Can i also say just because bulhead seating on some flight look like they have better leg room the actually do not. You do not get the chance is you are able to stretch your legs right out. Yes they are fine for me being 5ft 4inches but no good for someone over 6 ft. My uncle actually moved last time he flew with me.

[Mike]

There's no 'one-size-fits-all' answer to this, except that courtesey and consideration will generally smooth over most problems... I am well over 6' and can't manage the default-upright position for more than an hour or two. So I recline, and will try to accommodate the people behind me. When flying with a family group, usually 6 of us, we always try to book seats that lie behind each other, and ideally at the start or end of a run, so that I can recline in my shorter relatives' faces!

[jojo]

I was reading another forum once when this topic got really out of hand and nasty, its lovely to see that everyone here can talk about things like this without shouting at each other :hug2:

[Debbie2]

Can i just ask that you think sometimes. Some people for medical reasons may need to be in recline. We always have to recline dd once in the air as she has no sitting ability at all. Sadly days of economy and i think flying after this year are over for her. I always let the person behind know we have to recline her and if there are a number of us with always ask for a family member to sit there. Can i also say just because bulhead seating on some flight look like they have better leg room the actually do not. You do not get the chance is you are able to stretch your legs right out. Yes they are fine for me being 5ft 4inches but no good for someone over 6 ft. My uncle actually moved last time he flew with me.

I agree, Michelle.

I have to recline DS seat as following complex spinal surgery he cannot sit upright for 9 hours and sadly I can't afford to upgrade to PE/UCS every time. I totally object to the person behind thinking they have the right to repeatedly kick/push his seat...this has happened on more than one occasion.

I will recline mine at times during the flight just to change position but always sit upright at mealtimes.

This is always a hot topic of debate and we are all entitled to our point of view :)

[Johnie]

Sorry ukwdwnut, should only be allowed at sleep/night time, when someone puts their seat in my face its too close to watch the tv screen, so then that forces me to recline into someone else which I am not happy to do & which is not fair on them, it's like a row of dominos, one sets the rest off.

Seems most people on here have my thoughts dvcjane, johnie, crayola, simonwebbe, mumof2.

Would be better if the seats were fixed then we would be all in the same boat (well plane!)

People are just so selfish and rude, I remember coming back from a skiing trip on a bus with a broken arm, my best friend and her husband sat in the front seat which was infront of me, she reclined her seat into my plastered up arm, when I asked her to sit up her reply was 'ooh I can't I need to stretch out, my legs are all cramped' and she had all that extra room infront of her!


If you are going to mention me as agreeing with you then please get it right. I said I thought people shouldn't put the seat back on domestic flights (since that is the only way I have travelled). The flights I take are less than 2 hours at a pop. I have NOT flown internationally and I can't imagine being cramped up in the little space and not reclining. I would actually be walking the aisles cause I cannot sit still that long period.

I also said that there are plenty of people with disabilities and other medical reasons who may need to recline so the airlines really should have some sort of disability seating to accomodate people.

I can certainly see all points of view on this subject. I however think politeness and courtesy for one's neighbor are all together lacking in this society. I wouldn't mind someone reclining so much if they gave me a heads up that they were going to do it. I don't like being beaten in the head (which happened to my DD) because someone just flipped back withotu even looking. It's the general rudeness of people today that bothers me more than anything. I happened to upgrade my seat on one flight only to have the kid behind repeatedly kick the back of my seat :nono: I turned around and said to the child, "please stop kicking my seat". His dad tells me that he is 11. EXACTLY!! Certainly old enough to know better.