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....

[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