A Delta Air Lines passenger reclined her seat, and the woman behind her – she says – began pushing her seat back throughout the rest of the flight. In response, she didn’t ask for help from a flight attendant. Instead she… began yelling at the woman behind her. And another passenger caught it on video.
The passengers behind the woman denied pushing her seat and that just drove the her to the brink, publicly defending her right to recline. It was the end of the flight though, so the battle went on silently until she just couldn’t take it anymore.
Seat recline is important for passengers on long flights with poorly-padded seats. Recline works to distribute passenger weight and reduce back stress. This passenger looks fairly slight. But reclining is also a basic right when it’s a feature of your seat (certain airlines like Spirit and Frontier feature seats they call “pre-reclined” i.e. that do not recline).
- A passenger controls their own seat
- Airlines ban the Knee Defender device, which prevents recline – a device was designed to stop reclining. While their interest is prevent damage to the seat, they do not allow the passenger seated behind to interfere with the recline function
There is an etiquette to exercising your right to recline, though. Don’t recline during mealtime. Try not to recline unless it serves a real purpose (if it doesn’t actually benefit your comfort, don’t recline).
If you don’t want the passenger in front of you to recline, politely ask them not to. And if they want to recline and you don’t want them to, consider whether it’s worth your while to make not reclining worth their while.
(HT: Live and Let’s Fly)
I don’t understand what’s the fuss about with reclining seats. If you are using your laptop on the tray then I understand but otherwise I’m my experience it doesn’t really take away knee room only room in front of your face which im not affected by. I’ve never reclined my seat because I can get comfortable without it but I’ve never complained about someone reclining their seat either.
I am 6 foot 4 so at the start of the flight on a good airline there is maybe a hair breadth between me and the seat in front when a hole in front reclines their entire weight is on my knees and uncomfortable becomes agony. I have had flights where i have tried to accommodate only to have the a hole complain that my feet are stivkng out under their seat. If you see someone behind you who can barely fit in their seat you have to be a complete jerk to put your weight on their knees
I will always recline if the seat allows it. If you don’t like it go cry. Flight attendant will always take my side snowflake ❄️ .
If they insist on reclining (as is the feature provided with their seat) during the day, especially on a domestic flight, I simply turn on the reading light and open the air vent all the way and point it at their head. The one time a person turned with a questioning look I explained that I’m trying to direct the cooling air at my knees. They remained reclined but I felt a little (perhaps childishly) better.
I flew Lufthansa to Europe last month, the plane going didn’t have reclining seats. Awesome, I could move. Plane coming back, even though I paid extra for legroom the lady in front of me never sat her seat up except when the steward made her for meals. Her seat was so far back my tray wasn’t flat enough for drinks. She left her seat reclined when she went to the restroom. It was so far back I could not get to the restroom. I had to get the steward and her husband to tell her to move to go to the loo. Evil witch. They can get rid of all reclining seats so that doesn’t happen.
I am a current flight attendant. You all need to chill about the reclining seat “issue”.. This is royal bullcrap. If you are big and tall ….buy a bigger seat and stop complaining about the front passenger reclining the seat. The seat reclines…..therefore you the passenger can recline.
And to all of you big and tall people ….you don’t like the current situation….buy a bigger seat…..complaint to your congressman….or much better ….complain with the fucking airline
The last time I was on a plane I just stuck a pencil in the track of the seat in front of me which prevented the seat from reclining. Problem solved.
You have the right to use the controls available to you. Your light, air vent, A/V controls and seat position are yours, and only yours, to control unless a flight attendant says otherwise.
There are lots of bullies out there who claim their rights “trump” yours. If you stand your ground, their selfish stupidity will result in being removed from the conveyance in short order.
Never confront another passenger. Let the airline’s professionals handle the douchebag.
This is why I don’t fly coach. Frickin plebs like Don, Matt & David A Church act like animals back there.
It’s always the shortest person who seems to want to recline the most. As a person who is over 6 ft tall I always recline my seat very little and a turn behind to see if they have an issue with it. A little bit of consideration goes a long way. Then I see short people reclining the seat all the way and they never even use the recline since they’re sitting forward. This woman appears to be pretty small as well There was no reason for her to recline fully. All those people saying it’s your right to recline are part of the problem. It may be your right but you are a member of society.
I remember one time on a night flight back from Canada to Amsterdam I (195cm(6’4″) with a lot of that length in my legs) had ended up in the middle seat of the middle seats and I just barely fit, then the lady in front of me goes to recline and immediately hits my knees so I push her back and ask kindly to not do that because it goes into my knees and hurts a lot yet she does it again several times so no asking kindly doesn’t necessarily work nor does anyone have the right to recline if it doesn’t hurt anyone sure but if people just sitting there can push you back with their knees maybe realize that you’re hurting them. (Also no we couldn’t get a more legroom seat for that flight, as we checked in too late and once on the plane no one would change seats)
I only flew once. I asked the person reclining in front of me if he would move his seat up an inch and he did. I don’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t moved his seat up. I was very surprised the airline expected us to travel like that. How cheap they were.
I’m reclining. If you don’t like it, go Greyhound.
OMG!! It sounds like a bunch of 3rd graders. “If someone reclines in gonna put my knees in their backs” translation is: ” If someone reclines, I’m gonna be a petty, immature, entitled B****. The world is all about me” Get over it ppl. If you can’t act like an adult and are gonna whine, Don’t Fly!! Drive, walk, run, bike, boat, canoe, buy your OWN PLANE!! A person wants to recline, they can recline. If recline people are your biggest problem, get a hobby! If I recline and some immature loser keeps their knees in my back, I’m going to jail when the plane lands and the person behind me with the broken knee caps will be hospital bound.
Why do you and other bloggers keep writing that there is etiquette to seat reclining? You’re fueling the fire for these type incidents. I am a flight attendant and I’m here to tell you there is NO SUCH THING! Stop making this shit up. You’re stirring up the masses. The only rule is that seatbacks must be in the full upright position for taxi, takeoff, and landing. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. There is no etiquette about the meal service and stop trying to suggest that something exists that doesn’t. You’re building false expectations through misinformation.
I never recline- the three inches is not worth the hassle for those behind me- it’s not luxurious either way- come on.
I flew 1st class recently and it sure was delightful- away from unhappy passengers and endless carryons !
There needs to be a reclining section and a non-reclining section just like the smoking days and for the same reason. If you want to be a jerk (defined as the other person on the recline or no-recline argument…) sit in your section.
If I want to recline, I purposefully book a seat infront of the bulkhead. When I’m doing the 5am flights, I’d rather be in row 3 or 30, wherever the bulkhead is. Then I can recline and be good.
They make seat designs that recline by moving the seat forwards. Your seat back doesn’t move. That’s the real answer.
I refuse to fly and get crammed in like that.
Delta seats recline all of about 2-3 inches. If you can’t handle that, perhaps you shouldn’t be flying at all.
I’m tall for a woman. I’ve had seat backs land on my knees too. I usually take an aisle seat, but if anyone complains about my knees in their back, then perhaps they should sit up straight. I can’t remove my legs for their comfort. Btw, this is the fault of the airlines. Don’t let them pass the buck.
Blame the airlines for being ruthlessly greedy and cramming as many seats in a plane as possible, instead of taking one row out to give everyone leg room. We have the technology. It’s not rocket science. Flight crews have a stressful enough job without dealing with ill-mannered people would rather fight with a complete stranger than being considerate to a fellow human being. I sympathize with anyone that has to suffer through a flight with someone in there lap. On a positive note once you’re off the flight from Hell, you hopefully never have to see the self-absorbed individual again. Full respect for flight staff and what/who they have to deal with.
Just recently, I delicately cut my salad up on my lap so I wouldn’t shake the person in front of me while cutting on the tray. As soon as I start eating, the woman slams the recline back so fast my salad and drink went all over my lap. They really should remove the recline feature.
It’s an easy fix… Airlines should take away the reclining feature in all seats that do not have extended leg room.
If you’re unable to sit in a 90° position for an under 6-Hour domestic flight, then you should consider alternative travel means. Seriously, how much additional comfort do you get by a 5% recline? Airline seats in coach are suck in carnate, taking away the recline option solves tons of problems.
So, what have we learned from the comments?
We have the absolute right to recline our seats but should never do so.
I think we can close this case now.
Purchase first class or a bigger seat if you take issue with people reclining. You don’t have a right to complain about a seat functioning the way it should.
In my opinion, reclining your seat is rude, plain and simple. It depends on how you were raised. Are you considerate of others or are you an entitled jerk?
This is nothing new, I was PSA at LGA .mid 90sca flight from PBI came in with a report of a fight on board. PA police and I entered the plane once at the gat , it was 2 ,80plus men fighting over recline .
It’s stupid and until someone starts putting cuffs on the I’ll doers it will keep going on.
Any selfish prig tries to lean back into me finds the seat doesn’t work like it should. Funny that…
You want more room, buy first class.
Always consider if you were the person behind a reclining seat!
The planes doesn’t have a lot of space so be considerate of others!
And you bullies who voice unkind remarks about others.You are not Perfect!
Yes, obviously the person in front of you has the right to recline. And you shouldn’t complain about it, because you can’t control other people’s actions, so entering with that expectation is unabashedly wrong.
It’s also true that 95% of recliners are assholes who tend to be insufferable in day to day life, so there’s that. Seriously, I’ve flown a ton with friends and the ones who recline are unabashedly worse human beings.
*shrugs*
The airlines just cram more and more seats into the airplanes, so there’s less than less room for people. It’s ridiculous!! There isn’t enough room to fully recline. Your seat is in the person’s face behind you. The only thing to do is to compromise — do a partial recline. Why make seats that can go so far back if there’s no reasonable room?
Airlines have utilized all the space they can in an effort to put as many folks as they can squeeze onto a flight, anyone who reclines is gonna be in the person behinds lap…it’s unavoidable, and the airlines know this, but want to rely on passenger good will! Well that’s a bunch of BS and we all knowt, that’s why I’d rather drive anywhere than get on a plane…the sardines are truly on top of each other!
Completely inconsiderate if the person behind you is 6’2 or taller. I’m 6’4 and my knees touch the seat in front of me before they recline. At recline, it starts pushing into my knees. So what you are all telling me is I have to deal with actual pain so you can lean back. Jerks
Treat people the way you would like to be treated. The girl in the video could have asked the people behind her if they were uncomfortable after her seat got bumped the first time. She didn’t. The person behind could have asked her to move up. They didn’t. Something tells me the spoiled looking girl reclining would have refused anyway, had she been asked to do so. They are both wrong. And no, there are no rules about this reclining thing. It’s sad however that people think it’s OK to treat each other with such disrespect . Grow up folks. We all live on this rock. It doesn’t belong to any of us. Get along. You can be the better person by not engaging in or allowing people to drag you into their small minds.
Did no one notice that the lady behind was much older? If she’s anything like my mother, she uses the seat in front of her like a life preserver, using it to haul herself up and out of the seat, not having the strength to push herself up using just the armrests.
Also, a lot of folks don’t realize that if you put pressure on the back of the seat, like resting your foot on it, the person in the seat feels like you’ve got your foot in their back.
And both of these situations could be easily remedied if the young lady had just mentioned her concerns earlier. People have got to learn to speak up for themselves and not wait until they’re so angry they could blow a house down.
I have scoliosis and experience back pain if I don’t recline my seat. I’m not rude. I have a medical condition that people can’t see. I don’t know why we have to judge people without knowing their circumstances. I also get migraines, but you can’t tell by looking at me. I need to recline my seat. However, I am fortunate enough to be able to afford, a first class seat, which has made it much less painful for me to fly.
Tired of this issue.
Let’s talk about those who inconsiderately use the back of my seat to get to their seat or stand up.
I KNOW they are tight but you grab my seat back and jerk me backwards. I’ve had more than one drink spilled this way.
Keep your hands OFF my seat back.
Or I might have to arrest you for inappropriate touching.
Really? I wish my only problem in life was if an airline seat, reclined or not. Man has the world changed.
Just to add to these comments. Not all flights have first class accommodations so one can not solve this problem with the back recline. Also the cost of a seat today is quite often expensive so all should have the trip without pain. Airlines need to accommodate ALL so this issue needs to be solved by them.
All these types of articles need to have a disclaimer, these are all unique to America and as soon as th article says “etiquette” you have a problem. AMERICANS ( i am one as well) are smig, selfish, unaware and entitled, after all they have “rights” and “freedom”….not in my back yard and don’t make me wear a mask and church on Sunday sin on Monday.
I flew 250k a year and anytime I could book on non US airline these problems and noise, and general rude selfish behavior prio to, during, and after the flight are gone, go to baggage claim, why do Americans stand at the edge with no bag to pull….selfish.
My husband is 6’8”. Would literally dare someone to try to recline in front of him.
I never recline and I’m a bigger person. I don’t have a problem with reclining as long as they’re not reclining so far back that it’s impeding my space.
To the weirdo complaining that he is 6’4″ so he doesn’t have space. I’m 6’2″ with longer limbs, so my knees press against normal seats. I spend the extra 35-75 dollars to get the extra legroom. No complaining. Some people make themselves suffer just so they have something to complain about.
You chose to fly on a plane that has seats that recline. You can’t possibly have any defensible reason to complain when someone in front of you chooses to use that feature.
People saying that people who want more space to lean back should buy first class. You don’t find that a little ironic? Not even a little?
I see this from both sides. On the one hand, I’m a larger woman with long legs. So if someone reclines their seat all the way, their weight will be on my knees. But on the other hand, I always recline a small amount as soon as I can because it feels better on my back.
Basically just be respectful of the people both in front of you and behind you. We’re all in the flight together. Be nice.
Let’s address the elephant in the room, shall we?! It is the greed of any given airline that scrunch people up and cause already inconsiderate stressed out people to act up. People are stuffed into a tube on long flights with added seats, leaving no room whatsoever like in years past, and guess who benefits from that uncomfortable ride, it is the owners, stock buyers, and CEOs, while passengers fight among themselves for the right to have comfort in tight spaces. That being said, we should all treat each other just as we’d want to be treated. How wonderful it would be, if everyone could protest with a boycott, but alas! the executives already know this won’t, and cannot happen. They have travelers by the cojones people.
I will recline at my pleasure. Want to try and stop me? I’ll purposely feed my lactose intolerant stomach some dairy and bust a$$ in your face on the way to the bathroom. I can be a jerk too. God I hope Wayne Shannahan is behind me on my next flight…
Why is it that everyone can’t see the real culprit is the greedy airlines. You’re sooo mad…at the wrong people. You focus on the symptoms instead of the real problem, greedy airlines.
I’m sorry for those tall or “heavy” who don’t like seats reclined but I have back and neck issues which are exacerbated by upright non reclined seats. So if you are behind me I’m sorry but expect the recline