On Saturday, a passenger sitting in extra legroom coach (‘Economy Plus’) on the early morning United Arlines flight 1377 from Denver to Chicago repeatedly slammed his body and the seatback every few minutes for roughly two hours. The person behind him was reportedly 6’7”, and the the man behind appeared “completely unbothered.” The angry passenger apparently never just turned around and said what the problem was.
Clearly, though, they wanted more recline than the man’s height allowed, or were bothered by their knee contact with the back of their seat. So they kept un-reclining and re-reclining repeatedly. Hard. In a retaliatory manner.
A flight attendant asked the 6’7” passenger if he was okay. He said yes. And no further action was taken.
Man threw a tantrum on our 6am flight
by
u/there_was_a_mollusk in
unitedairlines
This behavior is completely unacceptable. It’s childish, disruptive, and something the flight attendant should have stopped.
“Like, what the hell am I supposed to do, become shorter?”
“Have you not seen Gattaca?”“Should have asked the FA if they had any of the plastic pilot wings to give him, since he’s clearly acting like a child.”
“Maybe a coloring book could’ve calmed him down.”
“He’d eat the crayons.”“Every airliner needs a brig for douchebags like this.”
“A brig would be a reward since it would probably be more comfortable than sitting in economy on a full flight.”
There are a couple of takes here, though, that I don’t quite agree with.
- Reclining is rude, and there’s an unwritten rule against it. Reclining is anti-social because it creates discomfort for someone behind you for very little gain – “only recline if sleeping,” “never recline on daytime flights,” “people who recline are like people who don’t return shopping carts.” The seat reclines and that’s at the discretion of the passenger in the seat, although it’s polite to do it slowly and only when needed (and it can be needed to distribute weight especially on longer flights.
- Neither passenger is the problem, the airline is. Blame the legroom, though this is already economy plus. Truthfully, first class isn’t much more spacious. In that circumstance I’m more a fan of seats with articulating recline (‘cradle’).
The flight attendant response was too passive. Asking the tall passenger “are you okay?” is not the same as managing the cabin. Visible, repeated, shaking of rows should mean the flight attendant tells the passenger to stop, documents it, and warns that continued behavior can have consequences. Disruptive or violent behavior can lead to fines, law enforcement referral and an airline ban.
@George Romey — Before you (or others) go there… You know why this couldn’t happen even on Spirit… no recline. Bah!
I agree with both of the takes with which you disagree. Reclining is a way to steal space from the person behind you. At the very least, it would be more polite to say to the person behind, “I am about to recline my seat, could you please arrange yourself and all carry-on items appropriately?”
If pitch were a minimum of 34″ in all seats, I doubt there would be so many recline fights. Needless to say, the passenger described as un-reclining and re-reclining his seat was being a real jerk. I would hope the airline would have the courage to ban him over such antisocial behaviour.
@Raphael Solomon — So, a mix of corporate greed (reduced legroom to increase profits, etc.) and individual misbehavior (a-holes gonna a-hole).
@Raphael Solomon – 1) this is economy plus so your suggestion of minimum 34 inch pitch did not solve the issue 2) I identify the politeness of how to handle so this is not a disagreement actually!
Some of United’s economy plus seats are pitched at 33”.
I love how everyone blames the airline and in the same breath want cheaper airfares. You do know they can’t just add an extra 5 feet to the tube of the aircraft, right? So they install a number of seats to make a flight profitable. I mean they could just have one seat for your highness but that makes the airfare $50,000. So if you want cheaper fares, suck it up!
A rewrite: A hostile man was seated on the airplane and repeatedly tried to engage the man behind him over two hours by slamming his seat back. The man behind him ignored him.
“because it creates discomfort for someone behind you for very little gain”
I am not a medical professional, but everything I have read suggests that it is better for your back to recline. I don’t blame the airlines for narrow pitch. I blame the pax. On nearly every plane, and certainly almost always on longer flights where recline is important, there exists a Y+ section which is priced historically (adjusted for inflation) less than “golden era” coach. So, you can buy a fair-priced Y+ seat, or slum it and get 28″ of pitch. If nobody bought those (or, at least Y+ sold out while Y remained near empty), guess what the airlines would do? Yep, huge Y+ sections or not Y at all. But, no, price-driven flyers buy Y and BE and shun Y+. AA is the perfect example, being forced to eliminate a higher pitch throughout Y, because nobody would pay them for it.
I have a new simple stance, if you buy Y or BE when Y+ is available, I will ignore any space-related complaint you have. I probably will laughters at you, just like I’d laugh at a Greyhound pax who complains there trip took 12 hours, when those on an airplane did it under 90 minutes.
Flights for the delinquent should be suspended for 180 days on all usa carriers.
I have a simple solution for a couple.
I sit behind my wife as she is 10 inches shorter than me.
I don’t recline my seat because I was not parented in the wild.
Feeling the knee in your seat back even if not reclining, is not enjoyable either. 6 ft 7″ guy should get himself a business class seat.
So, Gary, it’s not greed; it’s just dick-ish-ness? Ahh… got’em!
@Drew Simmons — Corporate cuck, says what?
@This comes to mind — “I will ignore…” your overthinking of this topic.
Rage finger-punching the IFE would have been the optimal solution here for the tall guy. After all, he would have “just been using” his screen. And he’s allowed to use his screen, right?
Everyone keeps blaming the pax in front. Maybe the tall guy continually pushed his knees into the guys seatback. If so, that is the really annoying behavior.
If the seat reclines, the reclining space is mine to use or not. I am 6′ 2″ and 205. If the person in front of me reclines, then I put up with it because I was not raised as a spoiled child.
Repeatedly slamming your seat into the person behind you is not just rude, it’s flat out assault. The 6’7” guy should not have let it slide.
Airlines will solve the problem of seat-recline disputes by installing non-reclining seats. Because we can’t have nice things anymore.
Fat people and super-tall people should purchase the seats they need. The seats are leaned forward in a crash-landing position for takeoff and landing. This position is highly uncomfortable and compresses the diaphragm, making it difficult to breathe. Except for takeoff and landing, seats should be reclined.
I’m with @jns. Showing off that you’re a petulant man-baby who’s incapable of controlling yourself by repeatedly slamming into the person behind you is pathetic. Props to the tall grownup.
I’m 6’4”. Where feasible I get seats with more room. If I don’t have any room and the person in front of me reclines they get my knees in their back and I get sore knees. There’s no malice, just an inability to make my legs shorter.
Setback/recliner adjustment latch was probably broken.
Big props to the 6’7″ guy for just taking it for 2.5 hours. Last time that happened to me, I lasted about 20 minutes before informing the woman on front of me her seat wasn’t going to recline unless she could shatter my femurs.
Reclining… let’s set the record straight do’s and don’t.
… do not recline for take off or landing
… do not recline during meal service
… do not recline quickly, so as to spill a persons drink behind
… do not be a passive aggressive prick like this passenger was reclining
… do recline and feel free to, it is definitely not rude
… do recline if the other end (W) or (A) does, gives more space to (M) but ends not obligated
…do recline in the middle seat if you choose
…do definitely recline if the ends do not, as you are stuck in the middle
…do recline, and recline like a human, a friendly “i am coming back so be ready”
…do be understanding as reclining can be impossible, or result in kid irritation hassles
…do feel free to ask if there are other seats as i would like to recline and rest
…do know due to (W) (A), sometimes the recline wont make a lick of difference
…do choose your recline battles, (does it make a difference on a 45 minute flight?)
…do feel free to make your flight better by upgrading for more space recline-ability
…do feel free to make the best of the recline space equation and have an adult beverage
Most of all take the those effing and ear buds out, and get off the phone when boarding for a moment and communicate subtlety with a smile or greeting to your neighbors temporarily in when getting settled in, or in flight.
Southwest eliminated this rude behavior behavior by restricting reclining to 2 inches.
I’m 6’5″ tall, and I feel this article. If possible, I pay the extra for exit rows, but when they aren’t available, my knees are jammed so hard into the seatback in front of me, my legs are numb by the end of the flight. May god have mercy on the person that tries to recline in front of me in a regular seat.
@KlimaBXsst — Thems the rules!
Seats at a lot of airlines will slide forward to recline and thus not impeding upon anyone’s space. I enjoyed this feature on American Airlines, however i am pretty sure this is not fleet universal.
Very sad and disturbing behavior. That tall guy was amazing not losing it. The FAs usually so useless and do not care, at least on the US carriers. I was on a United flight from Newark to SFO in FC and the FAs in that cabin served in seemingly minutes, then played in their galley. I had someone bothering me and I told them. They did not car whatsoever. I now will ignore then, as they ignore us. When I fly a foreign carrier, the FAs are far more professional and they would say something to the man banging this guy’s legs.
Just eliminate the recline. The whiner in front probably would find something else to bitch about but he wouldn’t have worn out the recline mechanism. Whiners will be whiners wheather its about airplane seats, other people around them or corporate greed. Their parents should have trained them better how to act in public.
Some people simply have no class. And probably can’t be trusted. I’m sure his employer, clients and family would be proud of him if they saw this. And maybe they will.
Reclining is not rude. Some of us have spine issues and even a 2 inch recline hepls relieve some pressure on the lower back. On longer flights, I will recline asap, but as soon as meal service starts I go back to upright til the trays are collected. Someone who is 6’7″ should understand that a premium econ seat is not going to be that comfortable, but that being said, this behavior is unacceptable and the FAs were incompetent dealing with it.
No. The problem is the airlines, All of them. Cramming us together like sardines so the upper management can get their bonuses at our comfort expense. Greyhound and Amtrak offer better seats and comfort. Airlines suck.
Putting aside the repeated slamming, which is another issue, I don’t think there should be an assumption that reclining is automatically rude. Especially in premium economy. Some people (especially older ones) really do find it much more comfortable to recline, just as taller people may find it more comfortable if people don’t. I don’t see tall people (who already enjoy many subtle social benefits) deserving any special treatment over others. Many people who can’t take upright seating pay extra to avoid airlines like Spirit or upgrade specifically to premium or business class to be able to take pressure off their backs. There’s no reason why tall people can’t pay more money to get the comfort they want and avoid inconveniencing other people.
@Xandersun WTF tall people get social benefits? I’m tall and I certainly don’t recall any benefits. Except that if I’m standing behind you I can see over your idiotic head.
I am not going to defend this guy – BUT I do recline – I have back issues and I am not apologizing for it – I will straighten up for meals
I fly business when I can but not always – there is no such thing as you can’t recline –
I feel bad for the 6’7” guy and he should not have to buy business fur being tall more than I got a bad back –
I totally blame the airlines. If you want a decent seat you have to pay the obscene amount necessary for a business class seat. It’s basically extortion.
I was on this flight and had no idea! We also were stuck on the plane for so long our hour+ layover became rushing to the next gate and getting in line to board, I’m sure that didn’t help the angry passenger’s mood. I’m 5’4” even my knees were sometimes touching the seat back.
@LS – Would be good enough to enlighten us how someone with substantial spine issues would think that slamming their spine into someone else’s knees is helpful to either party?
there’s a risk of damaging the seat , warn the clown, then hand him a repair bill of $2000.00
I don’t begrudge people reclining, it’s the slamming back vs a gradual recline. I have almost had my laptop and iPad broken on several occasions by the violent recline.
How about a different perspective? 6’7” dude is a hemorhhoid, not a saint. Just move your knees and let the guy in front get what he paid for, dude!
@Peter — There isn’t enough Preparation H in the world… bah!
The notion that the tall man should just “get a business class seat” is ignoring the question of why he’s flying coach. Were there business class seats available when he booked? Is he flying coach for work and not allowed to book business class? The article mentioned comfort plus but were business class seats even an option on this short flight from Denver to Chicago?
I’m 6’6 and I’ve sat in those seats. In Economy Plus, you should have enough room. If this guy is all leg at 6’7, that’s rough.
I can say, that there is no way I would have let the repeated hard reclines repeat. After a couple of times, there would have been some action on my part. Kudos the the guy for keeping cool. There’s a happy medium. You can find it together, so there’s not a “winner” and a “loser”.
The 6’7″ passenger was in an Economy Plus seat, which has more pitch. It is possible that the reclining seat in front of him did not hit his knees enough to drive them into the recliner’s back (you can see some motion on his knees but maybe not enough).
If reclining is not allowable in our society then it should be disabled. You should be able to recline. Having said that, if the person behind you based on their size prohibits that, the right set of actions is not to jam the seat on their knees- Perhaps asked to be moved if you have condition that requires you to inclined and the person behind you is too tall for it?
Not surprising given the “type” of passengers that fly United. @1990, you know the “type” i am referring to- this proves you-knighted is the new Spirit because there was a person that did something rude which in the past never happened on non-spirit airlines.
You pay for a seat that reclines. You get to use the feature to its fullest extent. I do not use airlines that restrict reclining.
If you’re too tall to fit in a seat space within its full range of motion, upgrade or drive.
The guy in the front is a he in the first para as is the passenger behind him; then each of them becomes a they in the second. Maybe Mr. Leff can explain. Thank you.
6’6″ here. I fly first. If I can’t book it or don’t have enough cash, I don’t fly. First is no guarantee that this can’t happen in first. According to the video, the man beating his seat back against the tall guy was committing assault and should have been arrested upon landing. I agree with some here who maintain that the airline is at fault. I love trains!
Premium airlines such as United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta just need to raise their rates by 25% and configure their aircraft for 25% fewer seats. It works out to more of a win than you might think because the cost of fuel and food is lower as well. Save the cattle car BS for Spirit or Southwest. Price the trash out of the market.
@Greenland Freedom — LOL.
Some of the ‘rudest’ people I know seem to ‘have it all.’ They fly first/business class. They treat their families, workers, those serving them, and random people… horribly. But, they rarely face consequences directly because they are seemingly ‘protected’ by their wealth. If only karma was real.
*deep sigh*
This soft generation that thinks reclining is rude needs to get over it. HTFU.
“Premium airlines such as United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta just need to raise their rates by 25% and configure their aircraft for 25% fewer seats.” The problem is, and apparently it needs to be repeated again, it’s the flying public not airlines that cause reduced pitch. AA tried to have all planes haves a generous coach pitch. The problem, pax wouldn’t pay them the little extra for it. I offer 31″ pitch at $500, you offer 28″ pitch for $490, and pax take you, not me to get yhe “bargain.” US airlines don’t make money by flying. Reduced pitch isn’t some conspiracy to make more money. They’re just struggling to lose as little as posdible from flying. You can have a plane with 100 seats of coach that go for $300 a r/t. Pull out 25 seats, you’ll need to get $400 a r/t [note you removed 25% of the seats and need to raise the price by 33 1/3%]. It sounds great to me, but guess what? Your competition with 100 seats in the same space with find it easier to sell most or all of them at $300, while you struggle to sell your seats.
This stuff gets so old. Yes, recline your seat after takeoff. A Couple of Inches! Not all the way back! You didn’t pay for the area of space behind you, the person sitting in that space did.
If you think you deserve more room, buy a business class seat. Better yet, charter a private jet. Otherwise be polite. Yes, if it’s a redeye, it’s more likely that everyone will recline and if that’s the case, then ok.
That’s when I get the fake service dog to take a big steamy one right under their seat.
Luckily I learned to sleep anywhere, thanks Army, even in a fully upright position. Though the behavior here is immature on both sides. Another example of smart phone’s ability to carry out human conversation.
If too fat people are encouraged to buy an extra seat next to him, a too tall person should be encouraged to purchase a ticket ahead of his seat.
The elephant in the room is the profiteering airlines who wanted more sardines to pack in the Economy class. Some sardines suffer for being too long or too plump.
The airlines want you to pay four times more to sit 50 feet nearer the front of the plane, and will cause you any discomfort to make your trip in cattle car coach unpleasant. Up to seven inches less legroom than in the Golden Years of flight, but in real dollars the coach ticket cost has shrunk — although those are not real costs. Checked baggage fees, extra cost seats, wimpy meals to replace three crackers, all add to what we pay.
But yeah, the reclining seat in most coach rows is a figment of our past.
It seems that every flight intake the person infront of me always reclines, even when food is served. I believe the seats should only recline a couple of inches. Sometimes I barely have 6 inches from my face to the seat infront of me.