Are You A Recliner??

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We fly Jetblue pretty much exclusively, and always upgrade to the Even More Space seats. With that extra legroom, we're generally comfortable enough that we don't need to recline.

 

[MindyDean]

No, not even on late night long flights. I do think about the poor soul behind me. We have been lucky to get some free miles which we use to splurge on first class seating. Such a nice change, but I always select the back row and only then will I recline. No one to bother.

 

[soniam]

I don't recline and while I'd prefer the person in front of me didn't either, it's not a big deal if they do. I'd rather be behind a recliner than in front of one of those people who use the seat in front of them as a grab bar when they're getting up. THAT drives me nuts!

so true. i have had people hit me in the head, pull my hair, and make my head jerk because they want to pull on the back of the seat to get up.

If the seat in front of me is reclined, especially all of the way, I often times have to use the seat in front of me to pull myself up, because I am short and my feet don't always touch the ground. I don't have anyway of lifting myself up off the seat if I can't use my legs or lean forward enough. I try to be observant and not touch the person. I only use it until I can get to where my weight is on the ground. There's always some reason someone does something. They may just be a jerk, but they may also have a real reason to do so. It should be done with kindness and gentleness though.

 

[disney world dreamer]

If the seat in front of me is reclined, especially all of the way, I often times have to use the seat in front of me to pull myself up, because I am short and my feet don't always touch the ground. I don't have anyway of lifting myself up off the seat if I can't use my legs or lean forward enough. I try to be observant and not touch the person. I only use it until I can get to where my weight is on the ground. There's always some reason someone does something. They may just be a jerk, but they may also have a real reason to do so. It should be done with kindness and gentleness though.

well as i've said i don't recline so that can't be used as an excuse.
and if you have a legit reason to pull yourself up using the back of my seat then thats fine as long as you understand someone is sitting there and you don't hit them or jerk the seat.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

again... everyone has the right to recline their seat.
yes even a 3yr old.
he may not touch the floor but he may want to lean back slightly.
spring for first class if others reclining their seats is that much of an inconvenience

I have been in first class seats many times where reclined seats go back so far that they are almost as intrusive as reclined seats in coach.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I've been in first class on USAirways, it's just as bad. It's difficult to get up to use the rest room with the seat in front of you reclined. Then people get mad if you touch their seat getting up.

Absolutely, as I already posted.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

There exists a product to keep recliners at bay: http://www.gadgetduck.com/goods/kneedefender.html

But on most airlines, if you're caught using it, it's often a lifetime ban from the airline. And since they have the name on your ID, DOB, and other identifying information, the airlines are one place that can genuinely enforce a lifetime ban.

Knee Defenders are banned on all airlines. Your statement that you get a lifetime ban if you are caught using them is untrue. They just ask you to remove them.

 

[jec6613]

Knee Defenders are banned on all airlines. Your statement that you get a lifetime ban if you are caught using them is untrue. They just ask you to remove them.

I know somebody (who I no longer associate with for other reasons) who got one from UA and another from DL for using a knee defender. He was a jerk, which probably means it was just the typing point, but the knee defender was the listed reason.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I would guess that there was more involved than just using Knee Defenders! Probably argued with the flight attendants.

 

[fairy oma]

I don't ever recline my seat. I wish the airlines would put a button on the back of your seat and if the person in back of you feels they won't be intruded upon or made uncomfortable then you would have to request that person press the button so you may recline. Trying to get up to go to the bathroom from the middle or window seat is made much more difficult by reclined seats. I realize people have paid for their seat to recline but let's have a little common courtesy for our fellow passengers.

 

[winterman]

I haven't reclined in years. I don't think that the minor benefit that it may provide me is worth the inconvenience to the person in back of me.

 

[kamik86]

I recline just a tiny bit... just enough to make the position of my neck a bit more comfortable.

 

[goofy4tink]

Because the airlines have started cramming in more seats, it is now obvious that reclined seats are going to negatively impact those behind the reclined seat! Years ago, before addtl seats were being added, reclining seats wasn't an issue.
Perhaps it's time to make seats non-reclining. It truly is difficult to get up from your seat if that seat in front of you is reclined, especially if you aren't in an aisle seat!!!

 

[clr055]

When I was flying home from WDW in 2009 on Delta, I don't know if it was the type of plane I was on or what but without the seat in front of me being reclined it was already hitting my knees and the tray could not come down all of the way. The lady sitting in that seat kept ramming her seat back, into my knees and if I tried to use the tray also right into my stomach. I am 5'6" and at that time weighed about 220 pounds.. so not tiny but not some overly large person. She came within a hair of getting decked in the face and I gladly would have served the jail time. A 5 hour flight with someone repeatedly hitting you with a chair, and having made sure to say out loud that there was not room for them to recline and that the chair was striking me, took every last fiber of my patience. So no, I do not recline unless there is no one behind me. I am conscious of my surroundings at all times whether it be on a plane, in my car, in a walk way at a grocery store and I think the rest of the world needs to do more of it. I had flown Delta many other times and had never ran into this before, even at times I was larger so I think it must have been the plane I was on. In January we fly southwest and I am 60 pounds lighter than our last trip so I hope that helps because I would really hate to spend a few days in jail.

 

[goofy4tink]

When I was flying home from WDW in 2009 on Delta, I don't know if it was the type of plane I was on or what but without the seat in front of me being reclined it was already hitting my knees and the tray could not come down all of the way. The lady sitting in that seat kept ramming her seat back, into my knees and if I tried to use the tray also right into my stomach. I am 5'6" and at that time weighed about 220 pounds.. so not tiny but not some overly large person. She came within a hair of getting decked in the face and I gladly would have served the jail time. A 5 hour flight with someone repeatedly hitting you with a chair, and having made sure to say out loud that there was not room for them to recline and that the chair was striking me, took every last fiber of my patience. So no, I do not recline unless there is no one behind me. I am conscious of my surroundings at all times whether it be on a plane, in my car, in a walk way at a grocery store and I think the rest of the world needs to do more of it. I had flown Delta many other times and had never ran into this before, even at times I was larger so I think it must have been the plane I was on. In January we fly southwest and I am 60 pounds lighter than our last trip so I hope that helps because I would really hate to spend a few days in jail.

This happened to my dh once. We were flying to Florida.....JB if I remember correctly. He had the aisle seat, I was in the middle, dd in the window seat. He is 6'4''...not a short man. Well, as soon as that plane hit cruising altitude, the woman in front of him slammed her seat back...and it smashed into his knees! It would not go as far as she wanted it to go, so she pulled it upright, and slammed it down again. Did this yet again. After that third time, my dh grabbed the back of the seat and informed the woman that he was not cutting his legs off, above the knee, so that she could recline as far as she wanted...and if she did it again, she was going to eat the newspaper she was holding. I thought the row across the aisle was going to die laughing...they had watched the entire thing. She muttered to herself and sat upright, tossing her long hair all over the place....came pretty close to going into dh's soda a bit later!!!!

I'm not sure why people insist on trying over and over to make a seat recline further than it is allowed to....for whatever reason. Sometimes it's just going to be impossible to recline as much as you want. A little common sense and common courtesy would go a long way, but evidently neither is as 'common' as one would think.

 

[hsmamato2]

well I did yesterday on my early morning flights when I napped. a whole 2-3 inches extra- and the seats wouldn't recline if they didn't want us to use that feature. I don't understand the issue....

 

[Wala&Shoonoo]

I don't typically recline my seat, as I find that I'm perfectly comfortable sitting upright (but I'm a short/small person, I'm sure it's not so easy for the taller folks!)

HOWEVER...I was flying down to WDW with my sister last fall, on the earliest Jet Blue flight out of Boston. The flight was not full, and we didn't have anyone sitting in the third seat in our row. I always travel with two small stuffed animals (Wala and Shoonoo) - always have, always will. I had taken them out of my bag and placed them on the empty seat during the flight. As we're getting ready to land, the stewardess came through the cabin to remind people to put their seats upright. As she walked by our row, she shot me an irritated look, reached over to the seat that the stuffed animals were on, and put their seat upright. Apparently, the seat had reclined somehow after takeoff and they had been reclining the whole flight! There was someone in the seat behind them, I can't believe he didn't say anything! I apologized but I was so mortified. Wala and Shoonoo will stay on my lap on future flights (apparently they can't be trusted not to recline!)

 

[luvmy2babies]

I don't recline and while I'd prefer the person in front of me didn't either, it's not a big deal if they do. I'd rather be behind a recliner than in front of one of those people who use the seat in front of them as a grab bar when they're getting up. THAT drives me nuts!

OMG yes! I have gotten my hair pulled so many times like that.

It's interesting. I once read we should not rear face car seats on planes because it would prevent the person in front from reclining. Now here, reading an opinion people shouldn't recline. Oh well. If everyone was the same things would be boring.

Personally I've never been on a plane where the seats reclined much. Just enough that if I nod off, my chin may not hit my chest...maybe.

 

[sam_gordon]

Am I missing something? Why is it NECESSARY to ever pull the seat in front of you to stand up? Do you pull the seat in front of you to stand up at the movie theater? At your house? At your office? I push on my arm rests.

 

[DebbieB]

Am I missing something? Why is it NECESSARY to ever pull the seat in front of you to stand up? Do you pull the seat in front of you to stand up at the movie theater? At your house? At your office? I push on my arm rests.

Because sometimes you have to practically do a limbo to get out with the seats reclined. Never had that happen at a theater.