Is it considered rude to lean your seat back on the plane?

[Liz]

Should you ask the person behind you if they mind? I always have done it but feel guilty when I do.

 

[seashoreCM]

It is not rude to lean back. The seat is intended to lean back. You don't have to ask, but you should do it slowly and little bby little so you don't knock over anything behind you.

It is rude to keep your seat leaned back during mealtime or when someone behind you wants to climb out.

It is rude to interfere with someone in front trying to lean his seat back.

Disney hints:
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[DisneyaholicRaquel]

That's funny because I always wonder this too! I always ask if the seat bothers the persons leg.

 

[Seaera]

I always turn around and ask the person...I figure it's common courtesy. My husband is tall, 6 ft. 2 inches, so when the person in front of him reclines, he gets pretty jammed in there. Not fun...but he really, really appreciates it when someone asks. He's always willing to oblige if someone is kind enough to ask.

 

[beattyfamily]

I'll be honest with MY opinion.

I do not put my seat back on flights as I think it will make the person behind me uncomfortable.

When the person in front of me does it, I think to myself how selfish and rude they are. The person in front of me has never ever asked me if it bothers me and if they did, I would never say yes it does and would grin and bear it.

I teach my girls not to push theirs back either.

I could care aless that the seat was designed to go back. It's still uncomfortable for the person behind you, IMHO.

That's my opinion and I won't be debating it.

 

[BostonRob]

I am generally very considerate of others in matters like this. But I would never even consider asking the person behind me if they minded if I reclined my seat. The seats are meant to recline. They only recline so far and are spaced appropriately. If a reclined seat gives somebody a problem, then they are too big for their seat to being with (and that's another story entirely - coach class stinks, but since my name isn't Trump, that's where I sit.)

No, I don't think it is rude to lean your seat back on the plane.

 

[javaj]

I recline as soon as it is allowed after takeoff, the seats are meant to recline. I actually had a man behind me tell me I shouldn't do that. I was shocked, but I just told him that the seats are designed to recline and most people on the aircraft also reclined their seats.

 

[bavaria]

Hmmmmm....

I fly every 2 weeks at least, usually in business class or Economy Plus on United, where there is a lot of extra room. I recline my seat slowly, and never during meal service. I don't consider this rude - that's why the seats are made to recline.

On a CRJ however, it's a tough call - there is so little space as it is, and many seats dont recline at all.

For the first time last week, I heard a loud debate a few rows behind me about how rude it was to recline the seat.

I suppose common sense and courtesy apply - if there is little space, the person behind you comments, or if its during a meal service, I would hesitate.

On flights of more than 2 hours, I can't recline for the whole time anyways - I end up leaning forward to get comfortable.

 

[safetymom]

It depends. A little bit of courtesy on an airplane goes a long way.

 

[crcormier]

It depends. A little bit of courtesy on an airplane goes a long way.

I think this is true about most everything in life.

 

[beccasmom]

I don’t recline my seat; it doesn’t make me feel any more comfortable anyway. Flying in coach is the pits any way you look at it these days. The few times I’ve flown first class it was like being in another world!

Our flight to WDW is usually just over 2 hours. It goes pretty fast. I have short legs, but am always eternally grateful when the person in front of me does not recline (even though that is their right)….and offer a silent prayer of gratitude! There simply is so little space in coach that every inch counts! If a person does recline his seat in front of me, sitting in the aisle helps SOMEWHAT, but of course there’s no way of knowing that ahead of time. As I was taught in Catholic grade school, I just “offer it up”!

 

[DisneyPhD]

I'll be honest with MY opinion.

I do not put my seat back on flights as I think it will make the person behind me uncomfortable.

When the person in front of me does it, I think to myself how selfish and rude they are. The person in front of me has never ever asked me if it bothers me and if they did, I would never say yes it does and would grin and bear it.

I teach my girls not to push theirs back either.

I could care aless that the seat was designed to go back. It's still uncomfortable for the person behind you, IMHO.

That's my opinion and I won't be debating it.

I have to admit, I totally agree. The seats might be designed to recline, but when I see that seat moving back into my already small space I must admit the 1st thing that pops into my head is, "How rude". For that reason I never recline mine, or have my kids do it.

However if the person in frount of me asked I think I would feel better about it.

It is also rude to allow your kid to continue to kick the chair in frount of him or her. Yes it is what kids do, but they need to be redirected!

 

[antmaril]

I NEVER recline my seat (unless, of course, there is no one sitting behind me). There is so little space already and when the seat is reclined, it's almost unbearable. To me it seems like you have no regard for the person sitting behind you and that you are all alone in your own little world.

Just my two cents, of course. If you are lucky enough to sit behind me, I will never recline my seat into your space.

 

[bavaria]

It is also rude to allow your kid to continue to kick the chair in frount of him or her. Yes it is what kids do, but they need to be redirected!

KIDS?? on Saturday I was at O'Hare bwn flights, and sat down to watch the coverage of the Pope's passing on CNN. I couldn't figure out why the bench was jolting and jolting - I turned around and it was a 30-ish male kicking the seats!! He was just sprawled out looking bored. (I will be kind and say that maybe he didn't realize, or maybe he just wasn't all there for the moment)

 

[addlema]

I dont recline either.. being 6 foot 3 It really makes it hard for the person in front of me to recline as well So Usually i dont have to worry about it much.

Now kids kicking my chair! YIKES! I can't stand! Its really annoying on 4 hour flights...

 

[DrTomorrow]

Oh, boy does this bring back memories (of a similar "discussion" on the old Debate Board. Anyone remember those little devices designed to prevent a seat from reclining?)

Although it's rather low on the scale (and, at 6'4" [that's the way the Universe made me] I've learned to live with it) I do consider it rude; particularly without advance warning. It is in cramped quarters (like most airplanes) that true courtesy and consideration come into play. There is little enough room as it is; reclining the seat into someone else's already limited space is discourteous.

As for those who say "well, I'm just using the seat as it was intended" - . There are any number of items that, when used as intended, can be very rude and/or discourteous: cigarettes, cell phones and guns, just to name a few. A door is a wonderful thing, and a door is intended to be shut; however, I'd never shut one in someone else's face.

Be well!

 

[disneyfor3]

I don't recline my seat either. I took a trip to France once many years ago and for 7 hours straight the two persons in front of my sister and myself had their chairs reclined back as far as they would go, almost in our laps it seemed. I always think about that and the person behind me and never recline my chair. I always hate it when the person in front of me reclines in front of my son while we are trying to play play dough or something on his tray and it either knocks his toys on the floor or his drink.

 

[Shagley]

A few years ago, I was on a 9-10 hour flight. As soon as we took off, the man in front of me reclined his seat as far back as it would go, and left it all the way back for the entire flight. His head rest was about 8 inches from my face. At meal time, the flight attendant had to argue with him to put his seat up so I could use my tray for my meal, and then as soon as he was finished with his meal, he abruptly moved his seat back down. The most annoying part was that he sat upright throughout most of the trip, so I have no idea why he put his seat so far back for the entire flight. I wasn't even able to lean forward to get to my backpack that I had stored under the seat because the back of his seat was so close to my head (I know, poor me). I felt that was terribly rude, and because of that I am much more concerned about the person behind me when I recline my seat. I think that is is fine to recline the seat a little without saying anything to the person behind you, but since there is so little room on a plane as it is, I think it would be polite if you just mentioned it to the person behind you if you are going to be putting your seat all the way back (not asking their permission, but just letting them know).

 

[CarolynK]

My family of four sit 2 X 2 and usually my husband, who does like to recline a bit, will sit in the row in front of me, so he is leaning back into MY lap, not a stranger's.

 

[BostonRob]

It is also rude to allow your kid to continue to kick the chair in frount of him or her. Yes it is what kids do, but they need to be redirected!

I don't think its right to equate kids kicking seat backs with reclining. Allowing your kid to kick somebody's seat back is just plain rude and ignorant. Reclining your seat is mereling taking advantage of the features built into the seat that you paid for. And its not like you're putting your head in somebody elses lap - the seats only move a few inches.