Sitting in Economy person in front reclines seat all the way!

[Chickinvic]

I thought it’s an etiquette that you asked the person behind you if you could recline your seat

I've never asked anyone behind me, and nor has anyone asked me (nor would I expect them to).

 

[SirDuff]

I've never asked anyone behind me, and nor has anyone asked me (nor would I expect them to).

Nor do I. In economy (or a domestic first), I rarely recline all the way, but often recline a bit. I do look behind to see if someone is just about to adjust their tray or something (I once had my thumb painfully jabbed when I was reaching around my tray and the person in front of me suddenly slammed back on his seat) and I will put my seat up for meals.

I do like the seats someone mentioned upthread - where the back back of your seat doesn't move when you recline, your seat kind of scrunches within a shell.

I find a "passive aggressive" purposeful bumping/kicking of the seat in front, far ruder than someone reclining their seat.

 

[wdwmom3]

It's rude of me to want to cross my legs so that I can massage my lower leg which suffers from swelling issues? Really.

I said if you hit the back of the seat on PURPOSE!

 

[DisneyLore]

Wait why is it rude to hit the back of the seat when you are clearly allowed because that is the option you are given for your leg room, but it's not rude to recline the seat into the person behind you so much they can't even cross their legs? Not doing both of these things used to be considered common curtesy. If my seat reclines to the point that someone behind me can't cross their legs, than I would not recline it that far. As someone mentioned before "who's comfort is more important?" the answer is no ones. If I am oblivious to someone's comfort than I can't expect them to consider mine. So for all who say they did nothing wrong, there are a lot of things that aren't against the rules but if you have some respect for others who don't do them. That is just my two cents, but hey I'm Canadian too and I'm about being polite.

 

[Allison]

Wait why is it rude to hit the back of the seat when you are clearly allowed because that is the option you are given for your leg room,

Because it was done with the specific intent to bother the other person. The poster said they were being passive aggressive.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Let me guess, American Airlines?
Frankly I'd rather fly Frontier (with the paper-chip thin seats that don't recline) than American, that crams the seats so close together that you should really ask for a second date before hitting the recline button and ending up in the lap of the person behind you. Frankly I think it's totally rude to recline anyway - what are you gaining exactly? the 2 degrees of recline don't make you any more comfortable and really annoy the person behind you. For those of you saying, "recline your seat too", what about the person in the seat in front of an exit row, or a bulkhead? Their seats don't recline and you don't pay any less for those seats.

For God's sake why do people lose all sense of common decency when they get on a plane? I wouldn't hit the seat but I'm with the OP - reclining the seat is just plain rude - don't do it.

 

[ottawamom]

Because it was done with the specific intent to bother the other person. The poster said they were being passive aggressive.

As a sarcastic response to being called passive agressive. Actually it was Air Canada. I'm done with this thread.

 

[grantclaire]

Hi, I never recline my seat, I know it might bother some people. One tip I have is to book emergency row seats as the seat in front cannot recline.

 

[fan1080]

It is, unfortunately, one of the inconveniences we have to accept with modern travel.

 

[samsteele]

This happens to me at least 80% of the time. Seems like a domino effect takes over the cabin with each passenger in turn cranking their seat back when the passenger in front does it to them. As commercial airlines treat customers like cargo and not as human passengers, the flight mentality in economy gets surly fast. I've also been struck by airlines removing onboard entertainment. Yes, there's a cost saving but that screen was a pacifier. Passengers could plug in their earbuds and veg out. Now passengers are crammed in, bored and looking for someone to blame. Makes me sympathetic with flight stewards who deal with the fallout.

 

[wdwmom3]

OP you asked people for their opinion. That means you are going to get various opinions, some that don’t agree with you. If it bothers you that people don’t agree with you then don’t post asking what people think.

 

[ottawamom]

What I asked for was What would you do? I did not ask to be personally attacked. There is a way to respond to such a thread where one can express your opinions without the attacks.

 

[DisneyLore]

What I asked for was What would you do? I did not ask to be personally attacked. There is a way to respond to such a thread where one can express your opinions without the attacks.

Completely agree!

 

[quandrea]

I think if the seat reclines, a person is within their rights to recline the seat. You had nothing to truly complain about. Mitigate the issue by reclining your seat. Coach travel is miserable. You just get through it.

 

[wdwmom3]

What I asked for was What would you do? I did not ask to be personally attacked. There is a way to respond to such a thread where one can express your opinions without the attacks.

Nobody attacked you.

 

[Minniesgal]

If someone buys an economy seat with recline functionality it is perfectly reasonable for them to use that functionality. After all you have the choice to do the same.

I wouldn't have kneed them in the back i would have just reclined my seat and relaxed.

 

[Raimiette]

I didn't read all the replies (I assume this will be a turbulent (haha) thread) but personally, I believe that if the seats are able to recline, then whoever is in it has the complete right to recline it all the way regardless of who is behind said person. If it is allowed, it is allowed. I would never ask someone if it was okay to recline because, quite frankly, (as above), if it's allowed, it's allowed.

I don't personally get annoyed even though I'm a tall girl and my legs do get squished/can't keep my tray down unless I uncross my legs (and even then it barely lays flat etc.) but that's just budget air travel (and I am so cheap so I'm never upgrading lol, perpetually smushed legs for the win!!).

I don't usually recline at all (unless an overnight flight and I'm attempting sleep) because I know it does inconvenience the person behind you but I would never ask or not do it if I had a reason or want to.

Airlines honestly should probably just take the recline away. It only reclines like 7-8 inches anyway, it's barely a slant, but everyone hates to be the "reclinee". Just remove the problem by taking away the privilege for everyone (or just the cheapies).

 

[migel]

Interesting post. It certainly is news to me that reclining is considered rude by some. I've been flying to and from MCO 3-4 times a year since 2012, and I always recline. Not sure about other airlines, but the one's I usually fly (Southwest), allow for a whopping 1 - 1.5" in seat movement. I'm not a giant, but at 6', I enjoy the (slightly) extra room. I fully expect the person in front of me to recline, and I've never witnessed anyone ask before doing so.... Next recline; 13 days and counting...

 

[piccolopat]

I don't think it is rude for someone to recline a seat that they purchased and that has recline capability. I also don't think it is rude if someone's legs then bump into the seatback or their use of the tray table moves the seat in front of them. If the seat in front of me is reclined and I need to use the restroom, I have no choice but to use the seatback to exit my row because there is no room to stand up straight. That's not being rude. Yanking the tray table up and down or actively kicking a seatback to intentionally annoy the reclining passenger? That is rude. Bottom line, people should always try to be considerate of others and consider their comfort before their own. Of course, medical necessity is a valid exception. If my reclining means the tall man behind me will be unable to put his tray down to work on his laptop or eat his meal, I won't recline. I hope others extend the same courtesy to me.

 

[cedricandsophie]

I always try to fly economy plus with more room but if someone does recline ahead of me I don’t complain but if I need to get up and have to push on their seat to get past I also don’t apologize. I always try to recline only a little if I need to but never the whole way,