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I think the question should be instead, who thinks the seats should be spread farther apart so people Can recline. They have smashed the seats so tight together. The geniuses who thought of this, probably ride on private planes.
The squashing of people into such tight spaces so that they almost have no choice other than to pay extra for sufficient space should be illegal. I'm sure they would charge extra for reclining seats if they could.
Megan, your spilt coffee incident caused by you reclining your seat isn’t your fault. It’s the result of the airlines trying to maximize profits by cramming in as many seats as possible. Passenger comfort has nosedived over the years and questions about whether you should recline your seat have risen. I think you should be able to have enough space to recline your seat without bothering the person behind you. Is that too much to ask for?
I assumed that the reason for the spill in that case was the speed with which the tray table behind moved backward when Megan reclined her seat, not the amount of space available to the tray. Did I get that wrong?
the airlines are only doing it because there is a demand for cheap flights - you are free to buy a business class or first class ticket and have all the personal space you want. Most airlines operate on a razor-thin margin, which is why airlines go bankrupt or require bailouts and cutbacks so often. Why don't YOU start a non-greedy airline that offers Ryanair fares, Emirates comfort and pays fair salaries? Should be easy, right, just don't be greedy?
@@Ludvigvanamadeus Airlines don't make money, the main reason is they are so poorly mismanaged and use multiple types of planes. It has nothing to do with razor-thin margins, those are the faults of the airlines. It has to do with pure greed. But you are correct, if you don't like it, take a train, or bus, or upgrade. Nobody is forcing anyone to fly.
I was recently on a 4 hour flight and the person in front of me flung her seat back the minute she could and it stayed that way for the full 4 hours even when she fell asleep leaning forward up against the seat in front of her. I happened to be on a plane with very little leg room to begin with and was literally “held hostage” the whole trip. I couldn’t reach any bag by my feet or put the tray down. If they are going to reduce the legroom then they need to reduce the ability to recline. It was the worst flight
I'm with you on this. Mine was a small child whose parents put the seat back the moment they could, and she jumped around yelling the whole flight shaking the seat - which was in my face.
Imagine being a 6' tall, slender woman with 35" legs. Almost every flight has me feeling like I'm in a sardine can. I've had my kneecaps bruised several times! Sometimes my knees touch the back of the seat in front of me BEFORE the seat is reclined!
I agree! I had someone lie full back the whole flight and I could barely move in my seat. I thought every time I accidentally banged the seat in front of me, he might have considered raising his seat, but no he wasn't concerned about anyone else at all!!!
You should’ve called the flight attendant. That’s what I did during one of my trips, the seat in front of me was fully reclined while we were still eating. Luckily the flight attendant I called spoke to the passenger and the seat was adjusted.
One of the best flights I've ever had was in the passenger section of a C-5 Galaxy. Outside of little heating, and very loud engines requiring headphones over earplugs to make it bearable, as well as backwards facing seats, the leg room and such made it very comfortable. Doing an overseas flight was comfortable enough that I slept most of it.
@@tejloro Let's say they have to remove 10-15 8 seat rows ro give more room, I gues it would be more than $5. And on all their aircrafts? It would be millions of dolla4s in a very tight market.
For people with bad backs, especially on a longer flight, being able to recline slightly really helps manage lower back pain. So many people have lower back pain, it’s very common.
I feel bad for people with bad backs but Megan is correct about the 4 times that seats should be on their upright position. I had a passenger in front of me recline their seat when my meal was serve on an international flight and nearly spilled my food and drinks. Just gotta ask and check the person at your back if it's ok to do so.
Depending on where the flight attendants are in distributing meals, the row in front of yours could have been served !5 minutes before your row. This was the case on my last flight and the family in front of me immediately put their seats back after finishing their meal. Not very considerate!
Yeah, i understand and feel your pain, but I have both back issues and bad knees, and I still will not recline on someone because I detest others reclining on me. The space received by the recliner is minimal compared to the space taken from the one behind. I say "Be Kind, Don't Recline!"
Sad situation that we have to discuss seat recline rules. While I agree about recline slowly I don’t agree that you have to factor if person behind you has laptop or iPad. Sure if flight is less than 4 hrs long you wouldn’t need recline. But if it’s an overnight flight or a long flight try to get comfortable especially when the person in front of you has reclined. What I would suggest is that all the ceo and executive board fly a mandatory 11 hr flight in economy on their airplanes each month and when they suggest new seat layout configurations.
Regardless of the length of flight, reclining is not only a question of comfort, but many who suffer from constriction and or discomfort need to recline. I agree with the individual who suggested more space between seats.
I have been hit in the head on several flights because as I am reaching down to get my bag out from under the seat, the person does a full, abrupt seat recline. Before I recline I always look back to make sure I never do that to another passenger. Common courtesy, patience, and awareness of others has gone, literally, out the window when it comes to air travel these days.
To be honest that's not a situation I've even considered as a possibility as I generally only recline a little and after looking over my shoulder, but since I'm short I could easily miss the person if they were leaning down. Definitely something to keep in mind next time I'm travelling
It's impossible. It's an example of shrinkflation - airlines squeeze more seats to get more people onboard to earn more money. They would never go back
Worst reclining incident for me was on a chartered bus. The woman in front of me suddenly cranked backwards and pinned both my legs when she landed on my kneecaps. She did respond to my screams.
I had this happen on a flight once - the person in front did NOT respond to my protestations, even when I was trying to push on the seat at the same time to release my trapped legs!
That happened to me as I'm 5' 10" and I just started kicking the seat... I told the person who reclined that I could do this for the entire flight. Tall people have nowhere to put their long legs. I told her you will NOT lean on my legs for this entire flight.
My wife and I once flew from Vienna to Bucharest on a very small plane. There were 6 rows of first class seats, while the rest of the plan was economy. It was a very full flight. We were seated in the first row behind first class. Now, I am a tall guy and muscular. When the passenger in the first class seat went to recline his seat, my legs were in the way. He kept trying to force his seat back but my long legs wouldn't let him. He was hurting my legs. I gently pushed the front of his seat and politely let him know that his seat had no where to go. He complained to the flight attendant who then looked at me and my legs. I asked her where should I put my legs? She smiled at me and told the gentleman that he needed to keep the seat upright. After she left, he tried a few more times. This time I was not so polite and really pushed his seat forward as he kept hurting my legs. I leaned forward and advised him to stop hurting me. Only then did he realize how big I was and his seat remained upright for the flight that was only a little over an hour long. I didn't like that I had to be stern with him but he was hurting me. (We would have upgraded to first class but there were no seats left. For all future flights on these small planes, we have learned to never book the seats directly behind first class!)
One that I think people dont think about is loudly talking or laughing on an overnight flight. Last Sep I took a flight from Denver to London. It was an overnight so the plane was dark everyone was trying to sleep. There was a woman in the center of the plane watching something and would laugh so loud it would wake everyone up and she even made a baby cry from startling it. Im not talking about a little giggle either, she was cackling and screaming. This went on for an hour and I believe FAs stepped in after she was asked by her seat mates to keep it down and she started laughing louder and more raucously. Then on the same trip but return flight a trio of women in front of my husband and I were meeting for the first time and loudly discussing their drunken exploits on various trips. They started ordering alcohol and sounded like they meant to party. my whole row just looked at eachother like we were in for a rough flight. I think the FAs caught on and cut them off after the meal service and said it was a drink max policy. No idea if that policy actually exists but thank the stars for the FAs
If another passenger asks you to lift the armrest, ALWAYS say NO! I am small, and have lost 1/2 or more of my seat to obese passengers raising the armrest. This results in back and neck pain due to sitting crooked to get away from them. Never again!
I just read a comment somewhere else about a woman in that exact situation…she had hip pain for months after the unfortunate flight. And of course the airlines aren’t going to intervene or take any responsibility. Smh.
For long-distance flights, I avoid the middle seat problems by paying the extra for premium economy and making sure I pick two across seats. To me, it is worth the extra dollars.
Great list!! I've probably made a few of these mistakes....The BIGGEST One was when I had deplaned and realized I left my tablet in the seat pocket and rushed back onto the plane....SEVERAL minutes after all passengers had left...to try to get my tablet. Everything was cool, since one of the flight attendants was rushing up the aisle with my tablet as I busted back onboard and nobody wrestled me to the ground, but I now pay much better attention to keeping track of my own personal belongings
While in flight, I always hold onto a drink on my tray because a recliner in front of you or even hitting some turbulence could cause a spill. Also, and although I never use a laptop on my tray or or recline my seat, I don't think it is the responsibility of a recliner to check behind first to see if it will inconvenience someone. Just IMHO.
I just finish my drink pretty fast to avoid any spillage in case of sudden turbulence or something. If I do have a cup of something on the tray table, I put the cup closer to myself instead of closer to the seat in front of me. No issue even if the person in front of me has reclined their seat. I personally absolutely need to recline my seat when traveling in general, on a flight I only have the seat upright during takeoff and landing, and during meal services, other than that it has to be reclined even on short flights due to me having severe pain in my spine (including neck), pelvic joints and hips (genetic condition) that makes it extremely painful for me to sit upright for more than just minutes at a time. Reclining means I can cope with extra painkillers, not reclining could mean having to go to hospital upon landing despite having taken my extra painkillers
The seat can recline in its own space, like on Japan Airlines, i.e. the seat slides forward as it is reclined so the seatback would not intrude into the space behind. As for putting any part of your body, e.g. hair, hand, foot, into other people's space, that's just rude.
Being old school and grown in a family where good manners were paramount, I like quite much your tips and advices. Unfortunately in a society in decline and more and more lacking of good manners and coexistence principles among it's members, we have to be aware that very probable, we'll be involved in an unfortunate event when flying. Cheers and thank you!
Don't touch or hit against the seat back of the person in front of you. There's just a thin piece of vinyl at the magazine net, or even if there is metal or hard plastic, every bump is felt. Don't grab headrests as you get up or walk by either, that shakes other people.
Totally agree on the seat reclining. I never recline my seat out of respect for the person behind me. I was on a 11hr flight recently. The dude in front of me reclined back. I tried to be cool about it, but each time I wanted to get out of my seat, I had to do some creative contortions to get out and back in. Meals and snacks were interesting as well. I finally asked him to put his seat up when my wife had to get up to use the restroom. With their seat back there’s no room to get by. At the very least, I feel like a simple ask should happen. Like, “Do you mind if I recline my seat back?”to the person behind you.
I also never recline my seat because I know what it's like to have a reclining seat in front of you and I don't want to do the same out of respect exactly to the person behind me.
Unfortunately you cannot rely on everyone to be respectful. I am only 5'4" with no back pain but my husband is 6'5" and has had major back surgery. We always need to pay for larger leg room when he flies. I use my ipad on the tray table and do not like it when people push back in my space. I have never had a person look back to see what they are doing. We all want to be comfortable and I don't think some should compromise their comfort for the other passengers -- there are exceptions of course. Airlines need better seating so we do not have this discussion. Thanks for the opportunity to voice our opinions.
Just completed a 14 hour flight from New Delhi to Toronto on a B777ER. I had the aisle seat, as I always do. Next to me, in the middle a grossly overweight man SPREAD himself into half of MY seat by his body pushing the armrest into my ribs and leg. I told him that if he wanted/needed two seats, he should BUY them, not use half of mine. It was NOT a happy flight. As for reclining seats....if the aircraft is used exclusively for flights of 4 hours or less...it's NOT a big deal. Sitting for 14 hours in a seat that DOESN'T recline....would be a 'back-breaker'.
OMG ^^^ This! It is supremely rude to spread into my seat area, voluntarily or simply by being voluminous. Invading someone’s designated space is simply not okay. Period. Worst flight was next to a huge, linebacker of a man whose shoulders touched mine with his hands in his lap. Not his “fault,” but dang I had ZERO room. And as a person with claustrophobia issues, it was a rough 5 hours
Aisle seats generally also allow you to raise the aisle arm rest (activate a small hidden button), I do that often. Helps greatly in flight, also when the flight ends getting out of the seat.
@@JohnW118 I like to use arm rests for their intended purpose, and to NOT get my arm broken by a cart or a fat person in the aisle. I know that they go up, which is what I do when I get up for a walk on a long flight, or at the end of the flight.
Ticket agents should never put a bigger person in the middle isle having said this as a flight attendant for help before you speak to person lol there not losing kilos on plane.
I have no objection to seats reclining except for meals. I don't think it's unreasonable to have attendants ask that seats remain upright during meal service.
Maybe airlines can invest in seats that don't recline into the person behind area. I forgot which plane I was on but was impressed with the recline did not recline but rotated in the seat bucket.
I usually choose an aisle seat, being able to move the armrest is handy as you can just move a bit without feeling trapped. Most problems arise when folk don’t pay attention to things like the safety video. We owe it to each other on a plane to be civilised and should always be polite to the staff who do an amazing job.
You are the best provider of travel info! The clear, slow, pleasant tone of voice grabs listeners attention. Thank u for asking us to subscribe AFTER the video offers helpful info is evident. And saying thank u too. I travel and ur tips are worthwhile.
At 68, I only fly business. If I can't afford business class, I can't afford to fly. The money saved by flying economy is not worth the discomfort and risk of physical injury.
I agree that the shrinking seats are partly responsible for this new and terribly uncomfortable situation. I also think that it is an opportunity to bring enjoyment between people back in to travel. A simple communication with the one behind you saying you'd like to recline and would it be convenient at that time could be a solution. Taking responsibility for ones actions feels good...and is a friendly gesture (which also feels good). bon voyage!☺
It may be the Singapore Effect but I took a flight from JFK to PHX last week and the seatbelt sign stayed on the whole time. Also, I think the issue with drinks spilling when a passenger reclines is bad design and its on the airlines and aircraft manufactures to fix. I don't recline on planes anymore because the seat is equally uncomfortable no matter how I adjust it.
I'm a frequent LONG haul traveller (Western Australia to Ohio) sometimes enduring 16 hour stretches. PLEASE do not encourage airlines to eliminate the reclining option! I'll never be able to snooze on those flights again 😫
On my recent flight, the man sitting next to me, had some kind of clacker thing. He kept clicking away most of the trip. I thought he was afraid of flying. He had headphones on and watching something on the phone. I was so happy to get off that flight!
The cramped conditions are no fun for anybody with the current typical seat arrangements. Please consider not reclining your seat at all if the people behind you are tall. My husband is 6'3" (190 cm) and I'm 5'10" (178 cm). If you're tall, your legs will be touching the seats in front when they're in a full upright position. Once it's reclined, you're physically injuring the tall person behind.
I have an extreme back issue & need to recline so I can arrange pillows in a way so that the pain is somewhat tolerable & always pick an aisle seat because of it. But I always go upright during take off/landing & meal times. Seats have been reclining since almost the beginning of air travel, so I don't understand why all of a sudden it's an issue for some people.
Thank you for your time and posting. Reclining wouldn't be a problem if US airlines didn't cram in as many seats as they could. I don't fly a ton (even though I am going to Vietnam in Sept. to see if I want to retire there), but I flew LATAM (Ecuador) Airlines and had no problem reclining my seat, and I had lots of leg room (at 6'2"). So the US airlines want to get rid of reclining yet they created the problem in the first place.
More reasons to upgrade from Economy. I know many people can't, either because of a true lack of money or different priorities. But if you can afford it, do so! My last flight was in domestic first class, and it solved so many of these little annoyances: - the seat spacing is large enough that reclining causes no problem for most people behind you. - The armrests are solid so a seat mate can't "spill over". The seats are also wide enough that most large people have plenty of room. - Almost all passengers in DFC are experienced at flying, and don't make unintentional mistakes. Most (not all) are polite, too. - If you feel you must get snockered on a flight, you'll get free booze.
@@teedimi9539 I hear sarcasm. In truth, DFC has many other advantages. I'm a little old lady, an Economy seat is plenty of room for me. But the quality of service in DFC is much better. There's always space in the overhead bins. Unlimited drinks and beverages, even before take-off. Real food. And more. Economy serves an important purpose. It allows almost everyone the opportunity to fly. I used Ecomoy for many years, often with babies or small children. I'm older now, less able to put up with chaos, and very grateful to be able to afford more. I would guess that a lot of the "airlines are awful" people could afford an extra couple hundred to have their complaints go away.
I couldn’t care less if the person in front of me reclines. Doesn’t affect my meal or my using a laptop at all. Similarly, I couldn’t care less if the person behind me prefers that I remain upright. I pay for the seat, including it’s reclining feature, so I get to use it without consulting with anyone else. The only thing I do in this regard is recline the seat very slowly and gently, to be courteous.
One issue I had with reclining a seat was on a 777 with a really old entertainment system. I had to recline my seat to be able to watch it. As far as not spilling over into my neighbors seat, I'm 188cm and 90kg. My shoulders are wider than most airline seats. I try to not invade someone else's space, which has gotten my other shoulder slammed by a cart. Such is life.
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Sorry, but I paid for my seat and I'm going to recline. Being upright in these four examples makes sense but I'm not going to be uncomfortable while someone does work or is drinking coffee. I'm a very considerate person and agree abt reclining slowly but people have to take responsibility for their own actions. I just don't understand why this is even a big discussion these days. When I'm on a flight, I fully expect the person in front of me to lean his chair back and I just deal with it.
On several flights, the seat in front of me was suddenly and rapidly reclined into my kneecaps! I had to either sit sideways, or with my legs spread far apart. Not exactly comfortable!
I would not remove reclining in economy : it is extremely uncomfortable as it is! But yes, some people lack common decency with regards to etiquette in an airplaine.
Reclining seats. Flights less than 4-5 hours okay to remove. Long haul flights, NO, NO, NO! Especially since someone is going get stuck in the middle seat, reclining is the only comfort. With so many airlines flying with worn out old seats, I am looking at US airlines, reclining maybe the only way to not hurt for days after a flight. Last time I flew American Airlines from ORD to Heathrow(~8 hours) the seats were so bad my hips hurt for 5 days afterwards.
I had a first class seat from Newark to Rome - and the seat was broken and so uncomfortable!! AA gave me a small voucher in compensation, but it didn't even cover the pain meds or chiro bill.
Anybody who thinks recline should be removed has obviously never taken an 6+ hour red-eye flight... Even if not a red-eye, on a long flight sitting bolt upright will cause lumbar pain.
If I have a window seat, then the shade will be up! But I guess I can keep it down for take-off and landing. Looking out the window is the best part of the flight! 😊
You’ve got it backwards: it should be _up_ during takeoff and landing. Those are the times when crashes/issues are most likely to occur. FAs need to be able to see outside and emergency services need to be able to see inside during emergencies. So leave it up to your heart’s content!
If they take the recline feature out, they should put all the seats permanently in recline because the upright seat is unusually straight. As I am tall, I need the additional space for my knees.
The flights I take are normally long-haul -- Los Angeles to Frankfurt am Main -- to visit family. As much as I enjoy a window seat, I prefer an aisle seat from which I can more easily get up to stretch my legs or go to the lavatory. When it comes to reclining my seat, I always give the occupant of the seat behind me a heads-up. I also don't recline my seat too much; just enough to be comfortable (I always keep my seatbelt fastened whenever I'm in my seat). Flying can be stressful for many individuals. Fortunately, I have a phlegmatic temperament. It helps me, for the most part, enjoy the whole air travel experience.
Reclining seats - those 4 times make absolute sense. Reclining is not a big deal to me on shorter flights, but on long haul it makes a big difference, especially to sleep. OR if the seat in front is reclining and I can't it could feel tight. I try to always remember to glance back before reclining rather than doing so abruptly. It would not ever have occurred to me to move an armrest next to another person. I think air travel is a place for "best behavior" mode and avoiding rudeness.
Some customers of size immediately lift so they can “fit” without being forced to buy the second seat. I’m not tiny, but I do fit easily and will lift the seat between my husband and myself. So we can spread into each other.
Regarding your tip about not passing gas on a plane: foods high in sulphurous compounds like onions, garlic, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower are among the worst culprits for producing smelly gas and are best avoided at least 24 hours before your flight.
Having been a victim of several selfish recliners over the years, I think seats should be redesigned to move the lower part of the seat forwards into the persons own space, instead of intruding into someone else's space.
@@gwynwinter5588 Selfish people looking out for their bad backs or old injury’s just proves being”selfish” isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You think he/she should put you first instead of themselves? I think that’s crazy and I doubt you would do the same.
Amount of recline should be based on seat pitch. If the seat pitch is less than 32" then there shouldn't be reclining and more reclining can be added for each additional inch of pitch.
I think the normal or default position should be fully reclined. Too bad some people have good backs and aren’t bothered by sitting at attention for 4 hours.
Reclined seats makes it more difficult to get out, especially if you are in the middle or window seat. I hardly use the reline myself and would not miss that feature. It generally eats into your space apart from mealtime.
My last flight I had a gentleman recline his seat suddenly into my knees. Being six foot four it wasn't a pleasant feeling. He at first refused to sit back up. I can see why so many fights happen on airplanes. When I started to get angry he soon relinted.😢
I don't mind the idea that seats are fixed, but then they must be designed in a reclined position, with tray tables and in-flight entertainment screens adjusted accordingly.
@@tj2375you really aren't, especially on newer jets the recline doesn't really eat into the space for the person behind you. I really don't care if the person in front of me reclines and I'm 6'3".
Geez im only 5'1 and about 100lbs. I was so horribly cramped on my last 4hr flight, i cannot imagine how bad it would be if i were average sized. And these flights are booked solid, one recent fight i was stuck btwn two fat guys with kids kicking my seat from behind while another toddler had an hour long screaming fit. My last two flights were extra miserable. I really hate to fly anyway.
There is just 2 rules needed for reclining: 1. The flight attendant is always right (for example not reclining during the start) 2. just talk to each other. Ask the person behind you kindly if it is okay. Being nice gets you so much further. I’ve asked the person behind me and we ended up in the same hotel. At the pool, the guy came up to me just to tell me that it’s okay for me to recline the pool chair too… that guy was a giant goofball 😂
A woman in front of our seats suddenly reclined her seat while my mother was leaning forward to get something from her bag and got smacked in the head by the seat. When we told the woman to retract her seat and be more mindful next time not only did she get upset at us, the flight attendant noticed our dispute and proceeded to move my mother to a different seat on the plane as if she was the troublemaker! I guess I don't know what the etiquette is for seat reclining on air planes, but that scene has always stuck with me bitterly.
The two primary stressors in air travel, imo, are cramped seating and anxiety about whether there will be a place for your carryon luggage, both of which airlines could remediate but don’t. As for the rest, I choose a window seat because I want to look out the window! I will try to accommodate someone using the entertainment system, but if you need to sleep in the dark, bring your own eye mask. I never completely recline my seat all at once, though. I do a little “warning” move and then recline slowly.
I recently flew from ORD to PIT on AA. The person in front of me was aggressively trying to lean back. Think adjusting their whole body while pushing back. The space was tight enough already and I thought this person would break the seat and land on my lap. Fortunately it was a light flight and I had the row to myself (unheard of nowadays) so I moved to the window seat.
I’m here to tell you that non-reclining seats have arrived. I took a Volaris flight, Mexico City to Lima, 5 hours overnight. I was planning to get some sleep on the flight but the rock-hard plastic seats did not recline, not one centimeter! It was the most uncomfortable flight I’ve ever taken. There was only one cabin class on the flight so no option to pay for a more comfortable seat. The stingy amount of space between rows of seats was also to blame for the discomfort. If the airlines ever do eliminate reclining seats in economy/coach class you can be sure it will be for THEIR benefit and profit. It will have nothing whatsoever to do with passenger comfort or safety. Blaming the growing number of people flying for more crowded seating on flights is cheap way of passing the buck.
I don't think we should do away with the rwcline feature. Perhaps the recline button should be upgraded to become more electronic like in modern cars. This will prevent abrupt reclining.
@@PortableProfessional Just something else to break on an already incredibly expensive and complex aerial vehicle. Besides, the cost of those unnecessary “conveniences” are always passed down to the customer in the form of higher ticket prices. By the way, I love your content which is so professionally presented. (From a retired airline captain)
When someone in front of reclines too far the seat back will grind into my knees. This mainly due to the ever shrinking leg space, and not limiting the amount of recline in the seats.
I think airlines need to be accountable for how tight they’re packing people in. Rather than complaining at each other force the regulations to change so everyone can be comfortable again like it used to be that young folks have no clue of how nice it was to fly.
I am yet to travel on a plane in the USA where they enforce the window blind up rule while taking off and landing and we have been going there for years. In OZ it’s mandatory and the attendants actually make you put them up.
I was mortified when I was recently on a train in Europe and another passenger told me that my Airpods were not connected to the movie I was watching on my device. Thank goodness it was less than a minute. YIKES.😮
I was on an overnight flight from Seattle to Nashville. I was in the window seat. Someone sat in the middle seat but the aisle seat was open. You’d think she would have moved over to the aisle seat. Nope. And she raised the armrest between us, pushing her butt against me while rest her head in the aisle seat. Talk about rude.
Actually your space is the space including the fact that the seat in front reclined. You can recline yours, too. I don't expect anyone to refrain for me. Normally, I recline just a bit during waking hours. I would recline more for sleeping. But let's all do it slowly, please.
I personally don't recline my seat , because it actually make my back and legs hurt more from the angle . I don't mind if the person in front of me do it , but if is with in reasonable limit, I've seen people don't realize they recline so much that can almost hit the person behind them with the tray table when is down . As for possible spills on cups i usually just hold the cup till im done with it, because it can spill not only from reclining , but also from sudden turbulence.
I’ve flown a lot since the age of 5,some things were never said or printed as a rule,it was just something that those that had flown a lot just knew, which was the middle sitter got both arm rests, lately I’ve seen too many people who do not know this. Thanks for teaching airplane etiquette.
Hello Megan, I had what was possibly the worst flight I’ve ever had. Flying on Aer Lingus from Dulles back to Dublin. I found I’d been seated with the bulkhead behind me. There was a young girl who tipped her seat all the way back, l asked her, her mother even the flight attendant if she would show some consideration. During a meal she did lift the seat but not all the way, eventually l did get my revenge when she tried too tip it back again, l just put my arms up and stopped her!
@@PortableProfessional I’ve sworn never to fly Aer Lingus again, l know it could happen on any airline! Hoping to fly to JFK by BA from Newcastle next spring, fingers crossed. My only problem is trying to get it in my head is can l take my camera bag on as hand luggage!!
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It isn't an issue of reclining or not; it's an issue of shrinking seats and legroom. It's not on the passengers. It's on the airlines.
Yea and also I am gonna rip an air biscuit if I want too ....
100%
I think the question should be instead, who thinks the seats should be spread farther apart so people Can recline. They have smashed the seats so tight together. The geniuses who thought of this, probably ride on private planes.
There is usually an economy+ where you can get that. Airlines have discovered that most people shop by price rather than by seat pitch.
The squashing of people into such tight spaces so that they almost have no choice other than to pay extra for sufficient space should be illegal.
I'm sure they would charge extra for reclining seats if they could.
@@PaulMansfield I'm sure you are right about that. Anything for a profit each year.
Next thing you know they’ll make everyone stand so no legroom is required.
@@ICHope1 I don't think they can do that because it would be too dangerous.
Megan, your spilt coffee incident caused by you reclining your seat isn’t your fault. It’s the result of the airlines trying to maximize profits by cramming in as many seats as possible. Passenger comfort has nosedived over the years and questions about whether you should recline your seat have risen. I think you should be able to have enough space to recline your seat without bothering the person behind you. Is that too much to ask for?
I assumed that the reason for the spill in that case was the speed with which the tray table behind moved backward when Megan reclined her seat, not the amount of space available to the tray. Did I get that wrong?
US airlines want to make it so seats don't recline, yet they are the ones who created the problem in the first place.
the airlines are only doing it because there is a demand for cheap flights - you are free to buy a business class or first class ticket and have all the personal space you want.
Most airlines operate on a razor-thin margin, which is why airlines go bankrupt or require bailouts and cutbacks so often.
Why don't YOU start a non-greedy airline that offers Ryanair fares, Emirates comfort and pays fair salaries? Should be easy, right, just don't be greedy?
@@MeiLee-t2vExactly! If you recline, do it very slowly!
@@Ludvigvanamadeus Airlines don't make money, the main reason is they are so poorly mismanaged and use multiple types of planes. It has nothing to do with razor-thin margins, those are the faults of the airlines. It has to do with pure greed. But you are correct, if you don't like it, take a train, or bus, or upgrade. Nobody is forcing anyone to fly.
I was recently on a 4 hour flight and the person in front of me flung her seat back the minute she could and it stayed that way for the full 4 hours even when she fell asleep leaning forward up against the seat in front of her. I happened to be on a plane with very little leg room to begin with and was literally “held hostage” the whole trip. I couldn’t reach any bag by my feet or put the tray down.
If they are going to reduce the legroom then they need to reduce the ability to recline. It was the worst flight
I'm with you on this. Mine was a small child whose parents put the seat back the moment they could, and she jumped around yelling the whole flight shaking the seat - which was in my face.
Imagine being a 6' tall, slender woman with 35" legs. Almost every flight has me feeling like I'm in a sardine can. I've had my kneecaps bruised several times! Sometimes my knees touch the back of the seat in front of me BEFORE the seat is reclined!
I agree! I had someone lie full back the whole flight and I could barely move in my seat. I thought every time I accidentally banged the seat in front of me, he might have considered raising his seat, but no he wasn't concerned about anyone else at all!!!
I would’ve woken them up or said something
You should’ve called the flight attendant. That’s what I did during one of my trips, the seat in front of me was fully reclined while we were still eating. Luckily the flight attendant I called spoke to the passenger and the seat was adjusted.
Reclining is NOT the issue... cramming the seats inhumanely close together is the issue... space them out and reclining is no longer a problem...
Agree. But that would mean a heavy increase in the price.
@@wncjan Or maybe the airlines could have $5 less profit per flight...
One of the best flights I've ever had was in the passenger section of a C-5 Galaxy. Outside of little heating, and very loud engines requiring headphones over earplugs to make it bearable, as well as backwards facing seats, the leg room and such made it very comfortable. Doing an overseas flight was comfortable enough that I slept most of it.
@@tejloro Let's say they have to remove 10-15 8 seat rows ro give more room, I gues it would be more than $5. And on all their aircrafts? It would be millions of dolla4s in a very tight market.
@@wncjan And, in addition to that, let's say I'm more concerned with my comfort than their profit margins in a very tight market.
For people with bad backs, especially on a longer flight, being able to recline slightly really helps manage lower back pain. So many people have lower back pain, it’s very common.
I feel bad for people with bad backs but Megan is correct about the 4 times that seats should be on their upright position. I had a passenger in front of me recline their seat when my meal was serve on an international flight and nearly spilled my food and drinks. Just gotta ask and check the person at your back if it's ok to do so.
Depending on where the flight attendants are in distributing meals, the row in front of yours could have been served !5 minutes before your row. This was the case on my last flight and the family in front of me immediately put their seats back after finishing their meal. Not very considerate!
she was asking if we should eliminate reclining seats all together
I have a bad back, but I still say, stop the reclining madness, the recline is small for the recliner and so annoying for the one behind.
Yeah, i understand and feel your pain, but I have both back issues and bad knees, and I still will not recline on someone because I detest others reclining on me. The space received by the recliner is minimal compared to the space taken from the one behind. I say "Be Kind, Don't Recline!"
Sad situation that we have to discuss seat recline rules. While I agree about recline slowly I don’t agree that you have to factor if person behind you has laptop or iPad. Sure if flight is less than 4 hrs long you wouldn’t need recline. But if it’s an overnight flight or a long flight try to get comfortable especially when the person in front of you has reclined. What I would suggest is that all the ceo and executive board fly a mandatory 11 hr flight in economy on their airplanes each month and when they suggest new seat layout configurations.
How about a law that requires anyone at manager level or above working at an airline to only be able to fly economy ever?
I pay to recline period! 1hr 2hrs 3 hrs ...so speak for yourself
Regardless of the length of flight, reclining is not only a question of comfort, but many who suffer from constriction and or discomfort need to recline. I agree with the individual who suggested more space between seats.
Unfortunately your comfort doesn't factor in to the CEO's salary or profit goals.
I have been hit in the head on several flights because as I am reaching down to get my bag out from under the seat, the person does a full, abrupt seat recline. Before I recline I always look back to make sure I never do that to another passenger. Common courtesy, patience, and awareness of others has gone, literally, out the window when it comes to air travel these days.
Exactly
To be honest that's not a situation I've even considered as a possibility as I generally only recline a little and after looking over my shoulder, but since I'm short I could easily miss the person if they were leaning down. Definitely something to keep in mind next time I'm travelling
Don't remove the recline feature, instead, put enough room between seats!
If Only...
It's impossible. It's an example of shrinkflation - airlines squeeze more seats to get more people onboard to earn more money. They would never go back
I am only 4'9", and I'm squished 😅!
You can pay extra for more leg room
Worst reclining incident for me was on a chartered bus. The woman in front of me suddenly cranked backwards and pinned both my legs when she landed on my kneecaps. She did respond to my screams.
I had this happen on a flight once - the person in front did NOT respond to my protestations, even when I was trying to push on the seat at the same time to release my trapped legs!
That happened to me as I'm 5' 10" and I just started kicking the seat... I told the person who reclined that I could do this for the entire flight. Tall people have nowhere to put their long legs. I told her you will NOT lean on my legs for this entire flight.
My wife and I once flew from Vienna to Bucharest on a very small plane. There were 6 rows of first class seats, while the rest of the plan was economy. It was a very full flight. We were seated in the first row behind first class. Now, I am a tall guy and muscular. When the passenger in the first class seat went to recline his seat, my legs were in the way. He kept trying to force his seat back but my long legs wouldn't let him. He was hurting my legs. I gently pushed the front of his seat and politely let him know that his seat had no where to go. He complained to the flight attendant who then looked at me and my legs. I asked her where should I put my legs? She smiled at me and told the gentleman that he needed to keep the seat upright. After she left, he tried a few more times. This time I was not so polite and really pushed his seat forward as he kept hurting my legs. I leaned forward and advised him to stop hurting me. Only then did he realize how big I was and his seat remained upright for the flight that was only a little over an hour long. I didn't like that I had to be stern with him but he was hurting me. (We would have upgraded to first class but there were no seats left. For all future flights on these small planes, we have learned to never book the seats directly behind first class!)
One that I think people dont think about is loudly talking or laughing on an overnight flight. Last Sep I took a flight from Denver to London. It was an overnight so the plane was dark everyone was trying to sleep. There was a woman in the center of the plane watching something and would laugh so loud it would wake everyone up and she even made a baby cry from startling it. Im not talking about a little giggle either, she was cackling and screaming. This went on for an hour and I believe FAs stepped in after she was asked by her seat mates to keep it down and she started laughing louder and more raucously. Then on the same trip but return flight a trio of women in front of my husband and I were meeting for the first time and loudly discussing their drunken exploits on various trips. They started ordering alcohol and sounded like they meant to party. my whole row just looked at eachother like we were in for a rough flight. I think the FAs caught on and cut them off after the meal service and said it was a drink max policy. No idea if that policy actually exists but thank the stars for the FAs
Airline should make sure that the reclining seat will have enough space for things on the tray or make the reclining seat to stop.
If another passenger asks you to lift the armrest, ALWAYS say NO! I am small, and have lost 1/2 or more of my seat to obese passengers raising the armrest. This results in back and neck pain due to sitting crooked to get away from them. Never again!
I just read a comment somewhere else about a woman in that exact situation…she had hip pain for months after the unfortunate flight. And of course the airlines aren’t going to intervene or take any responsibility. Smh.
I'm a bigger person and would never ask or do that reason you paid your money for your seat.
The only time i have ever been asked to raise the armrest is when it is my husband or daughter, and I fly a lot so I guess I consider myself lucky.
For long-distance flights, I avoid the middle seat problems by paying the extra for premium economy and making sure I pick two across seats. To me, it is worth the extra dollars.
Great list!! I've probably made a few of these mistakes....The BIGGEST One was when I had deplaned and realized I left my tablet in the seat pocket and rushed back onto the plane....SEVERAL minutes after all passengers had left...to try to get my tablet. Everything was cool, since one of the flight attendants was rushing up the aisle with my tablet as I busted back onboard and nobody wrestled me to the ground, but I now pay much better attention to keeping track of my own personal belongings
Thanks for watching! Glad to hear you were reunited with your tablet!
While in flight, I always hold onto a drink on my tray because a recliner in front of you or even hitting some turbulence could cause a spill. Also, and although I never use a laptop on my tray or or recline my seat, I don't think it is the responsibility of a recliner to check behind first to see if it will inconvenience someone. Just IMHO.
Seats should be designed in a way that doesn't make this necessary.
this is why I always bring my own capped drink on planes. small cups with ice are a pain.
I just finish my drink pretty fast to avoid any spillage in case of sudden turbulence or something. If I do have a cup of something on the tray table, I put the cup closer to myself instead of closer to the seat in front of me. No issue even if the person in front of me has reclined their seat.
I personally absolutely need to recline my seat when traveling in general, on a flight I only have the seat upright during takeoff and landing, and during meal services, other than that it has to be reclined even on short flights due to me having severe pain in my spine (including neck), pelvic joints and hips (genetic condition) that makes it extremely painful for me to sit upright for more than just minutes at a time. Reclining means I can cope with extra painkillers, not reclining could mean having to go to hospital upon landing despite having taken my extra painkillers
The seat can recline in its own space, like on Japan Airlines, i.e. the seat slides forward as it is reclined so the seatback would not intrude into the space behind. As for putting any part of your body, e.g. hair, hand, foot, into other people's space, that's just rude.
Being old school and grown in a family where good manners were paramount, I like quite much your tips and advices. Unfortunately in a society in decline and more and more lacking of good manners and coexistence principles among it's members, we have to be aware that very probable, we'll be involved in an unfortunate event when flying.
Cheers and thank you!
I have an 11 hour flight today! I always love watching your videos before flights!
Don't touch or hit against the seat back of the person in front of you. There's just a thin piece of vinyl at the magazine net, or even if there is metal or hard plastic, every bump is felt. Don't grab headrests as you get up or walk by either, that shakes other people.
I do these things intentionally if the person in front of me does things that annoy me. I'm open to negotiation: we both stop or we both continue.
I literally had hair pulled out by a thoughtless man one time due to this! It was very painful.
If your seat is back, As a 5’9” person I can’t stand up with touching your seat. There’s just not room. It’s the airline’s fault not mine.
I’ve stopped reclining when in cattle class. A lot of newer seats barely move anymore. One less thing to worry about when preparing for landing
Totally agree on the seat reclining. I never recline my seat out of respect for the person behind me. I was on a 11hr flight recently. The dude in front of me reclined back. I tried to be cool about it, but each time I wanted to get out of my seat, I had to do some creative contortions to get out and back in. Meals and snacks were interesting as well. I finally asked him to put his seat up when my wife had to get up to use the restroom. With their seat back there’s no room to get by. At the very least, I feel like a simple ask should happen. Like, “Do you mind if I recline my seat back?”to the person behind you.
I also never recline my seat because I know what it's like to have a reclining seat in front of you and I don't want to do the same out of respect exactly to the person behind me.
Unfortunately you cannot rely on everyone to be respectful. I am only 5'4" with no back pain but my husband is 6'5" and has had major back surgery. We always need to pay for larger leg room when he flies. I use my ipad on the tray table and do not like it when people push back in my space. I have never had a person look back to see what they are doing. We all want to be comfortable and I don't think some should compromise their comfort for the other passengers -- there are exceptions of course. Airlines need better seating so we do not have this discussion. Thanks for the opportunity to voice our opinions.
Why should I be uncomfortable and not recline my seat so you can watch your iPad.....bc I bet YOUR seat is reclined.
But then they are compromising their own so the person behind them is comfortable? The madness needs to stop. People do what they do
Just completed a 14 hour flight from New Delhi to Toronto on a B777ER. I had the aisle seat, as I always do. Next to me, in the middle a grossly overweight man SPREAD himself into half of MY seat by his body pushing the armrest into my ribs and leg. I told him that if he wanted/needed two seats, he should BUY them, not use half of mine. It was NOT a happy flight. As for reclining seats....if the aircraft is used exclusively for flights of 4 hours or less...it's NOT a big deal. Sitting for 14 hours in a seat that DOESN'T recline....would be a 'back-breaker'.
OMG ^^^ This! It is supremely rude to spread into my seat area, voluntarily or simply by being voluminous. Invading someone’s designated space is simply not okay. Period. Worst flight was next to a huge, linebacker of a man whose shoulders touched mine with his hands in his lap. Not his “fault,” but dang I had ZERO room. And as a person with claustrophobia issues, it was a rough 5 hours
Aisle seats generally also allow you to raise the aisle arm rest (activate a small hidden button), I do that often. Helps greatly in flight, also when the flight ends getting out of the seat.
@@JohnW118 I like to use arm rests for their intended purpose, and to NOT get my arm broken by a cart or a fat person in the aisle. I know that they go up, which is what I do when I get up for a walk on a long flight, or at the end of the flight.
Ticket agents should never put a bigger person in the middle isle having said this as a flight attendant for help before you speak to person lol there not losing kilos on plane.
😂 “I learned a lot on that flight!” Love these vids! Megs got bars! 😍 6:37
I have no objection to seats reclining except for meals. I don't think it's unreasonable to have attendants ask that seats remain upright during meal service.
1:50 - No, they should be introducing actual _seats_ in cattle class.
Good flight etiquette tips!
Glad you like them!
Maybe airlines can invest in seats that don't recline into the person behind area. I forgot which plane I was on but was impressed with the recline did not recline but rotated in the seat bucket.
That would be a great solution!
I usually choose an aisle seat, being able to move the armrest is handy as you can just move a bit without feeling trapped. Most problems arise when folk don’t pay attention to things like the safety video. We owe it to each other on a plane to be civilised and should always be polite to the staff who do an amazing job.
Nice! Thanks for watching, Mark!
You are the best provider of travel info! The clear, slow, pleasant tone of voice grabs listeners attention. Thank u for asking us to subscribe AFTER the video offers helpful info is evident. And saying thank u too. I travel and ur tips are worthwhile.
At 68, I only fly business. If I can't afford business class, I can't afford to fly. The money saved by flying economy is not worth the discomfort and risk of physical injury.
Me too, also 68. Flying is all part of the holiday so why not do this in comfort. 👏🇦🇺
Physical injury??
Channeling your drama queen much?
Physical injury??
Channeling your drama queen much?
Agree. Also 68 yo. When and if I can't afford first class, I will just stop flying.
@@AnneMB955 I totally agree with you. I'm 74.
I agree that the shrinking seats are partly responsible for this new and terribly uncomfortable situation. I also think that it is an opportunity to bring enjoyment between people back in to travel. A simple communication with the one behind you saying you'd like to recline and would it be convenient at that time could be a solution. Taking responsibility for ones actions feels good...and is a friendly gesture (which also feels good). bon voyage!☺
It may be the Singapore Effect but I took a flight from JFK to PHX last week and the seatbelt sign stayed on the whole time. Also, I think the issue with drinks spilling when a passenger reclines is bad design and its on the airlines and aircraft manufactures to fix. I don't recline on planes anymore because the seat is equally uncomfortable no matter how I adjust it.
I'm a frequent LONG haul traveller (Western Australia to Ohio) sometimes enduring 16 hour stretches. PLEASE do not encourage airlines to eliminate the reclining option! I'll never be able to snooze on those flights again 😫
On my recent flight, the man sitting next to me, had some kind of clacker thing. He kept clicking away most of the trip. I thought he was afraid of flying. He had headphones on and watching something on the phone. I was so happy to get off that flight!
There is no such thing as class, dignity and respect now. Glad I don’t have to fly anymore.
I would have the flight attendant tell him to stop it. It that fails, I'll pull off his headphones and tell him myself.
@@bobmcgehee1749 Interesting, why do you watch flying videos then?
@@lezlier.6679 Because now I fly myself if I need to go someplace.
@@diannsanford2436 sounds like he didn’t put his keyboard on silent.
The cramped conditions are no fun for anybody with the current typical seat arrangements. Please consider not reclining your seat at all if the people behind you are tall. My husband is 6'3" (190 cm) and I'm 5'10" (178 cm). If you're tall, your legs will be touching the seats in front when they're in a full upright position. Once it's reclined, you're physically injuring the tall person behind.
Exactly 💯
I'm tall with physical issues and my husband has a permanent injury. We are both going to recline. To each their own
I have an extreme back issue & need to recline so I can arrange pillows in a way so that the pain is somewhat tolerable & always pick an aisle seat because of it. But I always go upright during take off/landing & meal times. Seats have been reclining since almost the beginning of air travel, so I don't understand why all of a sudden it's an issue for some people.
Thank you for your time and posting. Reclining wouldn't be a problem if US airlines didn't cram in as many seats as they could. I don't fly a ton (even though I am going to Vietnam in Sept. to see if I want to retire there), but I flew LATAM (Ecuador) Airlines and had no problem reclining my seat, and I had lots of leg room (at 6'2"). So the US airlines want to get rid of reclining yet they created the problem in the first place.
More reasons to upgrade from Economy.
I know many people can't, either because of a true lack of money or different priorities. But if you can afford it, do so! My last flight was in domestic first class, and it solved so many of these little annoyances:
- the seat spacing is large enough that reclining causes no problem for most people behind you.
- The armrests are solid so a seat mate can't "spill over". The seats are also wide enough that most large people have plenty of room.
- Almost all passengers in DFC are experienced at flying, and don't make unintentional mistakes. Most (not all) are polite, too.
- If you feel you must get snockered on a flight, you'll get free booze.
wow that's genius I wonder if anyone else has thought about upgrading to a bigger seat
@@teedimi9539 I hear sarcasm.
In truth, DFC has many other advantages. I'm a little old lady, an Economy seat is plenty of room for me.
But the quality of service in DFC is much better. There's always space in the overhead bins. Unlimited drinks and beverages, even before take-off. Real food. And more.
Economy serves an important purpose. It allows almost everyone the opportunity to fly. I used Ecomoy for many years, often with babies or small children. I'm older now, less able to put up with chaos, and very grateful to be able to afford more.
I would guess that a lot of the "airlines are awful" people could afford an extra couple hundred to have their complaints go away.
I couldn’t care less if the person in front of me reclines. Doesn’t affect my meal or my using a laptop at all.
Similarly, I couldn’t care less if the person behind me prefers that I remain upright. I pay for the seat, including it’s reclining feature, so I get to use it without consulting with anyone else. The only thing I do in this regard is recline the seat very slowly and gently, to be courteous.
Thanks for the tips!!!😊
Great 👍 video
One issue I had with reclining a seat was on a 777 with a really old entertainment system. I had to recline my seat to be able to watch it. As far as not spilling over into my neighbors seat, I'm 188cm and 90kg. My shoulders are wider than most airline seats. I try to not invade someone else's space, which has gotten my other shoulder slammed by a cart. Such is life.
Good tips! Also, is Ollie ever awake? 😉🤣
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Too bad, I can't use it until a few weeks before I fly to Vietnam, otherwise I won't make the US$4K in three months.
Good Job, Megan!
I had forgotten a number of these tips.
Thanks. 👍
Perfect. Every Traveller must follow Airline Guidelines while on Air.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Sorry, but I paid for my seat and I'm going to recline. Being upright in these four examples makes sense but I'm not going to be uncomfortable while someone does work or is drinking coffee. I'm a very considerate person and agree abt reclining slowly but people have to take responsibility for their own actions. I just don't understand why this is even a big discussion these days. When I'm on a flight, I fully expect the person in front of me to lean his chair back and I just deal with it.
On several flights, the seat in front of me was suddenly and rapidly reclined into my kneecaps! I had to either sit sideways, or with my legs spread far apart. Not exactly comfortable!
Ouch! Space is certainly disappearing in economy! Safe travels!
I would not remove reclining in economy : it is extremely uncomfortable as it is! But yes, some people lack common decency with regards to etiquette in an airplaine.
Reclining seats. Flights less than 4-5 hours okay to remove. Long haul flights, NO, NO, NO! Especially since someone is going get stuck in the middle seat, reclining is the only comfort. With so many airlines flying with worn out old seats, I am looking at US airlines, reclining maybe the only way to not hurt for days after a flight. Last time I flew American Airlines from ORD to Heathrow(~8 hours) the seats were so bad my hips hurt for 5 days afterwards.
I had a first class seat from Newark to Rome - and the seat was broken and so uncomfortable!! AA gave me a small voucher in compensation, but it didn't even cover the pain meds or chiro bill.
Robert Frost said it best: Good fences make good neighbors. 😊
Reclining is annoying especially when you have food on your tray.
Yes, I usually don’t use recliner when is food time, but If the person front of me still use reclining , it makes me very hard to eat.
Great video
Anybody who thinks recline should be removed has obviously never taken an 6+ hour red-eye flight... Even if not a red-eye, on a long flight sitting bolt upright will cause lumbar pain.
All these tips are basic common sense, but unfortunately, common sense is uncommon.
Common sense isn’t a flower that grows in everyone’s garden.
If I have a window seat, then the shade will be up! But I guess I can keep it down for take-off and landing. Looking out the window is the best part of the flight! 😊
You’ve got it backwards: it should be _up_ during takeoff and landing. Those are the times when crashes/issues are most likely to occur. FAs need to be able to see outside and emergency services need to be able to see inside during emergencies. So leave it up to your heart’s content!
If they take the recline feature out, they should put all the seats permanently in recline because the upright seat is unusually straight. As I am tall, I need the additional space for my knees.
The flights I take are normally long-haul -- Los Angeles to Frankfurt am Main -- to visit family. As much as I enjoy a window seat, I prefer an aisle seat from which I can more easily get up to stretch my legs or go to the lavatory.
When it comes to reclining my seat, I always give the occupant of the seat behind me a heads-up. I also don't recline my seat too much; just enough to be comfortable (I always keep my seatbelt fastened whenever I'm in my seat).
Flying can be stressful for many individuals. Fortunately, I have a phlegmatic temperament. It helps me, for the most part, enjoy the whole air travel experience.
Reclining seats - those 4 times make absolute sense. Reclining is not a big deal to me on shorter flights, but on long haul it makes a big difference, especially to sleep. OR if the seat in front is reclining and I can't it could feel tight. I try to always remember to glance back before reclining rather than doing so abruptly.
It would not ever have occurred to me to move an armrest next to another person. I think air travel is a place for "best behavior" mode and avoiding rudeness.
Some customers of size immediately lift so they can “fit” without being forced to buy the second seat.
I’m not tiny, but I do fit easily and will lift the seat between my husband and myself. So we can spread into each other.
Regarding your tip about not passing gas on a plane: foods high in sulphurous compounds like onions, garlic, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower are among the worst culprits for producing smelly gas and are best avoided at least 24 hours before your flight.
Having been a victim of several selfish recliners over the years, I think seats should be redesigned to move the lower part of the seat forwards into the persons own space, instead of intruding into someone else's space.
@@gwynwinter5588 Selfish people looking out for their bad backs or old injury’s just proves being”selfish” isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You think he/she should put you first instead of themselves? I think that’s crazy and I doubt you would do the same.
Amount of recline should be based on seat pitch. If the seat pitch is less than 32" then there shouldn't be reclining and more reclining can be added for each additional inch of pitch.
I think the normal or default position should be fully reclined. Too bad some people have good backs and aren’t bothered by sitting at attention for 4 hours.
Reclined seats makes it more difficult to get out, especially if you are in the middle or window seat. I hardly use the reline myself and would not miss that feature. It generally eats into your space apart from mealtime.
What about flatulence during turbulence?!
Better to remove the middle seat for the economy seats and have two confortable large seats ..
That would be nice but I think there is a better chance of them turning 3 seats into 4🧐
My last flight I had a gentleman recline his seat suddenly into my knees. Being six foot four it wasn't a pleasant feeling. He at first refused to sit back up. I can see why so many fights happen on airplanes. When I started to get angry he soon relinted.😢
I don't mind the idea that seats are fixed, but then they must be designed in a reclined position, with tray tables and in-flight entertainment screens adjusted accordingly.
Airlines won't do that though. They will simply disable the function and force the plebs to sit stick straight.
Domestic flights don't recline very much at all. Maybe 2 or 3 inches. Now the international flights recline much more.
Interesting! I will have to check that out next flight!
It’s bad enough that economy seats are so small and have no space but to not even have them recline… that would be horrible!
By reclining the seat you are making the trip an ordeal for the person behind you.
@@tj2375you really aren't, especially on newer jets the recline doesn't really eat into the space for the person behind you. I really don't care if the person in front of me reclines and I'm 6'3".
@@tj2375 they can recline too!
I’d choose another airline if they buy jets without reclining seats.
Geez im only 5'1 and about 100lbs. I was so horribly cramped on my last 4hr flight, i cannot imagine how bad it would be if i were average sized. And these flights are booked solid, one recent fight i was stuck btwn two fat guys with kids kicking my seat from behind while another toddler had an hour long screaming fit. My last two flights were extra miserable.
I really hate to fly anyway.
There is just 2 rules needed for reclining:
1. The flight attendant is always right (for example not reclining during the start)
2. just talk to each other. Ask the person behind you kindly if it is okay. Being nice gets you so much further. I’ve asked the person behind me and we ended up in the same hotel.
At the pool, the guy came up to me just to tell me that it’s okay for me to recline the pool chair too… that guy was a giant goofball 😂
A woman in front of our seats suddenly reclined her seat while my mother was leaning forward to get something from her bag and got smacked in the head by the seat. When we told the woman to retract her seat and be more mindful next time not only did she get upset at us, the flight attendant noticed our dispute and proceeded to move my mother to a different seat on the plane as if she was the troublemaker!
I guess I don't know what the etiquette is for seat reclining on air planes, but that scene has always stuck with me bitterly.
Depends on how you were scolding her. I imagine it wasn’t very nice.
Great tips 🙂
The two primary stressors in air travel, imo, are cramped seating and anxiety about whether there will be a place for your carryon luggage, both of which airlines could remediate but don’t.
As for the rest, I choose a window seat because I want to look out the window! I will try to accommodate someone using the entertainment system, but if you need to sleep in the dark, bring your own eye mask. I never completely recline my seat all at once, though. I do a little “warning” move and then recline slowly.
I enjoy this content but I’m probably done flying. Last flight was 2018 and I don’t miss it.
I recently flew from ORD to PIT on AA. The person in front of me was aggressively trying to lean back. Think adjusting their whole body while pushing back. The space was tight enough already and I thought this person would break the seat and land on my lap. Fortunately it was a light flight and I had the row to myself (unheard of nowadays) so I moved to the window seat.
Some of these also apply in the airport (#6 for example)
I’m here to tell you that non-reclining seats have arrived. I took a Volaris flight, Mexico City to Lima, 5 hours overnight. I was planning to get some sleep on the flight but the rock-hard plastic seats did not recline, not one centimeter! It was the most uncomfortable flight I’ve ever taken. There was only one cabin class on the flight so no option to pay for a more comfortable seat. The stingy amount of space between rows of seats was also to blame for the discomfort. If the airlines ever do eliminate reclining seats in economy/coach class you can be sure it will be for THEIR benefit and profit. It will have nothing whatsoever to do with passenger comfort or safety. Blaming the growing number of people flying for more crowded seating on flights is cheap way of passing the buck.
I'm sure non-reclining seats are cheaper and take less space, so the incentive is already there.
I don't think we should do away with the rwcline feature. Perhaps the recline button should be upgraded to become more electronic like in modern cars. This will prevent abrupt reclining.
Nice idea! Thanks for watching!
@@PortableProfessional Just something else to break on an already incredibly expensive and complex aerial vehicle. Besides, the cost of those unnecessary “conveniences” are always passed down to the customer in the form of higher ticket prices.
By the way, I love your content which is so professionally presented. (From a retired airline captain)
1:54, No, recline is good for the back because they have double seat pack padding, which is good to sleep.
When someone in front of reclines too far the seat back will grind into my knees. This mainly due to the ever shrinking leg space, and not limiting the amount of recline in the seats.
Limited recline only. It’s crazy enough then you have someone in front of you recline into knees.
I think airlines need to be accountable for how tight they’re packing people in. Rather than complaining at each other force the regulations to change so everyone can be comfortable again like it used to be that young folks have no clue of how nice it was to fly.
I am yet to travel on a plane in the USA where they enforce the window blind up rule while taking off and landing and we have been going there for years. In OZ it’s mandatory and the attendants actually make you put them up.
I was mortified when I was recently on a train in Europe and another passenger told me that my Airpods were not connected to the movie I was watching on my device. Thank goodness it was less than a minute. YIKES.😮
I was on an overnight flight from Seattle to Nashville. I was in the window seat. Someone sat in the middle seat but the aisle seat was open. You’d think she would have moved over to the aisle seat. Nope. And she raised the armrest between us, pushing her butt against me while rest her head in the aisle seat. Talk about rude.
Actually your space is the space including the fact that the seat in front reclined. You can recline yours, too. I don't expect anyone to refrain for me. Normally, I recline just a bit during waking hours. I would recline more for sleeping. But let's all do it slowly, please.
Great video thanks. I must have been lucky as if have never had an issue with this problem. But I only fly business class.
I personally don't recline my seat , because it actually make my back and legs hurt more from the angle . I don't mind if the person in front of me do it , but if is with in reasonable limit, I've seen people don't realize they recline so much that can almost hit the person behind them with the tray table when is down . As for possible spills on cups i usually just hold the cup till im done with it, because it can spill not only from reclining , but also from sudden turbulence.
My backnis broken and being able to recline helps relieve some of my pain. Sitting straight up is extremely painful for en entire flight.
I can’t help it I always make sure that the person behind has space before I recline.
Another thing is harshly poking the seat back screen as the person in front of you can feel it.
There was a court case here in Australia where someone got awarded damages of 700 dollars for having the seat in front reclined for the entire journey
I’ve flown a lot since the age of 5,some things were never said or printed as a rule,it was just something that those that had flown a lot just knew, which was the middle sitter got both arm rests, lately I’ve seen too many people who do not know this. Thanks for teaching airplane etiquette.
Hello Megan,
I had what was possibly the worst flight I’ve ever had. Flying on Aer Lingus from Dulles back to Dublin. I found I’d been seated with the bulkhead behind me. There was a young girl who tipped her seat all the way back, l asked her, her mother even the flight attendant if she would show some consideration. During a meal she did lift the seat but not all the way, eventually l did get my revenge when she tried too tip it back again, l just put my arms up and stopped her!
That does sound like an uncomfortable flight! Glad you were able to get yourself a little space! Safe travels, Colin!
@@PortableProfessional
I’ve sworn never to fly Aer Lingus again, l know it could happen on any airline! Hoping to fly to JFK by BA from Newcastle next spring, fingers crossed.
My only problem is trying to get it in my head is can l take my camera bag on as hand luggage!!
I never recline any more, mainly because I don’t like it happening to me. Now I just save up for Business. Great tips Megan. 👏🇦🇺
Thanks, Anne! Happy travels!