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

Im 6‘6”. The person in front of my paid for their seat but I also paid for mine. I’m perfectly fine with airline seating with the space I’ve been provided....until someone reclines their seat. Then I’m squished.
i don’t move my legs if someone wants to recline I’m not going to accommodate their “right” by giving up mine. The size of my legs prevents the seat from reclining at all.
it’s the same reason I keep my socks and shoes on my feet, don’t take up an entire overhead bin with allowed luggage, or don’t wear or bring heavily scented items (to name a few). I can do all these things but choose not to out of common courtesy to those around me.
 
@ottawamom, I once got into an argument on another forum about this same issue. I do feel that it is inconsiderate (maybe not exactly "rude") to recline one's seat on a daytime flight, when everyone, including the person in the reclined seat, is awake. In the particular instance that was being discussed, I had an active toddler in my lap (yes, I could have bought him a seat, but he wouldn't have sat in it anyway), and the individual in front of me left his seat reclined for the entire flight, even when he was not sitting in it. I wasn't angry, but I dared to admit that I didn't feel especially sorry when my toddler bumped the seat in front. I didn't encourage it, and even did my best to avoid it - but I wasn't feeling particularly apologetic when it did happen, as was inevitable.

I quickly learned that not only was I very much in the minority in my opinion, but that many people feel very, very strongly about their "right" to that space that they feel they have paid for. That is, since the seat can move into that space, it is "theirs". According to some, I was the one being inconsiderate by having a toddler in my lap in the first place, and thus encroaching on the space that rightfully belonged to the person in front.

I still think it is inconsiderate. I don't do it myself, even if the person in front of me does. But I recognise that not everyone agrees, and there is certainly nothing I can do about it, so I just deal.

Hope your next flight is better!
 
I NEVER recline my seat but feel strongly if a person pays (dearly, nowadays) for a seat, they definitely have a right to recline their seat. It is not their fault that the airlines are making seats (and areas) too small and uncomfortable.

I also feel that if fitting in these ridiculously small seats is a big problem, they should buy an additional seat and not infringe on the space of another passenger. There is barely enough room for the person sitting there.
 
@ottawamom I can totally relate. I'm tall woman ( close to 5'11 ) with long legs and a little on the fluffier side :blush: :laughing: So the seats are already soooo small. I have a hard time getting comfortable in them at all. I'm sure anyone who sits next to me is like " What the heck is wrong with you " because I'm always moving around trying to get comfy. They must think I have ants in my pants like a little 4 yr old kid lol

The last trip home from Mexico was a 6 + hr flight but it was on a smaller plane that should only be used for short haul trips. (Airtransat which commissions planes for some of their flights - and won't EVER travel with them again for other reasons. ) It was probably the worst flight I have ever been on. I was sitting in the middle...my son had the window...and there was another guest on the aisle seat. It was the only way I could sit without my legs or arms falling asleep. It was not a pleasant experience for almost 7 hrs by the time we boarded and got off in Calgary.

But usually I try not to recline my seat just for the reason of the person behind me. It makes for a long trip when your small space is made smaller by a reclining seat
5'11" I wouldn't say is "tall" hmmm. i'm 5'9" I thought that was just average.
 


I think average is around 5'6". You're both tall. As for the issue with airline seats it all depends on where you get your height from. If it's all in your legs those seats can be tight as opposed to a long torso.
 
Had this happen to me on Qantas coming from Australia during mealtime. Try eating when your tray is into your abdomen.:oops:
If everyone would put themselves in the other person's shoes (for anything in life) and think how it'd feel if it happened to them.....what a difference it'd make.:flower3:
 
As I think back on my initial post. It's not that I had an issue with the seat being reclined (a bit), it's that the person in front of me reclined it the whole way. The screen in front of me was practically in my face and I didn't bring the right glasses on the plane for that. That and I couldn't even cross my legs without hitting the seat back (not as nible as I once was).

I've flown on planes for decades where people have reclined their seat and I've not had the reaction I did the other week. Most of those times it has been just a little bit to become more comfortable and I'm perfectly OK with that. Was I a little over tired from my holiday maybe.
 


What would I have done? Nothing. The seats recline. The occupants are permitted to recline their seats.

^This. It's his seat - he paid for it and can do as he sees fit. What gives you the right to tell him what he can and cannot do with his seat?

I would have given you the evil eye too. Good gracious.
 
I think if you're knees accidentally hit his seat, that's tough luck. Why does he get to say what you do with your limited space? The back of his seat is your space, clearly, as the pocket is there and the screen and tray. Ergo, any touching of the back of the seat (particularly if it's accidental, even if it was felt through the seat) should be fine.

He asked you if you minded, after your knee got caught on the backside of the seat, but when you replied, he did nothing to alleviate the problem. He simply explained why what he was doing was fine (disc issues). I get it. Bad backs are horrible and the seat does go back, but hey, don't imply to your rear seatmate that you might put your seat back up and don't complain about a bump or two when it happens.

He should have kept his mouth shut or he should have compromised by putting his seat at least halfway up, since he engaged and questioned you in the first place.
 
We flew to Newark last week on Air Canada (actually a very pleasant flight) except for when I put my tray table up the first time (to get my wallet out to pay for some food)....I didn't SLAM the table back, I put it back gently but the woman in front of me turned around and hissed "could you not kick or slam your table, I have a headache." Even the stewardess looked at me like "oh crap, sorry you have someone like that in front of you." For the rest of the flight I was VERY careful with my movements, even when SHE was abrupt about getting up. It was awkward. But on the descent down, when you have to put your table up for the last time I put mine up HARD and KICKED the chair underneath. She turned around and I GLARED at her and she slunk back around.
Was that mature of me? No. Did it feel good? HELL YES. Esp after she had the nerve to recline almost all the way back, too.

Oh and on the flight back, the person across the aisle and in front and across the aisle and behind took their shoes off within 30 seconds of sitting down and put their nasty feeeeeettttt on the seats.
 
I NEVER recline my seat but feel strongly if a person pays (dearly, nowadays) for a seat, they definitely have a right to recline their seat. It is not their fault that the airlines are making seats (and areas) too small and uncomfortable.

I also feel that if fitting in these ridiculously small seats is a big problem, they should buy an additional seat and not infringe on the space of another passenger. There is barely enough room for the person sitting there.

Those small seats are terrible, and unfortunately people are getting bigger while the seats are tinier and tinier. I'm small, but it's still not comfortable at all. I can't even imagine how heavy people can stand it. And unfortunately, often there is overflow. I don't know how many flights I've been on where someone's body is literally overflowing the armrests onto me. It's not their fault- the space is so compact that I can barely cross my legs (I'm a size 4), and it's terribly uncomfortable for me. It would be horrible to be tall or heavy-set.

Flying is so horrible that I drive whenever I can. Anything less than a 10-12 hour drive, I will drive to avoid flying. I fly now about 12 times per year.
 
For all the "I paid for the seat, and it has the ability to recline" people: Please, to help those of us who are taller, and our height is mostly in our legs, WARN ME FIRST! I have had two knee surgeries, and am 5' 11". I always ask the person in front of me to warn me if they are going to recline, because it is extremely painful to have the seat jammed into my knees. Every time I have asked at the beginning of the flight, the person has been respectful and friendly, and usually says "I never recline my seat."
 
We flew to Newark last week on Air Canada (actually a very pleasant flight) except for when I put my tray table up the first time (to get my wallet out to pay for some food)....I didn't SLAM the table back, I put it back gently but the woman in front of me turned around and hissed "could you not kick or slam your table, I have a headache." Even the stewardess looked at me like "oh crap, sorry you have someone like that in front of you." For the rest of the flight I was VERY careful with my movements, even when SHE was abrupt about getting up. It was awkward. But on the descent down, when you have to put your table up for the last time I put mine up HARD and KICKED the chair underneath. She turned around and I GLARED at her and she slunk back around.
Was that mature of me? No. Did it feel good? HELL YES. Esp after she had the nerve to recline almost all the way back, too.

Oh and on the flight back, the person across the aisle and in front and across the aisle and behind took their shoes off within 30 seconds of sitting down and put their nasty feeeeeettttt on the seats.
OMG! But what’s worse is the person sharing the same overhead bin with me, took off her shoes and put them next to my carry-on backpack. It’s disgusting! The thought of touching her shoes when I tried to get stuff from my pack or dropping the shoes on her head when I opened the bin was unpleasant! Finally I took out a plastic bag, skilfully put her shoes in the bag without touching them with my hand and put the shoes under my backpack. I truly hope people can be more considerate!!
 
OMG! But what’s worse is the person sharing the same overhead bin with me, took off her shoes and put them next to my carry-on backpack. It’s disgusting! The thought of touching her shoes when I tried to get stuff from my pack or dropping the shoes on her head when I opened the bin was unpleasant! Finally I took out a plastic bag, skilfully put her shoes in the bag without touching them with my hand and put the shoes under my backpack. I truly hope people can be more considerate!!
I really don't see the problem with her shoes hitting her on the head. In fact, I see that as karma. :rotfl2:
 
For all the "I paid for the seat, and it has the ability to recline" people: Please, to help those of us who are taller, and our height is mostly in our legs, WARN ME FIRST! I have had two knee surgeries, and am 5' 11". I always ask the person in front of me to warn me if they are going to recline, because it is extremely painful to have the seat jammed into my knees. Every time I have asked at the beginning of the flight, the person has been respectful and friendly, and usually says "I never recline my seat."

Look - if you warn me first, I will certainly be cognizant of that and in all likelihood probably not even recline at all.

That noted, however, it is not my responsibility to be proactive and check with every single person who sits behind me on an airplane to see if they have some sort of condition. I paid for the seat, it reclines, end of story. Don't like it? Take it up with the airline, not me.
 
It's not just "class". There are tangible difference between the two types of memberships.

1) "Membership Extras" give you discounts. Some are significant, some are essentially worthless to most. It depends on your personal situation.

2) Ability to book at "new resorts".

The two types of memberships are more than just a title. Any buyer subject to these differences has all the information easily available to determine whether the extra cost of going direct is worth it for them personally
@ottawamom, I once got into an argument on another forum about this same issue. I do feel that it is inconsiderate (maybe not exactly "rude") to recline one's seat on a daytime flight, when everyone, including the person in the reclined seat, is awake. In the particular instance that was being discussed, I had an active toddler in my lap (yes, I could have bought him a seat, but he wouldn't have sat in it anyway), and the individual in front of me left his seat reclined for the entire flight, even when he was not sitting in it. I wasn't angry, but I dared to admit that I didn't feel especially sorry when my toddler bumped the seat in front. I didn't encourage it, and even did my best to avoid it - but I wasn't feeling particularly apologetic when it did happen, as was inevitable.

I quickly learned that not only was I very much in the minority in my opinion, but that many people feel very, very strongly about their "right" to that space that they feel they have paid for. That is, since the seat can move into that space, it is "theirs". According to some, I was the one being inconsiderate by having a toddler in my lap in the first place, and thus encroaching on the space that rightfully belonged to the person in front.

I still think it is inconsiderate. I don't do it myself, even if the person in front of me does. But I recognise that not everyone agrees, and there is certainly nothing I can do about it, so I just deal.

Hope your next flight is better!


Except, a daytime flight for you might be a second flight for someone who has just flow internationally overnight and they may need to sleep.

I don't think you can assume daytime flight no-one needs to sleep.
 
Except, a daytime flight for you might be a second flight for someone who has just flow internationally overnight and they may need to sleep.

I don't think you can assume daytime flight no-one needs to sleep.

^ This. I fly back and forth to Africa regularly. When inbound to the USA, I will land in ATL around 6am and then subsequently hop domestic flight to my home airport. That flight is a 17hr flight - non stop from JNB to ATL. I am exhausted by that point and will usually collapse as soon as I hit the chair on the domestic leg.
 
Except, a daytime flight for you might be a second flight for someone who has just flow internationally overnight and they may need to sleep.

I don't think you can assume daytime flight no-one needs to sleep.

Except that in the scenario you quoted, a) he was not sleeping, b) he left the seat back even when he wasn't in it, and c) we were most definitely not coming from a location anyone would have been connecting through. So no. Not on that particular occasion.

I concede that there may occasionally be a medical need, or someone just really needs to sleep, or whatever. And that those reasons might not be obvious. Still think it's inconsiderate when there is no such need, and so I choose not to do it myself.

ETA: the mention of "daytime flights" wasn't really about whether the recliner has justification or not anyway. The point is that on a daytime flight, most likely the person in the seat behind will not be sleeping.
 
Last edited:
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,
I always assume if you recline (which you are allowed to do) you forfeit complaining about getting the seat back bumped by the knees of the person behind you, because by reclining the seat you move the back of your seat into that person leg room. I'm petite (5'3") and my daughter is 10. Last trip we took I picked seats and put the the girls (DD10 and DN9) in front of DH so they wouldn't recline the seats into his knees. Did the same with DN4 and nana and put DBIL and DSIL behind again so they wouldn't recline into the tall members of our parties knees.
 
That's a very creative solution. Great when you're traveling with little ones.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top