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Yet another flight diverted over reclining seat, this time Delta

Yet another flight diverted over reclining seat, this time Delta

Old Sep 2, 2014, 7:08 am
  #16  
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I hope this idiot woman gets an invoice for the full cost of the diversion to Jacksonville.
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 7:15 am
  #17  
 
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Perhaps it is prudent advice for all future seat reclinations to be coordinated individually with a FA.
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 7:17 am
  #18  
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Originally Posted by clr4t8koff
These diversions can't be cheap for the airlines. Though perhaps after enough of them maybe the airlines will make changes to their sardine cans, aka - coach/economy cabins. I can keep hoping, right?
That hope is one thing. Expectations are another.

I expect that customer-friendly improvements on this item will go unrealized -- at least absent government regulation/legislation that further restricts cramping in passengers. I doubt that such regulation/legislation would happen -- sort of like I how doubt that it would change even with litigation against the airline for supposedly increasing the risk of more serious injuries and deaths as a result of cramping in seats such that it results in making evacuation of flights harder.

Originally Posted by HDQDD

I won't attempt to blame the carriers, or the cost minded pax. But I will say this: If enough people keep acting like inmates, they'll start treating everyone like inmates.
The TSA already treats passengers like inmates. The airline crew members treating passengers like inmates would just align the experiences.

Originally Posted by tom_MN
Perhaps it is prudent advice for all future seat reclinations to be coordinated individually with a FA.
The FAs aren't always willing to explain that a passenger should be allowed to recline the seat when others in the cabin are allowed to recline the seat; nor are the FAs all willing to get involved in such situations.

Last edited by GUWonder; Sep 2, 2014 at 7:28 am
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 7:20 am
  #19  
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Originally Posted by injera
I love the comments that say "this is the fault of the airlines....if they didnt squeeze us in to cramped seats then these issues wouldnt happen"

No sir, "the cramped seats are the fault of the consumer." If the majority of consumers values additional legroom vs a token savings then airlines would have no problem providing more legroom.

Also, if space is so critical, buy EC or F.
Most of the time when reading news online, I jump straight from the lede down to the comments. They can either be the best or worst content out on the internet (or both, at the same time).

And +1 on airlines responding to consumer demand. I'm constantly astounded by the lengths people will go to save $10 by adding connections, picking crazy flight times, wrong airports, etc., then can't seem to have any level of flexibility or understanding of others once they actually board the plane.
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 7:22 am
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by tom_MN
As a tall person who never reclines, I prefer to see these disputes continue so the reclining feature is eventually removed.
Ditto on both accounts from me, too.

+1000

That's what being a grown up is about.
Indeed.

^^^
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 7:32 am
  #21  
 
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Originally Posted by injera
Also, if space is so critical, buy EC or F.
Recline disputes happen in EC or F as well.

In F: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...s-recline.html

In E+ on United: http://seattletimes.com/html/busines...linefight.html

The extra leg room does not necessarily help. I've often found other pax in the "premium" cabins to be some of the hardest to work with in terms of seat accommodations because they did, in fact, want extra recline and pay for it, although some of those F seats recline a bit too far IMHO.
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 7:37 am
  #22  
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The "elite" and "premium" cabin "regulars" are perceived by many FAs as being some of the most difficult customers on a plane -- not surprising as this crowd is inclined to think it knows the "rules/customs" better than others; and they also are likely to be on the planes more than your average non-status sardine class passenger.

Originally Posted by tom_MN
I don't think that screaming and swearing is unexpected or unreasonable behavior for a sleeping person who had just had a seat reclined on her head.
What position are you in that a normally-functioning seat reclined back to its normal maximum limit reclines onto your head? I've seen people sleep on nasty tray tables, even with pillows on them, and I've not yet seen any sleeping person get their head smacked by a reclining seat. I've seen people sleep in other ways on planes too, but I've not yet seen any sleeping person get their head smacked by a reclining seat. Maybe I need to fly another several million miles to see that happen such that someone's head would be in sufficient pain to make screaming and profanity "expected or reasonable" as you suggest it is.
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 8:00 am
  #23  
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
What position are you in that a normally-functioning seat reclined back to its normal maximum limit reclines onto your head? I've seen people sleep on nasty tray tables, even with pillows on them, and I've not yet seen any sleeping person get their head smacked by a reclining seat. I've seen people sleep in other ways on planes too, but I've not yet seen any sleeping person get their head smacked by a reclining seat. Maybe I need to fly another several million miles to see that happen such that someone's head would be in sufficient pain to make screaming and profanity "expected or reasonable" as you suggest it is.
Maybe they're using one of these contraptions from SkyMall: http://www.amazon.com/Skyrest-SkyRes...dp/B000VKP6VW#
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 8:05 am
  #24  
 
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Originally Posted by pleasantsn
Recline disputes happen in EC or F as well.

In F: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...s-recline.html

In E+ on United: http://seattletimes.com/html/busines...linefight.html

The extra leg room does not necessarily help. I've often found other pax in the "premium" cabins to be some of the hardest to work with in terms of seat accommodations because they did, in fact, want extra recline and pay for it, although some of those F seats recline a bit too far IMHO.
IMO, the airlines are gaming the passengers. Recline creates an illusion of control in response to the airlines de-allocating space. I rarely recline unless I have a recliner in front of me who forces me to recline. 31" inch pitch is pretty tight and when you get a seatback in your face you are forced to recline.

Yes, It is pretty much the same whether coach, EC, or First, which is why I prefer bulkhead or exit if possible.
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 8:58 am
  #25  
 
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Allowing people to recline (it's only a few inches anyway) on a domestic flight is totally the problem. If reclining is possible, people will do it. I never recline unless the person in front of me reclines, and starts the domino effect all the way to the end of the plane. The airlines need to disengage the reclining mechanism and the problem would go away.

Everyone who has the Knee Defender probably hated the fact that it became a public issue last week. I'm sure most people that used them hoped that the passenger in front of them thought their seat recline didn't work. Now the secret is out. Why should you, as a passenger, have any control over the seat in front of you?
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 9:08 am
  #26  
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Sitting in one upright position for a relatively long time is healthy?

Originally Posted by gooselee
Maybe they're using one of these contraptions from SkyMall: http://www.amazon.com/Skyrest-SkyRes...dp/B000VKP6VW#
I have seen that thing before. But how is that person going to be whacked on the head hard enough -- by a properlly-working, normally-reclining seat -- to be in sufficient pain that it would be reasonable to expect "screaming and swearing"?

People must have their heads in funny places when sleeping if a normally reclining seat whacks them on the head hard enough for that to happen.
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 9:22 am
  #27  
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as GUWonder noted, I have also seen a number of pax (mostly middle seat occupants) who have lowered the tray table and put their head on it in an attempt to sleep ...
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 9:26 am
  #28  
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
Sitting in one upright position for a relatively long time is healthy?

I have seen that thing before. But how is that person going to be whacked on the head hard enough -- by a properlly-working, normally-reclining seat -- to be in sufficient pain that it would be reasonable to expect "screaming and swearing"?

People must have their heads in funny places when sleeping if a normally reclining seat whacks them on the head hard enough for that to happen.
I completely agree with you. The way I'm picturing it is maybe the seat recliner did a slam-back recline, the woman's head got bumped, and because she was groggy or in a grumpy disposition for whatever reason, she blew up.

But my knee-jerk response is that I've seen some many DMs start screaming and swearing over far less than getting whacked in the head.
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 9:32 am
  #29  
 
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So, the woman demands that the flight lands, gets escorted off and taken to the rental car center with no consequence? I'm going to abstain from the argument about whether one should be able to recline or not, but that's nuts. You inconvenience 100+ other people and cost thousands of dollars in fuel and staffing and there's no penalty to you?
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 9:38 am
  #30  
 
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Here would be a really quick way to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen again...if you are DEMANDING that the plane divert...couldn't the authorities write that up as a high-jacking? One or two of these DYKWIA people sent to GITMO should clear this whole thing up pretty quickly
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