Canada Flyer

Isn't this so true? Here are two types of travelers who we ALWAYS seem to sit beside on an aircraft:

Aisle-be-there-Albert: Albert likes to fly because he is rarely restricted to his seat. Albert, you see, owns the aisle and he stays there constantly. He sits on the arm of your chair, he leans heavily on your seat back while he chats to a friend behind you, and he gets a bit miffed when other passengers want to pass him in the narrow aisles. Albert, of course, MUST be the first to deplane after arriving at the destination and he will push and shove to make this dream come true

Business Class Boris: Boris was born to fly business class and he wants everyone to know it. The comfort and joy of upscale travel is only second in importance to the thrill of having everyone see that you are in business class. In the boarding lounge, when priority seating is announced, Boris makes a grand theatrical departure. During the flight Boris makes numerous trips to the back of the economy section only to catch a few eyes and have them follow him back to his business class paradise. Boris is a firm believer in class structure and therefore when the curtain separating business class from economy seating is left open, he peers out into economy to glare at the huddled masses and then with the expertise of flight attendant, he curtly snaps the curtain shut to protect his domain.

Canada FLYER

Ocn Vw 1K

This thread seems more appropriate for our TravelBuzz forum and I'll move it there for further discussion. Ocn Vw 1K, Co-Moderator, CommunityBuzz

clacko

i think there are 2 types....fters and others!

Analise

I ask the guy to move if he's leaning on me. If he gives me grief, so what?

I also want to be one of the first to deplane so I can understand if others feel the same way.

Who cares about this guy? If his happiness revolves around sitting in business or first class and then bragging about it, then he is to be pittied enormously for his empty life.

Martinis at 8

This is pretty funny stuff.

4A

SchmeckFlyer

It's only a problem when people start pushing and shoving to get off first.

On a recent flight, I was waiting patiently in the aisle, and started passing bags to the person sitting in the window seat. The doors were not open yet, and nobody was moving. But somebody behind me started pushing and shoving, while I am balancing bags and trying to pass them. I very firmly, but politely, told the lady to back off and wait like everyone else. She had lots of explainations why she had to get off before everybody else, and I'm sure just about everyone of board could have related to one or her excuses, yet everyone else seemed to be waiting patiently.

Martinis at 8

Ever notice how they are usually the same ones who immediately turn their cell phones on also? All these VIPs on board!

M8

kingalien

Reminds me of a WN flight where as soon as the wheels touched the ground this couple jumped out of their seats in the back of the plane and was going to the front of the plane just so they would be the first ones off the plane. After some screaming by the FAs they went back to their seats with 100+ pairs of eyes staring at them for their stupidity.

Canada Flyer

Oh, I've seen this before.

cyberdad

I just flew LHR-ORD and encountered two radically types within 24 hours!

We were in London for a long weekend with our daughter who lives and works there. Somehow, we got into the "who's space is it, anyway?" discussion. She was saying what she does when boarding the plane is tell the passenger behind her that she would like to recline slightly during the flight, but she also says that if she's making him/her uncomfortable, let her know and pull her seat back up. (Of course no person in FRONT of her has ever returned the favor....but I digress).

Anyway, I decided this would henceforth be what I would do myself. Prior to today, for most of my 26 years of commercial air travel (about a dozen trips a year), pretty much the only time I've ever reclined my seat is when there's nobody seated behind me.

Then today on AA 47 (777), the wife and I were in 32 H&J behind a couple who obviously had status with AA or they wouldn't be in the row ahead of me, row 31, the bulkhead. They easily had eight feet of space in front of them, but that apparently wasn't enough. They "bolted" back well before we were at cruising altitude....all the way back. There they stayed throughout the flight.

Now I realize this is their right, but what's wrong with a little common courtesy on a long flight?...especially when they were fortunate to be blessed with all that extra legroom. I certainly don't object to a slight or modest recline even on a full flight like the one I was on. The person behind me was returning my favor to the person behind her.

I wouldn't charactarize the couple in front of us as rude. "Less than considerate" might be a better description. As I said, they have every right to recline. But I also think a little consideration in today's cattle car airplane cabins would make the increasingly unpleasant experience more bearable for everyone.

sfbarry

But that extra 1" of recline makes the seat sooooo much more comfortable...

Standing at 6'4", most airplane seats leave little if any room between my knees and the seatback when I am unfortunate enough not to have snagged an upgrade. I usually try to gauge the "reclining tendencies" of those seated in front of me before the flight departs. If I think they will make the attempt, I sit with my knees firmly against the seatback. When they try to recline, can't and try, try agin, finally leaning up and then back hard against the seat, I politely tap them on the shoulder, explain that my knees are in the way and apologize that they will not be able to recline.

Once, one jerk waited until I got up to visit the lavatory (in my correct class, of course) and then fully reclined. I guess he thought my legs would shrink after I took a leak... (no comments from the balcony !!!) When I returned to my seat, of course my knees were pushing into the seatback. He kept turning around to look at me. I just smiled. He eventually rang the FA button and complained that I kept pushing my knees into his seatback. The FA looked at me, down at my legs, and replied, "Sir, I'm sorry but this passenger cannot shorten his legs, but YOU can put your seatback in the upright position.". The look on the guy's face was priceless. ^

Olton Hall

Bravo.

I was on a flight to EWR last week and a group of university professors felt they were more important than the rest and tried to force their way though the isle to get off first (just ask the FA to make an annoucement next time, non connecting passengers will usually wait) I had a good laugh when they forgot to pick up their gate checked luggage and rushed off to their connecting flight to Spain.

cyberdad

sfbarry....

Yes, bravo, great story! And you're absolutely right, that extra inch to go with the eight feet you already have makes the flight sooo much more comfortable!

That was my point, exactly!