tangoll

I was on CX cattle class last week where the seat pitch must be absolute minimum, and the guy in front kept his seat reclined the entire flight even during meal service when the FA's didn't request ppl to bring their seats back up. While wishing I had that recliner stopper gadget, I rolled up the inflight magazine, so that it was like a billy club. So I thought, why not wedge that between the seat back and the edge of my armrest.

Well, when the guy went to the bathroom, and he brought his seat up, I tried it. The rolled up magazine is the perfect distance between the front edge of the armrest and the lower part of the tray table in front. With that club of a magazine in there, there's no way the seat in front will budge even an inch when trying to recline. And since it's the inflight magazine, if the guy in front or the FA comes to take a look, you just quickly bang the magazine off its slotted position and make like you're reading the magazine. The only one who knows what you're doing is the guy in the seat next to yours. If you have a blanket, you can even use the blanket to cover the magazine in that position. Having a rubber band handy will keep the magazine nicely rolled up.

Of course, if the guy in front finds out what you're doing, you might have a fight on your hands; then you'll have to use the rolled up magazine as a real billy club.

It's one thing to bring that recliner stopper gadget on board, but to use what's made available to you on the flight? It seems less evil...

UCBeau

this thread will get interesting..

my advice: either stop flying in cattle class or just deal with the fact that the guy who bought the seat in front of you has every right to recline that seat as far as it'll recline.

hockeyguy

While I admire the ingenuity, I have to agee with UCBeau: if the airline allows a certain amount of recline as part of their service, then you have no right to prevent the person in front of you from taking advantage of it.

Maybe airlines should have a no-recline section, just like they used to have no-smoking sections. Anyone who would rather have an upright seat with more space in front of them can sit in that section.

robb

Oh dear, not again.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to use this friendly tip. If I were in a seat with so little seat pitch that a magazine would make the difference, then my knees would already be much stronger stoppers and would already be pressed firmly against the seat in front.

There are lots of things we "can" do, but shouldn't. Reclining into someone when it's just not possible for the entire flight including meal service is just such an example. The recline is there for when it's possible to do so, not as a God-given right to screw over all your fellow passengers.

EWR ATC Hold

While airline seats might be one of the most uncomfortable things ever invented, you have absolutely no right to infringe on someone elses right to recline their seats. Those seats have been designed and tested in a way that everyone has an equal amount of space (absent some exit rows and other necessary oddities). What gives you the right to block the person in front of you? What makes you think you're better than he is and deserve the extra space? I'll leave it at that. I know others will have strong feelings on this thread as well. If space was such an important thing to you, pay for business class. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy the flight with your knees in your chest.

CPRich

Not one bit. You are still infringing on someone else's right for your own selfish purpose. How you do it is irrelevant.

Was your seatback in the fully upright and locked position for the entire flight?

Timfid

This is a useful post. I hope many FAs are reading this, so they'll know when a passenger reports that the seat doesn't recline to check whether someone in the seat behind has jammed it with a magazine.

outoftown

As a 200,000+ mile flyer, I sympathize, but as the other posters have said, it is a right to recline your seat as you wish. Why didn't you ask the person to move their seat forward during the meal service? To avoid this in the future, get a bulkhead or seat in the exit row, where the row in front may have limited recline. A propped magazine if you are in the aisle is an obstacle to deal with for your whole row. I wish that short duration flights, say less than an hour, most pax should not inconvenience their fellow pax by reclining the seat, but I tend to get the one person in the cabin who wants to do so sitting in front of me. It forces me to in turn recline my seat. On long flights, it is expected that most pax will recline their seats. Best bet is to fly up front on a long flight and not worry about it.

-outoftown

Rebelyell

I've just curious how the OP feels when an obese flyer sits down next to him and demands to lift the armrest. If an obese flyer were to find a trick to force the armrest to get stuck in an upright position, would the OP think that was acceptable?

People who need to lift their neighbor's armrest to fly need to buy the seat next to them. People who need to wedge the person's seat in front of them in a bolt-upright position need to buy the seat in front of them. It's as simple as that.

obscure2k

Folks, there have many discussions on FT about recliner stoppers. The conversations always seem to go downhill rapidly. This thread is no exception. Therefore, I am locking this one up.
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator