If you haven't purchased a car seat lately, or read up on car seat laws, many states require that a child be in a rear facing seat until 2 years old. As such, many FAA approved seats now are rear facing for toddlers. My average sized 2 year old does not yet meet the requirements of his seat to be forward facing and as such is rear facing both in the car and airplane. We often book a bulkhead to avoid the issue of reclining even if we have to pay extra.

I understand that everyone wants to be as comfortable as possible when flying however safety should always be the priority and if a reclined seat impedes the ability of my child to ride safely then I am going to make a fuss about it.