I had a recent experience on Continental (of course, this could happen on any airline, and has!) with the seats in coach. I am a six foot lady with long legs. I always try to get the exit row, but it's not always possible.

I was moving around trying to get comfortable and asked the man in front of me if he could feel my knees in his seat and he said no. Then after the plane had leveled off, the man in front of me reclined his seat all the way and I thought "there's no way I can stand this". I was able to get an empty seat on the exit row and spent the rest of the flight in comfort!

If you're thinking, why doesn't she buy a first class ticket, I am divorced and on a tight budget. But I figure that the discomfort for my long legs is a small price to pay for getting to my destination so much quicker than driving!