Bicostal

I like the window shade example. Personally I sit by the window to allow me to cotrol the window shade. I pick my seat to be on the "shadow" side of the plane and to keep the shade open. I've had the person behind reach forward and close my shade....never had an FA ask me to close my shade other than on a transatlantic.

Not quite sure how I might react if an FA told me to close the shade.

How I feel is hardly irrelevant. I am the customer.

flylinda

How can a flight attendant decide which passenger's comfort superceedes the other? Seats were made to recline. Tray tables were not originally designed for laptops. I don't get it

sbrower

This is an urban myth. There is no such federal regulation. (Look it up.)

dcline414

After I added the following intelligent contribution to this debate:
...the specific point that I used to illustrate was used again by another idiot:
FAs are not allowed to require you to do something illegal, period. They are obviously also not allowed to violate Delta's policies and regulations. Reclining your seat (or being reclined into) clearly are neither a legal matter nor a clear right of either passenger. I think it is clear that this is the EXACT sort of situation that Anderson was talking about when he said their policy is to empower front-line employees to act as the see fit, rather than make a well-defined policy.

The FA can tell you not to recline, the FA can tell you to shut up about being reclined into... either seem to fall well within their power, based on Delta's policies.

Can I at least get some cheese to go with all this whine???

telloh

It is if the FA is balancing the needs of competing customers. I should have said your feelings above others are irrelevant.

telloh

In fact it is very real!


Interference With Flight Crew Members or Flight Attendants—49 U.S.C. 46504

One who assaults, threatens, or intimidates a flight crew member or attendant while aboard an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, and thereby interferes with the performance of that crew member's duties or lessens the ability of that crew member to perform his/her duties is punishable under this subsection. See United States v. Meeker, 527 F.2d 12 (9th Cir. 1975). A violation of 49 U.S.C. § 46504 is a general intent crime; it does not require any specific intent to intimidate or to interfere with the flight crew member or attendant. See United States v. Grossman, 131 F.3d 1449, 1451-52 (11th Cir. 1997); United States v. Compton, 5 F.3d 358, 360 (9th Cir. 1993); United States v. Hicks, 980 F.2d 963 (5th Cir. 1992), cert. denied, 507 U.S. 941, 507 U.S. 998 (1993); United States v. Meeker, supra, 527 F.2d at 14. While attempted aircraft piracy and interference with flight crew can both be charged in the same indictment, if convicted on both charges, the defendant should be sentenced only under the attempted aircraft piracy conviction because, absent highly unusual circumstances, the interference with flight crew charge is the lesser included offense. See United States v. Compton, supra, 5 F.3d at 360; see also United States v. Calloway, 116 F.3d 1129 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, 118 S.Ct. 324 (1997); United States v. Figueroa, 666 F.2d 1375, 1380 (11th Cir. 1982).

FAllWay

I'm reclining my seat no matter what, unless it's eating time, take off or landing. ^

telloh

It's up to the FA to decide, just as it is up to the hotel manager to decide if a TV is "too loud", based on his observation of the individual situation as to which customer is sanctioned.

waltinsocal

Many of my flights are red-eyes and I try to sleep. When I buy a ticket, I expect a fully-functioning seat capable of reclining. When I do recline, I do so slowly so as to not jam by seat into the pax behind me. Having said that, people who fly have to know that the person in front of them may recline at some point during the flight.

As far as I can tell, no airline sells you a ticket with a seat that is marked "customer may not recline while sitting in this seat on this flight". I seldom complain about a whole lot, but I would become a FAs worst nightmare, AFTER landing, by getting names and the like and pursuing this to the nth degree with DL if I were told that I had to nap on a red-eye while not reclined and in the "straight-up" position.

To those of you who wish to use your laptop while flying, and who do not wish me to recline, I have one word for you...too bad. Put your tray up and put your laptop in your lap...That is why it is called a laptop.

sethb

Do you think any sane person would consider me intimidating by reclining wearing a blindfold and noise-cancelling headphones in an attempt to sleep? What do I appear to be threatening to do, snore at somebody?

telloh

Of course, similarly, no hotel rents you a room and says "guest may not watch television in this room".

But it is certainly plausible that if you exercise your rights in questionable ways, such as cranking the volume (or slamming your seat into other customers knees), another customer might complain and a manager might have to make a decision.

I can't believe this concept is even controversial.

Except for those who believe their right to recline no matter what is somehow sacrosanct.

sethb

Wrong. Look at the seating charts for the seats in front of exit rows; they often have limited or no recline.

If someone wants not to have anyone recline into "their" space, they can get a bulkhead seat.

telloh

How many times do I have to say, "It is up to the FA to decide".

And his authority.

waltinsocal

Agreed, and I overlooked that. You are correct. I stand by my comments as far as they relate to the other seats that are capable of fully reclining.

waltinsocal

NO argument with you when it comes to an issue of safety. This is NO way is an issue even remotely related to safety; hence the FA was wrong in this case.