Gig103

I think the more realistic expectation should be if you want to sleep, buy a business class or premium economy seat with the "shell" where your recline doesn't interfere with other passengers. The FA did what was right I think especially since it was consistent through the cabin.

rickg523

That's true for sleeping, but not necessarily for sitting.
You don't want to sit at 90� for a few hours.
Ergonomically, the back set at 110� angle to the seat allows the quads relax. You can sit at this angle for extended periods.
But, seatbacks need straighten to 90� for loading.
So realistically, recline is pretty much a given.
If the seats were locked at any angle greater than 90�, say 110�, the space between the seat base and seat back of the seat in front of it would need to increase to allow people to slide in. Won't be happening in economy, where this is an issue.

vnfilm1

My laptop monitor almost crush down when a passenger recline his seat suddenly recline a seat in one of my flight. I total agree that seat pitch in economy section is very tight and when a person recline his or her seat, the person on back of that seat lost some space and really suffer during meal.

The same thing happens to me again on another flight ( Qantas ) . The FA do not bother to ask the passenger in front of me to readjust his seat up right position even though he saw me struggle with my meal tray . The reason is to let that passenger slept well .

Also, when the seat in front is in recline mode, I am not able to open my laptop straight up, can not read anything display on monitor screen very well . I just wonder what is the next step airline can take to squeeze in many more seats for their profit. And if they are allowed to do so.

Annalisa12

They think waking an economy passenger is ok

shefgab

It's called economy/coach class! You want more space, and to not be disturbed, fly in business or first class.

Clearly you have never been stuck trying to watch a small screen with the person in front fully reclined? Or struggled to open the tray table to put the meal tray on AND eat it? Because it happens to thousands of people every day, and the crew should definitely say something to people reclined during the meal service. Some airlines even make a PA to that effect.

pt flyer

My worst experience with this was on a transatlantic flight on Air France the person in front fully reclined his seat from the first moments after take off until just before landing. It was literally a painful experience for me as the chair back ground into my knees. I was in an aisle seat and it took all of my self-control not to kick the seat or say something when I looked around at the next row and saw him leaning forward in his seat so he could see the inflight entertainment. He wasn't using the recline, he was just being a jerk.

Tailgater

Some passengers are as discourteous in airline cabin as they probably are while driving also. Maybe the one who reclines AND sits up to view the screen can be compared to a tailgater, you know, somebody who drives recklessly not leaving an adequate stopping distance all the while the unsafe act is not even necessary.

rickg523

Economy cabins are designed with the express purpose of insuring that every single passenger who can afford to pay for a better class of travel will do so.
Excessive recline is designed to make the passenger behind uncomfortable. It isn't a mistake. It's a feature tacitly demanded by the airlines.
Anyone who has done any design at all knows that the geometry of the seating has been fully laid out and none of passengers' inconveniences or discomforts are a surprise to the airline.

SightseeMC

I'm generally in the "screw it, I'll recline my 4 inches when I please" camp. But this has given me pause, and I'll try to remember to ask or at least check for computer monitors behind me.

OZ FAs do regularly ask for seats to be upright during meal times, and that is something with which I always comply.

Long Zhiren

When flying Y, I now only choose airlines where the recline can't destroy my laptop or meal because most passengers do not have the courtesy of checking behind them before they recline away and crush everything. If I have a choice, SQ, LH and others are all off my list now.

Tailgater

I don't know, but maybe. Is that the overriding rationale for designing reclining cabin seats---- to increase demand for higher price premium seats? What about other situations such as a bus? The same etiquette issues occur there and there aren't any premium seats available at any cost. .

rickg523

I probably didn't state that as clearly as I should have. The obvious overriding specification is to design as many seats as can fit into the cabin within regulatory allowances. But while these designs were being developed, I will guarantee that an early stage design meeting with the client, designers brought up the impact of this specification on passenger comfort and convenience. And these concerns were shrugged off, as clearly demonstrated by the actual economy cabins people are flying in. They didn't end up like this because of a design oversight. The conditions of economy travel were known, accepted, and signed off by the airlines before any cabin was constructed.
My contention that this is done to drive premium cabin sales, where fares are often 4x that of economy for the exact same travel, is a restatement of Jules Dupuit's famous railroad example used to explain his theory of price discrimination.
Interesting Article

AllanJ

You need to obey the flight crew.

But the flight crew should not discriminate against just some passengers.

Meanwhile there is the obligation to let others come out to the aisle to go to the rest room, etc. This includes a passenger in front whose reclined seat back prevents someone else from getting out.

Qwkynuf

I just realized that this is a problem that could be solved in software, without the expense of refitting the plane. They just need to add a short survey to their booking page:

Question:

During the flight, the passenger directly in front of you reclines their seat. Do you:

A) Silently stew
B) Pitch a fit
C) Go about your business

If A, "Thank you for your input"
If B, "Oh no! We're sorry, but all of our future flights are sold out!"
If C, "Thank you for your input"

Occupationalhazard

I find it best, especially in my old (well middle) age, to meet life with equanimity. As it turns out, there are other people in the world and, from time to time, we may have to accommodate their needs, and other times they need to accommodate ours. It's part of being a decent human being.

O/H