Seems like asking nicely first to stop kicking, sneezing, window shades up/down, and all the other irritating items rather than potentially causing injury by moving seats, spreading body fluids or other similar responses, would be a better way. The irritator may be from ignorance but some of the responses are just plain mean and worse than the original behavior - IMO.

I'll be the one asking the FA for pepper. Nothing can ruin a trip more than the person in front of you reclining the seat without reason, just because it is their "right." I've seen children imitating their parents in reclining and the parents say nothing. I've even seen people recline the empty seat next to them! These people are not blind, they can see the shortage of space between seats - they aren't ignorant, they just could give a ****.

For these people I make it quite clear that there is someone very close behind them. If not a seat kicker, I am a tray overuser - probably the worst they ever imagined. But hey, they should understand, after all its my "right" to use the tray, just like its their "right" to recline the seat.

And, forget just using the tray for eating, the jerky movements from re-adjusting my book and my elbows, as I lean both on the tray, is very sporadic, not coming at regular intervals. Just when they begin to relax ...

As for me, it doesn't take much effort, I enjoy reading during my flights, and leaning forward on the tray is actually quite comfortable.

Of course, I would never dream of reading this way on the trayback of someone in front of me who was being considerate. If someone said something like, "I'm so tired, would you mind if I reclined my seat?" Heck, not only wouldn't I mind, I would be revitalized to know such people existed, gleefully responding, "Please do!"

I continue to be astonished that there are frequent flyers who think they have a right to ask the person in front of them not to recline the seat, or who get irritated when they do.

Really, it just boggles my mind.

.....

dingo,
As a guy that has flown nonstop int'l 10 years and now mainly domestic for 7 yrs (give me int'l please!) I agree with you. Never agree with slapping a child across the face. If the age is 4 or older, a little discipline said under a low voice is appropriate, then a little walk to the restroom for a more firm discussion is reasonable. But this assumes parents that care, that are consistent and kids with no serious behavioural problems. Under 4 yrs old, that's pretty much up to the kid and I've seen great parents with a small child under stress have a tough time. I always go out of my way to stop working, talk to the parents, make faces etc and talk to the child. 80% of the time it works.

Our son traveled from Europe to N America and N America to Asia several times before the age of two. Thankfully he is the perfect traveler, never once crying, even as a baby. We were very lucky, and I understand that!

As for adults slamming their seat back into my knees - three words: knees, kidney, pain.
Inconsiderate people that slam their seats back deserve a nice knee to the kidney and I never let an opportunity pass. Moving back slowly until I am trapped and in pain is the airline's fault - slamming back to smash my patella is a sign of absolute disregard for anyone else's space or feelings. Hence my stoneman's response. They are lucky it is not a club across their skull! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

QuietLion,
Do you have a physical disability that requires you to recline? I am between 6'4" and 6'5" and never have a problem riding 3-4 hours with my seat upright. I am astonished with people that never sit in a LazyBoy recliner jump into a cheap airline seat and slam it back like they are in heaven. I've come close to putting a few of them a little closer with my knees in their kidneys! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

QuietLion,
Do you have a physical disability that requires you to recline? I am between 6'4" and 6'5" and never have a problem riding 3-4 hours with my seat upright. I am astonished with people that never sit in a LazyBoy recliner who jump into a cheap airline seat and slam it back like they are in heaven. I've come close to putting a few of them a little closer with my knees in their kidneys! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

......

I have a back problem that is exacerbated on long flights regardless of the degree of inclination of the seat, but I've found that generally a slight to medium reclination, alternated occasionally, helps relieve the pain. However, there's more room in business class and generally most people recline, so it's not as much of an issue as coach. But regardless of seat location, I always politely check with the person behind me if it won't bother them, and I have yet to have anyone tell me that it does. I don't recline during meals, though, until I know the person behind me is finished. Simple courtesy.

Adult seat-kickers, however, do drive me nuts. Screaming babies can't help themselves, but 'growed' people should know better. Just when I'm ready to say something, it always seems they stop long enough for the moment to be lost.

I sometimes think that these kind of things are due in some part to the lack of simple understanding of how these seemingly minor annoyances make a major impact on the comfort and relaxation on a flight. It would be interesting to see what affect there would be, if any, if airlines did one or all of the following to help eliminate these problems, or at least make people aware:

1 - put a 'Courtesies in the Air' flier in
every ticket package - maybe Miss
Manners could write it http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

2 - include a few remarks in the canned
pre-flight talk about this

3 - for longer flights with large video
screens, run a segment on this

At the very least, it would put rude people on notice that people around them are aware of these common courtesies and expect to be treated as fellow companions, not as strangers whom you shouldn't care about - especially now. For those who didn't even think about this (first time fliers for one), it would help them learn this - it's not obvious to everyone.

More now than ever, we're all in it together, so what's the harm in trying to cut down on the incivility shown to each other?

Not at all. I just like to be comfortable. That's the purpose of the reclining seat, isn't it?

Obviously one should be aware of potential collisions with the occupant of the seat to the rear. And if there is someone behind who physically takes up so much space that reclining is impossible without crushing him I suppose allowances have to be made. I would grumble about it though. It's the dang airlines' fault for putting the seats so close together anyway.

Before MRTC on AA, this is why I would upgrade at every opportunity...

On a normal 31" pitch seat, if the person in front of me reclines, my knees are going to get it if I don't happen to be looking when it happens. If I know about it, I can make sure that my legs are fully extended.

All I ask for is:

1. Recline your seat S L O W L Y. Give me a second to react before putting it down all the way. If you are thoughtful about it, I'll try hard not to grab the seatback when I get out, although sometimes if somebody is next to me it's difficult.
2. Please don't recline too much during a meal. If you shove my tray into my stomach, geometry means that I now cannot cut my food - because I can only eat with my aisle hand if I don't want to smack the person next to me in the face with my elbow.
3. If you're not asleep, please lift your recline for a second when I come back from the restroom. And in return I'll try not to get out of my seat more than once every couple of hours. Otherwise, I'll bounce in and out of the seat all night (which is definitely my right as long as the seat belt sign is not illuminated...)

One partial solution for #3 is for the airlines to let the aisle armrest swing up. NW had that on its DC-10s on the outside aisles, and that really made a difference.

Oh and FAs - if you see somebody who is so tall that the headrest of the seat is going into their shoulder blades, please be careful when you take the trolley past them....

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!

So, Saturday night, I'm on UA323 from ORD-IAH in F and no less than an SA gives me the worst of the recline situtations.

The second her tray is taken away she slams that seat back all the way as fast and as hard as she can, jamming my tray under her seat.

When the FA comes to take my tray I just say "Good Luck!" She gets the woman to lean her seat forward for me to extricate my tray, but she does the same **** thing again immediately after it's removed.

My knees have no where to go, so I keep shifting them to find a comfortable position (not intentionally kicking yet), and she gives me the little over the shoulder glance. After a minute of this, I try the Air Conditioning Vent trick I learned above, but this doesn't faze her.

I couldn't decide if I was actually prepared to go all the way with the sneeze, but a few more agressive moves of my knees finally gets the question "Do you have enough room back there?" to which I reply that "Actually, No, it's awfully cramped back here."

I couldn't beleive that even in F, and with a United employee, I still get this classless flinging back of the chair with no regard for anyone else.

It boggles my mind.

[This message has been edited by robb (edited 11-19-2001).]

This thread is like a commercial for AA More Room in Coach! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
I actually just flew my first flight with AA More Room, and it was wonderful. No knocking elbows or knees. The seat in front of me was reclined, and I didn't even notice it. It's a whole new realm of coach travel.
But for those other times in coach (like the time I braved Frontier Airlines, ugh!), seat kickers make everything miserable. But vodka makes everything better!

I was actually going to say that too! Did my first MRTC trip in AA economy a week ago (5 flights on MD-80s). Unimaginable room (well, in this day and age) with emergency exit rows having more room than in domestic FC!

Forget your current airline and go AA.