Consolidated thread: Seat recline etiquette.
 

so I need some advice, please. I'll try n state the facts honestly. So i was on a flight recently (can't remember if it was a 57 or 37) but I was in 2D and another gent in 3D. it was a LONG day of travel for me and so as soon as we reached 10,000 feet, I reclined my seat. the gent behind me immediately states sternly, "hey I need you to put your seat up so i can use my computer." Perhaps it was not one of my finer moments but I replied equally as gruffly "and so I should be inconvenienced and made uncomfortable b/c of that?" he then grumbled something else and I'm sure I was on my way to sleep just that quickly. I THINK i remember him complaining to the FA and the FA replied something like "well sir he is entittled to recline his seat." of course this didn't make him happy and the poor woman next to him wound up trading seats w/ him. i REALLY don't want to be the A-hole traveller so i'm really interested in knowing if i breached some unwritten rule of "if someone asks you not to recline ur seat, ur supposed to do so?" help, please. I'm really a good guy :) thnx.

You do have a right to recline your seat. However, I would always let them know in advance that you plan to do so and maybe switch seats with him so you are not reclining in his lap.

Wouldn't that then require asking each additional person behind you the same question till you get the last row which probably has restrcited recline. It's not my responsibilty to let them know I'm going to recline or not. Courtesy maybe, but who has that nowadays ;)

You have every right to recline, as much as you want. Period. No "pre-approval" is necessary.

It is your seat. You can recline it if you want (slow is courteous, though, power reclines are not).

Mos people are courteous about asking if you would un-recline (usually my answer is still no, but a polite no), but some people are instant jerks when you recline. My line for those people is "if you had any say over the recline of MY seat, they would have put the button for it on YOUR armrest."

No, but being polite is at the very least giving a quick look over your shoulder to make sure you're not going to hurt anyone/thing.

Oh, and don't lean back like you're trying to win the recline 100yd dash. Give it some finesse.

I have a colleague at work who is 6' 6" and weighs about 280. You can try to recline into him if you want, but it's pretty much physically impossible on most domestic coach configs. Feel free to argue with him about your "right to recline".

Wow a reasonable FA as opposed to the powertripping FA and an ignorant trolling powertripping defender in the other active recline thread. Whaddaya know.

OP, you did nothing wrong. Might want to be less gruff in the reply though.

I always try to slowly recline. Of course I recline typically very soon after take off thus most computer users do not have their computer out yet. That said, as a computer user when the seat in front is relined it does make things tight. However, I do not use the tray table and have slight build so having it in my lap gives me enough room to work.

Since it sounds like you were in first class, there was still plenty of room. I never look behind in FC. In coach i always look behind and rarely recline if someone is behind me. I don't think you needed to be nice either.

I normally only recline if the seat in front of me is reclined. In any cabin. Kinda keep the "statu quo" that way.

See the ongoing thread regarding seat recline etiquette and one FA's take on this...

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...s-recline.html

I do

I agree that reclining slowly is the most courteous way to go. I'm not sure why people are talking about reclining above 10k feet, though. That's for use of electronic devices, not for recline as far as I know. I, too, usually recline right after takeoff as well.

i'm the OP so I just wanted to say THANKS to everybody for your response. upon reflection, I admit I didn' have to "meet" his gruffness with gruffness so lesson learned there but thanks for all the responses and to clarify two things: yes, it was FC and i generally recline after 10,000 feet b/c I generally do so with my Ipod on but on the aforementioned day, I didn't have Ipod on, it was just habit. Thanks everybody, i really appreciate your responses!