We all know about the recent plane diversions and flare-ups in online anger about coach seats reclining or not.

Without getting into strong opinions one way or another (disclosure: I'm anti-reclining), has any airline considered just having the plane split into two sections, one for each camp of people?

Specifically, I have been thinking since the Smoking/No-Smoking code became obsolete, surely something like that could be instituted.

It would make sense either to have, e.g. the left side of the plane be for Recliners and the right side for Non-Recliners, or for the front to be for Non-Recliners and the back for Recliners. (I say the front and back in this order because it wouldn't be fair otherwise to be the transition row as a NR with an R right in front of you, and the Emergency Exit rows actually offer a reasonable break point where in fact, there is no reclining right in front.)

I think that the only reason Recliners would object to this, is that secretly, they all hope to be behind Non-Recliners while leaning back themselves. But I think this is unreasonable.

Maybe we can just declare on FT that left side is for Recliners and right side for Non-Recliners.

What do people think?

No thanks. It really isn't that big of a deal when you look at it. The base of the seat doesn't recline that much and newer designs have the base of the seat moving forward.

Sure you may loose some open air space above your tray table, but with all the problems in the world I find "reclining seats" to be such a minor issue, it is comical that it is such a popular discussion topic.

Full disclosure, I recline before the plane even takes off....

I guess I don't see what the objection to separate sections could possibly be, and it's a huge advantage to the NR among us....

Re. first world problems - yes, well, that's the internet for you.

I'd really want a row where the guy in front of me could NOT recline, but I could. In fact, I seek those out - that's the row behind the exit row.

Some NH and CX birds, Ryanair and I think Lion Air have seats that either don't recline at all or recline in place.

As for US-based airlines, I haven't flown Frontier or Spirit, so do they tend towards Ryanair's seat recline philosophy?

If I'm paying ~200$ for a seat, why shouldn't I be allowed to recline?

I say give all the seats an ability to recline more. If a person doesn't like it, they should have paid for a bulkhead or exit row seat

I like your suggestion. It's reasonable, doable, and an inexpensive solution.

"I think that the only reason Recliners would object to this, is that secretly, they all hope to be behind Non-Recliners while leaning back themselves." - Indeed ^^

Thanks!

And when the seating in one section or another is filled, how do you handle that? If you recall from the smoking/non-smoking days, if you ran out of non-smoking seats, a row of smoking was designated non-smoking, even as that might not accomodate some smokers. This caused some rancor at the time, and I can't see the airlines going for anything that further complicates their operations.

Without knowing what kind of numbers will request each, it's hard to say - my own feeling is that the default should be "non-reclining" i.e. designate another row back as NR even if it doesn't accommodate reclining. (I think that the seat in normal/upright position should be the default, with reclining only for people who have declared they are fine with it in front of them as well. And before anyone yells at me, I think it's not a matter of "rights" but of consideration.)

However, even accommodating over-enrollment by doing the opposite, would still be better on most flights for NR so I'd still be ok with that solution.

What is the deal with what the seat does? You buy a ticket, you know what can happen. Don't want someone recline on you? Get a row, like behind the emergency rows or a bulkhead, that won't recline OR walk to your destination. Yes, I have had people recline and crowd me, but IT'S THEIR RIGHT.

For those that complain about seats reclining, do you move over on the highway for faster traffic or just feel you have the right to declare rules/practices are different for you?

That "almost" exists already. They already have a section where reclines are allowed but they don't impact the passenger behind them. It's called "First Class.

So my guess is that people have explained this to you before, but I will try as well: lots of things are "THEIR RIGHT" that are quite rude. In the bad old days, actually, smoking was in that category [in a lot of public places]. Stinky noisy messy lunches brought onto an airplane would be in that category. Smelling horrible (from products, not showering, eating various foods) would be in that category. Turning on Fox News in the gym just because you arrive first is in that category.

Interesting discussions come when figuring out how to solve the problem that someone's "RIGHT" ends up infringing on the health/comfort/safety/preference of another human being, particularly when this infringement isn't really anyone's individual fault in the interaction.

In the context of crowded airplanes, which none of us plebians is in a position to adjust, we have to figure out reasonable compromises and etiquette to have peaceful interactions.

Many, many people think that reclining is rude - not just if it's done to us, but we would never do it to someone else. I don't really see the freeway analogy. But actually, if there are several lanes, so fast people can be with other fast people, and slow people with other slow people, that's a lot like my suggestion in the first place.

Again - I don't see any rational objection to having separate seating sections, since the differences do seem to be pretty irreconcilable. Yelling, "but I'm right" isn't all that convincing.

Which, of course, violates virtually every airlines' safety regulations and puts everyone in the row behind you at risk in an emergency during takeoff roll. But hey, don't let concern for others interfere with your right to be an Adam Henry.

Just a quick question - Do ALL exit row seats on each airline not recline??

Maureen