I would like to aknowledge and thank the FlyerTalker(s) who brought it to my attention through their posts that it is not against FAA regulations to have one's seat in the reclined position during takeoffs and landings if it fronts a bulkhead with no seat behind it. And kudos to the akamai FA's who know this as well, and don't ask me to bring my seat to the upright position when seated in front of a bulkhead!

I've been meaning to post this for a while......

A while back I read here on FlyerTalk that if you're sitting in front of a bulkhead, your seat cannot impede anybody's egress in case of an emergency, so it's not against FAA regulations to have it reclined during takeoff and landing. So since reading that, I've reclined my seat 3J (on an HA 763) all the way back to the bulkhead immediately upon boarding, and have not been asked to bring it upright ever. So it's true! The first time I did it, my wife was completely in shock when the announcement was made to secure the aircraft for takeoff, and I informed her my intention was to leave my seat fully reclined. She was convinced that the FA would have me arrested if I didn't bring my seat upright. Imagine her surprise when the FA walked past on her inspection, saw my seatbelt fastened and my seat fully reclined: and just kept on walking. My wife's seat was upright, so it was pretty obvious that I was leaving my seat in the reclined position for takeoff. After 3 subsequent flights, doing the same thing, she now believes me! Thanks FT posters: I know it isn't much, but since we always sit in Row 3, in front of a bulkhead, I now get to relax from the moment I step on, to the moment I step off. It might be a little known fact, and a small comfort, but I like it alot! Mahalo!

We almost always sit in row 1 because I like the bulkhead, so we don't often think about seat recliners.

This morning, however, we were in row 2 AS MIA/SEA. The people in front of us reclined and it was no problem. I did notice that everyone raised their seat during breakfast, then reclined again, when the meal was finished.

Of course, it might be a much bigger problem in coach--another reality that I try very hard to avoid.

We have had a few occasions where we forced to fly TED, but even there I always stick with seat 1A, where I can make a little cocoon and pretend that I am the only one on the flight.

you have a 100% right to fully recline your seat regardless of the size of the pax behind you. The fact that the pax is 'large' shouldn't impact your right to recline. If the pax behind you reclines their seat they will have just as much room as he/she had before any seat is reclined.

While I don't want to debate the merits of why people are over weight, it really doesn't matter. You paid for a seat and you are allowe do to recline. While you can do the person behind you a favor and not recline, doing so is going out of your way to be nice.

If I get two bags of peanuts and am only moderatly hungary put the person sitting next to me is extreamly hungary to I have an obligation to give him one of my packets of peanuts? He may gain a higher marginal utility from the peanutes, but they belong to me so I have the right to distribute them to my liking.

My position on this controversial issue is one of compromise. I agree that the passenger in the seat behind me has the right to ask me politely if I could refrain from reclining my seat. In return, I expect others to agree that I have the right to politely answer "No," and to have my polite answer of "No" accepted by the passenger behind me without argument, complaint, insult, or retaliation.

>Airlines simply need to modify their planes so seats do not recline.

I've often thought the solution to this "reclining problem" (at least for narrow-bodies) would be to divide the aircraft in half - i.e. A-B-C would recline, D-E-F wouldn't. Then, like in 1980 when you'd check in for a flight they'd ask "Smoking or non-smoking?" instead the question in the 21st century would be "reclining or non-reclining?"

I'd happily give up my right to recline if it meant the person in front of me couldn't either.

Cheers,
Geoff Glave
Vancouver, Canada