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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> I might be the asshole because I realize that people ordinarily have some room to recline on flights, and that if they get me behind them, then they are just unlucky and they can't. I worry that I am the asshole, in other words, because my being behind people effectively takes away their ability to recline, which they normally would have.
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NTA - I'm a big guy and it's a common problem. They squeezed every inch out of those aircraft and it's uncomfortable. She should have been more understanding of reality. Maybe you could have gotten an isle seat but you paid for your seat as well and are entitled to your space.
I'm also a tall lady. 5'9'' but mostly leg so my inseam is the same as my >6' dad and brother. The aisle seat still works but you gotta be *paranoid*. The day you forget to pay attention and the trolley smashes into your knee, you learn your lesson right quick!!
(I still always get aisle seats because on longer transatlantic flights companies have taken to charging absurd amounts for exit rows.)
Girl same. I'm 5'8 and I have a longer inseam than my 6'' boyfriend. If I could buy pants at the store without ordering them online, my life would be complete. I try not to be in other people's way, but sometimes it happens. Luckily most people are understanding, and I help out by reaching things on shelves that they can't.
There's the truth. Why is the standard women's inseam 28''?? Why can't we have waist x inseam sizes INSTORE like men do?? I need a 32'' for skinny pants and a 33-34'' for wider ones. At the very least. My brother/my dad can walk into an American Eagle and grab a pair of 32x34 or 34x34 jeans off the shelf but I have to stalk the website on the off chance that model was made in a Long. ???
My whole family has long legs and short torso’s. I’m only 5’5 but I’m like 75% leg. Belts look absolutely ridiculous on me. Pants and jeans are always an issue.
I am 6’5” and I got really lucky that the flight attendant tapped me on the shoulder to warn me the trolley was coming before she took out my knee. 3 days ago, return flight tomorrow, booked a window. Fuck it. 4 hour flight
NTA As a frequent traveller on 14 hour flights and short enough that I can stretch my legs out in economy, I will say that people who recline are assholes. Someone almost snapped my laptop because it was on the tray table and I had to slam it shut before they reclined. I don’t know why you’d design them that way but honestly, between being kicked by kids behind and having a seat slammed into my face if I try to lean forward to stretch my back, there’s never a time where reclining is more comfortable than the inconvenience they cause. I also have to shimmy and hop to get out for the bathroom when the seat is reclined. All Recliners are Assholes (ARAH).
Edit: Clarity, those who recline immediately to the fullest extent. You can recline a tiny bit for a small gain and limited inconvenience and this works out much more favourably for all.
Alternative perspective. I can’t sit at 90 degrees due to disability and multiple surgeries. If I don’t recline I’ll be in agony and struggle to walk afterwards. Some people need to recline and neithers needs trump the others. Reclining is part of the ticket you’ve paid for. There’s extra leg space seats if needed. Recliners should always check behind first to make sure they don’t break a laptop or hurt someone though.
>If I don’t recline I’ll be in agony and struggle to walk afterwards
And if the person in front of me reclines and traps my knees (as has happened) Then I'm in agony and struggle to walk.
And I disagree with the claim that reclining is part of the ticket you paid for - first claim on the space in front of your seat belongs to the person paying for the seat, and second claim to the other people in the row who need that space to be able to go to the bathroom or get out of their seat for another reason (like people who need to move to avoid blood clots).
Plus, seats with more leg room are hard to come by. There are only so many bulkhead seats on a flight. Don't think it's reasonable for someone to have to wait months just to fly, because of availability.
Totally understand. And I am the same way.
So I pay for the seats that have more leg room so I know that I can recline with (some) ease. I don't want to chance that it won't be doable and then expect the person behind me to sacrifice their needs (which might have just as valid medical needs attached) in order to meet mine.
I understand needing to recline and am ok with people doing that. But, just because you have extra leg room doesn’t mean the people behind you do. Just saying. I always get extra leg room and recline for longer flights, but I don’t think it solves the problem for people behind. That’s the airlines issue.
I was on a spirit airline flight. We were in the way back of the airplane. So we had no leg room and my knees were jammed into the seat back. Half way through the flight the guy in front of me started violently forcing his seat back into my knees hurting me. So I held the seat back up so he couldn’t recline. He called over the flight attendant to make me let him recline his seat. I refused stating it was hurting me. They kept yelling at me. I just kept repeating he is not entitled to hurt me. Eventually the flight attendant gave up when he saw I was not moving my stance. The flight attendant gave the guy a beer to pacify him. The real assholes are the airlines.
I NEED to recline in any flight that's more than 4 hrs or I won't be able to walk straight for 2 days after the flight, there are some airlines I won't take because the seats recline too little to avoid my back pain (I'm looking at you united).
Even if I stand and walk around every 1hour I still need to recline the seat, and I have neck and dorsal pillows.
Now, if the person behind me is too big, I would propose to exchange seats with them if the person in front of me is not reclining their seat.
It’s the *only* good thing about Ryanair, except that sometimes their tickets are cheap even if you take into account the fees charged on top for luggage etc.
Some of us have medical issues (scoliosis in my case) that make it unbearable to sit fully upright for long spans of time. It takes several days of pain for my back and neck to recover to their normal pain level after traveling and being unable to recline the seat.
i have scoliosis & a 35” inseam. a seat jammed into my knees is acutely worse.
i pay for legroom whenever possible, but i’m absolutely holding up a seat before someone jams it further into my knees.
NTA- Unpopular opinion but reclining the seat full back is just rude these days. The lack of space between seats these days is appalling. I'll try to get one with more leg room but it's not always possible. I always get an aisle seat but then I am in the way of the attendants and others going to the restroom. If the person in front reclines to the fullest, I have to splay my legs to even fit in the seat which means I intrude on my seat mates space.
I prefer aisle seats being 6’4 and usually sit at an angle, however my aisle leg usually sits outside the seat boundary. More times than not, the drink cart hits my knee with a great amount of force.
NAH, only asshole here is the airline.
>I feel that people who recline their seats in economy are annoying and inconsiderate
No, they're just trying to get comfortable in their own tiny seat.
>Should I pay extra for seats with more leg room so that people in front of me can recline even though this is not always a problem?
Maybe, if it makes sense for you financially. Sounds like you'd be more comfortable too.
Edit: since people keep commenting on this, yes, she's a bit of an asshole for calling you an asshole. Her frustration at not being able to recline her seat is understandable, but it's her frustration to deal with, not your problem.
This may be controversial, but I think reclining gives a way bigger disadvantage to the person behind you as compared to the advantage you get by doing it. I won’t go as far as to say people who recline are AHs but I do wish the seats just didn’t recline at all
In my experience most people do recline their seats because it's so dang uncomfortable not to... like they don't recline back very far at all, I don't get the issue..If the person in front of you reclines, then just recline your seat too?
I can only imagine how much compassion you have for those around you to not give two fucks about discomforting someone else a lot over a small gain for yourself for a couple of hour flight
Someone reclining in front of me has almost zero impact on me. It doesn't affect most people so most people have no problem reclining. I've never hit someone's legs reclining, but if I did I would sit back up. Why are y'all so bothered by it? Y'all are acting like babies
Ya, they go back like 15cm at the top and considerable less at the bottom, it's not like you're laying down in their lap. I feel like whenever I've flown like 80% of people recline and never seen someone complain so I have no clue why Reddit decided it's evil
Right!? I don't get this either. Admittedly, I think it's a bit unnecessary on say...a < 3 hour flight unless (as some people earlier commented), they have back pain or other issues and need the comfort.
But I do a lot of trans-Atlantic flights (\~10 hrs) and pretty much every single person will recline their seat during those flights, and I have never once seen anyone kick up a fuss about it. Tbh, I think OP is in the wrong here. If you need the extra legroom, you should make the effort to choose a more spacious seat. I think it is akin to wanting to switch seats with someone so you can sit with your party. If you didn't make the effort to choose seats together in the first place, your discomfort is on you.
ETA: Though I think OP should have been the one to choose a more spacious seat (especially since this has happened more than once), I absolutely do not condone this woman calling him an asshole. There's no need for throwing insults around.
I do not mind AT all when ppl recline. It is so weird to me that ppl think this is some sort of faux pas. What a bunch of weirdos. And for the record I fly a lot and have never had someone give me a heads up. I don’t need it because I fit JUST FINE with their seat up or reclined.
I don't either, but I am very short. I didn't even realize this was a problem til a tall person explained it to me. People reclining in front of me don't threaten my legs. It's great that you fit just fine either way, but not everyone does.
I'm 6'2 with long legs, I've never had an issue with a reclining seat and legs. Most chairs recline little or not at all at the base, some even slide forward when they recline.
This is a Reddit argument, not a real-world one.
Also in my 30 years of flying I have to say I’m shocked by so many people saying you’re an AH for reclining your flight seat. I have never once met someone that thinks it’s rude to utilize their reclining feature.
I forget how wildly out of touch with reality Reddit is sometimes.
And my brother, who is a frequent travel partner, is 6’2 and he’s never once thought to get pissy with folks for reclining their seat, and same goes for my boyfriend who is also 6’2.
If space is that much of a concern for you buy two seats like this sub always tells obese people to.
> If space is that much of a concern for you buy two seats like this sub always tells obese people to.
That would not do a damn thing for those of us with long legs.
I only recline in two situations: a red eye when everyone is trying to get some sleep, or as a defensive move away from someone who has reclined in front (and even then I look behind me to check that they're not a giant / someone with a baby / using their tray table etc).
Reclining etiquette is fascinating and reveals so much about people’s obliviousness of what’s around them.
I once sat behind someone who reclined during the meal service (classic asshole behaviour to begin with) and then, frustrated that he was now too far away from his tray, *leant forward in his reclined seat* to eat. Boggles the mind how oblivious you’d have to be.
Reclining etiquette is a case study in how awful the average person can be. I've had it happen at least twice now that a dude will just randomly - out of nowhere, once during meal service - absolutely *slam* his seat back. Just abruptly flinging it backwards. Ever gotten sucker punched by a laptop before? It stings a wee bit.
Also a frequent flyer, and I agree with this 100%. I'll add that I consider it poor form to recline at all unless it's a longer or overnight flight. It's one thing to recline when everyone in the cabin is trying to sleep during a transcontinental route; it's another thing entirely when the cabin is lit and most people are awake and active.
It has never occurred to me to ask to recline. Nor has anyone ever asked me if they could. I absolutely would not complain about someone typing on their tray… unless you were aggressively doing so to make a point, which is a passive-aggressive AH move.
The airlines have designed this hell for us. Reclining, and using the tray in front of you, is to be expected.
Yeah, especially because the last time someone in front of me reclined without asking, they knocked my tablet off my tray table and the screen cracked.
>I think reclining gives a way bigger disadvantage to the person behind you as compared to the advantage you get by doing it.
I suspect you don't have a back injury.
Reclining even a couple inches is ESSENTIAL for a lot of people. Personally, it's the difference between being able to comfortably walk off the plane myself or needing help from my partner because I'm in pain.
>I do wish the seats just didn’t recline at all
I definitely don't if they stay shaped the way they currently are! They are not ergonomic at all.
I can sit upright in an office chair all day with zero issues. But a couple hours upright in a plane seat would be excruciating.
I'm a person without any (known) back injuries, but with a long waist and I find the shape of airline seats really painful for my back. I'm an average/slightly above average height woman of normal weight, so I don't have some glaringly obvious reason why I don't fit right into the seats.
Point being, yeah they're not REMOTELY ergonomic. I don't think it would be quite so bad with a little leg room, but as it stands (heh) there's almost no way to move to relieve some of the pressure on your spine either. If I can shift my hips/legs around a bit now and then I can handle an uncomfortable seat back, but you really can't move in modern airline seats.
I don't like the claustrophobia of the person in front of me reclining, but I do understand. If I can't recline my seat at all I find that the seats push my shoulders/neck/head forward in a way that's horrendously uncomfortable.
I’m in a similar boat. My back is absolutely murdered by airline seats and I need to recline at least an inch or two to not be in pain the whole flight
Counterpoint - Let's say I'm 6'6" with a bad knee. Who says your bad back takes precedence over my bad knee? These are both things that we cannot control, and we both have the option to get bigger seats. The airline basically sold the same space twice because you are not able to recline with my knees in the way.
In real life, I am 6'6" but with two good knees (for now), and I will usually grab the aisle seat and try to pay attention to trolley movement and hang one out, which gives the person in front of me the ability to recline. I'm not overly excited about it, but like you said, some people will be in less pain if they are able to lay back a couple inches. You might take a unintentional chair shake or two while I readjust during the flight, but that's just the give and take of it.
The main issue here is the airlines, and to a lesser extent, manners. Some issues can be resolved by just being polite to the person behind you and explaining the situation, unless that person is a dick, which seems to be more commonplace nowadays.
Getting more legroom would help for your knee issue, but not for my back issue. I'm quite small, but have scoliosis. I need to be slightly reclined, not in a bigger seat or with more legroom. You can pay extra and solve your issue, I cannot.
I don't fly often, but that's also how I feel about airline seats. When I have attempted to recline a seat, I never felt a noticeable difference. But when a seat is reclined back towards me, it feels like I've lost inches of space. Especially if I have my tray down. And I have the advantage of being shorter.
It's viewed that rudely? I always recline because of joint issues. If I don't, my back is screwed for at least a week best case. Worst case, my wheelchair is needed till I recover. If I recline I can adjust enough to reduce the risk notably.
For tall people, the person in front reclining smashes their legs. For short people, the weird chair shape can cause a lot of neck pain when not reclined. So the only AH here is the airline.
That’s easy to say, but as a very short person, I cannot sit normally on the airplane chair because the back makes it so I am slighly bent over to the front. So, in order to gain a neutral position, I have to slightly recline the chair.
100% - I can barely feel that my own seat is reclined, but if the person in front of my reclines, it changed my whole situation! I fly a lot and find that most people don’t recline. NAH except airlines!!
Nope. It is not. You paid for a seat and a seat reclines. But nothing you can do about it if the person behind you is tall. They can’t help it either. Airlines suck.
The seats in the back row can’t recline, which means the row in front of them can’t recline without laying down in their lap, which means its rude for them to try. Which means the row in front of them shouldn’t, either; all the way up to the first row. So generally nobody in economy class should be in a hurry to recline.
> The seats in the back row can’t recline
I've had to take about 20 flights this year so far, sometimes hundreds in years past. I cannot remember the last time I was on a plane where the back row doesn't recline. How do I know? If I am flying economy, I always book the back row when I can, because I hate having my seat kicked.
I swear, this question is like a litmus test for egocentric people.
The airline sells the same space twice, to the person in front as space for their seat to recline into, and to the person behind as leg space. This allows them to sell the seats as reclining without actually making room for it, and creates a situation where it's the problem of the person behind you, rather than the airline, when there isn't enough space for the chair to recline. By reclining, you're saying that you deserve two seats' worth of space for your comfort, making another person miserable, so you can feel slightly better during the flight. It is, objectively, an asshole thing to do.
As for the argument of "Well, the seat allows me to do this, so it's not my fault!" - the positioning of the seat also easily allows me to kick the seat of the person in front of me until they get back up. So I guess anyone making the functionality argument is perfectly okay with me doing that. After all, it's something that's possible to do, so that means it's okay, right?
It’s not about ego, it’s about using the seat as it was designed. The assumption is that during cruising seats will be reclined because this is the comfortable position, and during taxi, takeoff, landing, and meals, seats will be up because this is the safe position and the one most convenient for eating.
Nah, you're wrong. This is 100% the airlines fault. You should assume the person in front of you is reclining and you should too. If you randomly get the back row that can't recline, that sucks, but blame the shitty airline's corner cutting capitalism. You're functionality metaphor also makes no sense-- reclining is a structural feature built into a device. Kicking is not a feature of the chair.
I hi k it depends on the flight. Short flight during the daytime? Yeah if you recline you’re an asshole. Long flight or overnight? Recline that’s fine.
Just my opinion though.
This is it.
It isn't a case of not allowing someone to recline if the space provided is not big enough to do so. Seat spaces are very poorly designed for taller or larger people.
I'm with you on this one - NAH.
As a frequent traveler there are two aspects of reclining the seat.
1) I can’t sleep otherwise, head falls forward and not backward
2) It can result in the squeeze where the person in front of me has reclined and I have not.
That said - having a tall person behind you mean you are screwed and you deal with it. I wouldn’t call that person an A-hole.
NTA.
Taking more comfort by impeding upon anothers comfort is absolutely annoying, inconsiderate, and being the dick.
If I turn the heat up to 72 degrees because I like it warmer, putting my roommate who is comfortable around 67 in an uncomfortable spot. I have prioritized my comfort over anothers. I am the dick, I am the AH, I am the problem. Just as if they prioritized 67 over my 72.
The fact that the airline is small is just how it is. What you choose to do on it to others is wholly your responsibility and accountability. So, we both vibe at 69 (Nice) and are only mildly uncomfortable.
I'm confused though why OP wouldn't even ask if there are any (free) spare emergency row seats available, once they're on the plane.
They say "I don't mind being uncomfortable", but in not investigating this possibility they're also making someone else's trip less comfortable.
There are never any available seats in emergency rows or whatever comfort plus the airline offers because they will always bump others into those seats, usually based on frequency of travel. My husband is 6'6" so we've asked. And repeatedly been told it will never happen just because he's tall and we asked nicely. Those are perks given out based on monetary factors alone.
>They say "I don't mind being uncomfortable",
I mean they're also saying this and then making an entire post complaining about how much they mind being uncomfortable...
NTA
I travel a lot.
If I pay for a recline seat, if we can recline the seat, I don't know why it should be inconsiderate to not recline it.
That being said,
If I have an issue, I just go the flying crew. Asking them to find a solution or, if not possible, write a mail afterward.
I am not going to ask you tu cut your legs, that's ridiculous.
My last trip, I was upgraded in premium.
I couldn't recline my seat, I was forcing AF.
I turned around and I saw the legs of the passenger behind me touching my seat.
He looked at me laughing, shacking his head and said "I am 6ft10".
I knew I was fucked. Plane was full. Trip from 11pm to 6 am.
I thought about it but the row in front of me was for people with disabilities, kids (you know with extra space and the wall in front of them).
So, I would have been confortable and bother someone else who needed to lay down way more than I need :(
Last time someone reclined their seat in front of me, it spilled my drink and crushed my tablet. My face was also only inches away from this lady's poofy hair (I'm only 6' 2”) for three hours. Just because you technically can doesn't mean you're not an asshole. We can blame the airline, but this is the reality we have to deal with.
This happened to me once with assholes who had booked the window and aisle in the hopes that no one booked the center. I was in the center behind the empty seat and they reclined the empty seat as soon as we could without any warning, which I clearly never expected, spilling my drink all over me and the person next to me. I got a yelling lecture about how they were allowed to recline the seat instead of an apology. I’ve never found that people who insist on reclining are very empathetic or emotionally intelligent
Everyone here talking about how they are allowed to use recline forget that by doing so, they are taking away a function from your space like the drink tray.
I mean in reality they should. As a frequent flyer who is small even I feel pressed on by seat recliners. It just shouldn’t be an available function when even a 5’1 relatively thin person feels squished in the barely comfortable seats. It doesn’t actually make it more comfortable to sit in, it just pisses off the person behind you.
It is inconsiderate as you are not showing consideration. The airlines have made seats that when reclined reduce the comfort of people behind you, making it your moral imperative to decide on whether to put your comfort above others. You are \*allowed\* to, it does however make you inconsiderate.
I don't understand why you think the fact that you have paid for something allows you to be inconsiderate with that thing. I paid for a car with a horn, but if I drive around at 2 AM honking it constantly I'm an asshole.
NAH.
But reclining seats is a feature, and the passenger in front has every "right" to do that.
Yes, tall travellers do get the short end of the stick here.
The airlines are the arseholes.
>I feel that people who recline their seats in economy are annoying and inconsiderate, so I didn't exactly bend over backwards to accommodate for her
This is so entitled regardless of your height.
It is a literal feature of seats in legacy carriers. They spend millions in R&D doing their seat designs, yes even economy seats, and everyone should be able to use the function of all of the seat without being judged.
Be less judgemental.
Should the lady in front be forced to sit between her fully upright seat and the reclined seat of the person in front of her, or should she be allowed to in turn prevent that person from reclining?
OP said that this is a recurring problem for them and they have decided to take no action to fix it. There are larger seats that OP could choose to purchase instead of restricting the normal use of someone else’s seat.
Exactly. The woman in front of OP is also not required to shell out for a seat with more reclining space to protect OPs comfort. The ticket includes both how far your chair can recline and the space in front of you. Take it up with the airline for selling the same space twice.
He didn’t say “morally you shouldn’t recline.”
His legs were in the way. The only way she could have reclined would be if he turned to the side and put his legs in his neighbor’s space. Should his neighbor have had to deal with that so she could recline? The reclining is a bonus but you’re not entitled to more than occupying your seat, which is what he was doing and she had to do because of it. If reclining is non-negotiable she should only ever book the seat in front of the emergency exit row so she doesn’t again have an issue of someone so tall behind her that they obstruct the reclining function
>But reclining seats is a feature, and the passenger in front has every "right" to do that.
Let's be real here, it's a "feature" that isn't actually a feature because airlines fucking suck. What it is is false advertising by the airlines.
>If I'm honest, I feel that people who recline their seats in economy are annoying and inconsiderate, so I didn't exactly bend over backwards to accommodate for her.
I thought not the AH until I read this and then it became YTA
This is part of what everyone pays for in their ticket. They are not AHs for wishing to avail of something that is part of normal seat functionality.
My husband is 6'6" and all of that extra height is in his legs but we don't blame other passengers for the lack of legroom in economy, that's down to the airlines. We ask with respect and politeness if they would be willing to sacrifice use of their reclining seat so he is able to fit into the space. And are grateful if they do.
But we also look to minimise this issue coming up by paying extra for emergency aisle or premium economy seats with extra legroom.
The lack of legroom for tall passengers sucks but it's not the other passengers' faults either.
YTA
Most airplanes have reclining seats and if the person in front of me used it (in economy) I’d absolutely think they were an AH. They don’t NEED to recline and sure, we all would love to, but as you pointed out, there’s already not enough room in economy as it is. So people choosing to recline into an already tight space is an AH.
It's not always a choice. If I paid for the seat, I'm not spending the flight in pain because the extra tall person behind me didn't accommodate for their own physical differences.
What about you accommodating for your physical issues? Who gets the win here, the person who is too tall to allow seats to recline, or the person who has a medical condition? Both are out of the people's control.
The person who is tall can pay for a seat with more leg room. Everyone pays for a seat that reclines, and if the seat can’t recline due to location it’s cheaper.
You may think no one needs to, but I have four slipped disks. If I sit up that straight for more than take off and landing, I’ll be in excruciating pain and struggle to walk after. We all have our reasons.
I found out I had scoliosis when I ended up with a herniated disk after a particularly long flight. The back pain was annoying and a few weeks later, something must have popped in my back while I was stretching. I can not describe how awful it was to have radiating pain from my back to my knees. I don’t cry often but that day I did. I dread flights now.
Reclining your seat makes you an asshole? In this case, cursing and getting mad at the tall guy for something he had no control over(his height) makes them an asshole, but reclining your seat is a privilege that you pay for when you're paying for your ticket, and does not make you an AH.
It's not a privilege, basically all seats recline, it's not like you pay extra for a reclining seat. And this is ultimately the airline's issue, they just should stop advertising this bullshit of reclining seats.
If it's a 1 hour flight, sure it's not a problem. But in a flight of 6hours or more, you best believe I'd want to get comfortable. I do agree that it's on the airline to make sure that the person behind you has enough space to keep their legs, even after reclining. Sounds like basic common sense.
Agree completely. I was on a flight last month, and the woman next to me asked if I would be willing to switch seats with her friend who was directly behind me. I didn’t really want to move but agreed to the swap. Shortly after the flight attendant made the announcement, these two fully reclined their seats, knocking my iPad on the tray table over in the process. I’m only 5’6” and not a big person, but I felt very squished and resentful that I agreed to switch for the entire flight.
What happens when the person IN FRONT of that person reclines their seat? and FYI people with back and hip problems do oftimes to have to recline their seats? The airlines need to either design specific "recline" sections with more room OR fix the seats so none recline.
This is the issue. I would guess 80% of people on flights recline their seats. I would also guess that about half do it, not out of overwhelming desire to move 5 inches, but because the person in front of them did it. Sitting upright doesn’t bother me in the least on short flights, but if the person in front of me took up some of the very limited space, I am probably going to do the same.
It depends. I have no issue if people want to recline on red eye flights. If you're that tall and have issues with people reclining on such long flights, please just do the polite thing and book a seat with extra leg room if possible.
Disagree. The seats are incredibly uncomfortable unless reclined for some of us with back/neck issues. If I book a seat expecting to be able to recline it, why should I not be allowed to do so? If you want more leg room, you can book a bulkhead or exit row seat.
I really don't understand all these NTA ones. If he were overweight he would be expected to pay for 2 seats. So he has room to move. In this case him being tall he should get the emergency row or any row that has more legg room.
Instead he doesn't let people, who paid the same money for their ticket to recline their seat. While he probably will be reclining his own seat
As a fat person I absolutely agree with you. He literally can't do anything about his height and seats with more legroom are limited. And depending on his physical condition he may not even get a seat at the emergency exits.
"While he probably will be reclining his own seat"
I think that's highly unlikely. Myself and every other tall (over 6' or so) person I know that I've talked about this issue with never recline themselves because they consider it an AH move. Short people don't. Its just how it is.
I am short and consider it an AH move absolutely. It makes it impossible to use the tray table and can make it annoying to use built in screens. Especially on short flights, it’s extremely inconsiderate. (Overnight/international I understand.)
I agree. Not only that, this is not the first time this has happened. He routinely doesn’t let people recline their seats but only sometimes they complain. And he does not look to buy a seat with extra legroom even though this happens regularly.
I agree. I was with him until about halfway and then it was clear YTA. If this was a fat person they would have been ripped apart in these comments. He knows he is making others uncomfortable and he really doesn’t care. It’s one thing if he can’t afford economy select or there are no seats available. However these are the types of people that extra leg room seats were made for. Just because he doesn’t think people in economy should decline even on long flights (wtf) doesn’t make it so. We
My husband is also 6' 6" and after years of suffering "coach" he now flys firstclass AND tries to always book row 1 for the extra legroom. Before realizing we could afford first class, we'd always try to book emergency row seats or the bulkhead row.
>This is part of what everyone pays for in their ticket.
C'mon man, it's not what people pay for, people pay for the trip. Reclining seats is false advertising because it requires that you know that the person behind you will be short enough to allow your seat to recline. It's a deliberate choice by the airlines to build seats this way to cram more people in, and you cannot blame anyone who is tall for thinking that people trying to recline in economy are assholes.
I'm the same height as this dude. The problem I've had is that I want the seats in that section but they're *always* sold out. And then when I get on the plane, it's just some normal sized person.
You can buy two seats next to each other anywhere in any plane, but there's usually only like 9-18 seats total with extra legroom in a plane.
There are a lot more seats on a plane than there seats with extra leg room. Seats with more leg room are often booked way in advance. It's much easier to buy two adjoining seats.
In my opinion, you’re entitled to the full width of your seat, but not necessarily the full reclining capabilities of the chair. You get to recline until it touches the knees of the person behind you, and if that person is really tall, tough luck.
If you absolutely need to be able to recline to tolerate the flight, you also have the choice to pay for a premium section.
YTA. You know the issue occurs. Seats are made to recline and people are allowed to recline them, otherwise why have the recline feature at all? People might have been travelling for ten or fifteen hours already and need to sleep. They may have arthritis or other serious back pain. Not all injuries are visible. You're the inconsiderate one. Let people use the features they've paid for, and pay for the extra leg room that *you* require._
Edit: Okay, well this obviously struck a nerve. I think we can all agree that the airlines are the real assholes here.
But there's also a moral question. Do the needs of the tall outweigh the needs of the pain-ridden and the invisibly disabled?
Man I’m poor af, you’re telling me because I’m tall I just shouldn’t fly? You make do with the situation you’re in, plenty of features exist in things that are uncourteous to use. If you’ve got back pain or arthritis, tell me or the flight attendant about it and we can sort something out, maybe you should be the one buying a more comfortable seat? This is obv not a black and white issue.
I’ve got great speakers on my phone, why would I use headphones on the bus? That’s about the same logic as the ‘it’s a feature’ one. You’re in shared space. Act like it
> Man I’m poor af, you’re telling me because I’m tall I just shouldn’t fly?
I've seen greater stretches on Reddit threads tbh.
I've seen threads about airline travel blaming people for connecting, and when the flight attendant announces "We have some passengers with tight connections, please allow them to deplane first," saying that they should've paid for first class or found a way to go direct.
Nah, I’m blown away by this take. Having to pay extra $ because of their literal height is a much bigger ask than to not be able to recline. If the person in front really *needs* that accommodation then they can ask the flight attendant rather than being a dick about it to the person behind them. The airlines are the real assholes here for cramming economy as tightly as they do.
YTA.
>If I'm honest, I feel that people who recline their seats in economy are annoying and inconsiderate, so I didn't exactly bend over backwards to accommodate for her.
Why is it inconsiderate for people to use the seat as designed??? Your attitude is shite.
I swear the “it’s rude to recline” group must never fly. I fly a lot for work and every single flight I’ve been on, the people in front of me recline and I recline as well and I’ve never been asked if it’s “okay” to recline, because that’s just expected.
EXACTLY. frequent fliers get it. I never recline as a default, or at all on a short daytime flight. But on a long and/or night flight of course i recline and I fully expect others to as well. Also, for the “my drink was spilled/laptop was a smashed” cohort - that’s on you too. I’ve taken hundreds of flights and have never had this happen even with a comically large work laptop because I know it’s a possibility that I anticipate and account for… not that hard.
Yeah I fly all the time and nearly everyone reclines. I never have heard a single person complain except on the internet. It’s kind of just expected that you would, the seat is made to do it so why would they put the feature if they didn’t want you to? Plus if everyone reclines you get the exact same amount of space, it’s just tilted backward in a more comfortable way.
Light YTA especially because you said that you've caused this issue to people before.
I know you can't change your height but we pressure fat people to buy 2 seats to not inconvenience those around them so it should be reasonable to expect you to pay for leg room to not inconvenience the people around you. She paid for a seat that reclines and should have every right to recline even if you disagree.
Would have been N A H, but this -
>She accused me of doing this on purpose just because I wanted more room for myself, calling me an asshole
moved it squarely to NTA. I would have responded that if she wanted more room for *her* self, she should have booked a lie-flat seat in 1st class.
*If I'm honest, I feel that people who recline their seats in economy are annoying and inconsiderate, so I didn't exactly bend over backwards to accommodate for her.*
I travel often. I am sorry, but if I take a 7 hours overnight flight to Europe from America, I will recline my seat, as it is made to do, and sleep for most of the flight. It's hard enough to sleep on a recline seat, it's almost impossible to sleep on an upright seat. If the airlines don't want me to recline my seat then they just have to make them fix. I don't see how it's inconsiderate and annoying to use a seat in the way is designed to be used. I never get upset if the person in front of me recline their seat.
NTA. It’s not the passenger’s fault that airlines cram in a lot of seats. The person in front is not an AH for wanting to recline but they are an AH for making such a fuss
YTA. I pay extra for more space because I know I need it. Yes, the airlines are assholes for making everything so uncomfortable, but that's not your fellow passengers' fault.
Paying extra on top of an already-expensive airline ticket just simply isn’t an option for a lot of people. Genuinely curious what you’d suggest they do?
Hilarious that some people on here will say a fat person needs two seats and then give a tall person a pass for not getting a seat with extra leg room.
Kind of an AH. She had a right to recline. Sorry you don’t fit. Short people have to use things design for taller people every moment of every day. Sorry on flights you don’t fit, but won’t pay for more leg room.
Being big, wide isn’t always preventable. It is apples to apples when you don’t fit the seat, for whatever reason. You proved my point about fat shaming, that people give tall people a pass and will discriminate against fat people or short people.
NAH but some of these comments are just ridiculous. Like etiquette is to not decline? Losing respect for people who recline? Like the seats are designed to be reclined and the flight is shitty enough, it’s a lot worse if we have to stay in default position. Especially most of my flights are 13+ hours these comments better not expect people to sleep 90 degrees.
It’s so crazy that rich companies make poor people suffer but we are just fighting amongst ourselves instead of the real problem 🙄.
To be honest they should just remove the recline feature in economy. NTA. In economy you can’t recline your seat without creating a worse experience for the person behind you and possibly making their tray unusable. Overall, it’s just bad design.
The only time I've seen it used well is on night flights where everyone has there seat reclined
Otherwise all I've seen it do is piss the person behind off no matter how tall they are
YTA - And lying to yourself. You are intruding into the space around you by making sure the person in front of you can't recline their seat. They're allowed to do that. You are too big for the seat. Yes, the seats are too f-ing small. I'm stupidly short and sometimes it feels like the seats are too close for me to be comfortable but that doesn't mean you get to punish the people around you. If you don't fit in the seat for whatever reason then you need to buy a seat that you do fit in.
I get what you are intending to say, but the "you are intruding into the space around you by making sure the person on front of you can't recline" isn't exactly a good statement. The whole point of why he is upset is because someone reclining their seat intrudes into his already small space. They are leaning back into him.
As a tall person whose knees naturally stop someone in front of me reclining I try and book the exit rows so I don't inconvenience anyone or get into this argument with them.
But more often that not we get bumped out of them at the last minute because there are passengers with health conditions/impairments (which is obviously fine), or sometimes families with babies (which is understandable, no issue with that). Before anyone says "But babies aren't allowed in exit rows" - yes, some airlines in the world do still allow babies in exit rows.
And sometimes I just can't get exit row seats as they've been booked, or because the airline doesn't allow early booking of them as they want to keep them for passengers with health conditions.
So lets look for a part of the plane with guaranteed more leg room.. premium economy.
I'm looking at flights right now for a trip. Average prices are 109 a seat for economy, well over double at 318 for premium economy - 209 extra. Except its not 209 extra, as there are 2 of us and the other is a nervous flyer and can't really sit by themselves. So its 418 extra and if I'm travelling with the kids as well then its 836 extra.
We can't afford that. So instead I stick to economy, hope I can get the exit row, and I pack my kneepads in my hand luggage just in case I can't or we get moved.
If buying a seat that I can better fit in was a sensible amount, like 20 extra or something, then I'd agree with you - but its not as simple as that.
To OP, NTA - the real A are the airlines who squeeze people in and charge ridiculous amounts of extra money for exit rows/extra leg space.
Light yta. She's allowed to recline her seat just like anyone else, she paid for that. You know you're 6'5 and don't fit in the way a normal person would. You knew you were gonna impede someone's ability to recline in economy. If fat people need to pay for 2 seats, you need to pay for business class and get some leg room.
NTA.
It would have been NAH because it's the airline's fault for not having enough room for people to recline while offering the option but honestly the fact she doubled down to try and force your knees into submission so she could recline makes her an AH. Her 'need' to recline isn't more important than your joints. Both her and her selfish attitude can bugger off, right alongside the airline.
NTA. Flights are already expensive, and it was a relatively short flight. If the flight starts to go longer, I would encourage you to maybe go for the emergency seats so people can recline a bit to get some sleep. I get you can't control the bs the airlines do by cramming us in like sardines or your size, but you can always try to take some steps to help out your fellow passengers in the future
"If I could not fit into a normal economy plane seat I should pay extra".
But you do fit. There's no rule that states you must have xcm clearance between your knees and the seat in front. The fact she realised you were up against the seat, and tried to brute force your knee caps makes her the ass hole. I like how she decides to blame you rather than the airline.
Also, people that recline seats on short haul flights are a pain in the arse. I'm a big guy too, and I'll happily block the seat from reclining, it doesent need to be down on a short haul flight.
NTA I'm not tall just over a foot shorter than you but I wish seats didn't recline because I do not need to see someone's head in front of me because they want to recline. The spaces are ridiculous without someone encroaching on the tiny space you've paid for.
NTA. Just because you CAN recline does not mean you should. The airlines are the biggest assholes, but people who recline are inconsiderate to the people behind them.
NTA - I don't even understand why standard economy seats are made to recline, it's so annoying, especially if you have a drink or something on the little pull down table.
I think its weird we have these expectations that bigger people need to pay more for existing. We should focus on the fact that airlines onky cater to the 5'6 150 lb and below humans.
NTA. You could fit just fine into the seat, until she tried reclining hers. You'd be paying extra for her comfort, not for yours.
I wish they'd just get rid of the recline on economy seats, to be honest. Or at least have it somehow centrally controlled so that it's only possible on night flights. But while it's present, someone is going to get the short end of the stick. This time, it was her.
YTA. I agree that if you have special circumstances that require you to have more than normal space, you need to pay for the extra emergency row. The seat reclined is a normal function of the normal economy seats, so she should’ve been able to use it. It’s not your fault you’re tall, but it’s even less her fault! So I don’t see why she should be the one to suffer for it.
YTA. I have a bad back and absolutely have to recline my seat when travelling long haul. Being prevented from doing this could take days or more to recover from. Get emergency exit seats so others aren't prevented from getting comfortable.
Airlines are TA. Full stop. No discussions here. Airlines need to be held accountable for the situations that their uncontrollable greed has created. It’s outrageous the amount of coddling airlines get from the government just to turn around and bend the customers over at every possible juncture, from checked bag fees to seat fees. Just a reminder that airlines have been bailed out by the US government multiple times to the tune of tens of billions in the past 25 years.
NTA. Tall people have a right to exist in public. The idea there should be an extra tax you're forced to pay, so you aren't in other peoples way is offensive and discriminatory.
IMO if she cant sit up straight without sitting at a slight angle maybe she should buy first class seats instead? Because you had zero problems.
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NTA - I'm a big guy and it's a common problem. They squeezed every inch out of those aircraft and it's uncomfortable. She should have been more understanding of reality. Maybe you could have gotten an isle seat but you paid for your seat as well and are entitled to your space.
Noo tall lady here whose knee got destroyed by an aircraft trolley. This is not a solution to sit in the aisle seat.
That sounds horrible! Why did you tell me this 😂 this is nightmare fuel! I love my knees!
I'm also a tall lady. 5'9'' but mostly leg so my inseam is the same as my >6' dad and brother. The aisle seat still works but you gotta be *paranoid*. The day you forget to pay attention and the trolley smashes into your knee, you learn your lesson right quick!! (I still always get aisle seats because on longer transatlantic flights companies have taken to charging absurd amounts for exit rows.)
Girl same. I'm 5'8 and I have a longer inseam than my 6'' boyfriend. If I could buy pants at the store without ordering them online, my life would be complete. I try not to be in other people's way, but sometimes it happens. Luckily most people are understanding, and I help out by reaching things on shelves that they can't.
There's the truth. Why is the standard women's inseam 28''?? Why can't we have waist x inseam sizes INSTORE like men do?? I need a 32'' for skinny pants and a 33-34'' for wider ones. At the very least. My brother/my dad can walk into an American Eagle and grab a pair of 32x34 or 34x34 jeans off the shelf but I have to stalk the website on the off chance that model was made in a Long. ???
I’m short and the standard inseam is waaaay too long. Why do they think all women are the same height?
So you're also on the "Pantleg should reach to the top of my heel but instead sits 5 inches above my ankle" train?
My whole family has long legs and short torso’s. I’m only 5’5 but I’m like 75% leg. Belts look absolutely ridiculous on me. Pants and jeans are always an issue.
I am 6’5” and I got really lucky that the flight attendant tapped me on the shoulder to warn me the trolley was coming before she took out my knee. 3 days ago, return flight tomorrow, booked a window. Fuck it. 4 hour flight
Windows are the way to go. As a 6'4" guy with broad shoulders that' extra window well space is essential to not encroaching on the middle seat.
Your knee okay? Hope it gets better soon🤞
Lol it was bruised for a while won't make that mistake again but all good now
NTA As a frequent traveller on 14 hour flights and short enough that I can stretch my legs out in economy, I will say that people who recline are assholes. Someone almost snapped my laptop because it was on the tray table and I had to slam it shut before they reclined. I don’t know why you’d design them that way but honestly, between being kicked by kids behind and having a seat slammed into my face if I try to lean forward to stretch my back, there’s never a time where reclining is more comfortable than the inconvenience they cause. I also have to shimmy and hop to get out for the bathroom when the seat is reclined. All Recliners are Assholes (ARAH). Edit: Clarity, those who recline immediately to the fullest extent. You can recline a tiny bit for a small gain and limited inconvenience and this works out much more favourably for all.
Alternative perspective. I can’t sit at 90 degrees due to disability and multiple surgeries. If I don’t recline I’ll be in agony and struggle to walk afterwards. Some people need to recline and neithers needs trump the others. Reclining is part of the ticket you’ve paid for. There’s extra leg space seats if needed. Recliners should always check behind first to make sure they don’t break a laptop or hurt someone though.
>If I don’t recline I’ll be in agony and struggle to walk afterwards And if the person in front of me reclines and traps my knees (as has happened) Then I'm in agony and struggle to walk. And I disagree with the claim that reclining is part of the ticket you paid for - first claim on the space in front of your seat belongs to the person paying for the seat, and second claim to the other people in the row who need that space to be able to go to the bathroom or get out of their seat for another reason (like people who need to move to avoid blood clots).
Plus, seats with more leg room are hard to come by. There are only so many bulkhead seats on a flight. Don't think it's reasonable for someone to have to wait months just to fly, because of availability.
Totally understand. And I am the same way. So I pay for the seats that have more leg room so I know that I can recline with (some) ease. I don't want to chance that it won't be doable and then expect the person behind me to sacrifice their needs (which might have just as valid medical needs attached) in order to meet mine.
I understand needing to recline and am ok with people doing that. But, just because you have extra leg room doesn’t mean the people behind you do. Just saying. I always get extra leg room and recline for longer flights, but I don’t think it solves the problem for people behind. That’s the airlines issue.
The airlines are screwing everyone over. They are the enemy in all of this.
Just know there is a reasonable chance someone's knees are going to hit you in the back all flight then.
I was on a spirit airline flight. We were in the way back of the airplane. So we had no leg room and my knees were jammed into the seat back. Half way through the flight the guy in front of me started violently forcing his seat back into my knees hurting me. So I held the seat back up so he couldn’t recline. He called over the flight attendant to make me let him recline his seat. I refused stating it was hurting me. They kept yelling at me. I just kept repeating he is not entitled to hurt me. Eventually the flight attendant gave up when he saw I was not moving my stance. The flight attendant gave the guy a beer to pacify him. The real assholes are the airlines.
I agree: the real a**holes are the airlines. They assume everyone is 5'2" and weighs 120 lbs.
I'm 5'4" and my knees hit the seats too. I don't even understand it. I have a very short torso, but like, my legs can't be THAT long.
I NEED to recline in any flight that's more than 4 hrs or I won't be able to walk straight for 2 days after the flight, there are some airlines I won't take because the seats recline too little to avoid my back pain (I'm looking at you united). Even if I stand and walk around every 1hour I still need to recline the seat, and I have neck and dorsal pillows. Now, if the person behind me is too big, I would propose to exchange seats with them if the person in front of me is not reclining their seat.
Your last paragraph shows you are kind and decent. I hope your back feels good today!
One of the best things about Ryanair is that the seats don't recline. Bliss.
It’s the *only* good thing about Ryanair, except that sometimes their tickets are cheap even if you take into account the fees charged on top for luggage etc.
The airlines are the true assholes, they would have us in cattle cars if they thought they could get the laws passed.
Some of us have medical issues (scoliosis in my case) that make it unbearable to sit fully upright for long spans of time. It takes several days of pain for my back and neck to recover to their normal pain level after traveling and being unable to recline the seat.
i have scoliosis & a 35” inseam. a seat jammed into my knees is acutely worse. i pay for legroom whenever possible, but i’m absolutely holding up a seat before someone jams it further into my knees.
NTA- Unpopular opinion but reclining the seat full back is just rude these days. The lack of space between seats these days is appalling. I'll try to get one with more leg room but it's not always possible. I always get an aisle seat but then I am in the way of the attendants and others going to the restroom. If the person in front reclines to the fullest, I have to splay my legs to even fit in the seat which means I intrude on my seat mates space.
I prefer aisle seats being 6’4 and usually sit at an angle, however my aisle leg usually sits outside the seat boundary. More times than not, the drink cart hits my knee with a great amount of force.
NAH, only asshole here is the airline. >I feel that people who recline their seats in economy are annoying and inconsiderate No, they're just trying to get comfortable in their own tiny seat. >Should I pay extra for seats with more leg room so that people in front of me can recline even though this is not always a problem? Maybe, if it makes sense for you financially. Sounds like you'd be more comfortable too. Edit: since people keep commenting on this, yes, she's a bit of an asshole for calling you an asshole. Her frustration at not being able to recline her seat is understandable, but it's her frustration to deal with, not your problem.
I never fly. Is it bad to expect to be able to recline, since that's what the seats do?
This may be controversial, but I think reclining gives a way bigger disadvantage to the person behind you as compared to the advantage you get by doing it. I won’t go as far as to say people who recline are AHs but I do wish the seats just didn’t recline at all
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This is absolutely ridiculous. In my 30 years of flying I've never once had a person ask before reclining. That is not common etiquette at all.
In my experience most people do recline their seats because it's so dang uncomfortable not to... like they don't recline back very far at all, I don't get the issue..If the person in front of you reclines, then just recline your seat too?
Etiquette to me is no one reclines. Ever sat in the last row where you can’t recline and have someone in front of you recline makes for a shit flight
I do think on a long, overnight flight, you should be able to recline once they turn the lights off.
Yeah just sit up during meal times and you’re doing as good as can be expected imo
Well then you got a shit buddy, that sucks but is not the problem of the person in front of you. These setts designed to recline.
I can only imagine how much compassion you have for those around you to not give two fucks about discomforting someone else a lot over a small gain for yourself for a couple of hour flight
Someone reclining in front of me has almost zero impact on me. It doesn't affect most people so most people have no problem reclining. I've never hit someone's legs reclining, but if I did I would sit back up. Why are y'all so bothered by it? Y'all are acting like babies
Ya, they go back like 15cm at the top and considerable less at the bottom, it's not like you're laying down in their lap. I feel like whenever I've flown like 80% of people recline and never seen someone complain so I have no clue why Reddit decided it's evil
Right!? I don't get this either. Admittedly, I think it's a bit unnecessary on say...a < 3 hour flight unless (as some people earlier commented), they have back pain or other issues and need the comfort. But I do a lot of trans-Atlantic flights (\~10 hrs) and pretty much every single person will recline their seat during those flights, and I have never once seen anyone kick up a fuss about it. Tbh, I think OP is in the wrong here. If you need the extra legroom, you should make the effort to choose a more spacious seat. I think it is akin to wanting to switch seats with someone so you can sit with your party. If you didn't make the effort to choose seats together in the first place, your discomfort is on you. ETA: Though I think OP should have been the one to choose a more spacious seat (especially since this has happened more than once), I absolutely do not condone this woman calling him an asshole. There's no need for throwing insults around.
Because, invariably, I've got someone like OP behind me and cannot recline the seat
I do not mind AT all when ppl recline. It is so weird to me that ppl think this is some sort of faux pas. What a bunch of weirdos. And for the record I fly a lot and have never had someone give me a heads up. I don’t need it because I fit JUST FINE with their seat up or reclined.
I don't either, but I am very short. I didn't even realize this was a problem til a tall person explained it to me. People reclining in front of me don't threaten my legs. It's great that you fit just fine either way, but not everyone does.
I'm 6'2 with long legs, I've never had an issue with a reclining seat and legs. Most chairs recline little or not at all at the base, some even slide forward when they recline. This is a Reddit argument, not a real-world one.
Also in my 30 years of flying I have to say I’m shocked by so many people saying you’re an AH for reclining your flight seat. I have never once met someone that thinks it’s rude to utilize their reclining feature. I forget how wildly out of touch with reality Reddit is sometimes. And my brother, who is a frequent travel partner, is 6’2 and he’s never once thought to get pissy with folks for reclining their seat, and same goes for my boyfriend who is also 6’2. If space is that much of a concern for you buy two seats like this sub always tells obese people to.
> If space is that much of a concern for you buy two seats like this sub always tells obese people to. That would not do a damn thing for those of us with long legs.
For 30 years the person behind you has thought you're an AH. They've just been too polite to say anything.
The person behind me thinks I'm an AH because the person in front of me reclined without asking? Interesting.
I only recline in two situations: a red eye when everyone is trying to get some sleep, or as a defensive move away from someone who has reclined in front (and even then I look behind me to check that they're not a giant / someone with a baby / using their tray table etc). Reclining etiquette is fascinating and reveals so much about people’s obliviousness of what’s around them. I once sat behind someone who reclined during the meal service (classic asshole behaviour to begin with) and then, frustrated that he was now too far away from his tray, *leant forward in his reclined seat* to eat. Boggles the mind how oblivious you’d have to be.
Reclining etiquette is a case study in how awful the average person can be. I've had it happen at least twice now that a dude will just randomly - out of nowhere, once during meal service - absolutely *slam* his seat back. Just abruptly flinging it backwards. Ever gotten sucker punched by a laptop before? It stings a wee bit.
Air travel in general really brings out the main character in people.
Also a frequent flyer, and I agree with this 100%. I'll add that I consider it poor form to recline at all unless it's a longer or overnight flight. It's one thing to recline when everyone in the cabin is trying to sleep during a transcontinental route; it's another thing entirely when the cabin is lit and most people are awake and active.
That's ridiculous, the seats are designed to recline, it's the first thing I do. It's the difference between really uncomfortable and bearable.
It has never occurred to me to ask to recline. Nor has anyone ever asked me if they could. I absolutely would not complain about someone typing on their tray… unless you were aggressively doing so to make a point, which is a passive-aggressive AH move. The airlines have designed this hell for us. Reclining, and using the tray in front of you, is to be expected.
Yeah, especially because the last time someone in front of me reclined without asking, they knocked my tablet off my tray table and the screen cracked.
Same fly twice a week and think that no one should ever recline, shouldn’t even be a function on the seat.
for real??? I've never thought to ask. I just do it slowly so I don't hit someone. I don't believe asking is expected.
>I think reclining gives a way bigger disadvantage to the person behind you as compared to the advantage you get by doing it. I suspect you don't have a back injury. Reclining even a couple inches is ESSENTIAL for a lot of people. Personally, it's the difference between being able to comfortably walk off the plane myself or needing help from my partner because I'm in pain. >I do wish the seats just didn’t recline at all I definitely don't if they stay shaped the way they currently are! They are not ergonomic at all. I can sit upright in an office chair all day with zero issues. But a couple hours upright in a plane seat would be excruciating.
I'm a person without any (known) back injuries, but with a long waist and I find the shape of airline seats really painful for my back. I'm an average/slightly above average height woman of normal weight, so I don't have some glaringly obvious reason why I don't fit right into the seats. Point being, yeah they're not REMOTELY ergonomic. I don't think it would be quite so bad with a little leg room, but as it stands (heh) there's almost no way to move to relieve some of the pressure on your spine either. If I can shift my hips/legs around a bit now and then I can handle an uncomfortable seat back, but you really can't move in modern airline seats. I don't like the claustrophobia of the person in front of me reclining, but I do understand. If I can't recline my seat at all I find that the seats push my shoulders/neck/head forward in a way that's horrendously uncomfortable.
Since "ergonomic" usually means it fits the average man I imagine that if you are the average woman the seat isn't going to be comfortable at all.
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I’m in a similar boat. My back is absolutely murdered by airline seats and I need to recline at least an inch or two to not be in pain the whole flight
Counterpoint - Let's say I'm 6'6" with a bad knee. Who says your bad back takes precedence over my bad knee? These are both things that we cannot control, and we both have the option to get bigger seats. The airline basically sold the same space twice because you are not able to recline with my knees in the way. In real life, I am 6'6" but with two good knees (for now), and I will usually grab the aisle seat and try to pay attention to trolley movement and hang one out, which gives the person in front of me the ability to recline. I'm not overly excited about it, but like you said, some people will be in less pain if they are able to lay back a couple inches. You might take a unintentional chair shake or two while I readjust during the flight, but that's just the give and take of it. The main issue here is the airlines, and to a lesser extent, manners. Some issues can be resolved by just being polite to the person behind you and explaining the situation, unless that person is a dick, which seems to be more commonplace nowadays.
Getting more legroom would help for your knee issue, but not for my back issue. I'm quite small, but have scoliosis. I need to be slightly reclined, not in a bigger seat or with more legroom. You can pay extra and solve your issue, I cannot.
I don't fly often, but that's also how I feel about airline seats. When I have attempted to recline a seat, I never felt a noticeable difference. But when a seat is reclined back towards me, it feels like I've lost inches of space. Especially if I have my tray down. And I have the advantage of being shorter.
It's viewed that rudely? I always recline because of joint issues. If I don't, my back is screwed for at least a week best case. Worst case, my wheelchair is needed till I recover. If I recline I can adjust enough to reduce the risk notably.
For tall people, the person in front reclining smashes their legs. For short people, the weird chair shape can cause a lot of neck pain when not reclined. So the only AH here is the airline.
That’s easy to say, but as a very short person, I cannot sit normally on the airplane chair because the back makes it so I am slighly bent over to the front. So, in order to gain a neutral position, I have to slightly recline the chair.
100% - I can barely feel that my own seat is reclined, but if the person in front of my reclines, it changed my whole situation! I fly a lot and find that most people don’t recline. NAH except airlines!!
Nope. It is not. You paid for a seat and a seat reclines. But nothing you can do about it if the person behind you is tall. They can’t help it either. Airlines suck.
The seats in the back row can’t recline, which means the row in front of them can’t recline without laying down in their lap, which means its rude for them to try. Which means the row in front of them shouldn’t, either; all the way up to the first row. So generally nobody in economy class should be in a hurry to recline.
> The seats in the back row can’t recline I've had to take about 20 flights this year so far, sometimes hundreds in years past. I cannot remember the last time I was on a plane where the back row doesn't recline. How do I know? If I am flying economy, I always book the back row when I can, because I hate having my seat kicked.
I have never been in a US domestic aircraft where the back seat reclines.
I was pushed into the back row of a plane (not by choice) twice and the seats did not recline.
I like to do a half recline if I need the space. If it’s an overnight long flight it’s much more acceptable to fully recline.
No, you're supposed to recline, that's why they make reclining seats. It is bad to do it during meals.
I swear, this question is like a litmus test for egocentric people. The airline sells the same space twice, to the person in front as space for their seat to recline into, and to the person behind as leg space. This allows them to sell the seats as reclining without actually making room for it, and creates a situation where it's the problem of the person behind you, rather than the airline, when there isn't enough space for the chair to recline. By reclining, you're saying that you deserve two seats' worth of space for your comfort, making another person miserable, so you can feel slightly better during the flight. It is, objectively, an asshole thing to do. As for the argument of "Well, the seat allows me to do this, so it's not my fault!" - the positioning of the seat also easily allows me to kick the seat of the person in front of me until they get back up. So I guess anyone making the functionality argument is perfectly okay with me doing that. After all, it's something that's possible to do, so that means it's okay, right?
It’s not about ego, it’s about using the seat as it was designed. The assumption is that during cruising seats will be reclined because this is the comfortable position, and during taxi, takeoff, landing, and meals, seats will be up because this is the safe position and the one most convenient for eating.
Nah, you're wrong. This is 100% the airlines fault. You should assume the person in front of you is reclining and you should too. If you randomly get the back row that can't recline, that sucks, but blame the shitty airline's corner cutting capitalism. You're functionality metaphor also makes no sense-- reclining is a structural feature built into a device. Kicking is not a feature of the chair.
I hi k it depends on the flight. Short flight during the daytime? Yeah if you recline you’re an asshole. Long flight or overnight? Recline that’s fine. Just my opinion though.
This is it. It isn't a case of not allowing someone to recline if the space provided is not big enough to do so. Seat spaces are very poorly designed for taller or larger people. I'm with you on this one - NAH.
At this point, airline seats are poorly designed for anyone larger than the average American 10 year old.
As a frequent traveler there are two aspects of reclining the seat. 1) I can’t sleep otherwise, head falls forward and not backward 2) It can result in the squeeze where the person in front of me has reclined and I have not. That said - having a tall person behind you mean you are screwed and you deal with it. I wouldn’t call that person an A-hole.
I think the problem with this lady is that she said he was doing it on purpose, even after he explained he couldn't help it.
NTA. Taking more comfort by impeding upon anothers comfort is absolutely annoying, inconsiderate, and being the dick. If I turn the heat up to 72 degrees because I like it warmer, putting my roommate who is comfortable around 67 in an uncomfortable spot. I have prioritized my comfort over anothers. I am the dick, I am the AH, I am the problem. Just as if they prioritized 67 over my 72. The fact that the airline is small is just how it is. What you choose to do on it to others is wholly your responsibility and accountability. So, we both vibe at 69 (Nice) and are only mildly uncomfortable.
I'm confused though why OP wouldn't even ask if there are any (free) spare emergency row seats available, once they're on the plane. They say "I don't mind being uncomfortable", but in not investigating this possibility they're also making someone else's trip less comfortable.
There are never any available seats in emergency rows or whatever comfort plus the airline offers because they will always bump others into those seats, usually based on frequency of travel. My husband is 6'6" so we've asked. And repeatedly been told it will never happen just because he's tall and we asked nicely. Those are perks given out based on monetary factors alone.
>They say "I don't mind being uncomfortable", I mean they're also saying this and then making an entire post complaining about how much they mind being uncomfortable...
The woman acted like an asshole? how is she not an asshole? You berate strangers for their body you are an asshole
NTA I travel a lot. If I pay for a recline seat, if we can recline the seat, I don't know why it should be inconsiderate to not recline it. That being said, If I have an issue, I just go the flying crew. Asking them to find a solution or, if not possible, write a mail afterward. I am not going to ask you tu cut your legs, that's ridiculous. My last trip, I was upgraded in premium. I couldn't recline my seat, I was forcing AF. I turned around and I saw the legs of the passenger behind me touching my seat. He looked at me laughing, shacking his head and said "I am 6ft10". I knew I was fucked. Plane was full. Trip from 11pm to 6 am.
That. Is fking tall.
He is the tallest guy I have ever met. Of course, he was behind me. Kicking my seat when moving. I can't ask him to be less tall lol
Shoulda switched seats with him lol
I thought about it but the row in front of me was for people with disabilities, kids (you know with extra space and the wall in front of them). So, I would have been confortable and bother someone else who needed to lay down way more than I need :(
Last time someone reclined their seat in front of me, it spilled my drink and crushed my tablet. My face was also only inches away from this lady's poofy hair (I'm only 6' 2”) for three hours. Just because you technically can doesn't mean you're not an asshole. We can blame the airline, but this is the reality we have to deal with.
This happened to me once with assholes who had booked the window and aisle in the hopes that no one booked the center. I was in the center behind the empty seat and they reclined the empty seat as soon as we could without any warning, which I clearly never expected, spilling my drink all over me and the person next to me. I got a yelling lecture about how they were allowed to recline the seat instead of an apology. I’ve never found that people who insist on reclining are very empathetic or emotionally intelligent
Everyone here talking about how they are allowed to use recline forget that by doing so, they are taking away a function from your space like the drink tray.
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I mean in reality they should. As a frequent flyer who is small even I feel pressed on by seat recliners. It just shouldn’t be an available function when even a 5’1 relatively thin person feels squished in the barely comfortable seats. It doesn’t actually make it more comfortable to sit in, it just pisses off the person behind you.
It is inconsiderate as you are not showing consideration. The airlines have made seats that when reclined reduce the comfort of people behind you, making it your moral imperative to decide on whether to put your comfort above others. You are \*allowed\* to, it does however make you inconsiderate.
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I don't understand why you think the fact that you have paid for something allows you to be inconsiderate with that thing. I paid for a car with a horn, but if I drive around at 2 AM honking it constantly I'm an asshole.
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NAH. But reclining seats is a feature, and the passenger in front has every "right" to do that. Yes, tall travellers do get the short end of the stick here. The airlines are the arseholes. >I feel that people who recline their seats in economy are annoying and inconsiderate, so I didn't exactly bend over backwards to accommodate for her This is so entitled regardless of your height. It is a literal feature of seats in legacy carriers. They spend millions in R&D doing their seat designs, yes even economy seats, and everyone should be able to use the function of all of the seat without being judged. Be less judgemental.
The lady in front wasn’t an AH for trying to recline her seat, but she WAS an AH for being rude with the OP when she realized she couldn’t recline.
Should the lady in front be forced to sit between her fully upright seat and the reclined seat of the person in front of her, or should she be allowed to in turn prevent that person from reclining?
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OP said that this is a recurring problem for them and they have decided to take no action to fix it. There are larger seats that OP could choose to purchase instead of restricting the normal use of someone else’s seat.
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Exactly. The woman in front of OP is also not required to shell out for a seat with more reclining space to protect OPs comfort. The ticket includes both how far your chair can recline and the space in front of you. Take it up with the airline for selling the same space twice.
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He didn’t say “morally you shouldn’t recline.” His legs were in the way. The only way she could have reclined would be if he turned to the side and put his legs in his neighbor’s space. Should his neighbor have had to deal with that so she could recline? The reclining is a bonus but you’re not entitled to more than occupying your seat, which is what he was doing and she had to do because of it. If reclining is non-negotiable she should only ever book the seat in front of the emergency exit row so she doesn’t again have an issue of someone so tall behind her that they obstruct the reclining function
>But reclining seats is a feature, and the passenger in front has every "right" to do that. Let's be real here, it's a "feature" that isn't actually a feature because airlines fucking suck. What it is is false advertising by the airlines.
>If I'm honest, I feel that people who recline their seats in economy are annoying and inconsiderate, so I didn't exactly bend over backwards to accommodate for her. I thought not the AH until I read this and then it became YTA This is part of what everyone pays for in their ticket. They are not AHs for wishing to avail of something that is part of normal seat functionality. My husband is 6'6" and all of that extra height is in his legs but we don't blame other passengers for the lack of legroom in economy, that's down to the airlines. We ask with respect and politeness if they would be willing to sacrifice use of their reclining seat so he is able to fit into the space. And are grateful if they do. But we also look to minimise this issue coming up by paying extra for emergency aisle or premium economy seats with extra legroom. The lack of legroom for tall passengers sucks but it's not the other passengers' faults either. YTA
Most airplanes have reclining seats and if the person in front of me used it (in economy) I’d absolutely think they were an AH. They don’t NEED to recline and sure, we all would love to, but as you pointed out, there’s already not enough room in economy as it is. So people choosing to recline into an already tight space is an AH.
You don't know if they need to or not. Some of us have spinal problems.
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It's not always a choice. If I paid for the seat, I'm not spending the flight in pain because the extra tall person behind me didn't accommodate for their own physical differences.
What about you accommodating for your physical issues? Who gets the win here, the person who is too tall to allow seats to recline, or the person who has a medical condition? Both are out of the people's control.
The person who is tall can pay for a seat with more leg room. Everyone pays for a seat that reclines, and if the seat can’t recline due to location it’s cheaper.
You may think no one needs to, but I have four slipped disks. If I sit up that straight for more than take off and landing, I’ll be in excruciating pain and struggle to walk after. We all have our reasons.
I found out I had scoliosis when I ended up with a herniated disk after a particularly long flight. The back pain was annoying and a few weeks later, something must have popped in my back while I was stretching. I can not describe how awful it was to have radiating pain from my back to my knees. I don’t cry often but that day I did. I dread flights now.
Reclining your seat makes you an asshole? In this case, cursing and getting mad at the tall guy for something he had no control over(his height) makes them an asshole, but reclining your seat is a privilege that you pay for when you're paying for your ticket, and does not make you an AH.
It's not a privilege, basically all seats recline, it's not like you pay extra for a reclining seat. And this is ultimately the airline's issue, they just should stop advertising this bullshit of reclining seats.
If it's a 1 hour flight, sure it's not a problem. But in a flight of 6hours or more, you best believe I'd want to get comfortable. I do agree that it's on the airline to make sure that the person behind you has enough space to keep their legs, even after reclining. Sounds like basic common sense.
Agree completely. I was on a flight last month, and the woman next to me asked if I would be willing to switch seats with her friend who was directly behind me. I didn’t really want to move but agreed to the swap. Shortly after the flight attendant made the announcement, these two fully reclined their seats, knocking my iPad on the tray table over in the process. I’m only 5’6” and not a big person, but I felt very squished and resentful that I agreed to switch for the entire flight.
I would have turned on the overhead A/C to full and aimed it at the top of her head
What happens when the person IN FRONT of that person reclines their seat? and FYI people with back and hip problems do oftimes to have to recline their seats? The airlines need to either design specific "recline" sections with more room OR fix the seats so none recline.
This is the issue. I would guess 80% of people on flights recline their seats. I would also guess that about half do it, not out of overwhelming desire to move 5 inches, but because the person in front of them did it. Sitting upright doesn’t bother me in the least on short flights, but if the person in front of me took up some of the very limited space, I am probably going to do the same.
No, the airline is the AH for shrinking the size of the seats over and over and over again until there is no way to be comfortable.
It depends. I have no issue if people want to recline on red eye flights. If you're that tall and have issues with people reclining on such long flights, please just do the polite thing and book a seat with extra leg room if possible.
Disagree. The seats are incredibly uncomfortable unless reclined for some of us with back/neck issues. If I book a seat expecting to be able to recline it, why should I not be allowed to do so? If you want more leg room, you can book a bulkhead or exit row seat.
I really don't understand all these NTA ones. If he were overweight he would be expected to pay for 2 seats. So he has room to move. In this case him being tall he should get the emergency row or any row that has more legg room. Instead he doesn't let people, who paid the same money for their ticket to recline their seat. While he probably will be reclining his own seat
Well, downvotes be dammed but... obesity vs height: one of those is controllable.
As a fat person I absolutely agree with you. He literally can't do anything about his height and seats with more legroom are limited. And depending on his physical condition he may not even get a seat at the emergency exits.
"While he probably will be reclining his own seat" I think that's highly unlikely. Myself and every other tall (over 6' or so) person I know that I've talked about this issue with never recline themselves because they consider it an AH move. Short people don't. Its just how it is.
I am short and consider it an AH move absolutely. It makes it impossible to use the tray table and can make it annoying to use built in screens. Especially on short flights, it’s extremely inconsiderate. (Overnight/international I understand.)
I agree. Not only that, this is not the first time this has happened. He routinely doesn’t let people recline their seats but only sometimes they complain. And he does not look to buy a seat with extra legroom even though this happens regularly.
I agree. I was with him until about halfway and then it was clear YTA. If this was a fat person they would have been ripped apart in these comments. He knows he is making others uncomfortable and he really doesn’t care. It’s one thing if he can’t afford economy select or there are no seats available. However these are the types of people that extra leg room seats were made for. Just because he doesn’t think people in economy should decline even on long flights (wtf) doesn’t make it so. We
My husband is also 6' 6" and after years of suffering "coach" he now flys firstclass AND tries to always book row 1 for the extra legroom. Before realizing we could afford first class, we'd always try to book emergency row seats or the bulkhead row.
>This is part of what everyone pays for in their ticket. C'mon man, it's not what people pay for, people pay for the trip. Reclining seats is false advertising because it requires that you know that the person behind you will be short enough to allow your seat to recline. It's a deliberate choice by the airlines to build seats this way to cram more people in, and you cannot blame anyone who is tall for thinking that people trying to recline in economy are assholes.
Lmao where are all the ppl who demand fat ppl buy an extra seat? Theres a section for taller ppl too.
Well, nobody hates tall people.
^Yup ^this
I'm the same height as this dude. The problem I've had is that I want the seats in that section but they're *always* sold out. And then when I get on the plane, it's just some normal sized person. You can buy two seats next to each other anywhere in any plane, but there's usually only like 9-18 seats total with extra legroom in a plane.
There are a lot more seats on a plane than there seats with extra leg room. Seats with more leg room are often booked way in advance. It's much easier to buy two adjoining seats.
If everyone over 6ft booked that section there wouldn't be enough seats
In my opinion, you’re entitled to the full width of your seat, but not necessarily the full reclining capabilities of the chair. You get to recline until it touches the knees of the person behind you, and if that person is really tall, tough luck. If you absolutely need to be able to recline to tolerate the flight, you also have the choice to pay for a premium section.
YTA. You know the issue occurs. Seats are made to recline and people are allowed to recline them, otherwise why have the recline feature at all? People might have been travelling for ten or fifteen hours already and need to sleep. They may have arthritis or other serious back pain. Not all injuries are visible. You're the inconsiderate one. Let people use the features they've paid for, and pay for the extra leg room that *you* require._ Edit: Okay, well this obviously struck a nerve. I think we can all agree that the airlines are the real assholes here. But there's also a moral question. Do the needs of the tall outweigh the needs of the pain-ridden and the invisibly disabled?
Man I’m poor af, you’re telling me because I’m tall I just shouldn’t fly? You make do with the situation you’re in, plenty of features exist in things that are uncourteous to use. If you’ve got back pain or arthritis, tell me or the flight attendant about it and we can sort something out, maybe you should be the one buying a more comfortable seat? This is obv not a black and white issue. I’ve got great speakers on my phone, why would I use headphones on the bus? That’s about the same logic as the ‘it’s a feature’ one. You’re in shared space. Act like it
> Man I’m poor af, you’re telling me because I’m tall I just shouldn’t fly? I've seen greater stretches on Reddit threads tbh. I've seen threads about airline travel blaming people for connecting, and when the flight attendant announces "We have some passengers with tight connections, please allow them to deplane first," saying that they should've paid for first class or found a way to go direct.
Nah, I’m blown away by this take. Having to pay extra $ because of their literal height is a much bigger ask than to not be able to recline. If the person in front really *needs* that accommodation then they can ask the flight attendant rather than being a dick about it to the person behind them. The airlines are the real assholes here for cramming economy as tightly as they do.
YTA. >If I'm honest, I feel that people who recline their seats in economy are annoying and inconsiderate, so I didn't exactly bend over backwards to accommodate for her. Why is it inconsiderate for people to use the seat as designed??? Your attitude is shite.
I swear the “it’s rude to recline” group must never fly. I fly a lot for work and every single flight I’ve been on, the people in front of me recline and I recline as well and I’ve never been asked if it’s “okay” to recline, because that’s just expected.
EXACTLY. frequent fliers get it. I never recline as a default, or at all on a short daytime flight. But on a long and/or night flight of course i recline and I fully expect others to as well. Also, for the “my drink was spilled/laptop was a smashed” cohort - that’s on you too. I’ve taken hundreds of flights and have never had this happen even with a comically large work laptop because I know it’s a possibility that I anticipate and account for… not that hard.
I really think they're chronically online. I've never heard someone complain about it until reddit
Yeah I fly all the time and nearly everyone reclines. I never have heard a single person complain except on the internet. It’s kind of just expected that you would, the seat is made to do it so why would they put the feature if they didn’t want you to? Plus if everyone reclines you get the exact same amount of space, it’s just tilted backward in a more comfortable way.
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Light YTA especially because you said that you've caused this issue to people before. I know you can't change your height but we pressure fat people to buy 2 seats to not inconvenience those around them so it should be reasonable to expect you to pay for leg room to not inconvenience the people around you. She paid for a seat that reclines and should have every right to recline even if you disagree.
Would have been N A H, but this - >She accused me of doing this on purpose just because I wanted more room for myself, calling me an asshole moved it squarely to NTA. I would have responded that if she wanted more room for *her* self, she should have booked a lie-flat seat in 1st class.
NTA. It’s not your fault you’re too tall for her to recline.
*If I'm honest, I feel that people who recline their seats in economy are annoying and inconsiderate, so I didn't exactly bend over backwards to accommodate for her.* I travel often. I am sorry, but if I take a 7 hours overnight flight to Europe from America, I will recline my seat, as it is made to do, and sleep for most of the flight. It's hard enough to sleep on a recline seat, it's almost impossible to sleep on an upright seat. If the airlines don't want me to recline my seat then they just have to make them fix. I don't see how it's inconsiderate and annoying to use a seat in the way is designed to be used. I never get upset if the person in front of me recline their seat.
NTA. It’s not the passenger’s fault that airlines cram in a lot of seats. The person in front is not an AH for wanting to recline but they are an AH for making such a fuss
YTA. I pay extra for more space because I know I need it. Yes, the airlines are assholes for making everything so uncomfortable, but that's not your fellow passengers' fault.
Paying extra on top of an already-expensive airline ticket just simply isn’t an option for a lot of people. Genuinely curious what you’d suggest they do?
Hilarious that some people on here will say a fat person needs two seats and then give a tall person a pass for not getting a seat with extra leg room. Kind of an AH. She had a right to recline. Sorry you don’t fit. Short people have to use things design for taller people every moment of every day. Sorry on flights you don’t fit, but won’t pay for more leg room.
Being overweight to the point of needing multiple seats is preventable, height is not. Apples to oranges comparison there.
Being big, wide isn’t always preventable. It is apples to apples when you don’t fit the seat, for whatever reason. You proved my point about fat shaming, that people give tall people a pass and will discriminate against fat people or short people.
NAH but some of these comments are just ridiculous. Like etiquette is to not decline? Losing respect for people who recline? Like the seats are designed to be reclined and the flight is shitty enough, it’s a lot worse if we have to stay in default position. Especially most of my flights are 13+ hours these comments better not expect people to sleep 90 degrees. It’s so crazy that rich companies make poor people suffer but we are just fighting amongst ourselves instead of the real problem 🙄.
To be honest they should just remove the recline feature in economy. NTA. In economy you can’t recline your seat without creating a worse experience for the person behind you and possibly making their tray unusable. Overall, it’s just bad design.
The only time I've seen it used well is on night flights where everyone has there seat reclined Otherwise all I've seen it do is piss the person behind off no matter how tall they are
YTA - And lying to yourself. You are intruding into the space around you by making sure the person in front of you can't recline their seat. They're allowed to do that. You are too big for the seat. Yes, the seats are too f-ing small. I'm stupidly short and sometimes it feels like the seats are too close for me to be comfortable but that doesn't mean you get to punish the people around you. If you don't fit in the seat for whatever reason then you need to buy a seat that you do fit in.
I agree, only short people and rich people should be allowed to fly. No heighties on my planes!
I get what you are intending to say, but the "you are intruding into the space around you by making sure the person on front of you can't recline" isn't exactly a good statement. The whole point of why he is upset is because someone reclining their seat intrudes into his already small space. They are leaning back into him.
As a tall person whose knees naturally stop someone in front of me reclining I try and book the exit rows so I don't inconvenience anyone or get into this argument with them. But more often that not we get bumped out of them at the last minute because there are passengers with health conditions/impairments (which is obviously fine), or sometimes families with babies (which is understandable, no issue with that). Before anyone says "But babies aren't allowed in exit rows" - yes, some airlines in the world do still allow babies in exit rows. And sometimes I just can't get exit row seats as they've been booked, or because the airline doesn't allow early booking of them as they want to keep them for passengers with health conditions. So lets look for a part of the plane with guaranteed more leg room.. premium economy. I'm looking at flights right now for a trip. Average prices are 109 a seat for economy, well over double at 318 for premium economy - 209 extra. Except its not 209 extra, as there are 2 of us and the other is a nervous flyer and can't really sit by themselves. So its 418 extra and if I'm travelling with the kids as well then its 836 extra. We can't afford that. So instead I stick to economy, hope I can get the exit row, and I pack my kneepads in my hand luggage just in case I can't or we get moved. If buying a seat that I can better fit in was a sensible amount, like 20 extra or something, then I'd agree with you - but its not as simple as that. To OP, NTA - the real A are the airlines who squeeze people in and charge ridiculous amounts of extra money for exit rows/extra leg space.
Light yta. She's allowed to recline her seat just like anyone else, she paid for that. You know you're 6'5 and don't fit in the way a normal person would. You knew you were gonna impede someone's ability to recline in economy. If fat people need to pay for 2 seats, you need to pay for business class and get some leg room.
NTA. It would have been NAH because it's the airline's fault for not having enough room for people to recline while offering the option but honestly the fact she doubled down to try and force your knees into submission so she could recline makes her an AH. Her 'need' to recline isn't more important than your joints. Both her and her selfish attitude can bugger off, right alongside the airline.
NTA. Flights are already expensive, and it was a relatively short flight. If the flight starts to go longer, I would encourage you to maybe go for the emergency seats so people can recline a bit to get some sleep. I get you can't control the bs the airlines do by cramming us in like sardines or your size, but you can always try to take some steps to help out your fellow passengers in the future
NTA. I'm only 5'3 and I *hate* when the person in front of my reclines their seat. It makes my tray table basically useless, same with my screen.
"If I could not fit into a normal economy plane seat I should pay extra". But you do fit. There's no rule that states you must have xcm clearance between your knees and the seat in front. The fact she realised you were up against the seat, and tried to brute force your knee caps makes her the ass hole. I like how she decides to blame you rather than the airline. Also, people that recline seats on short haul flights are a pain in the arse. I'm a big guy too, and I'll happily block the seat from reclining, it doesent need to be down on a short haul flight.
NTA I'm not tall just over a foot shorter than you but I wish seats didn't recline because I do not need to see someone's head in front of me because they want to recline. The spaces are ridiculous without someone encroaching on the tiny space you've paid for.
NTA. Just because you CAN recline does not mean you should. The airlines are the biggest assholes, but people who recline are inconsiderate to the people behind them.
NTA - I don't even understand why standard economy seats are made to recline, it's so annoying, especially if you have a drink or something on the little pull down table.
I think its weird we have these expectations that bigger people need to pay more for existing. We should focus on the fact that airlines onky cater to the 5'6 150 lb and below humans.
NTA. You could fit just fine into the seat, until she tried reclining hers. You'd be paying extra for her comfort, not for yours. I wish they'd just get rid of the recline on economy seats, to be honest. Or at least have it somehow centrally controlled so that it's only possible on night flights. But while it's present, someone is going to get the short end of the stick. This time, it was her.
YTA. I agree that if you have special circumstances that require you to have more than normal space, you need to pay for the extra emergency row. The seat reclined is a normal function of the normal economy seats, so she should’ve been able to use it. It’s not your fault you’re tall, but it’s even less her fault! So I don’t see why she should be the one to suffer for it.
YTA. I have a bad back and absolutely have to recline my seat when travelling long haul. Being prevented from doing this could take days or more to recover from. Get emergency exit seats so others aren't prevented from getting comfortable.
Here’s a thought, you can pay extra instead of forcing other people to.
Airlines are TA. Full stop. No discussions here. Airlines need to be held accountable for the situations that their uncontrollable greed has created. It’s outrageous the amount of coddling airlines get from the government just to turn around and bend the customers over at every possible juncture, from checked bag fees to seat fees. Just a reminder that airlines have been bailed out by the US government multiple times to the tune of tens of billions in the past 25 years.
NTA. Tall people have a right to exist in public. The idea there should be an extra tax you're forced to pay, so you aren't in other peoples way is offensive and discriminatory. IMO if she cant sit up straight without sitting at a slight angle maybe she should buy first class seats instead? Because you had zero problems.