Dumb Question About Reclining Airplane Seats

[scootersmom]

I haven't, so far, been bothered with people reclining. But, the seat kickers drive me nuts.

Now, this is a story from 20 years ago, so not sure if it's still like this or not, but here it is. I was flying into Orlando with my DD4 and DS7. DS was on dramamine and practically comatose during the entire flight, DD looking out the window, coloring, etc. Well, a kid behind me was kicking my seat, or one of our seats, almost the entire time. I just toughed it out. But, when it was time to get off the plane, the lady from the seat in front of DS turned to me and said he'd been kicking her seat the whole way! I just stood there with my mouth open!

Like I said, not sure if it would still be this way, but apparently she was feeling the seat-kicker behind me all the way up there! Heaven knows why she waited to say anything that late in the game if it was bothering her so much.

 

[LisaR]

Okay, seriously, for those of you that have complained about people reclining their seats, do any of you fly on Northwest? I really want to know. I fly NWA all the time and I have never seen their seats recline more then 2 inches. Some of you say the person is almost in your lap. Honestly, that seems impossible with NWA. I never recline because it simply isn't worth it. It does nothing! We always laugh and question why they even have a recline button on the seat. I am really curious what airlines you guys travel with that have seats that go back that far. I guess I assumed all seats were like NWA.

Lisa

 

[CdnDisneyNut]

I am a recliner. I have never been on a plane that the seats recline more than 2 inches. I am paying good money for my plane ticket I should be able to sit in comfort. I do raise the seat during meal service.
Now seat kickers are a different story. If it a child I will let them do it for about 15 minutes (hoping the parent will tell the child to stop). After that or if it is an addult I will turn arround and say coment like 'Do you mind'

 

[Dopey Sharon]

Gail and Lisa...I've flown on USAirways, National and America West. None of the seats recline enough to bother the person behind me.

 

[atigeg]

Scootersmom,
Your comment about your DS being knocked out on Dramimine reminded me of one of our early Disney cruise. Hubby and I were next to a woman who had dosed both of her child (purposely, she confessed), and they were out like lights. Her DH was in the row with them and also sound asleep, courtesy of a few pre-flight drinks (apparently he is a nervous flyer so that's how he has to prepare). We had a great time chatting with her for the whole way, although a person in front of us got really ticked and made a snotty comment about our talking. In my opinion, that's too bad for him...I bring headphones and a CD player to drown out conversation. Why should I sit in silence just because his highness was miffed? We pretty much just ignored him.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Interesting that this thread came up. Today, DW Lauri and I just flew back from WDW and she had a problem with seat recliners on both legs of our flight (USAirways, Orlando to Charlotte and Charlotte to Richmond).

DW Lauri is about 5'10", most of the height is below the waist, so she is quite long-legged. On the first flight (a 757), her knees were right at the back of the seat in front of her. After takeoff, the passenger reclined her seat, ramming right into DW's knees, and didn't seem to notice and let the seat back up any after meeting resistance. Oh, and DW has an auto-immune disorder that has her in constant pain and she is currently walking with a cane. I suggested to DW that she should ask the lady if she would let her seat up a bit, but DW was too nice, saying that the lady had the right to let her seat back if she wanted.

On the Charlotte-Richmond leg (a 737-400), pretty much the same thing. This one had slightly more room but not much. Fortunately, we had the three-seat row to ourselves so I could move over to the aisle while she stayed at the windown and sat at an angle to stretch her legs.

 

[SamSam]

I never realized that people reclining their seats was such a problem! I usually recline my seat and most of the time whoever is in front of me reclines their seat and it's never been a problem.
Seat kickers behind me ....Have been a problem. It's always been children, so I don't believe it's because I've been invading their space.
Perhaps I'm being dense, but I have trouble imagining that the couple of inches most seats recline are a real problem. As a whole, plane seats are uncomfortable and create a feeling of being sqeezed in. Thank goodness I'm able to travel at all!

 

[Gillian]

The kicking thing can become more of a problem if you recline your seat. My DS, almost 2 yo, was in his car seat & could easily reach the seat in front of him when he stretched out his legs. I think he wanted a foot rest, LOL! When the woman in front of him reclined all the way back (more than 2 inches, USAir) he barely had to move to be "kicking" her.

I was so happy when he finally fell asleep because I had to keep my arm over his legs the whole time he was awake. It's hard for a 23 month old to understand that he is annoying someone else, even though I did explain it to him

 

[MeanLaureen]

Gail and Lisa...I've flown on USAirways, National and America West. None of the seats recline enough to bother the person behind me.

DopeySharon - I just flew on USAirways yesterday (I'm Obi-Wan Pinobi's wife) and trust me, they have seats that when you recline them it WILL bother the person behind you.

We had no trouble on their Airbus. There was plenty of room on that type of plane. But the 757 and 737's were horrible.

Like Matt said, I'm 5'10" and all of my height is in my legs, especially from my knees up. So my legs were already pinned to the seat in front of me. On the first leg of the flight home yesterday, the woman in front of me didn't ease her seat back, she rammed it back, shoving a piece of metal into my knee and causing me to let out a scream which she conveniently didn't hear since she attempted it again since the seat resisted after meeting with my bone.

I didn't say anything to her since the flight was just an hour. I figure they have a right to use the reclining feature. But then again, is there any rights for the people who end up suffering when people recline their seats?

 

[RUDisney]

I think it was Ellen Degeneres who tells the joke about reclining seats in an airplane. She demonstrates what sitting upright looks like and what reclined looks like and she barely moves. I do think that is the case most of the time, BUT there are times that the seats are, I guess, not technically broken, but DO move back further than 2 inches. If the woman in front of me had only reclined 2 inches, I should have been able to read my magazine without clunking her in the head with it.

I usually fly USAirways or American, if that means anything.

The last time we were at Disney, we were on a charter flight. We had one seat in coach and one in first class. I took the first class seat on the way down. My DH really enjoyed talking to the family on the way down that was sharing the other seats with him. On the way back, it was his turn in first class. I had seen how much the kids were jumping around on the way down and I had the mother of all headaches on the way back. I was supposed to have the aisle seat, which I prefer, but I asked the young boy if he was planning on jumping up and down into the aisle the whole flight. He shrugged and I asked his Mom if we could switch so I could close my eyes and rest my headache. She did, and I think the mother had ADHD more than her son. She fidgeted so much during the flight that I really wanted to pop her one. Her son was the perfect angel on the flight. It's too bad that we all just can't afford Lear jets.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by RUDisney
I think it was Ellen Degeneres who tells the joke about reclining seats in an airplane. She demonstrates what sitting upright looks like and what reclined looks like and she barely moves.

LOL, yes, I have that CD...

As she moves the one inch, she's like, "Uncomfortable....... comfortable.... uncomfortable....... comfortable...."

She then goes into a bit about airline food that is equally funny.


Although, I do have to say, my favorite airline comedian bit, is done by George Carlin... his bit on the Safety Lecture is great.

 

[seashoreCM]

>>> The metal on the seat put a huge scratch in my shoe (it sorta scraped a chunk of the leather out), ...

Might'a been a good idea to file a claim against the airline for a new pair of shoes anyway. There should not be sharp hazardous edges that could scratch someone.

 

[pnelson]

Well, this is a tip for anyone traveling with small children. I have always split our family up by purchasing two seats together in the row in front of the othe two seats, instead of purchasing 4 seats together. When we travel, 2 of us sit in front of my son so if he does get restless or kick (sometimes it's accidental, but that doesn't always matter to the person whose seat he is kicking), he will be kicking one of us. My mother travels with us, so we rotate who sits with my son, and the other two get to have some peace and quiet in front of my son.

 

[Eeyore1954]

I'm glad to know I'm not in a minority. Recliners bother me -- mostly because I am almost always on United and their seats seem to recline into beds! Well, not really, but they do recline more than 2 inches. On one long flight from SF to Chicago, I had a fellow reclined so far, his head was practically in my lap. After he finished his meal, he quickly reclined back -- sa fast that I had no time to react and my meal was suddenly all over me. (I think it was a greasy lasagna or pasta dish with a salad.) I spent most of the flight standing -- the knees in the back didn't work; pushing didn't work, asking him to move didn't work, flight attendants couldn't get him to move...

I can understand the comfort issues, but I would appreciate someone showing some consideration and not pushing the seat back as far as it can go.

Most flights I've been fortunate on ... knock on wood!

 

[Jeanny]

you should have offered to share your food with that guy after you scraped it off your lap! I can't believe he wouldn't move up even with the flight attendant asking... That's just plain rude. He knew exactly how far back he was and exactly how fast he moved his seat back.

 

[ncligs]

I think if a passenger reclined all the way back, and the person behind him did this

, I think they would never recline again

 

[SueM in MN]

Maybe I travel on the wrong airlines, but I have problems with people reclining in front of me on almost every flight too. I am about 5 foot 8 with most of my length in my legs (same as Mean Laureen)....
Anyway, my knees nearly touch the seat ahead of me without it being reclined, so if the person ahead of me reclines, it prevents me from crossing (or sometimes even moving my legs). I am also not able to get to the carryon bags I have under the seat and sometimes it's not possible to use the tray table. And I'm nota Pooh size person, so there should be room for me to do those things.

One time, I had to put both my and DD's food on DD's tray table because the guy in front of me wasn't eating and refused to put his seat up during the meal. Another time, I needed to get out of my seat to go to the restroom and there was literally not enough room for me to move my legs to get out. The guy in front of me looked at me like I was asking him for his first born child when I asked if he could put his seat up for a few seconds so I could get out. Then, he started reclining it again before I had my secong leg out and pinched my knee between my armrest and the back of his seat. I hate reclining seats, because even when I ask politely, a lot of people act like I am making a totally unreasonable request for them to un-recline their seat for just a few minutes.

 

[crzy4dsny]

I don't know what airline all of you are flying on. Any plane that I have ever been on has had enough room for me. I am 6-1 and 265 pounds.When the person in front of me reclines their seat, the whole full throttle 2 inches, it does not bother me at all. It is a little closer than before but I deal with it. My knee's have never been squashed, pinched, rammed or even touched by the seat in front of me. Maybe you all should try a different airline.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Hey all...

So I just got back to Orlando. Once again, for my return journey, I flew Southwest. I expected to get the same aircraft that I flew up to NH, since the flights and gates and everything else were the same. However, I was pleasently surprised when a practically NEW 737 pulled in. It had the new Southwest paint scheme on the outside (the tan & Brown bottom, but with a blue top)

When I got into the plane... WOW... what a difference. Instead of the usual brown cloth seats, they had blue & tan LEATHER seats. (I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty gosh darn sure it was real leather...) I'll see if I can post a picture.

At any rate, these seats were quite comfortable. I'm 6'2", and I had no legroom problems. I do have to say, these seats had probably 1" less kneeroom, however, it was still plenty for me. The seat in front of me did recline... they reclined about 3"... standard recline.