Discussion for article #227132
In two cases, these disagreements occurred on Premier Economy seats, where the occupants pay 85% more for the seats with extra leg room. Were I to pay that much more for the extra room, be asleep on my head rest and then have my head clunked by the person in front of me, I would be upset, as well.
Anyone who pays that much extra is going to be protective of their room, letās face it.
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See Jim Jefferies for āAirline Etiquette.ā Weāre not animals. We live in a society. /hat tip
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āIt can cost an airline $6,000 an hour, plus airport landing fees, to
divert the standard domestic jet, according to independent airline
analyst Robert Mann.ā
Maybe the airlines have reached the point of diminishing returns on squeezing passengers into ever smaller spaces. The cost of the flight diversions caused by passengers angry at being treated like cattle may begin to outweigh the costs of treating passengers like human beings.
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A reclining seat in front of you does not infringe on your leg room. Besides, itās not a secret that seats recline. People who are so bothered are generally free to pay for first class, where such things are much less of an issue.
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That extra $6,000 to divert a flight is going to end up reflected in the cost of a ticket. I can see both sides of the arguments over seats yet if I paid extra for more leg room Iād be more upset with someone encroaching on my space. The airlines need to enforce the rule of no knee defenders too & put it in a prominent place on the ticket & on their websites. The other option is to have seats that wonāt recline, which would make traveling on long flights less comfortable. By adding extra seats they are treating people like cattle on a livestock truck.
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First world problems, complicated by white whine.
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According to WJXT in Jacksonville, one witness said Fine unleashed a profanity-laced tirade on the woman who had reclined her seat.
When flight attendants tried to intervene and calm down the situation, Fine reportedly told them to āeat shit and die,ā according to the Jacksonville Aviation Authority police report.
According to ABC News, one witness said that Fine āsaid something to the effect of, āI donāt care about the consequences. Put this plane down now.āā
_
The police report says that Fine āwas escorted off the plane, interviewed, then released.ā
Fine claimed she was hit on the head when the seat in front of her reclined and admitted that she and the other woman got into a heated argument but said she was not disruptive, according to the report.
This is why we canāt have nice things. Pull it together people.
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Please - theyāll just up the price or find a new thing to charge you for.
On a past flight, the woman sitting behind me whacked me in the head with her newspaper when I insisted on reclining my seat. And I am six feet four inches with longer legs than trunkā¦
The flight attendant took no action after I complained. But the woman, I suppose, had been put on notice and made no further assaults.
Passengers pay for full use of their seat But it is more polite to inform the passenger behind you that are reclining your seat. Iāve asked people in front of me to do so, but have been met with defiant non-compliance.
The airlines could suggest certain etiquette as part of their exit/seatbelt/oxygen rap. That could help deter the vigilantes, I hope.
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It most certainly does. Try crossing your legs or keeping your legs anything but stretched out. Then there is the tray table issue.
And no, people who complain about it are not free to fly first class.
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Sure, but the guy behind them is paying for full use of the leg room, too. As close as the rows in coach are crammed in many airliners, when someone reclines the seat fully, they practically end up in your lap. And if you have a laptop open on the tray table when they suddenly crank the seat back, it risks breaking your computer.
I understand all the sides here, I really do ā the passenger who wants to recline the seat, the passenger who is suffering from restricted leg room, and even the airline who is under pressure from competition to keep prices low, and under pressure from stockholders to keep profits up. But I think that for too long, passenger comfort has been sacrificed to profits, and something has got to give. Iām not sure just what, but you canāt keep squeezing your customers and not expect them to rebel at some point.
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I am a frequent flier. Usually I go to the desk and ask for an emergency row seat. It is absurd that they are selling them in advance. How do they know if the person can fulfill the duties required? I tell them that they should be reserved for taller people of which I am one. My knees are up against the seat and there is no chance of anyone reclining in front of me. I pay for my space and so does the person in front of me. They have no right to intrude upon my space. When I point that out to the attendant they seem to have never considered the question. If they are going to cram people they should end reclining or there are going to be more fights. If I was fat they could tell me to diet. But I canāt lose tall. First class at these prices is not an option. Iām glad this is finally getting some attention. Next time at least they will know what I am talking about.
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Easy to say; not so easy to put into practice when the airlines have unwittingly managed to pit passengers against one another.
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I fly a lot, in coach, and itās part of life.
The biggest problem passengers are those who fly once every 3-5 years and think the seas should part for them. Including, but not limited to, someone not reclining, the above head space being ātheirsā as opposed to shared for the cabin, wanting to put all bags up top and none by their feetā¦ just to name a few.
If youāre too fat for your seat, buy two. If youāre tall person, you know you canāt fit well in economy, you buy first class or take a train.
I had a lady refuse to put the arm rest down because she was so large and actually laughed in my face āha that aint gonna happen!ā So, I have 0 sympathy for those who chose to ignore reality.
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How did the woman passenger ion the United flight get a cup of water?
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And yet important enough to you that you felt compelled to make a self righteous internet post.
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I find it appalling that someone has the balls to hit you with a newspaper as if you are her child. You have a high level of self restraint and applaud you.
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And I pay for my right to recline. No one has to fly. Take a train or drive if you donāt like the seating.
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I think what CharlieE means is that passengers are bound by the contract entered into when they purchase airline tickets. You get a reclining seat, and you get the standard leg room. Your choice is to honor the contract youāve agreed to, and allow those around you to do the same; or you can act like a toddler and throw a fit.
You think any of us enjoy flying coach? You donāt even have to grin and bear it, you just have to bear it. If your legs are too long to fit in the standard space, you most certainly do have the option to upgrade your ticket or pay extra to sit in an emergency row or the first row of the cabin. Or you have the option to not fly. If you want to complain about leg room, you contact the airlineās customer service. You donāt pick fights with the passengers around you.
Edit:
Iām not saying it doesnāt suck for taller than average people, but it could be worse. The airlines have treated excessively obese people with indifference for years, requiring them to purchase two seats if they canāt fit into one. But thereās no excuse for a passenger to indiscriminately take away your right to recline. Itās the āme first, gimme gimme, I want, I want, and I get, I get, and screw youā attitude that I object to.
Ultimately, this will probably result in the demise of reclining seats. This is why we canāt have nice things.
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