<i>"dutyfree on Nov 14, 12 at 11:01am
As a flight attendant, I ALWAYS ask people to put their seats up for the meal services. Those valuable inches can really make a difference in the blood flow of your legs in economy!"</i>

The above is what I always believed should happen if a passenger does not return to upright position during meal service. But on a recent AirBerlin flight, the woman ahead of me remained fully reclined and the attendant said nothing.

When she passed me my tray, I asked her to have the person in my lap straighten their seat. She said "you should ask her yourself." I shook my head in disagreement - it's not my job (is it?) to instruct passengers, who may be sleeping or non-English speaking.

I wonder if this responsibility varies by airline or by attendant?
(If airlines now are self-policing I'd like to supervise size of carry on bags!)

It's the courteous thing to do, but no passenger is required to put their seats in an upright position, except during takeoff and landing, of course. If you wanted the person ahead of you to do so, you should have asked. I can't see where that's the flight attendant's responsibility.

I agree with Jeff. It is not the responsibility of anybody to tell wake the person up and tell them to put the seat forward.

Especially if this was an overnight flight from North America to Europe and this was the dinner service, I would not want to be woken up.

I know dutyfree flies international routes a lot, so I'd be curious to hear her take on waking someone up during a meal service.

FAs don't wake people up during meal services.If they are asleep, they are left alone and miss the meal service.
What you get out of the FAs varies by airline and by attendant in my experience. You can fly out and back on same airline, get a great crew on the way out and not so good one on the way back (or vv).

Be a man a claim your space.

*and

It is not the responsibility of the airline or the cabin attendent to tell a sleeping passenger to put their seat back up (unless it is take-off or landing).

If you want to try to do so, that's up to you (and how strongly you feel about it).

Not sure why some have turned the reclining passenger into a sleeping passenger -
she wasn't, although I couldn't tell from my position behind her.

The flight was daytime, from Germany to US.

Sorry for that mistake. BUT it doesn't change my reply if she is awake or asleep. You can ask the person yourself, to please sit up while you eat, but it's yours to do, not the airline or the flight attendant's responsibility.

I have certainly asked an FA to ask the passenger in front to raise his seat during meal service, and I have never had one refuse. Much less likely to result in a confrontation than if I do it myself.

The confrontation aspect is precisely why you ask the FA to do it although FAs are not fond of confrontation themselves. It is the same when I find someone sitting in my seat, I get the FA to sort it out rather than confront the person myself.

<i>The flight was daytime, from Germany to US.</i>

So? I always try to sleep on planes.

If you get a flight attendant to ask on your behalf, remember that the passenger is still under no obligation to put the seat upright. There is no FAA rule about doing so except for takeoff and landing.

And I see now this was my misconception. (But I swear I've heard pre-flight announcements about "seats upright before takeoff, landing, meals...")

So thanks responders, you have educated me.

<swear I've heard pre-flight announcements about "seats upright before takeoff, landing, meals...">

I'll have to pay more attention next time

Definitely they talk about takeoff & landing, I'm not sure meal service was ever mentioned??

"Much less likely to result in a confrontation than if I do it myself."

I agree with this point. Sometimes FAs will help out with this and sometimes not.

I've heard in-flight announcements suggesting that as a courtesy to the passenger behind you, you put your seat upright during meal service. There's no obligation for anybody to do it.

I always do.

That sounds right Jeff (a suggestion). Like when they ask people to put the window shades down during a day-time flight for a movie.

I think it is an obligation for the FA to mediate these things. They have authority and know what requests are reasonable.