bloviate... wow! now there's a good word of the day!

:)

it's not in my dictionary...........

Bloviate - http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/inde...?date=19980410

Another reason to be polite and at least warn the person behind you of an imminent recline: laptops. Who wants their $3000 laptop to get a busted screen because some nimrod slammed the seatback down onto it? There isn't enough room for a full sized laptop screen on some of those trays, if the seat is fully reclined quickly it will slam it down, probably damaging the computer.

My DH is 6'4", and one of those folks whose knees keep the seat in front from reclining at all. We try to arrange things so that either an empty seat or a child is in front of us. We will also warn the person that there is no recline ability here, as the knees stop it.

I personally don't care, as long as it's not during the meal. I do like to read until I'm exhausted enough to sleep, though. It is hard to read with a book resting on the back of someone's head :P

I remember one flight where the guy in front decided to recline his seat while DH was in the restroom -- when Jason came back, he did his best to sit sideways for a while, but it didn't work. He asked the gentleman to move up a little (it was fully reclined). He either didn't wake up or pretended not to. DH then asked for the FA, and she moved us to a seat where no one was in front of us. Problem solved!

Having just staggered off a flight from Paris last nite, I read with interest. Since the "Right to Recline" discussion has generated a lot of opinions, I wonder what everyone feels about the "Right to Talk Loudly and Incessantly All Night Long."

On the way over to Paris, a couple behind us were seated on adjacent aisle seats. They were slightly at an angle since the seats were offset a bit, so the woman was actually behind the man. She leaned forward and talked loudly all night long to her husband until I wanted to cry. I had taken a melatonin, a benadryl, and had ear plugs in and she still kept me awake. And the talk was incessant to the point that I think I have said less to my husband in our whole marriage than she said on one flight.

I really was wishing that the airlines would consider saying "after 10pm, everyone be quiet..." I really wanted to turn around and ask her to lower her voice but I didnt as I am non-confrontational and prefer to suffer in silence. This is the second overnight flight where I was stuck just in front of people who talked till 2am loudly - i think they try to drown out the engine noise and raise their voices. Its maddening to me.

Here is my take on this. I never lower my seat as it just might cause a problem for the person behind me. When you don't care about other people you are at best an uncaring person. Most flights are only 10 hours or less and one would think that you could manage to be considerate for that long.

rogerdodger, if only everyone did that it wouldn't be a problem. I for one had an issue where I couldn't recline my seat (the gentleman behind me had very long legs and therefore I couldn't even if I wanted to) but the person in front of me lowered their seat as soon as they finished eating on a 10 hour flight to Vienna. That flight was miserable for me because I could barely move, and I'm a thin 5'6 woman.

I am of the opinion that I am paying for my seat, therefore I am entitled to recline it and try to get at least some comfort on a long flight. You pay for the seat. It reclines. Therefore you have the right to incline it. However, this debate has made its way to these boards many, many times (just do a search; this particular one is over 2 years old) and everyone has their own opinions. There is no right or wrong answer.

Tracy

Tracy

If you think this is a frequent discussion here, you should see it at Flyertalk (board for frequent flyers, rather than 'travelers' per se). It comes up at least every day!!!!

Unless you get a back to the bulkhead seat, the seats are made to recline.

You don't recline during take-off, landing, or meals. You can't recline if someone legs are so long that they are jammed against your seat.

Otherwise, recline away.

Hidden in my trouser leg, I bring a short sword made of Kevlar (doesn't set off the alarms).

Immediatley upon takeoff, I rmeove the sword and put the point against the seat in front of me and the hilt against my seat.

Works like a charm.

((I))

That could be a deterrent. But as uncomfortable as many airline seats are, some people might not even notice!

I'm with rogerdodger.. I cant believe that we could put our 'right' to recline, or sleep, or talk/not talk ahead of being courteous to another human person. If it was your mother (brother/daughter/friend) in the seat behind you, would you extend a little more grace?

I'm an extremely courteous person. But on an airplane on which seats recline, on which the person in front of me is invariably reclining, on which the only hope of some pleasantness is the possibility of sleep...there ain't no way I'm not reclining. Anyone who expects the person in front of them not to recline has no business flying coach.

Callalilli,
Perfect point - yes, we would be more courteous & gracious to someone we knew.

Personally, I usually only recline about half-way and obviously not during meals etc. I'm probably going to be uncomfortable so I just try to sleep somehow..

I agree with chicagolori, I wish people would shut up after the movie. But try a flight full of British Boy Scouts going home.....

I guess there must be some really huge people here.

I'm a bit above average size guy (5'10"+ tall), and the only time it bothers me to have someone recline their seat is while I'm eating. Do you sit on the front edge of your seats, or are you giants, or do you just have some sort of possessive space issues? Or is there something else going on?

I do understand the problem of the very tall person, and of course I wouldn't recline my seatback onto someone's knees, but people who are that tall are rare--you would have to have extremely long thighs to be affected.

There is no such thing a "flight etiquette" these days.

While you may regard and respect "flight etiquette", you will likely be surrounded by others who just don't give a whit, and will impose their idea of "flight etiquette" on you, rendering you positively helpless.

"you would have to have extremely long thighs to be affected."

Or fat butts, which pushes our legs forward more than you might imagine! :)

Forgot about that--the extra padding can come in handy on long flights.

I have to agree - there are no courteous people on flights these days. It used to be people would not recline during meals. That hasn't been my experience the last few flights I've been on. Nowadays, people recline as soon as they are given the okay to do so and will not raise the seat up until receiving the final threatening warning from the FA to do so during landing.

Personally, it doesn't bother me (except when I was flying in the last row on a flight to New Orleans - seats do not recline, and one is stuck!), except during meals. To me, that is just rude. But what can one do? If people are going to be rude and inconsiderate, that's just the way they are.

I ask the flight attendant to ask the person in front of me to raise the seat during meals. Seems reasonable to me.