Boy, you people sure do feel strongly about reclining airplane seats. In a recent column, I wrote about the future of reclining seats, making the following points:
1. Despite the recent midair squabbles over the practice, airlines have continued to install seats that recline. They support their customers’ right to recline.
2. We should all be more civil about reclining our seats, which means alerting the person behind us before reclining. This also hopefully will reveal possible medical conditions (or other situations) that might cause us to think twice about reclining.
3. On some longer flights — say, anything longer than three hours — I feel fine about reclining. Also, however, I have been on the unwelcome receiving end of reclining seats plenty of times, and, yes, it’s annoying, but it’s just a reality of flying. I adjust my laptop a few inches and continue typing.
4. The Knee Defender — that contraption used by the person behind the seat to keep it from reclining — is forbidden by airlines, as it should be.
Those simple points opened the gates of aviation hell from readers. And while I gladly give the readers a say on the matter (in edited form for space purposes), I am also granting myself the privilege of replying.
Reader: I used to travel quite a bit. Many times on morning flights — after 9 a.m. but not the early morning ones — the passenger in front of me would push hard against the structure of the seat in front him to try and enlarge the recline angle. In those cases I would have gladly and without remorse used the Knee Defender.
Me: Airlines ban the Knee Defender for safety reasons (it’s difficult to evacuate an airplane with tray tables locked in the “down” position). Further, it’s not your place to police the actions of the person in front of you. Look, you’re not buying comfort or luxury when flying coach; you’re buying transport between two points. We have all suffered in some form while flying. Your suffering is no more special.
Reader: In coach, have some respect for your fellow man and keep your seat in the upright position!
More Top Picks Best Dimmable Night Lights For Nurseries
Me: I consider this sentence equally respectful and far more practical: “I plan to recline my seat. I just wanted to give you a heads up.” (The conversation can go any number of places from there, including my deciding to keep my seat upright, though, honestly, the odds of my not reclining on a longer flight are slim.)
Reader: The paltry amount of recline in coach does little for the recliner but destroys the knees of the person behind.
Me: While I disagree that there is little benefit to reclining, you do make a good point that the reward-punishment ratio might not be equal. Here’s my advice, however: Don’t put anything under the seat in front of you — put it in the overhead bin — so you can stretch your legs. Airlines won’t appreciate that advice, but if you get on the plane early enough, you can and should do it.
Reader: What I took away from your article was that the right to recline you purchased trumps the right to eat, read, rest my head on the tray table or breathe.
Me: While I would never want to prevent you from eating, reading or breathing — and a reclined seat does no such thing — I have no sympathy for your perceived right to rest your head on your tray table. Actually, I have less than no sympathy for your perceived right to rest your head on your tray table. Here’s an idea: Rather than rest your head on your tray table, recline your seat!
Reader: I suggest that the airlines should consider limiting the amount of recline, when the pitch is only 31 inches.
Me: Compromise. Now we’re talking. I think it’s impractical to expect someone to sit upright for a long flight, but a couple inches less of recline might be a reasonable solution. I still suspect, however, that even reclining an inch would infuriate the no-recline crowd.
Reader: The main reason for the reclining-seat problem is the continual decrease of seat space and legroom perpetrated by the airlines to increase their bottom line.
Me: Yes! Exactly right! And here we have the real conflict: It’s between all of us and the airlines that are putting the literal squeeze on us. But the truth is that if you don’t have enough legroom, you can buy more. United, American and Delta have all introduced premium economy seating that includes additional legroom. Legroom has become a commodity with a cost, just like checking a bag. That’s just the reality. Rather than demand that the person in front of you not recline, I suggest you spend a few extra dollars and get those extra few inches.
Reader: I’m suggesting that reclining be the premium and legroom be the right.
Me: An interesting thought but not going to happen. The airlines don’t care about our comfort. They care about their bottom line. And one way they boost their bottom line is shrinking the amount of space between seats. Hence, the truly valuable commodity on an airplane becomes legroom, not a reclining seat. And, as I just stated, if you want more legroom, you can buy it.
Reader: F— you.
Me: And you think people who recline their seats are rude?
Twitter @joshbnoel