Is It Rude to Recline Your Seat While Flying?

Jessica said,

Not rude – providing it is done properly. Don’t throw the seat back without taking a quick look to see if it is safe. And never recline during meal or beverage service.

Laurel said,

I just had this quandry this weekend on a flight. I looked behind me, the passenger was asleep, I slowly reclined a bit and fell asleep. Woke up to the passenger behind me nudging my seat and glaring. Lose-lose situation . . .

sarah cool said,

Rude if:

1 – Suddenly.
2 – It’s an hour flight in a tiny regional jet and you’re in the bulkhead seat.

Andi said,

I don’t think it is rude except maybe if it is mealtime, but if it is breakfast after an overnight flight, I feel it is less rude. Having said that, even though I don’t think it is rude I rarely do it, I feel bad about the person behind me, but that is a personal hang up.

RR said,

I can’t ever come up with a reason to say it’s actually rude, but I don’t like it. I don’t tend to recline MY seat because I hate to do that to the person behind me, but then I end up dealing with the reclined seat in front of me. And somehow, people tend to be rude in how they recline seats, like “I dare you to say I can’t fling my seat back. I have a right!”

Mitch said,

Alex – I’m in the same boat sa you…but, I always tell the person in front of me at the start of the filght. I also offer to trade seats with them if necessary.

Emily said,

Well, “rude” might be pushing it, but I absolutely hate it when the person in front of me reclines. And I never recline my own seat out of consideration for the people behind me. It’s almost impossible to use a laptop with the seat in front of you reclined and if I am traveling on business, I usually have my laptop out even though it may be for some mundane task like pruning old emails.

I wish seats were made so that people who wanted to recline could do so while encroaching on their OWN space, not the space of the person behind them. Actually, I think I read something about such a seat innovation on Cranky Flyer a while back. I thought it was brilliant. And I was fascinated by how many people were against it. Fascinated because those are the same people who want to recline, but I guess they only want to recline if it’s no inconvenience to them?

The exception to all this would be an overnight flight. Although I will say the worst flight of my life was an overnight to Rome where the guy in front of me reclined his seat all the way, the ENTIRE flight, even during breakfast. They had to make him put it back upright just before landing. 8 hours with a seat right in your face? MISERY.

Edward Ross said,

It is never rude. It is space you paid for and have the right to use. If the person behind you becomes uncomfortable, he should blame the airline for putting the seats too close together.

MHA said,

I don’t think it’s rude to recline your seat. I think it’s rude to slam your seat into the passenger behind you, and I think it’s rude not to be willing to compromise if the passenger behind you begs you to only recline partway.

I almost never recline my seat, and I only ask the person in front of me not to recline theirs if their doing so really poses a problem for me.

I find most people in front of me are sympathetic if I ask them to move up just a little.

Vince said,

Very rude. I can barely fit in the seat as it is. Are you bothering the person behind you. Yes.

Steve said,

Absolutely Rude! It is actually painful for people with long legs, and there is no choice but to have your knees push into the back of the seat in front of you when it is reclined.

ASuburbanLife said,

Airlines seats are closer than ever, unreasonably close for tall people. When someone reclines their seat, they have given themselves more space at the expense of the person behind them. This is rude!

jenna said,

While I do not think it is particularly rude, if you are not trying to sleep, there is no reason to recline the seat. People have mentioned several times the affect on tall people, but I just want to point out that some rows cannot recline. Which means a person in that row will have much less space if the seat in front of them is pushed back. On long flights it is acceptable, again only if you are trying to sleep, and it isn’t mealtime. I will be on a 16 hour flight tomorrow, and you bet I and, every other passenger, will put my seat back. On a long flight like that, sitting upright will really mess you up. And of course, it is always appreciated that you ask the person behind you if they have enough room. If you do ask though, please be prepared to keep your seat in the upright position should they say they need room. To recline after you have verified the person will indeed be uncomfortable is VERY rude.

Marshall Jackson said,

It’s only rude if you slam the seat back all the way rapidly and without thought to those behind you. Seriously, with the seat pitch on some of these airplanes, you could take out a laptop screen if some unsuspecting person is trying to get work done behind you. I generally don’t recline, but if the person in front of me wants to…more power to them….just ease the seat back please.

Steve said,

Absolutely rude, especially when there’s a tall person behind you, and would submit that it’s any person’s right to use whatever strength one can muster with one’s knees to make the guy who reclines his seat feel as positively uncomfortable as possible. It’s rude, selfish, and thoughtless.

A Hartley said,

I personally don’t have any qualms about reclining my seat. It is very uncomfortable not to recline. Very tall people do not have a right to their comfort at the expense of those who need to recline to be comfortable. My husband is tall and takes the aisle seat to stretch his legs. One should expect the seat ahead to recline and take whatever measures necessary to accommodate themselves. Don’t put your laptop out or a drink out when the seat ahead is not reclined. One gets little enough accommodation by the airlines – a three-inch recline is the least they can give us.

Lynne said,

I have a different perscpective. I am short and it is uncomfortable for me to recline as when I do, my feet do not touch the floor and become numb which is a health hazard. So, my room is diminished when the person in front of me reclines. I sometimes must recline to recapture some room, but that is uncomfortable for me. The configuration of the seats plays a role also. In some planes, if the person in front of me fully reclines, I could easily brush their hair. I fly often and would say that 95% of passengers recline fully, quickly and almost angrily!

Mary McD said,

During a cross-country flight from NY to San Diego, a 20-something business guy from Dell slammed his chair back fully during takeoff (as soon as the flight attendants had strapped in and weren’t walking the aisles any longer) and kept it there… he was not tall (maybe 5’8″), was not sleeping; just wanted to have the seat reclined (he actually was sitting forward to type on his laptop, and not reclining himself!)

When I asked him politely if he could lift the seat 1/2 way up since it was such a long flight, he rudely said, “No – I don’t have to!” I agreed, he didn’t have to; but I would appreciate it if he could… he didn’t.

At one point in the journey, my 4 year old was crying and wanted to sit on my lap – but there was not room enough for him to do so with the seat in front reclined. I again tapped on this guy’s elbow, asked him if he could raise his seat so my son could be comforted — he glared at me, grudgingly raise the seat about 1/2 way. I quieted my son (who just wanted a little cuddling during the flight) and got him back in his seat within 10 minutes, and BAM! back came the seatback at lightning speed.

This whole situation has triggered claustrophobia in me – I’m always concerned that the person in front of me will recline for the entire flight and not lift it up during meals, taxi/takeoff, landing, etc.

Oh, and on another trip, the guy in front of my came back so quickly that he cracked my screen on the laptop. yeah, great fun.

John Lee said,

I travel way too much on airplanes on behalf of a non profit, which means back of the bus, all the time. I am always tired, so putting the seat back is a must. The only time it is rude, is during meal time. It is almost impossible to eat when the seat in front of you is all the way in your face.

I honestly can’t believe that there are people who feel so entitled that it is a personal attack on them for someone to get comfortable. Get over it, until such a time (probably soon) when the seats no longer go back, this is the reality.

As for those with long legs, we all suffer since airlines are always inching the seat pitch smaller and smaller. Don’t see too many people working on their laptops in coach these days. Even with my netbook, it is almost impossible

It is courteous to check behind you before you slowly push your seat back. However, there is no way to evaluate the length of someones legs or size accurately, thus the argument that you are too big is not applicable. I dont even look at the person behind me for more than a half second, and if they arrive after I am in my seat, there is no way for me to know their size.

The best way to deal with a seat back in your face is simply to put your own seat back. I would never complain to the person in front of me.

Remember the good old days when flight attendants actually asked people to lift up their seat during meal time? Have not seen that in many years now…

Christopher Babayode said,

It’s not rude, the problem is people aren’t aware that everybody’s awareness of personal space is heightened on planes because of a lack of space.

It shouldn’t be done during meals.
Anyone with manners would always excuse themselves to the person in the seat behind before lowering the seat – not everyone who flies has manners.

At the end of the day we all have to get along in the metal tube till we arrive at our destination, this is sometimes lost on some people.

Frequent flyer said,

You know what you get into when you buy the ticket. I got to sit in front of a crazy beyotch from Austin to Denver this week. She thought it was just plain rude to recline. You know what? Kick up the extra $25 bucks and go to stretch seating. If the seats weren’t meant to recline, they wouldn’t. Maybe rent a car and drive. The air you’re sharing with EVERYone in that metal tube is far worse than someone two inches in “your space”.

Cindy said,

I have some herniated disks in my back. It isn’t something you can see, like long legs. On a long flight I MUST recline or my back will start spasming. I take time to research sear pitch and how much the seat reclines. I will buy a more expensive ticket to accommodate my medical need. I am sick and tired of people claiming it is rude to recline when they can’t be bothered to cough up money for the extra space. I feel sorry for the long legged people – it can be a tight fit in coach! But if you truly need the room I suggest that you do as I have done – pay extra to accommodate your condition.

Melissa said,

Inconsiderate. The argument that “the feature is there” is not taking something into consideration: when reclining seats were introduced, there was a LOT more space between the rows! Look at any movie from the 60s that shows the inside of an airline cabin–there’s a good 3 to 4 more inches of space between the rows of seats. Unfortunately, as manufacturers began to cram more and more rows of seats into the coach cabins, the reclining feature was retained, even though the space allotted to each passenger decreased.

Also, I fail to understand how anyone can say it’s “space you’ve paid for.” It isn’t. It’s space I’VE paid for. It’s in my row, not yours. I never recline my seat, and I detest it when people do it to me. Even if it’s done slowly, it still effectively pins me into a very small space, making it difficult (if not impossible) to shift around for comfort (and to avoid DVTs), get things out of my carry-on and so forth.

Melanie said,

@Melissa: The fact that you never recline your seat is not someone elses problem.

Mike said,

Anti-recliners are unreal. I paid for a seat and am entitled to all of its features. I recline all the time, except during meals, and people recline on me and its totally cool. People even recline on me during meals and while i think its discourteous, ITS NOT A BIG DEAL! I can still eat that meal just fine.

KP said,

It is not rude. It is your seat to do with what you like. I fly a few times a month and I always do it. I am a short person but I have back pain and it really hurts to have my seat straight up for a long duration (I usually fly coast-to-coast so my flights are around 6 hours). I think it is ruder to kick the back of the seat and give dirty looks at the person reclining, when you can just politely lean forward and say “I am sorry but I have long legs/no room/would prefer it if you don’t recline your seat. If someone did that I would be happy to put my seat back in the upright position. But I have only gotten seat kickers or snarky comments such as the lady who loudly commented to her husband that she hates people who recline their seats, just after I reclined my seat. That makes me want to keep my seat reclined.

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Jason said,

I’m 6’3″ and if the seat in front of me even reclines just even a small amount it immediately hits my knees. So yes, it’s completely rude! Someone choosing comfort over inflicting pain upon someone is rude any way you try to justify it.

Business Traveler said,

I am floored by some of these comments! The question is not whether or not it is allowed to recline your seat – the question is whether or not it is rude to recline your seat. Absolutely! How could it not possibly be rude to lie in a stranger’s lap? I’m not surprised by so many of you are proclaiming your “right” to recline, though – I fly every week, so I know that the majority of the public is rude.

Steven said,

A lot of people complaining here!

If you think its rude for someone in front of you to recline their seat, then I declare it rude for the person sitting next to me to use their laptop on the grounds that I don’t enjoy that glaring screen glowing in the dark next to me throughout the flight!

Seriously, there are lots of things we might not like. But we are only passengers, we don’t own the entire plane and have no right to expect everyone else to conform to our expectations.

yalc said,

These comments only show that there are 2 types of people in the world: those that have some respect and consideration for the other people around them, and those who are selfish and don’t give a sh!t about anyone else. The latter type deserve a punch in the face from the person they reclined their seat into after they get off the plane.

TJS said,

Not rude. For some, it can mean a relief in back pain. The herniated discs in my back prevent me from sitting upright for long periods of time.

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jim6 said,

Reclining all the way is absolutely rude and inconsiderate in coach – you are packed in like sardines as it is – and as somebody who is tall, it makes me want to wring the person’s neck in front of me.

So, for all of you short people, show some class and consideration when you see someone 6′ or taller stuck in coach (trust me, I do everything I can to avoid coach, but sometimes it is unavoidable). And if you insist on being rude and inconsiderate, you can expect to have your seat “accidentally” kicked repeatedly. One particular troll had a nice and sticky pineapple juice “accidentally” spill down his neck – and his shirt literally stuck to him for the remaining 8 hour flight – I didn’t even bother to give a fake apology.

Jeff said,

I am 6’8″, 295 lbs. I dare you to recline into my knees that are already touching (not pressed into) against the back of your seat and act like it’s not rude–we will make the national news, and that’s a promise.

If anyone thinks there’s an argument about having to pay for first class because of my size, your argument is unfounded as I fit into the space that I paid for, and the seats NEED to be upright at times–at NO time, do they NEED to be reclined. This is an option or luxury, to be used when the person behind you gives you the “OK” or the seat behind you is empty.

By the way, I agree 100% with Tallboy, and this is why I have not made the national news yet. And Jim6, I applaud you and your efforts. If all else fails, just push the chair as hard as you can, and the mechanism will fail and the seat will return to its upright positiion.

TJS: you need to grow up and realize that life isn’t fair. If you are in front of someone whose knees are in your way, you don’t have the right to cause that person pain. Try the route of asking and switchiing seats as others have outlined above. When I was younger and more likely to brush things like this off (I’m 32 now, not some old grouch), I literally walked around for 2 days with divots in my knees. You’re the worst TJS.

Paul said,

I travel internationally more than domestic. There is an entirely different level of etiquette depending on where you are in the world. Be glad if all you have to worry about is a reclining a seat. This is minor issue compared to what you encounter in some places. In Africa or India do not expect people to honor a queue. Cutting in front of you, pushing/shoving while boarding is the accepted norm. Personal space is a foreign concept. I have had people, while standing in line, stand so close to me to be touching. Reclining a seat is nothing in comparison to the person behind you pulling your seat to stand. Not once but every few minutes. This has happened to me on several flights to the point I go ballistic.

I have come to the realization that if you travel economy on international flights you will encounter rude, self centered, sometimes smelly, people. Depending on where you are this can be mitigated. Most of Asia, India being the main exception, is the best to travel with Western Europe, Australia and US after that. Africa is by far the worst for travel. The rest of the world is somewhere in between.

Brad in Seattle said,

Not rude to recline. That’s what the seats are built for. Deal with others in your space, or don’t fly.

I fly every week and I hope the people around me – and in front of me! – are making the most of their trip.

How about if you ask a flight attendant to ask the person in front of you to not recline and see how that goes?