Airplane Seat Debate
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Should Airplane Seats Recline?
Maybe not.
After all, that extra space has to come from somewhere. And that somewhere is the space of the person behind us. Have you ever sat behind a passenger who has decided to take full advantage of the reclining option? Not that much fun. One minute you're sitting in mild discomfort, praying your claustrophobia doesn't kick in. The next, you have a total stranger practically lying in your lap.
Is that fair? On the other hand, is it fair to deny people the right to eke out what little comfort and space are available to them on crowded airplanes?
Should airplane seats be designed to recline? And even if the option is there, should you exercise it? What do you think?
Are You a Recliner?
[pausing to get all the chair jokes out of the way...]
Do you recline your seat during air travel? All the way? A little bit? Does it upset you when other passengers recline their seats? Please share your opinion.
cranston
Seat Pitch or Leg Room?
When we refer to leg room, we really mean seat pitch
People usually talk about leg room on an airplane, but the more accurate measure of usable space is the seat pitch. Seat pitch refers to the space between one seat and the seat immediately behind or in front of it. It is measured from point to point, usually from the top of the chairback.
The average seat pitch in economy class is 31" - 32" (according to the Skytrax web site, although some planes squish you into a mere 28" - 29". A few (civilized) airlines offer a comparatively spacious 33"; an even smaller group pushes the boundary to 34". Want to know which ones? Spoiler: all of the airlines are either Middle East or Asia based.
SeatGuru has a great, sortable chart of economy seat variables -- including seat pitch -- listed by airline. Quite eye opening.
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To Recline or Not To Recline?
As things stand now, airplane seats are designed to recline. Furthermore, the angle of allowable recline can be enough to effectively put somebody's head in your lap. Is it inconsiderate to recline one's seat more than a few degrees? Does personal comfort outweigh the possible discomfort caused to other passengers?
The question is complicated. As seating on airplane becomes tighter, the need to carve out more personal space becomes greater, as does the need to find comfort on a long flight. Reclining one's seat definitely buys inches. On the other hand, those inches have to come from somewhere, and that usually means encroaching on the space of the passenger behind us. Whose comfort comes first?
One of the problems is that many airplane seats were designed for airplanes that had significantly more space between seat rows, which allowed the angle of seat recline to be greater. And the greater angle of recline, seems to require thicker seat backs to accommodate the mechanisms. This eats into the available floor space. Logically, then, more compact seats would help to preserve passenger space, but that's not happening. Seat rows are being moved closer together but the seats themselves remain as bulky as ever.
Do you think tightly-spaced economy class airplane seats should be designed to recline?
No. Space is already so limited that it's rude to take up another passenger's allotted room. I'm willing to sit upright to keep other people out of my lap.
Midnight says:
I think that if one wants to recline, they should have enough courtesy to glance back to see if the person behind them is using a laptop, or has food out on their tray. And if they don't, then the person can recline. If the person behind him/her is upset by this, then they need to tell the person in front, otherwise, that person in front should not be expected to un-recline.
ellagis says:
I usually travel with Ryanair, that has non-reclinable seats, and I´m very glad of it because the space between seats is really reduced, and it could be a real nightmare to have a "recliner" in front of you!!!
Yes. It's one of the few luxuries still left to the economy traveller and we need to hold onto it. I want the right to recline.
Argument FOR Reclining
Giving oneself a bit more space is another reason. Reclining does offer a few more inches -- and those inches are precious on airplanes whose passenger spaces have become increasingly... decreased.
Then there's the psychological factor. So much of air travel is not in the passenger's control. It seems hard to give up what few choices are left.
So the arguments in favor of reclining are comfort, more space, and a little bit of control.
Argument AGAINST RECLINING
What are the reasons to not recline your airplane seat? The main reason is the passenger behind you, whose already cramped quarters will now be invaded by your chair back in her lap.Reclining your seat back makes the other person's seat tray virtually unusable. Laptop lids will be pushed forward to an angle that makes the screen readable only by the keyboard. Meals are difficult to eat because there isn't room to maneuver; an abruptly reclined seat can knock over a cup of liquid. It also can cause physical pain to a person with long legs. For limbs already pressed against an upright seat back, there really isn't any place to go.
Then there's the matter of your back-seat-mate needing to leave his seat. Ever tried to get up to use the restroom while the person in front of you is snoring away in your lap? Trust me on this, you need the flexibility of a 13-year-old Olympic gymnast to contort yourself to the appropriate angle.
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Is There a Solution to the Seat Situation?
So, short of the airlines actually providing more leg room, is there an equitable solution to the recline/don't recline dilemma? Perhaps there is.
My daughter made this suggestion: Why not divide airplanes into RECLINE and DON'T RECLINE sections? People can reserve seats next to like-minded passengers and nobody has to fight or feel put upon.
OMG. Are These Airplane Seats in Our Future?
Do you think airplane seating is already pushing the limits of discomfort? That it's not possible to squish people together any more than they already have been? Think again.
Airplane Seat Inventions
The second video presented here shows how to use a nifty little product called Knee Defender. Designed to prevent the seat in front of you from reclining, this gadget is a kind of rubber clip that attaches to your tray table arms. It already has been banned on a number of airlines, however, so don't get too excited about it.
On the other hand, wedging a water bottle into the space between the tray table and the seat back in front of you...
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terrylomax
May 27, 2012 @ 5:45 am | delete
- I think the best solution to this problem is to fit ejector seats in aircraft for all passengers, you can't recline ejector seats, so problem solved. There is also the extra benefit of how do cabin crew deal with unpleasant and difficult passengers.
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ellagis
Aug 27, 2011 @ 10:29 am | delete
- I think it´s also important to consider the duration of the flight. I mean, I wouldn´t care flying on such unconfortable seats like the ones you showed, if it were for a short period (a couple of hours maximum!!!!) but I could have the advantage of a very, very low ticket price. I love to travel, and I can travel more since the tickets become less expensive.
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Prophetic_Blogger
Aug 9, 2011 @ 4:38 pm | delete
- I enjoyed your debate, I personally think the airlines should give us more room but obviously this won't happen as they are just interested in profit. I'm not liking the look of the new seats you had a picture of. Imagine sitting in one of them on a long haul flight!! DVT here we come!!!
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GrowWear
Aug 9, 2011 @ 11:49 am | delete
- Dang, would those seats of the future come with parachutes? Reminds me of those airplanes people jump from -- just a chair for the ride up. ...Even though the seats recline, it seems rude and selfish to take advantage of it.
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naturegirl7 Aug 9, 2011 @ 10:43 am | delete
- Interesting and well thought out. I haven't traveled on an airplane in years, so I was not aware of all the changes.
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