Relaxing or rude? Putting seat back on plane polarizes passengers
If you’re on a flight and someone reclines their seat back, does it bother you?
It’s a question that can divide opinions, especially since travelling in economy can make passengers feel packed like sardines.
One Canadian travel writer recently posted his take on the issue on Twitter and highlighted the downside of having to sit behind someone with a reclined seat.
“If you want to sleep, by all means recline your seat on a plane. But if you’re going to read or watch a movie or chat with a friend, DO NOT do this. Guy in front of me last night had his seat reclined for five hours and never slept. Thanks, pal,” wrote Jim Byers.
If you want to sleep, by all means recline your seat on a plane. But if you're going to read or watch a movie or chat with a friend, DO NOT do this. Guy in front of me last night had his seat reclined for five hours and never slept. Thanks, pal. #travel #etiquette #traveltips
— Canada's Travel Guy (@JimByersTravel) July 27, 2023
The tweet received numerous replies, with some agreeing with Byers and others expressing that they saw no problem in putting their seats back.
Dude paid for his seat. He used the function it was built for. You have no legit grievance. I travel a lot for work, so I’ve been on both sides of this. You may hate it, but he did nothing wrong.
ā Joe Canadian (@joedafish) July 27, 2023
I never recline my seat. I think it’s rude, but hey, that’s me (and keep your shoes on! Well, at least your socks).šš
ā Stephen Tustin (@stustin) July 27, 2023
Ya. I will recline my seat because it is not comfortable to be sitting so straight up.
ā darrin (@darrin14802660) July 28, 2023
They should limit the recline on airplane seats. They recline as far back as they did 25years ago and today there is way less room between rows. They are way to intrusive on the passages behind them. Plus the fact that many people are arrogant to the fact they are simply beingā¦
ā KJ (@KJMAS921) July 27, 2023
Or.. spend the $ and get exit or premium row 20-30$ each way is worth it. This is the equivalent of scolding someone for bringing on too much carry on. The airline allowed them to bring it on board. Same applies with seats. Seats are designed to recline so pax ..you know..recline
ā John Kirk – Canada’s Travel Expert (@JohnKirk_ca) July 28, 2023
In an interview with Daily Hive, Byers said that reclining your seat on a plane probably wasn’t a controversial topic years ago.
“Maybe back in the day, there was a lot more space. … But airlines these days are really trying to maximize their revenue… by packing people in seats,” he said.
There’s not a lot of room in general on airplanes these days, and my thought is, of course, I have the right to recline my seat. There’s no disputing that. But I just think it’s impolite. I think it’s rude.”
A larger issue at play
Byers believes that reclining a seat is definitely understandable for anyone who has a medical condition or people with disabilities.
“But if you’re going to be reading a book, or watching a movie or chatting with your friends, the minute you pull your seat back, the person in front of you has lost a good portion of their seat,” he said.
Byers noted that the seat reclining makes it especially uncomfortable if you’re trying to use a laptop or the tray table.
“Suddenly, the airplane screen is right in front of your face, and you have to tilt yourself a little bit. And it’s just really uncomfortable,” he said.
Byers acknowledged that the larger issue at hand is how airplanes seem to be getting more cramped, which can result in issues such as limited legroom.
“I think 30 or 40 years ago, maybe, people were … not thinking about how much or how crowded things are,” he said.
“Airlines seem to have been packing more people into planes to increase their revenue.”
Advocating for more legroom gaining traction in the US
GĆ”bor LukĆ”cs, president of Canada’s Air Passenger Rights, said it’s “fair to say” that the amount of legroom in economy has generally decreased over the years on Canadian airlines.
“Although, the decrease hasn’t been as dramatic as [it is in] the US,” he said.
The amount of legroom (known as seat pitch in airline terms) for passengers varies depending on the airline, aircraft, and route.
While there hasn’t been much movement on trying to increase seat pitch in Canada, the issue has been gaining some traction in the US.
In 2018, Congress directed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to create seat minimums to address issues with passenger safety, specifically whether seat space and size would impact emergency evacuation procedures.
The proposed legislation is still under review by the FAA.
Seat space isn’t just about comfort
LukĆ”cs has done some work around seat pitch size and addressed the issue on behalf of Canada’s Air Passenger Rights in a 2017 blog post.
He told Daily Hive that there are several issues that need to be addressed when it comes to legroom.
“One issue is how [people with] disabilities are being treated. That’s a significant concern,” he said.
“The other is more [of a] passenger protection perspective,” he said, highlighting the safety concerns that come with tighter seat pitches and sizes.
“What if there is actually an actual emergency landing and you have to evacuate the plane? Then being able to evacuate the plane may mean the difference between life and death because there are only so many passengers you can get through that emergency door,” he said.
“If you cram in more rows, it means you likely have more passengers on board. It means that the same number of passengers may not be able to get through the door within 90 seconds.”
LukƔcs acknowledged that currently, passengers are facing many pressing issues when it comes to travel, such as flight delays and cancellations.
Ultimately, he would like to see Canada have a passenger protection regime “harmonized with the European Union,” which he referred to as “the gold standard.”
As for Byers, he hopes that passengers will remember courtesy and kindness go a long way on flights.
“The more we can do just generally to be civil to one another and be polite. I think it’s important,” he said.
“I feel better on a plane if I’ve given someone the maximum space allowable. And I feel better if someone in front of me gives me the maximum space I can get.”
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