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WE KNOW HOW you feel.
It’s Monday, the bank holiday is wrapping up and, for some, it never happened.
So do like we do here in TheJournal.ie HQ and get stuck into a serious debate on one of life’s most pressing issues.
Possibly.
This week: Recently, a man was fined €6,500 after reacting angrily to a seat being reclined in front of him while flying. Is there ever a justification for getting annoyed about passengers reclining a seat, as nature (the engineer) intended? It caused quite a stir in the comment section. So tell us: Is it OK to recline your airplane seat?
Got a burning question that has divided your household/work colleagues/friends? Let us know in the comments section or email us at tips@thejournal.ie or sinead@thejournal.ie.
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Ask the person behind u if it’s ok (basic manners really )
Yeah, but it’s unlikely they’d say no. Just don’t do it on short haul.
It’s not ok i had that happen to me a couple year’s ago on a flight from America i couldn’t move while he slept all the way
Agree Ann! Same happened to be on the Red Eye from JFK. Was a horrible flight home because of it.
Not think of reclining your own seat to get the extra bit of space to get out?
Have to agree with ronan. I leave mine up a lot unless im desperate for a nap but if the one in front reclines then I do too.
Recline a chair on a short haul flight in front of me and my knees will be in your back until you stop
Bit of air rage going on
Ronan, Have you ever been on a plane before? People always recline their seats. If someone in front of me does, then I do and so on. Don’t be so bloody miserable.
Have to say I’m not a big fan but realise it’s more to do with airlines minimising space between seats so I’ve learned to live with it, that and the wrestle for the armrest……now the buffoon that’s constantly kicking the back of the seat is a different story.
If it’s able to recline, it’s there to recline…
I understand it’s tough for taller people but sometimes people who recline have no manners. On a short haul flight once I had my laptop on watching a movie and the girl in front didn’t look, care or ask and suddenly reclined her seat fully back nearly closing my laptop on my fingers and totally squashing me. If you want to recline just have the manners to check behind you to make sure the person isn’t eating or using a computer. Basic manners!
Tasty computer!!!!
Same happened me when I was watching a movie on my laptop on a flight, although it wasn’t my fingers that were nearly squashed…..
Same happens with a hot tea or coffee on the tray in front, some ar**hole with zero manners suddenly decides to lash his seat back. In most cases it just “because I can” too
Jaysus, what kind of movie were you watching Paulie???
It’s always ok (except during food service)! You pay for the seat and all the amenities & capabilities associated with it. The person behind can do the same thing to alleviate any potential discomfort.
Try being 6″3…you’d have a very different opinion on it then.
Yip..My partner is 6ft 7..fun times!
Jim, book extra legroom or book premium economy. Alternatively, dress smartly and ask for an upgrade at check in, if that fails, wait until the very last minute to board as sometimes they bump passengers up, especially if you’re on your own.
You buy a seat and it is upto you to do whatever you please with it unless the stewards ask you for take off/landing.
It is courtesy that you put it straight for meals etc. I had a coffee spill over me last year when the person in front flung their seat back mid meal.
That’s fine for midgets and short to medium height people, but try being 6’4″ and sit behind a reclined seat. The nice thing to do would be to at least consider the person behind you and ask if they don’t mind.
It’s not the person in front of you it’s the airline trying to squeeze as many seats as possible. You being 6.4 or being obese its between you and the airline. I paid for my seat and i want to be comfortable and to be honest i have more room for my knees once i recline the seat.
Yes you buy a seat not two seat’s
You can always fly first class if you are not happy.
The exact same thing happened to me & I’m tall too. Hot tea & slammed in the knees. Furious & the “lady” who did refused to put her seat back or apologise. She moved fairly lively when the stewardess started to make her way down. Still no apology though.
Tequila – there I was thinking it’s nice to be nice. Silly me
Also, obesity is avoidable, height is not, so I hope you like the feeling of my knees in your back you inconsiderate tw@t.
Tom, I tried being 6’4″ like you suggested, nothing’s happening, any tips?
Nope I’m all out of ideas. You must be bored to be reading back as far as April to troll me…
Only if the seat behind you is free. If you recline in front of my I make it my business to make your flight uncomfortable as possible unless they have an obvious disability.
I hope you don’t fly long haul too often
It’s a la simple as this. If you recline your seat when a person is behind you. You are nothing but an ignorant selfish wnkr. That is all.
Had it twice recently , both occasions the person in front didn’t say anything , so my knees just kept digging the back of the seat until it went back up . I wouldn’t have minded if it didn’t go back as far as possible , just winds me up how ignorant some people are
It’s perfectly ok to recline outside of meal times. Show some curtesy to the person behind you if they have a drink or laptop open. Never push the thing back quickly. The seat is just too damn uncomfortable to try and get some shuteye on a long haul flight without using the recline. The function is built into the seat for a reason…
Think we did this one to death last week?
This is the journal.ie
Being 6ft 5, I NEVER let anyone in front of me put their seat back. Sitting normally, my knees are already jammed into the back of the seat in front. I’d like the use my legs at the end of a flight.
I was on a short haul flight once with my 1 year old on my lap, the person in front reclined their seat, hit my baby on the head, woke her up and she cried for the whole flight
The airlines are at fault for this, cramming people in, but then if planes were more comfortable they would be dearer. People on short haul flight don’t need to use the recliner. On a long trip it’s torture whatever you do, but worse if you can’t lean back to try to rest. I’ve done a lot of long haul and sleep is essential if you can manage it (I can’t) I feel sorry for really tall people scrunched up for hours on end
It’s never ok, but if it happens me, I prefer it on the short haul as on the long hauls I like using the entertainment system which is almost rendered obsolete once the person in front of you reclines.
You’d need to be a contortionist to be able to see the screen if the person in front of you reclines fully…it seriously pisses me off as I can’t sleep on planes!!
Never, just Upgrade losers
Ye I never have this problem sitting in first class.
The lie-flat beds on etihad business are the only way to fly.
I’m with you guys there needs to be an I fly business or first class option.
I’m on a long haul flight at least every 2 weeks, if it’s not business or first I’m not going.
Full recline.
I’m too shitless to take any notice, I wish that was all I had to worried about on a flight, I’m too terrifed to move, once I get there safe I don’t care, they can sit on top of me if they wanted lol lol
Just returned from the States for a family funeral – 8 flights in 2 weeks. You can be sure I was reclining my seat – on both short and long haul flights. Making sure that I hit the recline button as slowly as possible so as not to disturb the person behind me…but if the seats reclined, then I was sleeping. Courtesy is the key…but so is getting as comfortable as possible to make those stupid flights tolerable.
recline fully first and then fix it midway…win win.
You’d almost wish airlines would ask people on booking whether they are sleepers(recliners) or not, I never sleep on planes so I would love it if all those who do sleep were put in a specific section of the plane, window side with busted entertainment systems so you don’t have to climb out over them to get to the bathroom or just stretch your legs. I always try to book an aisle seat do even if the person in front reclines their seat I can still get out.
You unfortunate economy class people can buy a clip product to stop the person in front from reclining their seat….
On a flight to Amsterdam, roughly 2 hrs, had a guy in front of me recline his seat totally the second the aircraft left the ground.
If it’s not ok then have fix seats on all flights. If there’s a button there, sorry I’m going to press it. Just cause
We had bulk head seats for our last long haul flight so no one in front to recline but I had to sit with the babies (one was mine). I didn’t recline, hard to sleep on a series of flights totally 36 hours with 2 small kids
Recline, I’d be lucky, just got off a Ryanair flight from Dublin to Lanzarote, I’m a big lad and the seats don’t recline, let alone have any leg room. Not looking forward to the flight home.
I had this happen coming home from America. I’ve breathing difficulties and the man in front might as well have been sitting on my chest. Felt I was suffocating. Tried to explain to the air hostess but I was shot down and told he’s entitled to have his seat back – well aerlingus I’m entitled to breath!! Not to mention in an emergency it restricts you from getting out of your own seat.
I will kick your seat like a spoilt child if you recline. My knees generally touch the front of the seat anyway without some idiot reclining the seat so they can get 15 mins sleep.
If the seat behind is empty or also reclined then sure, otherwise no because there just isn’t enough room if they aren’t reclined too. Had this happen to me unapologetically several times: I was reading and then out of the blue the seat in front of me reclined fully, knocking my book and almost spilling my drink (thank god for quick reflexes) when my tray shot down into my knees. Then this guys head was practically in my lap and he didn’t care! I had to ask him to put it back and he just glared at me and grumbled to do it. Honestly, everyone’s in the same seats so there’s no need to complain when you bother someone else like that.
Business class baby. Economy.. Ha
To be repeating stories within 2 to 3 weeks shows a marked lack if imagination
have your say