I guess the lesson here is that the only people who get to 'economize' are people who fit into increasingly smaller physical parameters. Tall? Fat? Muscular? Have certain disabilites? Some folks (including the airlines) believe that you should 'pay for the privilige' of not fitting into the allotted space. Better watch out, though -- when we don't stand up for the rights and dignity of our fellow passengers -- we greenlight ourselves to be squeezed out next. If they don't get you on seat size, it could become things like having to pay extra for window or aisle, for not showing up at least 2 hours early, being allowed to use the washroom, being allowed to bring your own electronics on board.... Really, the sky's the limit! (Pun intended).

Airlines are the true AHs here. Some exec sits at their desk and says " How do we increase our revenues? First we reduce the number of flights. Then we can add 12 more seats in economy." Now we're all crammed together like sardines. You're forced to pay extra if you now need a seat with more legroom. And, God forbid, if you're handicapped or weigh more than 250 lbs. Then, everyone wonders why there are arguments, fights, and generally disagreeable, entitled people on planes. Our personal space has been invaded, and nerves are frazzled. I've flown on 10 hour flights and not reclined my seat. It's hard, and I'm only 5'2". It got to be so uncomfortable for my partner who was big, he decided to book us 1st class tickets. Horribly expensive. But we were lucky we only flew once a year. The answer would be to boycott for change. But we can't. Most need to fly for business or pleasure.

I would say ESH not so much for the situation but for the attitudes. The person in front should be able to recline their seat, but the person in back can't help being tall. Yes, he could have tried to get a seat with more leg room (and he is causing inconvenience for people by not checking) but that doesn't mean that it's always available or that he can afford to pay the extra. So I feel like they are just both stuck in a cruddy situation caused by airlines trying to get the biggest bang for their buck by squeezing people into small, and increasingly expensive spaces. He was a jerk for being judgy about people wanting to be able to lean back (not everyone is able to comfortably sit upright for hours at a time, and he doesn't get to expect it of people who also paid for their seats) and she is a jerk for acting like he's a terrible person for having long legs, especially since there wasn't much he could do about it at that point anyway.

I think reclining seats on airplanes is just a breadcrumb. A way to give you some tiny essence of control so you agree to all the other BS. Your seat can only "recline" 2". That is absolutely ridiculous to believe you're getting anything other than a "so there" moment of satisfaction. The airlines have us over a barrel, so this is their way of giving us a bit of that back so we can "I HAVE THE RIGHT TO RECLINE MY SEAT, EVEN THOUGH IT REALLY DOESNT DO ANYTHING MUCH!"

I am the same height. I think that being this height we should be sold adequate legroom seats without being charged extra. In this situation bring tall is a disability and us tall people should be given the common courtesies that are usually given to people outside the normal range of size. It's not like we over ate to become tall!

My issue with reclining seats is I can't use my tray, which is part of the ticket price as well, not to hold my laptop or food or drink. How is them being able to recline more important than me being able to use my tray? There should be no reclining in economy period imo.

Last time I flew I asked the person in front of me if they could recline only partially so I could still use the screen on the seat-back. That was okay.

I'm honestly not the biggest fan of the idea of someone reclining their seat cause I like space and absolutely hate things in my face but idk how much they go back so I can't be too strong on this opinion

I travel a lot, have my whole life. Indeed airlines are the real AHs. That being said, most people who recline do so in very inconsiderate ways--like the stories above where someone caused physical harm to someone or damage to their property. Traveling has become such a nuisance unless you can afford to fly privately because of how cost-cutting and inefficient, increasingly invasive airport procedures have pitted passengers against each other.

Reclining is a right. Your seat does it. This made up nonsense of not doing it is someone's personal values. That said, there's nothing wrong with being a decent person either. As I'm just because you have the right doesn't mean you need to exercise it. I have a c**p back. I'm also over 6'. So I always get an aisle seat, and I always recline. How far depends on whether someone is behind me. If there is a person, I go back just enough to relieve the pressure of the upright seat. On a side note, your hair is NOT to go over the back of the seat. That is not your space.

If he allowed her to recline then he would be making the person next to him more uncomfortable

I simply cannot sit in the unnatural position afforded by an upright airline seat for any length of time and we are not meant to! That position is a safety measure in case of turbulence or emergency. This is why the seats recline in the 1st place. I believe that we are responsible for insuring our own space and that it is wrong to expect others, strangers, to carry our burden with zero warning, zero choice Many large flyers buy business class or an extra seat why would this man think others owe him because of his size? How would he like it if he was seated next to a large flyer that was invading his already limited space? I don't see any difference, and I'm betting his seat was reclined. Ultimately I blame the airlines for not having a solution, a standard policy in place for this scenario in advance as well as for flying us with less space than we would transport an animal in, but that does not take away from our personal responsibility for ourselves and to others.

Boohoo my seat is too upright. How dare the person behind me have legs?

Listen, high beams on a car are a feature. You have a right to use them all the time because tou paid for them. AND if you drive around blinding other vehicles all the time YTA. She paid for (and received) transport from point A to point B - much like paying fare for bus that has no available seats and requires some passengers to stand. Features are there for use when it's APPROPRIATE. If you CAN use the recline feature, great for you. If you can't, too bad. Such is life.

ESH... People need to stop treating flying as if it's a basic right. It isn't. I'm a tall guy with longer than average legs myself. When I fly, I will try to shell out the extra money to at least go to economy comfort, because regular is simply painful. However, the times I did end up in regular economy, I either sucked it up, or tried to come to an understanding with the other passenger, but always with respect and without demanding anything. You both paid, you both want to be comfortable, you both want the same privilege. Try to work to a solution together in a normal way. People are way too entitled nowadays, over things that are a privilege, not a right.

So let me tell you a story. Im 6 foot 1. When I buy plane tickets, I pick the seats, I choose the ones with the leg room. And that's not often an option. Sometimes the plane may not have them or it's gone. So I make due. I was also on a 4 hour international flight. My sister and my dad were with me. The people in front reclined, with my dad being bent into an uncomfortable position with his bad knees. My sister put up with it but she asked if the person in front of my dad could put her seat back. She refused and was a bit of a jerk about it. The person in front of me? She tried. And I did jam my knees into the back and held it for over 3 hours, not moving. She claimed she had no room in front of her. I explained my height. She didn't believe me till we landed, I stood up and I towered over her by nearly an entire foot. She tried apologizing to me and actually looked scared. I told her point blank that I wanted her equally short friend to apologize to my equally tall father.

I have arthritis and it hurts a lot to sit bolt upright. But I would never be rude or unkind to someone else for body size preventing my seat reclining. I carry a scarf to fold behind me in case I can't recline my seat a bit. And I don't think it's selfish when a person needs to recline some. But these matters can be tolerated and or resolved kindly.

Reclining plane seats should not exist in such tight places.

One one hand, people should be able to recline, but airlines cram the seats so close together that it isn't reasonably possible to do so. Imho, the people who believe reclining is their right should be the ones paying for extra space, given that reclining literally takes space away from the person behind you.

Some time ago the aircraft I was supposed to fly had a malfunction and they pulled out an older aircraft out of storage. It still had individual screens for every seat, so it was maybe a 2007 or 2008 aircraft. The seats used to be not only wider and longer, but also thicker, with more padding for comfort. The funny thing is that people were on average about an inch or 2.5 cm shorter 20 years ago and way slimmer as well. Today flying intercontinental is an abomination.

This is definitely the fault of the airlines. Those are the greedy money grubbing arsewholes. Instead of cramming a extra rows to squeeze in more passengers, they need to TAKE OUT A FEW ROWS so travelers paying ridiculous prices for air fare can be somewhat comfortable. Don’t blame your fellow travelers… blame the airlines.

I am 6'1 and in smaller airlines I also barely fit in economy class. I remember being so squeezed all around. I am a little overweight but not too fat or anything. My legs are short too. It's already a privilege to be able to take the plane, I get it, but it's annoying how airlines are so money hungry that they make both the plane small and the seats so close to each other.

I blame this on the airlines, those seats are packed way too tight for any human being half the time, of any shape. Stop trying to cram as many people into your planes as possible and give a little bit of room back!

I am short and small. Only 5'5". When th seat in front of me is reclined, the tray table is under my chin and I feel like a sardine. The seats do not offer enough space, that is all.

I'm only about 5 feet tall. Even I am often cramped in economy. If I want to recline, and I generally only want to recline a couple of inches, I turn and ask the person behind me.

You can stretch your legs out under the Seat in front of you, that's what I do and I'm above average in height, just not that tall. Except during takeoff and landing or meal service, my seat will be reclined and I have no issue with the people in from doing it. But during meals, they are putting their seat up or I will push it to an upright position.

YTA. If you have long legs, pay extra. This is coming from a tall guy.

He should have paid for more leg room. He's not thinking about the comfort of others around him or his own physical safety, in the event of an emergency.