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Reclining in Coach


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Yea or Nay?

Because the board needs another heated and contentious argument, and tipping and abortion are getting boring.

Reclining doesn't help me sleep but it makes being awake the entire flight a little more comfortable so I try to choose seats in the last row to avoid any problems with that.

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1. I try not to recline and I do get resentful of people who recline in front of me, but Jesus Christ, what an overreacting pair of asshats on this plane. I wish they had been arrested and fined or something -- their stupid fucking argument got a whole plane full of non-asshats diverted and delayed.



2. This is the result of the airlines' steady veal-penning and nickel-and-diming of air travelers. Everybody is uncomfortable and pissed off and often drugged while packed with several hundred other miserable people in a pressurized steel tube 30,000 feet in the sky. It's a wonder we don't get more of these incidents. You'll notice this was the "more comfort" zone -- where you've probably paid anywhere from $50 to $100 each way for an extra couple of inches of leg room, but you're still fucking miserable. The entitled attitude of the asshats in the story was probably exacerbated by that.


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2. This is the result of the airlines' steady veal-penning and nickel-and-diming of air travelers. Everybody is uncomfortable and pissed off and often drugged while packed with several hundred other miserable people in a pressurized steel tube 30,000 feet in the sky. It's a wonder we don't get more of these incidents. You'll notice this was the "more comfort" zone -- where you've probably paid anywhere from $50 to $100 each way for an extra couple of inches of leg room, but you're still fucking miserable. The entitled attitude of the asshats in the story was probably exacerbated by that.

This issue (and the existence and financial viability of companies like Spirit Airlines or Ryanair) is our fault as much as it is the airlines'. When we buy plane tickets, we almost always go for the cheapest available, rather than rewarding airlines that offer more comfortable seats or more in-flight amenities. I think part of the problem is that people often pay for flights weeks or even months before actually flying, so that the financial hit is immediate, but the the discomfort is far enough in the future that it might as well not be a problem.

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Some people get real pissed off when they can't recline:

http://time.com/3181577/knee-defender-flight-united-airlines/

The OP was a story about this same incident.

This issue (and the existence and financial viability of companies like Spirit Airlines or Ryanair) is our fault as much as it is the airlines'. When we buy plane tickets, we almost always go for the cheapest available, rather than rewarding airlines that offer more comfortable seats or more in-flight amenities. I think part of the problem is that people often pay for flights weeks or even months before actually flying, so that the financial hit is immediate, but the the discomfort is far enough in the future that it might as well not be a problem.

It's a fair point. The thing is, are there any domestic carriers that are notably more comfortable than others? Virgin America may spring to mind (and their prices are commensurately higher), but their seats are just as cramped -- they just offer more amenities, which are less important to me.

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I do recline, but I only go half-way, which is kind of like smoking dope but not inhaling.



As in all things, moderation is key. Although reading S. John's response to this thread makes me love him. A lot.


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I recline on transocean flights or very early flights when I (and most others) will try to sleep. Otherwise not: it costs more to the person behind me than it benefits me.

But I usually travel in the premium economy section, which offers more legroom anyway. If you are sitting in the regular economy section, a.k.a. cattle, then it's almost impossible to use a laptop even if no-one reclines, and definitely impossible if they do. When I have to travel on an airline other than United, I'm resigned to all the discomforts of no leg room, boarding last (no overhead space) and probably a middle seat -- so I know in advance that it will be a less productive flight.

For all those who live to blame airlines for squeezing us, passengers have a very strong history of buying the cheapest option regardless of comfort, so of course the airlines squeeze in more seats to reduce prices. We created this monster. There are premium economy and first class seats available but very few will pay extra for them and yet will still complain. Most people are offered a premium upgrade for only $20 when they check in but still refuse it.

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But I usually travel in the premium economy section, which offers more legroom anyway. If you are sitting in the regular economy section, a.k.a. cattle, then it's almost impossible to use a laptop even if no-one reclines, and definitely impossible if they do. When I have to travel on an airline other than United, I'm resigned to all the discomforts of no leg room, boarding last (no overhead space) and probably a middle seat -- so I know in advance that it will be a less productive flight.

For all those who live to blame airlines for squeezing us, passengers have a very strong history of buying the cheapest option regardless of comfort, so of course the airlines squeeze in more seats to reduce prices. We created this monster. There are premium economy and first class seats available but very few will pay extra for them and yet will still complain. Most people are offered a premium upgrade for only $20 when they check in but still refuse it.

The two people involved in the altercation from the OP were both sitting in the "more legroom" section.

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