Airplane seat etiquette question
If you’re on an airplane that has reached cruising altitude, and you start to recline your seat, and the passenger behind you rapidly knocks on your seat, looks annoyed, and says something while indicating with his hands that you should not lower your seat, has either person committed a violation of airplane etiquette? Does one have to ask before reclining?
I’ve always assumed that the ability to recline your seat is one of the inalienable rights that comes with your plane ticket. When the person sitting in front of me has not yet reclined, leaving me with a few extra inches of space at head-level, I consider that space a gift. If the person behind you has a baby sitting on their table (not likely), it is acceptable for them to politely request that you not recline, for a limited period of time, because it would crush their baby and interrupt its yoga session. Otherwise, I figure you get to recline without asking, but it’s nice to recline gradually so as not to bonk anyone.
It’s a moot point in this case, since I couldn’t figure out what to say to or ask the man seated behind me when he loudly complained as I reclined, and instead I just returned my seat to its forward position. A short while later, the person in front of me reclined directly into the top of my computer. I adjusted my computer, then a minute later they reclined even further. I resorted to closing my table, placing the computer on my lap, and resuming work with the screen half-closed.
Airplane philistines!
PS. This blog is now a year old, home to such consequential airline-related postings as this one, or the Airplane Bathroom Sink Review.
January 17th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Hehe, interesting question. Well for me, it depends on just how tight the space is. If there’s a larger person sitting behind me, who looks like a nice person, I’ll lean back quite slowly, then look back and either make eye contact or say “Is that okay?” If it’s a jerk, I’ll still go back slowly and not too far, but I probably won’t go for the eye contact, in order to avoid engaging them at all. And if it’s someone very small, or a child, I’ll also go back slowly but probably more freely. Also, the last row in the plane usually can’t lean back at all, so I feel that the row in front of the last row should be a bit more courteous. In addition, if the person in front of you is going over the top with banging the seat back into your lap, I think it’s reasonable to politely give a tap on the shoulder and ask with a smile, “Do you think you could do me a favor and just give me a wee bit more room? Just because I’m trying to do this thing with my laptop.” Though if they choose not to, the reality is that you have to live with it. And if they do, it would also be polite to mention to them when you’re gonna take a nap and they can fully lean back. Basically, like all etiquette it’s about negotiating reasonable arrangements where nobody is getting a drastically raw deal, the available space is being shared somewhat equitably. Anyway, that’s probably more airplane etiquette than you bargained for… ;-)
Also, I’m glad you found Mr. Ando’s obit via Zuky, may he rest in peace, lord knows he’s given us all plenty of good economical meals…
Peace.