Legroom on a plane

Author
Discussion

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
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el stovey said:
otolith said:
It's not a privilege, it's a function of the seat the person has paid for.
You've paid for a seat in that class. You might even have paid for a particular seat but you haven't paid for the recline or inflight entertainment etc. if any of those functions don't work, you won't get a refund.
A train ticket doesn't guarantee you a seat on a train, that doesn't make a seat a "privilege" at someone else's discretion.

Halmyre

11,148 posts

138 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
el stovey said:
Tiggsy said:
far bigger issue.....games built into touch screen headrests!!!!! morons playing them at 3am just feels like someone tapping your head!
That's revenge for reclining your seat hehe
Don't these screens have removable handsets?


Tiggsy

10,261 posts

251 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
Halmyre said:
el stovey said:
Tiggsy said:
far bigger issue.....games built into touch screen headrests!!!!! morons playing them at 3am just feels like someone tapping your head!
That's revenge for reclining your seat hehe
Don't these screens have removable handsets?

no - these are built into the back of dreamliners seats.....its ipad type games.

And i dont recline my seat as I watch movies, never sleep on flights - even to Oz etc!

vescaegg

Original Poster:

25,489 posts

166 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
el stovey said:
You've paid for a seat in that class. You might even have paid for a particular seat but you haven't paid for the recline or inflight entertainment etc. if any of those functions don't work, you won't get a refund.
Nonsense. People pay for a seat that does certain things. One of which is reclining. I wouldn't be a dick about it and wouldn't recline if someone tall is behind me but some self righteous tt just not wanting me to recline would get no sympathy.

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
vescaegg said:
Nonsense. People pay for a seat that does certain things. One of which is reclining. I wouldn't be a dick about it and wouldn't recline if someone tall is behind me but some self righteous tt just not wanting me to recline would get no sympathy.
It's not nonsense. If your seat doesn't recline, you won't get a refund. If you don't get a seat you will.

vescaegg

Original Poster:

25,489 posts

166 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
el stovey said:
It's not nonsense. If your seat doesn't recline, you won't get a refund. If you don't get a seat you will.
You may not get a refund but you may get moved to a 'working' seat if available. Seen it happen with the TV stuff which is another thing you claim you haven't paid for.

longblackcoat

5,047 posts

182 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
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Genuinely, is this an issue for most of us? Never found it an issue when I fly, but then I assume that like most PH folk I turn left on entering the plane.........

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
el stovey said:
vescaegg said:
Nonsense. People pay for a seat that does certain things. One of which is reclining. I wouldn't be a dick about it and wouldn't recline if someone tall is behind me but some self righteous tt just not wanting me to recline would get no sympathy.
It's not nonsense. If your seat doesn't recline, you won't get a refund. If you don't get a seat you will.
You might not get a full refund but you will, or can, get compensation for loss of features such as entertainment and seat function. One of the few times I bothered with business class, the whole section's seat functions had failed.

Despite holding the plane on the ground for an hour whilst they tried to fix the issue, we took off for Miami without any seat functions. We were all compensated with free flights for another occasion.

Which, in a way, is a refund.

redtwin

7,518 posts

181 months

Thursday 28th August 2014
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herewego said:
redtwin said:
Gazzas86 said:
I have a human powered knee defender.... Being 6 ft 4 on most airlines my knees are touching the back of the seat infront, no chance of it really going back tbh.
I am 6' 5" so run into the same issues, didn't stop a woman sat in front from constantly trying to recline her seat which was already firmly pressed against my knees. She did her best, slamming her back against it repeatedly, but there was literally nowhere for my knees to go.

It hurt like hell, but I wouldn't give her the satisfaction by showing any signs of pain, I just stared at her blankly when she turned around to glare at me.
That's a strange thing to do, she obviously didn't know it was your knees stopping the seat. I've never heard of a reclining seat hitting anyone's knees before, normally it only slightly impacts what you can do on the table.
Reclining does help you to sleep so it is a good thing generally as it is an uncomfortable environment, although it depends on what you're there for and who you are with.
She did know it was resting against my knees. We were seated on the aisle and she looked back to see what was stopping it. She must have thought I would have found somewhere else to put my knees if she was aggressive enough. The glare at me was because I didn't submit to her aggression.

I don't recall the model of the plane, but it was a domestic US flight so not one of the larger transcontinental planes.

For the record I would never use "knee defenders" and don't agree with their use by others either. It really isn't my fault that I am this height, I certainly didn't ask for it, but fully accept that I am to blame for not being wealthy enough to fly in First or Business class.

Maybe I should have apologized to that woman for my relative poverty?. scratchchin

LucreLout

908 posts

117 months

Thursday 28th August 2014
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Tiggsy said:
far bigger issue.....games built into touch screen headrests!!!!! morons playing them at 3am just feels like someone tapping your head!
I find that 10 mins enthusiastic gaming generally fixes the moron in front who wants to lie down all flight.
Sorry, but I'm not spending the flight in cramped discomfort because you don't want to sleep sitting up.

blueg33

35,574 posts

223 months

Thursday 28th August 2014
quotequote all
I am only 6ft but have relatively long legs (heron dna?) on some flights my knees are hard against the backrest of the seat in front with little room for adjustment. It can be quite painful when someone reclines their seat.

In my world it is common decency to ask if someone minds if you recline the seat. I too have had glares because my knees stop people reclining.

IMO reclining makes no sense on short haul and long haul tend to have slightly more legroom.

As for those who think that people have a right to recline because they have paid for a ticket, do they have the right to cause discomfort even pain to others? IMO they don't.

sc0tt

18,032 posts

200 months

Thursday 28th August 2014
quotequote all
blueg33 said:
As for those who think that people have a right to recline because they have paid for a ticket, do they have the right to cause discomfort even pain to others? IMO they don't.
Yes sorry mate I do.

I'm 6ft4 and buy extra legroom because I am tall. If you can't fit then find another methos of transport, or, do what the rest of the tall people do and buy extra legroom.

HTH

kenny.R400

1,211 posts

239 months

Thursday 28th August 2014
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We fly short haul pov (Monarch) class to Malaga on a regular basis.

I'm now convinced we are the only couple in the world who don't need to recline a seat, ask for a comfort pack, unwrap a big foil package filled with farty smelling sandwiches and take 4 pisses on a 2 and half hour flight.

blueg33

35,574 posts

223 months

Thursday 28th August 2014
quotequote all
sc0tt said:
blueg33 said:
As for those who think that people have a right to recline because they have paid for a ticket, do they have the right to cause discomfort even pain to others? IMO they don't.
Yes sorry mate I do.

I'm 6ft4 and buy extra legroom because I am tall. If you can't fit then find another methos of transport, or, do what the rest of the tall people do and buy extra legroom.

HTH
You can't always buy extra legroom seats (I couldn't this summer, the only extra legroom seats were by the emergency exit, I have an arm injury and am not considered fit enough to sit in an escape row seat, so couldn't get extra legroom).

I am not sure that tall people should be financially disadvantaged.

What other method of transport can take you around the world so easily?

24lemons

2,629 posts

184 months

Thursday 28th August 2014
quotequote all
If somebody reclining their seat bothers you that much then I would suggest it is you that needs to stump up the extra cash and upgrade and not the person in front.

If the seat is being used in the manner in which it was intended, and the person using it is courteous and not reclining while you are trying to eat then suck it up and deal with it IMO.

You might argue that someone reclining into your space is inflicting discomfort upon you but surely demanding that they remain bolt upright for your benefit is inflicting discomfort onto them.

Aircraft cabins are small and uncomfortable at the best of times. Getting huffy and up tight only makes things worse. If you are genuinely caused discomfort or distress by somebody reclining a seat then pay more if your personal space means that much to you.

eharding

13,598 posts

283 months

Thursday 28th August 2014
quotequote all
blueg33 said:
What other method of transport can take you around the world so easily?
Walk. You're the one with the ridiculously long legs, after all.

LucreLout

908 posts

117 months

Thursday 28th August 2014
quotequote all
24lemons said:
If somebody reclining their seat bothers you that much then I would suggest it is you that needs to stump up the extra cash and upgrade and not the person in front.

If the seat is being used in the manner in which it was intended, and the person using it is courteous and not reclining while you are trying to eat then suck it up and deal with it IMO.

You might argue that someone reclining into your space is inflicting discomfort upon you but surely demanding that they remain bolt upright for your benefit is inflicting discomfort onto them.

Aircraft cabins are small and uncomfortable at the best of times. Getting huffy and up tight only makes things worse. If you are genuinely caused discomfort or distress by somebody reclining a seat then pay more if your personal space means that much to you.
You try a 12 hour flight with an 11 stone dwarf lying on your knees, then report back.

People bh about Ryan Air, but the leg room is fantastic compared to BA, especially if Sleepy is travelling in front of you.

blueg33

35,574 posts

223 months

Thursday 28th August 2014
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
Maybe I am atypical, but I will always sit in the back row at things like school performances so as not to block the view of shorter folk, plus at gis I have moved to one side where I think I am blocking someone's view. I am not especially tall, but it just seem courteous.

Halmyre

11,148 posts

138 months

Thursday 28th August 2014
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I'm with Randy Newman on this. thumbup

0000

13,812 posts

190 months

Thursday 28th August 2014
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King Herald said:
I totally circumnavigate the globe every ten weeks, several 10+ hour long hauls at a time, and if someone tries to fit a 'knee defender' to my seat I'll make damn sure that I remember to reach behind and tip their food/drink/laptop in their face every few minutes.

If you are so tall you don't fit into economy seats, then MOVE into an aisle seat, or pay extra for economy plus, but don't think it is your right to f**k with MY seat or my comfort!
Aisle seats don't afford any extra legroom, I've paid extra for more legroom and still found my knees against the back of the seat in front.

Good luck picking fights with people bigger than you though. hehe