The final word in airline seat reclining debate? 'Be nice'

To recline, or not to recline? That is the question, after a video of a man hitting the reclined airplane seat of a woman in front of him went viral recently, and kicked off a debate about air travel etiquette.

We asked you, readers, via Facebook, and also asked for the expert opinion of Gary Howard, senior vice-president of marketing and communications with the Canadian Automobile Association Atlantic division in Saint John, N.B. CAA is a full-service travel agency and also advocates for passenger rights. 

"I've seen people get misunderstood, or a little bit of back and forth between passengers, but this one seemed to be way over the top," said Howard of the incident, who is a frequent traveller. "That was very, very dramatic." 

Howard said he can see both sides of the debate.

"If somebody has purchased a seat and they sit there, they should be able to do what they wish, but there's also a point of courtesy," he said. "The passenger behind you may be trying to eat, or to work on their computer or even watch a television show, whatever the case may be, and a reclined seat can interfere with any of those things — it really does come down to courtesy." 

And does Howard himself recline his seat on an airplane?

"Typically I don't recline, just knowing that it mostly will interfere with the passenger behind me," he said. "I would tell passengers they shouldn't recline. If they have a reason they need to they should at least speak with the passenger behind them." 

You get what you pay for

"It's very rare now to see people reclining," Howard added. "Especially with the charter aircraft where it's even more cramped, it becomes much more difficult." 

Howard said you get what you pay for, since discount airlines "put more seats on, so that they can charge a lower price." People should be aware they may have less space when they are buying less expensive tickets. 

If you want more room, he suggests steering clear of discount airlines, and recommends selecting seats in advance that allow more leg room — such as seats around emergency exits and those between business and economy class. 

On a flight with 100 or 200 other people, "it's not just your space, it's wide open, so be courteous to your fellow passenger," Howard said. "Generally, the best rule is just be nice."

He said he doesn't think the debate sparked by the video will encourage airlines to free up space, but may help passengers better understand one another's points of view.  

Howard's other airline etiquette tips:

• Arrive on time.
• Share elbow space with seat-mates.
• Keep your shoes on.
• Don't carry on so much stuff that your space is overflowing.
• Don't chat with seatmates unless they indicate they want to.
• Deplane in an orderly fashion — don't jump the line.

What you said

A callout on Facebook for your thoughts brought in more than 100 comments. Here's a selection. 

(Please note that usernames are not necessarily the names of commenters. Some comments have been altered to correct spelling and to conform to CBC style.)

Carolyn Bateman of Charlottetown commented, "If you have a bad back it is impossible to sit so upright and one has to recline the seat to survive the flight. It is not like it is a full recline, it is basically just a few inches. If the person behind is finding it too close for comfort they can also recline their seat."

"I'm a tall guy and I would not do it ever," said Jeff Jardine of Charlottetown.

Anne Putnam wrote, "If I do recline, it's only one 'notch' and gently if I can. I haven't asked before, but I will from now on."

"The seat wouldn't recline if it wasn't supposed to. If the flight is longer than an hour I recline," said Jason McKie.

Tony Hamilton-Irving said, "I'm 6-6: when they recline, I drive my knees into their back, or tell them, 'It's a seat, not a bed.'" 

Donna Hurry of Charlottetown countered with this comment: "I never recline my seat unless someone is pushing their knees in to my back."

"This is an engineering issue. They are trying to squeeze too many passengers in too little space so this becomes a thing," said Jim MacKay. 

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