Seat recliners on planes, now (some) airlines take action !

[Grandad.Malky 11]

I think they should restrict full recline to when most people actually want to use it, which is when the cabin lights go off.

 

:clap:

 

Hardly rocket science is it.

 

I seem to recall being on a continental coach trip where the courier said the same thing “ only use the recliner when the lights go out”.

[Panthera 10]

You are totally correct. It`s the concept of "movable space". If only one person reclines they gain space at the expense of the person behind them. If everyone reclines everybody ends up with the same space. Which is why, short of fixed shell seats (like on Cathay Pacific) I think they should restrict full recline to when most people actually want to use it, which is when the cabin lights go off.

or install a column of seats that dont recline and make them 10% cheaper than the reclining ones, i wonder if the passengers who recline would be happy to pay for the reclining function then?, everyone would be happy, the inconsiderate passengers who get a nice sneeze on the top of thier heads from me and the ones who dont like thier personal space invaded by the top of someones head. Edited September 6, 2010 by Panthera

[Paul2412 10]

What they should do is ban the reclining seat on short haul aircraft such as props and Boeing 737's. They are cramped enough as it is, and these aircraft are only used on flights of less than 3 hours. You don't need to be fully reclined on a flight of 3 hours.

 

The larger planes aren't so much of an issue as there is slightly more legroom. I know I wouldn't want to spend an 11 hour flight sat in exactly the same position.

[Justin Smith 10]

:clap:

 

Hardly rocket science is it.

 

I seem to recall being on a continental coach trip where the courier said the same thing “ only use the recliner when the lights go out”.

 

Now that`s what I call music.

[boyfriday 21]

If I really did get the flight for £10 you may be right, but we`ve never got a flight for anywhere near that price. From memory the cheapest was about £50 e/w, which is still cheap, but not £10. My wife and I were talking about this economy cattle class nightmare earlier today, and concluded that we`d pay an extra 10%, or a bit more, for another 4" of leg room, esp if they banned the use of full recline, unless the cabin lights were switched off !

 

But £50, £100, £150..is still ridiculously cheap! Tickets for air travel before easy Jet and Ryanair routinely ran into hundreds, not ten of pounds and we're talking 15+ years ago.

 

Adding 10% to the cost of a ticket wouldn't create the 4" of extra legroom you require, the ticket price would have to be significantly more than that..hence the much higher costs of the upgrade options which offer passengers the comfort they require.

 

If adding a tenner to the cost of a £100 ticket could provide passengers with 4" extra legroom and be profitable for the airline, then they'd do it.

[gijoebloggs 10]

What I don’t understand is the fact most people seem to take offence in having seats reclined into their faces from all parts of the world, so why do the airlines fit them with this function at all?

[Justin Smith 10]

But £50, £100, £150..is still ridiculously cheap! Tickets for air travel before easy Jet and Ryanair routinely ran into hundreds, not ten of pounds and we're talking 15+ years ago.

 

Adding 10% to the cost of a ticket wouldn't create the 4" of extra legroom you require, the ticket price would have to be significantly more than that..hence the much higher costs of the upgrade options which offer passengers the comfort they require.

 

If adding a tenner to the cost of a £100 ticket could provide passengers with 4" extra legroom and be profitable for the airline, then they'd do it.

 

That was £50 e/w, though I agree that`s still cheaper than it was.

Then again we got less room than you used to get !

 

I`m not sure I agree with you about the 10% and 4" more leg room.

Remember most flights aren`t full anyway. Furthermore fewer seats and passengers (and their luggage) means less weight, which means less fuel. These days fuel is the biggest cost of any airline.

Business class isn`t just a few extra inches and the same seat, it`s a far more expensive to manufacture seat that weighs quite a bit more, and the seat pitch goes up from about 31" to 50 to 60". Then there`s all the other things they get, like better food and faster check in, that all costs money. That said, I still think Business class is over priced. We only use it every now and again, and only because Economy, esp long haul, is a nightmare.

[Justin Smith 10]

What I don’t understand is the fact most people seem to take offence in having seats reclined into their faces from all parts of the world, so why do the airlines fit them with this function at all?

 

On short haul planes I agree with you. Long haul still needs full recline, so, in my opinion, they`ve got to limit when it can be used.

[cgksheff 44]

What I don’t understand is the fact most people seem to take offence in having seats reclined into their faces from all parts of the world, so why do the airlines fit them with this function at all?

 

Because we like to recline.

 

Also because they were introduced at a time when there was enough space between rows to allow a full recline without upsetting the passenger behind.

 

Greed has reduced the pitch to increase these levels of discomfort.

[boyfriday 21]

That was £50 e/w, though I agree that`s still cheaper than it was.

Then again we got less room than you used to get !

 

I`m not sure I agree with you about the 10% and 4" more leg room.

Remember most flights aren`t full anyway. Furthermore fewer seats and passengers (and their luggage) means less weight, which means less fuel. These days fuel is the biggest cost of any airline.

Business class isn`t just a few extra inches and the same seat, it`s a far more expensive to manufacture seat that weighs quite a bit more, and the seat pitch goes up from about 31" to 50 to 60". Then there`s all the other things they get, like better food and faster check in, that all costs money. That said, I still think Business class is over priced. We only use it every now and again, and only because Economy, esp long haul, is a nightmare.

 

I think we'd have to work out how many seats would have to be removed to allow every passenger an extra 4" in legroom, I'm sure if the resultant loss in revenue could be compensated by a 10% or less increase in fares most airlines would see that as a viable trade off, especially as rarely are tickets ever obtained at the headline rate as you mentioned earlier, which makes proper like for like comparisons very difficult.

[cgksheff 44]

Let me throw another spanner in the works.

 

The one that has a just-as-good empty seat beside him yet still moans about the passenger in front reclining!

[andrejuan 10]

I was amazed when I saw this thread. I have lost count of how many economy flights I have taken, but I have NEVER even "thought" about the person in front encroaching on my space if they recline. It is their right to fully recline if they wish, I certainly don't consider that I have more right to comfort than them.

Gawd,, how selfish to ask someone to adjust their seat to suit you!!!

BTW when the seats recline, the tables stay the same, the lower leg room stays the same, and it could only be a problem to the person behind if they wanted to spend the journey leaning forward out of the seat.