I don’t like when the person in front of me on an airplane reclines, and yet I do it myself.
When I do recline, however, I do it slowly so as not to crash into the person behind me or spill whatever drink they may have sitting on their tray. It seems the person in front of me, however, never bothers to do so.
So what is proper reclining etiquette?
A great column in the Wall Street Journal by Scott McCartney tackles this question and provides some insight into the “reclining gap” between airlines. Southwest Airlines, for example, has now standardized the recline at 3 inches (some of their seats reclined two inches while others went back as far as 4.5 inches). A large part of the reason for doing so was to provide enough room for laptops.
According to McCartney, the most generous airline for reclining is Continental. The 5-6 inches their seats go back is great for recliners but hell for those sitting behind a recliner.
So is it okay to recline or not? McCartney interviewed a number of people who generally agree that it is a passenger’s right to do so. Etiquette experts, however, suggest turning around before reclining and warning the person behind you. And then lean back.
My school of thought? It’s okay for me to recline, but not you. Once everyone learns this rule, flying will be much more comfortable.
At least for me.