9 Out Of 10 Passengers Would Like To See Reclining Airplane Seats Banned

There was that time the person in front of me reclined their seat suddenly and deeply, sending the red wine I’d just purchased all over my face and clothing. Then there was that other time someone in front of me did the same thing, causing my laptop to slide off of my tray and, luckily, onto my lap where I was able to soften the blow a bit. Reclining airplane seats aren’t doing anyone any favors – other than the people who insist on reclining their seats all the way on every flight. And that’s probably at least part of the reason why nine out of ten flight passengers say they would like to see reclining airplane seats completely banned, according to the Telegraph.

The poll cited in the article was conducted by Skyscanner and the results also revealed that young women (though a bit younger than I am) are the most likely to be considerate when reclining their seat. Maybe I fit that bill. I never recline my seat without taking a look at the person behind me and noting whether or not they have especially long legs and can’t afford to lose the legroom or if they are working on their laptop. And I usually ask permission regardless.

What do you think? Should we just do away with the whole inconveniencing feature used sadistically against innocent passengers?

Coming Soon: Wider Airline Seats For Wider Air Travelers

Airline seats continue to be a hot issue with air travelers. Instead of cramming into a smaller space with less legroom, some of us pay extra for a premium coach seat. Airlines like that idea and have offered a number of profit-boosting options, bundling early boarding, a prime location and more as part of the deal. Now Airbus has a plan to replace a row of three 18-inch-wide seats with a 20-inch seat on the aisle and 17-inch seats for the middle and window locations.

“The wider seats may be offered at a premium for those who require more room or as a reward for frequent flyers,” says an ExecutiveTravelMagazine article, noting that a number of airlines are indeed interested in the new seat configuration.

The Airbus option comes at a time when airlines are taking a serious look at seating in both existing and new aircraft on order. United began featuring slimmer seats that grant more legroom on its Airbus fleet in May. Those proved so popular that United will roll out the change to all of its Airbus planes eventually.Comfort is apparently not all about room either. Delta has dozens of new Boeing jets with highly-requested power outlets at seats throughout the plane.

Airline Madness: Inattentive parents of crying babies vs. Obese people who take up two seats

Airline Madness is Gadling’s tournament of airline annoyances. You can catch up on all of the previous tournament action here.

The two Cinderella stories of Airline Madness meet in the second round’s most intriguing match-up. #12 seed Inattentive parents of crying babies won its first round contest without breaking a sweat. Similarly, #13 Obese people who take up two seats simply dominated in its contest and racked up an astonishing number of votes. Now they face each other in a battle to determine which controversial annoyance advances to the Final Four. What bothers you more when it comes to ear-splitting cries being ignored by parents and heavy passengers spilling into your seat? Read on and vote!#12 Inattentive parents of crying babies
Look, we’re not pointing fingers at the babies here (because it’s rude to point and babies will put your fingers in their mouths). The problem is the parents who either aren’t prepared (with toys, activities, diapers, etc.) or don’t seem to care that their child has become a 110-decibel problem. Take the kid to the bathroom, bounce him on your knee, give him a bottle. Exhaust every option and then start over again from the beginning. Show everyone that you’re aware of the problem and, at the very least, offer some acknowledgement of (and apology for) the disruption.

#13 Obese people who take up two seats
Not all obese people are created equally. Some overeat, others have genetic disorders, while many suffer from crippling medical issues. Regardless of the reason, however, there is no excuse for taking up someone else’s space. I paid for my seat and only I get to use it. If you can’t fit in one seat, shouldn’t you have to pay for the space that you do need? It’s not a punishment; it’s just common sense. Once a child becomes too large to sit on his parent’s lap, he needs his own seat. Shouldn’t the same hold true once your waistline is too large to fit in a single seat?

One of these upstart lower-seeded combatants is going to advance to the Final Four and find itself one step closer to possibly being named Airline Madness champion. Which one will it be? What annoyance bothers you more?
%Poll-74019%
Second round voting ends at 11:59PM EDT on Friday, March 23.

More Airline Madness:
Second round match-ups:
#1 Annoying Passengers vs. #9 People who get mad at people who recline their seats
#6 Change fees/no free standby vs. #3 Lack of free food/prices for food
#7 Rude airline staff vs. #2 Legroom issues
First round match-ups
#1 Annoying passengers vs. #16 Disgusting bathrooms
#2 Legroom vs. #15 Inefficient boarding procedures
#3 Lack of free food/prices for food vs. #14 Cold cabin/no blankets
#4 Baggage Fees vs. #13 Obese people who take up two seats
#5 Lack of overhead space vs. Inattentive parents of crying babies
#6 Change fees/no free standby vs. #11 Lack of personal entertainment/charging for entertainment
#7 Rude airline staff vs. #10 Having to turn off electronic devices during takeoff & landing
#8 People who recline their seats vs. #9 People who get mad at people who recline their seats
Hotel Madness: Gadling’s tournament of airline annoyances

Catch up on all the Airline Madness here.

Airlines to add more seating options, room and perks

Looking for more legroom on airlines? American Airlines hears the call and has plans to equip its entire mainline fleet with “Main Cabin Extra,” a new seating arrangement which will provide more leg room as well as priority boarding.

“Customers travelling in Main Cabin Extra seats will enjoy four to six inches of extra leg room compared to a standard Main Cabin seat as well as priority boarding privileges,” said Virasb Vahidi, American’s chief commercial officer.

American will begin installation on existing aircraft soon. New Boeing 737-800 aircraft delivered this fall will already be equipped with Main Cabin Extra seating.

Anticipated future aircraft, including Airbus A321s, and A319s, and Boeing 777-300ERs and 787s, will also offer Main Cabin Extra.

“We continue to provide our customers with choices that enable them to customize their travel on American to be the experience they desire and value,” said Vahidi.

Main Cabin Extra seats, located in the front portion of the main cabin, will allow for easier boarding and deplaning. AAdvantage Executive Platinum and Platinum members, along with customers who purchase a full-fare economy class ticket, will receive complimentary access to Main Cabin Extra, subject to availability.

Also, AAdvantage Gold members will receive complimentary access to the new seating product through December 31st, 2013.

Other airlines have extra space for a fee, too. United Airlines Economy Plus features up to five extra inches of legroom on all United flights worldwide as well as many United Express flights. Jet Blue’s Even More program allows first access to overhead bins and early boarding, too. US Airways Choice Seats program gives flyers the right to be first on and first off the plane, in addition to priority seat reservations using mostly window and aisle seats toward the front of Coach.

Flickr photo by bamueller

SkyRider airplane seats lack legroom, resemble saddles

Think your economy class airplane seat is cramped? Well, imagine sitting on something that looks like the bastard child of a roller coaster seat and a horse saddle. That’s what Italian airline seat designer Aviointeriors has devised and hopes to unleash into the wild with their SkyRider model. With only 23″ of legroom and air carriers allegedly interested in someday creating a class below coach/economy, you could eventually find yourself perched precariously at 35,000 feet on your way home for the holidays.

The SkyRider’s creator insists that it is, in fact, a seat and not a way to trick standing passengers into thinking that they are not, in fact, still vertical. Before you go into a full-fledged panic though, it’s worth noting that these seats have many hurdles to jump before finding themselves inside airplanes.

An FAA spokesperson said, “While it’s not impossible, it’s difficult to conceive of a standing seat that would be able to meet all applicable FAA requirements and still be cost-effective.” See? We can all go back to complaining about baggage fees, lost luggage, jerks reclining their seats into your knees, expensive yet crappy airplane food, airplane bathroom sinks that make it impossible to wash both of your hands at the same time and everything else you hate about air travel.

For now, we can simply look at the pictures of these torture devices seats and wonder if that woman with the “I just farted” smile is about to take off or be probed.

Via Gizmodo & USA Today.