The Etiquette of Recline
Saturday, March 1st, 2008I am definitely spoiled by business class. And as it changes, I keeped getting spoiled by the latest iteration. I realized this when I was flying home from England earlier this week.
My return flight was during the daytime, so I flew premium economy rather than the business class I’d flown westbound. I was wide awake and over the course of seven hours managed to eat, nap, read, watch a movie, and get some work done. Most of it, however, I did not do from my own seat.
That’s because the woman in front of me went to full recline soon after takeoff, and stayed there the entire flight.
I know she’s entitled. When she was sleeping, I didn’t mind. But halfway through the flight she was awake; she stayed in recline while she read, watched a movie, chatted with her seatmate, even when she ate the last snack. I could tell this because I had moved to an empty seat across the aisle, behind another empty seat that was thus upright.
I was in premium economy, there was a good amount of pitch, and her seatback wasn’t right in my face, but it made it difficult to get at the seatback pocket. It also made me have to do some odd calisthenics in order to exit my window seat and walk down the aisle.
It just irked me that she was oblivious to the person behind her. Unless I’m sleeping, I always check to see who’s behind me before I go to, or stay at, maximum recline. It’s sort of like the drivers who don’t notice you need to change lanes or are signalling–nice ones, especially when they’re stuck in traffic anyway, notice you and let you in, while others are oblivious.
That’s one pet peeve of mine, and people who stay reclined just for the heck of it are another. Do you think I’m overreacting? What are your pet peeves, travel-wise?
–Mary Hunt, editor, eFlyer
