Should Airlines lock seats upright
The average distance between seats is once again on the decline- last week American Airlines said it would reduce pitch in some economy class seats to a severe 29 inches. And as we all know planes are flying fuller than ever. Personal space is at a premium, creating tiny little wars throughout the coach cabin.
Why can’t airlines impose a partial truce by locking seats upright, at least for short flights?
Many people— especially taller ones — think it’s high time for a seat-back lockup. “It is already cramped enough at the ‘back of the bus, but to have your space encroached by the person in front of you for that extra two inches of non-space is terrible,” said reader SV.
Reclining seats can also be a threat to laptop computers. P.B. from Atlanta said his laptop case was cracked “by some yahoo who thrust her seat back full force. … I had the screen resting against that dangerous well that houses the tray table.” Brown now asks for a “recline alert” from the person in front of him when working on his laptop.
Some business travelers think a middle road would be best, suggesting airlines adjust the seats so that they recline only half way. Many others suggested locking seats upright for short flights only. We all hate government intervention, but we think the solution is “a federal regulation providing a minimum amount of space between seats to permit comfortable reclining.”
Despite the recent outcry, complaints and congressional hearing, I doubt we’ll see much action on this issue. The airlines seem much more interested in revenue than comfort in economy class. None of the majors is likely to step out front with a seat lockup that would be criticized by some as another service reduction even though a it could be considered an enhancement. (Only the Ultra-Low-Cost carriers like Spirit and Allegiant have non-reclining seats.)
Maybe the best we can hope for is a little better application of the Golden Rule.
If you don’t like the idea of someone planting their scalp a few inches from your face, don’t do it to the person behind you. Think before you recline. Recline slowly or only halfway.
What do you think….Should airlines lock economy seats in the upright position?
Your tip of, "recline slowly" makes a lot of sense. It's surprising how thoughtless people can be considering those surrounding them. The person behind you could have a hot beverage on their tray table and if you recline fast that's an accident waiting to happen!
This is an interesting question @maryvellantrent. There was a time, not so long ago, when fellow passagers had a greater awareness of who was around them and the courtesy to put their seats back when someone obviously needed more space to get in and out of their seat and most certainly whilst the person behind them was eating. This seems to no longer be the case and eating is almost impossible if the person in front does not retract their seat. My suggestion would be to train the staff to politely encourage greater consideration. :)
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