Editorial: To recline or not to recline is the air dilemma

Some airlines have roomier seats than others while budget airlines have the least space. Photo / 123RF

EDITORIAL

The in-flight mantra of "sit back, relax and enjoy the flight" is under siege.

Airline seat wars are back, even though the angst over whether to recline or not in cattle class never went away.

A 30-second viral video showing an economy seat-rage incident at 10,000ft has inspired days of debate since it surfaced on social media.

A woman on a US flight filmed a man in the seat behind her punching the back of her seat in response to her reclining. The man was in the last seat on the plane and was unable to himself recline.

Much of the focus since has been on who was in the wrong.

A Delta Airlines executive weighed in, saying if a passenger knows a tall person is in the seat behind, they should ask if it's okay to recline.

But what if the person in front of you has already reclined? Do you then have any choice but to recline yourself?

There's also the question of degrees: A slight push is one thing, treating your economy seat like a home lounge recliner or luxury cinema chair is another.

It's also not asking too much that the recliner be reasonable and only push the button when they want to lean. They could reset the seat at other times.

The person cramped could try politely requesting the seat be raised, before their red mist rises. If it does, there are more subtle ways of lodging your displeasure than punching the back of the seat.

Some passengers would accidentally-on-purpose bang their knees into the seat in front. In fact, it's often hard not to do it innocently in that situation as it is.

Reclining is a useful aid for long haulers. But is it a right or are restraints on it necessary for some short flights? The recline button is there for a reason, but there are also other devices available that don't necessarily get used that often.

The economy seat squeeze is a consequence of airlines trying to pack more passengers in.

USA Today reports that before US airline deregulation in 1978 many economy seats had nearly 1m of space or "pitch" — estimated as the distance between the row in front and one behind.

Now some basic economy seats — as opposed to "premium economy" — have as little as 70cm of pitch space, with 80cm more typical. The width of seats has been trimmed from about 47cm to 43cm, the Economist reports.

In December, it reported that seat space had been shrinking for decades "as airlines have crammed ever more seats on to their planes".

It says some airlines are roomier than others, offering between 81 to 86cm of pitch, while budget airlines have the least space. Business and first-class passengers can get up to 2m to 2.2m of space.

In 2018 the US Federal Aviation Administration declined to regulate on seat size.

Various factors are considered when deciding which airline to fly with, such as costs, safety records, stops and time delays. If comfort is another, it means doing your homework and flying with airlines that offer a roomier experience.