A FORMER British Airways hostess has explained the six times you should never recline your plane seat.
The real villain of the skies isn’t the humble armrest – it’s the reclining seat, and on almost every long flight, you can spot passengers arguing over a reclining chair.
Most passengers try to be considerate about when they lean back but there are still those among us who insist on reclining as soon as they have boarded the plane.
It’s a debate that divides travellers, and causes many a row in mid-air.
And according to a former British Airways steward, rows over whether you should recline your seat is the most common cause of in-flight flashpoints.
But Jane Hawkes, who now works as a leading consumer and travel expert, says the turbulence can be easily diverted by following a few ground rules.
She said: “The etiquette around reclining seats on aircraft is very divisive and causes more rows than anything else.
“As a stewardess I was forever trying to calm down passengers bickering about it.
“The fact is it is OK to recline. But there are guidelines and rules to follow.
“Rather than just pressing the button and slamming your seat back fully and abruptly, take a look behind you first.
“If the passenger behind you is working, eating or sleeping this can be particularly disruptive and you could cause spillages or even injury.
“It’s not a big deal to wait until the person behind you has finished whatever they are doing, so don’t make it one.
“And if you do recline your seat, do it slowly and carefully.”
Jane explained that most of the arguments happen when someone insists on having their seat reclined for the entire duration of the flight.
She added: “I always say to passengers only recline your seat when you need to; for example, to sleep on long haul flights.
“There is no real need to do so on shorter flights.
Are reclining plane seats dying out?
A number of airlines are reducing how much seats can recline, or even scrapping seats that recline on flights entirely.
Budget airlines scrapped the option for passengers to put their seats back years ago, with Ryanair ditching the option back in 2004.
This is less of a problem for travellers, as the flights are often short haul and never overnight – so the need to get comfy to sleep isn’t an issue.
But other airlines that offer longer flights and ones where shut-eye is a must are also quietly removing the function.
Instead, seats are “pre-reclined” so they operate between fully upright and fully reclined.
Jet2 was one of the first to utilize this back in 2009, with new technology at the time created by Acro allowing the middle-ground seats.
British Airways flights that are shorter than four hours also have the “pre-reclined seats” while Delta seat reclines were reduced from four inches to just two inches back in 2019, along with United, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
And Finnair even introduced a new business class seat that had no recline function, which Sun Online Travel tried out.
“You should also avoid putting your seat back when meals are being served or when passengers are still boarding the flight.
“One of the most annoying things is when you see someone reclining a seat within a few seconds of them sitting down and then staying that way until landing.
“Unless it’s a night-flight or the person has a genuine need to recline all that time, it’s pretty inconsiderate to behave like that in my view.”
But how do respond to complaints if you are the one reclining?
Jane said: “If someone complains about you reclining your seat, be measured in your response.
“A member of the cabin crew may have been asked to intervene and it’s not considerate or wise to antagonise them.
“You should consider adjusting your seat to accommodate fellow passengers should they ask and risk the situation escalating.
“You’re going to be sitting in close proximity to each other so it’s wise to keep the peace.
“It’s not a private jet so the space on board should be shared with appropriate consideration and care.
“It’s also worth bearing in mind that disruptive behaviour on board an aircraft can have serious consequences, both legally and financially.
“Airlines and authorities take these incidents very seriously to ensure the safety and comfort of all passengers and crew.
“Offenders may be arrested upon landing and prosecuted, face fines and/or billed for diversion costs.”
For more free travel advice visit www.ladyjaney.co.uk
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