Is it rude to recline your seat on a short-haul flight?
The complainant says
On a two and a half hour early morning flight, I reclined my seat about halfway once the seatbelt sign went off, to try to sleep. The passenger behind me tapped my shoulder and asked me to put it back up because he was working on his laptop.
I said sorry, but I'd paid for a seat that reclines and I was going to sleep. He sighed loudly for the rest of the flight and jolted my seat every time he typed.
The other side says the passenger behind, as the complainant tells it
He says short-haul seats have very little legroom, and reclining makes it impossible to use a laptop or even a tray table. He says the polite thing on a short flight is not to recline, especially without checking first.
Jury discussion (6 comments)
Deliver your verdict to join the deliberation. Back to the case.
Comment on the dispute, not the people. No names, guesses about who anyone is, or abuse. Jury room rules.
If the seat reclines, you can recline. Look back first and do it slowly. That's the etiquette.
Jolting your seat every time he typed is the actual rude bit here.
Short-haul legroom is so bad that reclining genuinely crushes the person behind. I never do it.
Then the airline should stop making seats that recline. Not the passenger's fault.
Being allowed to do something and it being considerate are different things.
Early morning flight, trying to sleep, halfway recline. Fine.