To Recline or Not to Recline - The Etiquette of Reclining on Airplanes

Before deciding to recline, or not to recline, consider your fellow passengers. Look around you. Is it a person with very long legs? There is a big difference between a six-foot man and a six-year-old boy. Is the person behind you traveling for business or leisure?

Are they using the tray table, and do they look like they may use the tray table for more than the complimentary beverage? There is a big difference between juggling presentations and spreadsheets on a laptop and watching the latest episode of Homeland on an iPad.

After you evaluate the passenger behind you and it looks like you won’t be greatly disturbing them by tilting your seat back three inches, it is polite to peek back with a smile and nodding gesture to indicate that you will be reclining. Then ease your seat back gently. If you ask them, regardless of their height, travel purpose etc. and they say ‘no’, that puts you in a tricky position.

Also, consider the time of day and if you are on a long-haul flight. If it is dark outside and ‘relaxing’ is encouraged by the flight attendants by way of dimmed cabin lighting and lack of in-flight service, then reclining isn’t as big of a deal. If your flight time is over seven hours, how airlines define a long-haul flight, then feel free to recline, after acknowledging the passenger behind you, for that little extra kindness.

Technically, you paid for the seat and have the ‘right' to recline, but that doesn’t necessarily make it right. If the person in front of you is inconsiderate and reclines into your territory, there is really nothing you can do about it and it is not worth making a scene by bumping their seat or overtly complaining.

After all, etiquette is about showing consideration, kindness, and respect to other people. Airplane cabins are full of other people, so is making a fuss really worth those three inches?

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