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Eliminate reclining airplane seats. (Original Post) SarahD May 9 OP
I am only 5'10" but have less than an inch to spare, just as well eliminate them. If doc03 May 9 #1
Already conceptualized brooklynite May 9 #19
WTF! That's nightmare fuel! Initech May 9 #28
Travelers demanded cheap flights. jimfields33 May 9 #2
I absolutely can complain when it is unsafe and physically agonizing for me to fly Hekate May 9 #7
Problem Is, As Jimfields Suggest... ProfessorGAC May 9 #12
What were they sold, other than the cheapest ticket available? brooklynite May 9 #20
Pfft. I never experienced that at all. I was always frugal. I remember how and why it changed... Hekate May 9 #25
I will gladly be semi-uncomfortable TheFarseer May 9 #10
No, it's not just you; it's the majority of the marybourg May 9 #22
I'd rather they skimp on the flight's safety features. nt Shermann May 9 #26
Absolutely eliminate them Jilly_in_VA May 9 #3
I'm 6'1" progressoid May 9 #29
This! My lower back needs it, makes moonscape May 9 #31
Even for long hour/night flights? sakabatou May 9 #4
hey, if you want anything other than... ret5hd May 9 #8
Did you forget the sarcasm thingy? I have traveled Greyhound, & the seats have been large, well spaced... Hekate May 9 #14
Yes, and I wouldn't recommend it for more than four hours... brooklynite May 9 #21
One reason I fly is that I have to get from the West Coast to the East Coast when I travel... Hekate May 9 #23
Greyhound codfisherman May 9 #30
I'm six foot. Arthur_Frain May 9 #5
You should probably look up Deep Vein Thrombosis and airline travel. Arthritis and airline travel. Hekate May 9 #6
Bingo! N/t gay texan May 9 #9
I have a reason to wish the person in front of me would bring their seat back. Croney May 9 #11
it's too bad people don't use common sense / empathy Skittles May 9 #13
People don't care about anyone but MotownPgh May 9 #18
Absolutely budkin May 9 #15
Make the airline CEOs happy, people: fight among yourselves & pay no attention to how THEY are screwing you Hekate May 9 #16
No. Jirel May 9 #17
Nope. Ms. Toad May 9 #24
And how about boarding from the back to the front? bif May 9 #27
Airlines have no incentive to make your trip more comfortable. Xolodno May 9 #32

doc03

(35,485 posts)
1. I am only 5'10" but have less than an inch to spare, just as well eliminate them. If
Thu May 9, 2024, 04:07 PM
May 9

we stood up on a plane they could cram in a couple more rows.

jimfields33

(16,250 posts)
2. Travelers demanded cheap flights.
Thu May 9, 2024, 04:09 PM
May 9

Absolutely can’t complain when they make the flights cheap to match price.

Hekate

(91,135 posts)
7. I absolutely can complain when it is unsafe and physically agonizing for me to fly
Thu May 9, 2024, 04:23 PM
May 9

The flying public was sold a bill of goods

ProfessorGAC

(65,540 posts)
12. Problem Is, As Jimfields Suggest...
Thu May 9, 2024, 04:32 PM
May 9

...is that the public only responded to really low cost flights. The costs involved haven't gone down.
I just checked Trivago & found 18 flights from Chicago to Miami for $199 & under, as low as $105.
When my wife & I flew into Miami a couple times in the 90s, the tickets were nearer to $300 each. And that was 30 years ago.
I have no dog in the fight here. I flew a lot for my job, so I'm done with airliners. And, when I flew often it was almost always in first or business class because of both company policy & having a zillion flyer miles.
I do think reclining seats are a hangover from the days of expensive, less full flights on planes holding fewer total passengers. Eliminating them is ok by me. Or not.
Because the cost is so much higher, this idea probably won't apply to biz & first passengers.
It's pretty simple business that you pack planes when people won't buy the $500 ticket, but 3 people will buy the $200 seat.
I'm not seeing a simple answer for the airlines.

brooklynite

(95,147 posts)
20. What were they sold, other than the cheapest ticket available?
Thu May 9, 2024, 04:48 PM
May 9

Those "golden age" planes came with their own price...



Hekate

(91,135 posts)
25. Pfft. I never experienced that at all. I was always frugal. I remember how and why it changed...
Thu May 9, 2024, 05:32 PM
May 9

The changes were a marketing decision, and we were sold a bill of goods.


?si=IHyKeWRmF1Dw79Bu

TheFarseer

(9,329 posts)
10. I will gladly be semi-uncomfortable
Thu May 9, 2024, 04:28 PM
May 9

For a couple hours to make the flight more affordable, but that’s just me.

Jilly_in_VA

(10,045 posts)
3. Absolutely eliminate them
Thu May 9, 2024, 04:12 PM
May 9

I'm only 5'2 and the get to me. I can't imagine how you taller people feel when your knees get smashed.

progressoid

(50,042 posts)
29. I'm 6'1"
Thu May 9, 2024, 06:03 PM
May 9

I don't have a problem with the knee smashing. I actually like the reclining. After about an hour, my lower back needs that couple inches of reclining to relieve the stress on my back.

ret5hd

(20,595 posts)
8. hey, if you want anything other than...
Thu May 9, 2024, 04:23 PM
May 9

“the greyhound bus experience” you need to buy a first class seat. or better yet, fly private and shut yer whine-gob! what a plebe.

Hekate

(91,135 posts)
14. Did you forget the sarcasm thingy? I have traveled Greyhound, & the seats have been large, well spaced...
Thu May 9, 2024, 04:37 PM
May 9

… easy to get in and out of, and with a toilet in the back of the bus. I was able to read a book, adjust the seat somewhat, and doze off.

I don’t even know if Greyhound still exists frankly, but it wasn’t at all a bad way to get from here to there, and was incredibly cost-effective.

brooklynite

(95,147 posts)
21. Yes, and I wouldn't recommend it for more than four hours...
Thu May 9, 2024, 04:50 PM
May 9
&pp=ygUXZ3JleWhvdW5kIGNyb3NzIGNvdW50cnk%3D

Hekate

(91,135 posts)
23. One reason I fly is that I have to get from the West Coast to the East Coast when I travel...
Thu May 9, 2024, 05:18 PM
May 9

I would’t take a bus or drive a car for that distance. The train would take a lot of extra planning — and time.

However, the first time I moved to California I periodically took the Greyhound from Ontario, Calif to visit my grandmother in San Diego. As an adult I periodically took the coastal train from Santa Barbara to San Diego or San Clemente to see relatives or for my job. I have to say I enjoyed it. These trips were over in about half a day.

The only reason I don’t flat out vow that my flying days are over is a couple of intractable but beloved people who live on the other side of the continent, that I haven't seen since before the pandemic.

The reason I am tempted to swear off flying is all the reasons I’ve stated in other posts. I’m only 5’3” and not obese, but I am well into my 70s and have all the age-related crap that goes along with that. I also remember when flying was not cheap, but it was comfortable.

As I said already: Fight among yourselves, people, and make the CEOs gloriously happy.





codfisherman

(74 posts)
30. Greyhound
Thu May 9, 2024, 06:29 PM
May 9

Been coast to coast on Greyhound maybe five or six times 25 years ago. Great people, great times, the tighter a budget you're on the better. I highly recomend it. I also recomend that everyone should work in a busy restaurant busting suds (dishwashing) for at least a few weeks to round out their skillset.

Hekate

(91,135 posts)
6. You should probably look up Deep Vein Thrombosis and airline travel. Arthritis and airline travel.
Thu May 9, 2024, 04:21 PM
May 9

The disabled and airline travel. Tall people and airline travel. Children and airline travel.

This issue of non-reclining seats is an entirely manufactured problem — created by the airlines themselves. The airlines CHOOSE this configuration for no other reason than to make more money.

It’s not just agonizingly uncomfortable — it is unsafe. And what do we the passengers do? Take the bait and fight among ourselves.

Croney

(4,689 posts)
11. I have a reason to wish the person in front of me would bring their seat back.
Thu May 9, 2024, 04:29 PM
May 9

It moves my movie closer to me so I don't need my glasses. If it's a flight with no screen, then it's just annoying.

Skittles

(153,401 posts)
13. it's too bad people don't use common sense / empathy
Thu May 9, 2024, 04:33 PM
May 9

if there's a large person in the seat behind me, I never recline

kids and smaller folk - maybe

MotownPgh

(97 posts)
18. People don't care about anyone but
Thu May 9, 2024, 04:42 PM
May 9

themselves and their personal comfort. So I guess decisions have to be made. My tennis knees kill me flying. I take several standing breaks and haven't flown long distance (over 6 hours) in awhile. My knees are my problem.

Hekate

(91,135 posts)
16. Make the airline CEOs happy, people: fight among yourselves & pay no attention to how THEY are screwing you
Thu May 9, 2024, 04:41 PM
May 9

SMDH

Jirel

(2,037 posts)
17. No.
Thu May 9, 2024, 04:42 PM
May 9

They do enough. There need be no conflict, except from people who engage in a variety of other rude behaviors as well. You don’t think it matters? That’s nice. You can forego it.

Ms. Toad

(34,161 posts)
24. Nope.
Thu May 9, 2024, 05:30 PM
May 9

I have a decades long back injury. The reclining seat makes the flight tolerable. The last time I did not have a reclining seat, I was in agony for 2-4 weeks. I can barely tolerate sitting upright for takeoff and landing, and since that intolerable flight have received a medical accommodation of a reclinable seat on every flight

If the ability to recline is removed, it will likely mean the end of flying for me.

Xolodno

(6,422 posts)
32. Airlines have no incentive to make your trip more comfortable.
Thu May 9, 2024, 07:59 PM
May 9

Letting your seat recline is just a selling point. When I was on a British Airways flight, when I got my meal, they had to tell the person in front of me to stop reclining as it was impossible to put the tray down. Good thing they didn't store anything under their seat, I would have been kicking it out.

It's in the airlines interest to put as many butts into seats you can possibly fit into the plane. That means less flights to a destination, less pay for additional pilots, less pay for stewards, less maintenance on planes, less gate employee's, etc. They pass some of that savings to you with lower fare's while the Exec's get a larger bonus.

They have no intention to fix the problems, why should they? As long as Joe and Jane Consumer are still willing to travel this way, nothing is going to change. On short flights, I'm willing to put up with the inconvenience. Long flights, I seriously look at the price difference for upgraded seats and shop around. What amazes me, how some will take a longer flight just to save twenty bucks. Two hours vs. a stop over that results in a four hour trip? Sometimes the best fare, isn't the best fare.

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