Air-rage fight over reclining seat forces United Airlines flight to return

[Blue_Tires]

Source: Guardian.co.uk

It is a minor annoyance familiar to air passengers: you take your seat in the cramped cabin, only to have your knees bashed when the person in front reclines his or her chair.

At worst, it usually leads to little more than an exchange of words, but the passengers on a flight from Washington DC discovered just how things can escalate, when a fist fight broke out between two men, forcing the plane to return to Dulles airport, escorted by F-16 fighter jets.

As the 144 passengers on the United Airlines jet bound for Ghana from Washington on Sunday settled in for the overnight flight tempers boiled over when one man reclined his seat into the lap of the other. According to witnesses a fight broke out not long after the 10:44pm takeoff, forcing a flight attendant and another passenger to jump in between the men. The pilot took the decision to return to Dulles, because of fears about terrorism, it is believed.

The plane was escorted by a pair of F-16 fighter jets, and was forced to circle Dulles for 25 minutes to burn off fuel and decrease its weight – jets can take off with a full tank, but not land.



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/01/united-airlines-flight-seat-fight

---

I wouldn't have started scrappin' at 37,000 feet, but I will say I DO understand...

ATC tape: http://www.washingtonpost.com/audio-pilot-alerts-tower-of-an-on-board-assault/2011/05/31/AGB7aeFH_video.html

[wtmusic]

1. "Fears about terrorism"?

We have truly jumped the shark when a fistfight becomes a terrorist act. :crazY:

[AtheistCrusader]

9. Actually, it could have been a diversion.

Misdirection is part of the game.

I would agree though, absurd on it's face.

[Skink]

2. fuel surcharge was later added to the flight.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

3. I don't get the whole debate and rage over reclining airplace seats...

If people want more space, that is what FIRST CLASS is for.

I pay for my seat and have every right to recline it. Personal space only begins after the point of the seat in front of you in the fully reclined position. It's a feature of the airliner and that feature was paid with the price of the ticket, and it is what it is. Alternatively, people who et upset should feel free to recline their seat and use the space alotted to them for which they paid.

Everyone absolutely not only has the right to recline their seat, but should not be made to feel badly about it.
Personally, I love when the seat in front of me does not recline. I'll recline mine and then I get loads of room.

[saras]

8. You're flying more expensive airlines than I, even without first class

The last few times I flew (I don't anymore), if someone reclined their seat *all the way*, the person behind them HAD to recline their seat also. Personal space was reduced to ZERO (i.e. the seat hit the one behind it) otherwise.

[blackspade]

12. Coach is uncomfortable enough without someone bashing my knees in.

The problem at least for me is not that the seat is reclined, but that my knees and legs get smushed.
If you recline all the way to my knees and don't kindly get off of them when I politely ask, expect to have a knee in your kidney the whole flight.

[kestrel91316]

33. I'm only 5'4" and my knees and legs get smooshed all the time when I fly. But

it has NOTHING to do with whether or not a seat in front of me is reclined, lol. It has to do with the fact that the anchored portions of the seats are way too close together.

And seats these days don't "recline" more than about 2" at the top edge anyway.

[blackspade]

34. I'm 6'1".

Any reclining of the seat in front if me will result in my knees ending up the persons back.
That said, the seating area has gotten smaller over the years (I would have never thought this possible!) to a point where I ask for an aisle seat whenever I fly just so I can occasionally stretch my legs!

[kestrel91316]

45. I had an aisle seat on all 4 legs of my trip to FL this past weekend on Air Tran, and

with my smallish carryon under the seat in front of me there was NO ROOM FOR MY FEET except shoved back under my own seat. To stretch my legs at all (6.5 hours of flight each way, HAD to stretch some) I had to use the aisle and underneath the next seat over.

The aisle seats have about 50% of the space for carryons that the other 4 seats in the row do. I had to ask my neighbor if I could put my purse in his space for takeoff and landing.

It's shameful. I swear they spend months and years trying to figure out how to cramp us more and more.

And remember, I'm only 5'4". I have no idea how tall people fly at all.

[jberryhill]

48. What you do in that situation is....

The carry-on only has to be under the seat in front of you for take-off and landing (if you are not in an exit row).

After reaching cruising altitude, you take the carryon out from under the seat in front of you, put it directly in front of your seat, and put your feet in front of that.

[kestrel91316]

59. I thought about that, but the carryon was tall enough, and the space under the seat

low enough, that my legs wouldn't fit what with the angle of it. It was LESS comfortable than twisting around.

And part of the problem was the narrowness of the space allotted to me, the carryon had to sit under the seat lengthwise rather than crosswise, and it took up most my foot space.

[jberryhill]

42. I don't see how the pivot point is smashing knees

I have lower back problems and fly coach a lot.

The recline is ridiculously small these days anyway, and the stuff about being "in someone's lap" is silly.

The seat reclines.

[northoftheborder]

13. I HAVE to recline my seat because of back problems. Seats used to....

.....recline several inches more than they do now, seems like it's barely an inch. I cannot sit upright for long without terrible cramping, and I am short. I really feel sorry for tall people. They cannot sit in the seats comfortably even if the seat in front does not recline. They have to put their knees out in the aisle, then move them when the cart comes by. Flying on an airplane now is torture for everybody.:evilfrown:

[MineralMan]

21. I'm 6' tall. I don't recline coach seats.

Is it a bit uncomfortable? Sure, but how long am I going to be sitting there, anyhow? If I get cramped, I take a walk to the toilet. I would not inconvenience the person behind me for a tiny bit more comfort. That would be rude of me.

[musette_sf]

61. Same here

I don't recline in coach, and would appreciate it if others wouldn't, either.

If you recline and your seat is touching my knees, you're too close.

And if my laptop is on my tray table, you're too close if you recline.

[Auggie]

14. I'm supposed to pay extra because of your selfishness? You must be a Republican.

[NashVegas]

37. It's Not Selfishness If It's What The Planes Are Designed For

People who pay for a service are entitled to make full use of all that service explicitly allows.

Anyone could turn your statement on it's head and explain why it's the guy who demanded the person in front of him use reduced permissions is the selfish one.

[Auggie]

40. It's a matter of civilty

It's why you let a person with one item proceed you at the supermarket checkout, or why you slow to allow cars to merge even when you have the right-of-way, or why you hold the door open for someone.

I'm 6' 3" and there's no way in hell I can move or use the seat tray with the seat reclined in front of me. People operating from the possibility of civility understand this.

[jberryhill]

53. Civility is a matter of how one reacts to others whom one believes are being rude

Not the other way around.

Civility is not about how OTHER people should behave.

It is not the "set of rules I use to conclude YOU are an asshole", it is the "set of rules I follow to avoid being one."

[Auggie]

58. Agree

And I can't think of a better place to put that into practice than a cramped area such as airplane coach. So it's a reasonable request and sensible action to put one's seat up if it is politely asked.

[jberryhill]

64. There is little I will not do, if politely asked. /nt

[NashVegas]

67. Civility Includes Not Freaking Out When People Make Full Use of Their Purchased Flight Seats

And recline to sleep on a red-eye flight that takes off at 10:44 at night. They paid the same price as you and they have every right. You want cooperation? Start out by acknowledging that right.

I'll add: if the small difference in the recline (3 inches) means you can't lower your tray, the problem isn't as much your height as your weight, is my guess.

[Auggie]

71. I hope I never sit behind someone as uncompromising as you

I'm 6' 3" and have a real problem with reclining seats. It hurst the knees and is incredibly claustrophobic -- one of the reason I do not like to fly unless I can afford business or first class. But that is not always an option.

No one has ever had a problem when I ask politely. You'd be the first one.

[NashVegas]

88. I Think You Need

to go read post #59 again, because making presumptive insults on others who disagree with your worldview isn't considered very civil, ya know?

Seriously. Because you're the one who's calling others selfish and uncompromising, you might be interested to know that the violence on the flight, the first punch was thrown by the guy who was offended by the recliner. Didn't say anything, just smacked the guy in the head.

In the meantime, consider paying extra for a window aisle seat, or first class, if you wish to have privileges that others do not. Especially when you're taking a red-eye flight where anyone should be able to expect their ability to recline in their seat will not be met with insults, threats to their person, and/or whining.

[fifthoffive]

89. It's not what planes are designed for

If plane interiors were truly designed, reclining a seat wouldn't discomfit the person behind you. With the space given, seats should not recline. Airline seats recline because they have traditionally reclined, not because the space is designed for them to. As things are now, you are reclining into someone else's space. Say everyone reclines his seat, the last row gets the shaft because those seats don't recline. Should those seats cost less, since you think you've paid for the privilege of reclining? Good luck.

It's a matter of being polite - you might ask first. The person behind you paid for a flight as well. Your comfort does not override his. You might be able to reach some sort of agreement.

[NashVegas]

90. It's What the Seats Are Designed For

The burden of compromise is on the person in the row behind.

Everyone knows the people in the last row get the shaft re: reclining. There are ways to avoid being that person, just as there are ways to avoid being the person in the front row who is stuck with nowhere to put their on-board luggage when some dicks who're sitting mid-plane get on board early and stashes their bags in the first overhead bins (I've seen this time and time again and the airlines never do anything about it).

[NashVegas]

36. Most Airlines Cramp People In

Southwest isn't that bad for leg room, but others? I was shocked, the last time I got on a non-SW flight.

[brendan120678]

79. The best seat on SWA planes...

is seat 12F.

I always try to get that seat. It's a window seat and an emergency exit row, but there isn't a seat directly in front of you, so you get an extra amount of leg room.

[NashVegas]

39. This Was a Red-eye Flight, Too

and it's to be expected people would recline

[snooper2]

41. And I'll reserve to use my right to smack LOUDLY in your ear

talk to the folks next to me about what an prick the person in front of me is...

bounce my knee against the back of the seat, as that is in "my space"

And generally be a total fucking asshole for the duration of the flight :)

[Sirveri]

43. The problem isn't the people, it's the airlines and their space cramming.

That the airlines have decided to cram as many people into one space is what leads to issues like this. Stuff a bunch of rats into a tiny box and they'll kill each other, I'm somewhat surprised I haven't seen more of this with the new smaller seats being offered.

[nichomachus]

49. First class doesn't solve the problem

At least on domestic flights.

Six years ago, I got a call that my mom was dying. I was able to get a first class seat on the next flight out cross country. So, I was not in a good frame of mind.

The guy next to me and the guy in front of him got into a shouting match because the guy in front reclined and the guy in back couldn't use his tray table. It was a red-eye, so the front guy had a point that he should be able to sleep. The guy in back had a point that he wanted to have something to eat. First, freaking, class and you don't have enough room to do both.

Then, on the return flight, an 8 a.m. flight, the woman in front of me traveling with what appeared to be her daughter, got on and they both immediately reclined their seats as far as possible, meaning that I couldn't eat my breakfast. The flight was full and there was nowhere else for me to go.

Oh, American Airlines, in case you wanted to know.

[KansDem]

52. I agree, however...

I would have turned to the person behind me and said, "Excuse me, but I would like to recline my seat." That person would then be forewarned and could make adjustments as necessary. The likely result would have been no fight.

It's called "common courtesy." I know that's old fashioned, but I use it in every situation like the one described in this report, and I have yet to resort to fisticuffs...

[The Backlash Cometh]

57. The seats in the very back don't recline.

They're not even the regular side. I once sat next to a woman in the way back and it was embarrassing the level of unintentional intimacy that we had to deal with.

[JoeyT]

72. Of course that could be their response to you, too.

If you need room so badly that you have to recline your seat into the person sitting behind you, perhaps you should just go ahead and fly first class?

Personally I think they should just have stops on the seats that prevent them from reclining beyond a certain (not very far) point. That would end the nonsense once and for all.

[peacetalksforall]

91. Quite selfish, I would say. It is impossible to leave the seat to go to the wc or just stretch or .

get rid of a cramp in the calf. Yes, quite selfish. It's like the law - there may not be a law, but there is always decency.

[Pharaoh]

4. F-16's are right on the scene

but during 911 they were nowhere to be seen.

But of course we are not allowed to talk about that here :freak:

[naaman fletcher]

7. Perhaps

Perhaps because security fears are tighter since 9/11 happened?

[Pharaoh]

25. They certainly should have defended the friggin pentagon!

Had plenty of warning by then!

[AtheistCrusader]

10. Because it is now their mission to do so.

And now, you and I are paying out the ass to staff and equip that mission.

[HubertHeaver]

27. It was their mission before 9/11/2001. Case in point--Golfer

Payne Stewart took off from Atlanta bound for Dallas. He failed to make a planned course correction somewhere over Tennessee. When ground control couldn't contact him, two fighters were on him within minutes. They determined there was no one conscious in the airplane. They stayed with the aircraft until it flamed-out and crashed in Minnesota.

It does appear the only time we didn't have air defense was on the morning of September 11, 2001, between the hours of 6:00 AM and approximately 9:00 AM.

[AtheistCrusader]

29. Plenty of incidents of aircraft not intercepted by military craft over the US.

Sorry, nice try though.

[boppers]

62. You are dead wrong about Payne Stewart. On several matters.

The pilot was last contacted at 9:27 EDT. He made a course correction at 9:30 EDT, but failed to change radio frequencies at 9:33 EDT, when it was requested to do so. The plane crossed into CDT at 10:10 CDT time.

At 9:52 CDT, a test F-16 that was already in nearby airspace was vectored in to give a look, and try to raise them on the radio. He couldn't get a response, and couldn't see inside. So, the F-16 resumed course on it's normal flight at 10:12 CDT.

At 11:13 CDT a pair of working F-16's (TULSA 13) were vectored in for a look. They responded at 11:25 CDT that they couldn't raise a response, either. AT 11:39 CDT they leftto refuel.

At 11:50 CDT, NODAK 32 (another pair of F-16's) were vectored in, and they, too, couldn't see anything. Only one plane (from TULSA 13) followed the plane down.

So:
1. It wasn't within minutes to intercept. It was hours.
2. It wasn't 2 planes, it was five that were in contact, with four alternating, because of the length of the flight.
3. Nobody knew if they were conscious or not, only that there was no response.
(etc.)

Here:
http://www.ntsb.gov/Publictn/2000/AAB0001.pdf

[AndyTiedye]

38. Ashcroft Diverted Most the F16s to Look for Pot Smugglers Before 9/11

and what few were left were doing some kind of drill that morning.

but he personally stopped flying commercial planes around the same time:
http://worldtradeconspiracy.com/index.php/prior-knowledge-and-preparation/60-attorney-general-john-ashcroft-stops-flying-commercial-aircraft-three-months-before-911

[peacetalksforall]

92. Cheney isn't there any more.

[phantom power]

5. 142 other passengers had their travel completely fucked up because two man-children couldn't share.

Nice.
:eyes:

[Endangered Specie]

69. Yeah their lucky they didn't get the shit beat out of them in the terminal

Thats about 71:1, not good odds in any fight.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

6. On a recent flight from Puerto Vallarta, I watched a woman throw several fits....

.... because the SEVEN FOOT TALL gentleman across the aisle from me wouldn't "let" her seat recline.

Maybe I'm exaggerating. Maybe he was 6'10". His knees were jammed against the seat back and he didn't look very comfortable. Every so often, the woman would attempt to recline and then turn around to exchange words with the gentleman who would have this look of amazement and puzzlement while he pointed to the uncomfortable position he was in.

I finally leaned over to the guy and said "maybe you should chop your legs off to make that woman more comfortable". We had a laugh.

[Iggo]

11. F-16s?

Jeez. My nation is a coward.

Score another point for OBL.

[swilton]

15. Been there, Done that

I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often.

After being bumped off a Continental Airlines flight due to over-booking, I was assigned a middle seat in a row of three...The man on my left and in the aisle seat(also bumped off a previous flight) kept accusing me of bumping him with my elbows....I swear, to me, my elbows were held to my sides and the only thing I was doing was reading a book...Furthermore, the man who was complaining had very long legs and his legs were in my space - but I said nothing about that.

He complained so frequently that I said out loud. SIR, I am not moving....If you want more space, you should have booked a seat in first class! After that he was quiet....

The airline industry vis a vis space, legroom and meals (if any) offered is pathetic at best. Airline deregulation has brought us to this point...I remember the days of student and/or military stand-by where if you showed up at the airport within a reasonable amount of time you could book a flight for half price...Although the food on the train is nothing to rave about, at least there you can bring a sack lunch and you can walk around and have some leg room....

[kestrel91316]

16. Seats don't "recline" enough to bash anyone's knees. I just flew this

past weekend. There was virtually no difference between reclined and upright.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

17. Even a tall person? That's just not true.

[Auggie]

18. +1

[kestrel91316]

32. Well this weekend on Air Tran the top edge of my seat moved back

all of about 2" when "reclined", so down at knee level that translates to about 1/100".

Seriously.

And all the seats were like that.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

44. Oh I think it was 3/100

:P

Seriously though, I think some planes are different.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

22. Depends on the airline and the plane. Some still do

[AlbertCat]

23. Seats don't "recline" enough to bash anyone's knees.

Thank you! The difference is maybe 3". It's such a joke I think Paula Poundstone did a whole routine on it.

Two men fighting over 3"... then a whole flight is disrupted, tax payers pay to have jets escort the plane back to it's starting point. No one got anywhere, and much money was wasted because 2 men fought over 3".... yep... it WAS from DC. Definitely!

[AtheistCrusader]

30. Different airlines equip the aircraft with different interior hardware.

Some do recline quite a bit. Every southwest air 737 I have flown on, the seat ahead impacts my knees upon reclining. (I'm 6'2")

Not excusing the fight, that was just stupid.

[Blue_Tires]

28. I fly regularly and my knees almost always end up barking...

I'm 6'2, 245 lb...

Granted, almost all the flights I take use the smaller jets (CRJ-ERJ-MD90-737), so space is a cramped to begin with...YMMV

[harun]

54. EXACTLY, I am 6'2. Seats recline in to peoples faces or make it

so you don't have enough room for a laptop on your lap or tray table. They DO NOT bend where your knees are. The area of the seat in front of you where your knees are does not move in towards your knees.

[Blasphemer]

55. That has been my experience on planes but not buses

On planes, a reclined seat makes eating the meal and using a laptop far more uncomfortable but I've never noticed that it went far back enough to affect my kneespace. I have had that experience on buses and I'm not very tall so I imagine it's possible for that to be case on planes depending on the height of the person and the nature of the seats.

[MineralMan]

19. We flew Frontier over the Xmas holidays. They solved the

problem altogether. Their coach seats no longer recline at all. A perfectly good solution, as far as I'm concerned. As it happened, though, they changed the type of plane used for the flights, and our seats, which we booked near the front of the plane, turned out to be business class. We kept our seat number we booked, but got the comfy seats. I didn't recline mine anyhow.

[SoapBox]

20. Another fine example of how out of control people are these days...

A complete lack of civility.

[Lucky Luciano]

24. I always recline my seat. Don't like it? Tough shit - I paid for that right.

Never had a problem either and have flown a couple hundred times.

[JoeyT]

73. I wouldn't mind someone reclining their seat into me.

As long as you don't mind me exercising my right to sneeze into the top of your head. Repeatedly and wetly.

[Lucky Luciano]

74. What a load of crap. Lots of people talking tough like you

...about what they do to people who recline their seats, but you know damn well that you would not be such a tough guy on the plane. I always recline my seat and the person in front of me also almost always reclines theirs. Nearly everyone reclines. This is such a made up stupid issue. Like I said, I have flown a couple hundred times and never had a problem with reclining. My wife once got yelled at by some asshole on an overnight flight for reclining, but she us tough. She countered him well and the flight attendant came in and gave him a verbal beatdown as well. I was fast asleep because I found an empty row to go horizontal in.

The best way to handle someone else reclining is to recline yourself.

[Union Scribe]

85. You mean "talking tough" like...

adopting the name of a gangster, puffing your chest out and telling people you'll behave as you like and tough shit if they don't like it? Like that?

[Lucky Luciano]

87. 90% of fliers recline their seats, so it s not a stretch to do "what I want" here.

Gangster handle - ok...got me there! Haha...though there is an amusing story behind it.

[krabigirl]

82. I never mind when people recline. It's just a flight. It eventually ends.

[cosmicone]

26. The problem here is ....

some of the reclining seats are broken and instead of stopping at 115 degrees (or 135 degrees on international), these few seats can recline 165 degrees which squeezes the passenger behind out of his wits.

When this happens, most passengers are courteous enough to realize it is a broken seat and not recline it as much as it can go but only up to where it is supposed to go. When some asshole refuses to realize this and insists on reclining it all the way, there is a problem.

[JVS]

77. +1

[CTyankee]

31. Air France now has "economy plus" seats you can pay extra for but not

as much as business class. I would have opted for that but I didn't know about it until it was too late. I inquired about it for my KLM flight to Amsterdam in October and at present my flight doesn't have the "economy plus" but I am told they are adding equipment all the time and maybe by the time my trip rolls around they'll have them...IIRC it wasn't a lot more in cost, but well worth it for an overnight flight...

[kiranon]

35. Direct air conditioning toward reclining individual and cough alot.

Works wonders. Very passive aggressive but, IMHO, so is reclining a seat all the way in a cramped air plane. Or, get up and down a lot and hang on to the reclining seat since there is no other way to get in and out. Or, stand up and talk to person while hanging on to reclining seat. There are a lot of things one can do without ever saying a word to the person reclining into one's space if it bothers you.

[JVS]

78. Take tobacco snuff with you and you can constantly sneeze brown boogers onto them.

[slackmaster]

46. TSA mised one

Or maybe two.

[slackmaster]

47. Stutter punch

Or maybe two.

[AndyTiedye]

50. If You Need More Legroom, Ask for a Bulkhead or Exit Row

Sites like seatguru.com can be useful for finding out just what kind of seats you are being offered (how wide, how far apart, how far they recline).
There can be considerable differences between airlines, and even different aircraft configurations on the same airline.

The most comfortable way to occupy an economy class seat imho is: seat fully reclined, use carryon bag as footrest and extend legs
under the seat in front of me. This also provides more knee room than the standard bolt-upright sitting position.

[LanternWaste]

51. The "tough, I paid for it" responses are rather illustrative...

The "tough, I paid for it" responses are rather illustrative in allowing us to see how man can debase both himself and his surroundings.

On the other hand, many of the responses seemed well thought out and consistent with good manners. That gives me a wee bit more hope than the first took away.

[Blasphemer]

56. I never recline on planes

They are almost always full. On buses, I do so when the bus is pretty empty and no one is behind me. When I was a child, my mother scolded us for trying to recline on a bus when the guys behind us were very tall so that has left a lasting impression on me. Why risk making someone uncomfortable unnecessarily when it's just a few hours of my life and I'm fortunate enough to have a comfortable bed waiting at home, at a relative's house or at a hotel? I would never make an issue of it if someone reclined but I do view those folks more negatively. Rarely, the other person is nice enough to ask first.

[Devil_Fish]

60. the only thing I have to say is: Amtrak

Superliner Bedroom

Superliner Bedroom (Day)Our Superliner Bedroom is ideal for two passengers, but can accommodate three (two passengers must share the lower berth). Call 1-800-USA-RAIL for help reserving the Superliner Bedroom for three passengers. Each room has a large sofa with two individually reclining sections, and a reclining easy chair. At night, the sofa converts to a comfortable bed, and an upper berth folds down from above. All Superliner Bedrooms feature private, self-enclosed restrooms with toilet, sink and shower. All Bedrooms are located on the upper level of our double-decker Superliner train cars.

Meals included Designed for two passengers Large picture window Upper and lower berths Armchair and sofa (converts to lower berth) Private sink, vanity, private toilet and shower Electrical outlets Climate control Individual reading lights Garment rack Fold-down table Fresh towels and bed linens Soap and shower amenities Personal service (turn-down, coffee, paper, make-up bed) Bottled water Daily newspaper.

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=AM_Accommodation_C&pagename=am%2FLayout&cid=1241210576107

[MindPilot]

68. Nice way to go but they never seem to go anywhere I need to

when I need to be there in fewer than four days.

[JVS]

76. It may surprise you to learn this, but Amtrak doesn't go to Ghana.

[pinniped]

63. Why was it necessary to send the F-16s up there?

The pilots or flight crew weren't the ones causing trouble. F-16s must be capable of surgically removing unruly passengers now.

Would fighter jets have been dispatched if the airliner was over the middle of the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean?

[jberryhill]

65. "Unruly passengers" could be a distraction

If the plane is heading toward a populated area, it will get an escort if possible.

[gauguin57]

66. I've always been in favor of airlines getting rid of the reclining feature altogether.

There's little enough space in coach without some person in front of me putting his/her seat back almost into my face. Makes me SO uncomfortable -- no space to move. I can practically feel the deep-vein thrombosis coming on!

If the airlines would fix their seats in the upright position, there'd be no grumbling or scuffling.

I don't care what people think they've paid for or not paid for when they get on a flight -- putting your seat back in someone else's face is just rude.

[Endangered Specie]

70. Kids (and their idiot parents) are far more annoying on flights than reclined seats

One kid got SHIT all over the fucking seat because mom was too lazy to change diapers when it was time... 2 seats away from me.

[krabigirl]

80. No, idiotic adults are.

[JVS]

75. Airlines need to stop trying to cram so many seats into so little space.

[tomhayes]

83. SOCIALIST!!!

Next you'll want to make it illegal for someone to charge 100% interest per day on a loan.

If people want to be crammed in ever decreasing space it's the airline's right to help make it happen.

No one forces you have physical dimensions - it's your choice in the free market.

[Blue_Tires]

84. That has always been the real answer to all of this...

From your keyboard to God's eyes...

[krabigirl]

81. This country has gone batshit.

[buckrogers1965]

86. I am average height

with very short legs and I don't have enough leg room on aircraft anymore. I recline my seat about halfway back because if I try to sleep sitting strait up I will thump into the seat in front of me.

That being said, these two asshats who decided to get fistastic at 20,000 feet both need to be put into prison.