Today, we’re going to explore a prevalent yet contentious topic that many travellers have come across: the argument over airline seat reclining. When does one person’s quest for comfort begin to encroach on another’s personal space?
A reader named Mark just sent us a message that exemplifies this grey area. His story brings to light social pressures, exhaustion, and the frequently unstated rules of flying in confined spaces.
Think about how you may have reacted if you were in his or her position as you read his story and our opinions about it.
This is the letter from Mark:
Hi there,
I’m a 34-year-old male who just returned from a work trip by plane. It was a six-hour flight on a low-cost carrier with almost little legroom. I paid more to get an aisle seat because I’m 6’3″ and wanted to have as much space as possible.
Regretfully, the aircraft was delayed by two hours, and I was completely worn out by the time we got on board. That morning, I had worked through the night to finish a presentation for a significant client meeting, which fortunately went smoothly. But I was exhausted by the time I got on board.
I leaned my seat back forcefully in the hopes of getting some much-needed rest as soon as the seatbelt light went off. I didn’t look over my shoulder first. The woman behind me, who I later found out was pregnant, exclaimed, “I can’t breathe!” almost instantly. Although I was taken aback, I was simply too exhausted to handle it.
“Then fly first class!” I screamed back, frustrated. After that, she remained silent.
I ignored the odd glance from the guy next to me, put on my noise-cancelling headphones, and fell asleep for the most of the flight. Until we touched down, I didn’t give it any more thought.
“Sir, there’s something you might want to read,” a flight attendant murmured softly as we were disembarking. A message from the woman behind me was given to me by her. She clarified that the abrupt movement of my seat had compressed into her abdomen, creating pain and breathing difficulties, and that she was eight months pregnant.
She revealed that she couldn’t afford a more expensive seat since she was taking the plane to see her mother, who was terminally ill, one more time before giving birth.
I’m conflicted now. According to my wife, I was in the wrong and ought to have paid more attention to others around me. She says I need to find a way to make things right because she has been angry with me ever since I arrived home.
My brother, on the other hand, feels that I have every right to use the seat provided it is made to recline.
Additionally, he believes the woman overreacted and ought to have spoken to me in a calm manner rather than yelling.
I’m vacillating on this issue. Considering how exhausted I was, was it out of character for me to lean back in my chair without first checking? Or was I just using a normal feature to which I have a right as a traveler? Her words and her predicament are stuck in my thoughts.
If my decision to recline my seat caused harm to another person, was it wrong? Or, despite the unfavourable result, was I justified?