EWRandMDW From United States of America, joined Jul 2006, 379 posts, RR: 0 Posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 2129 times:
I'm not certain if this is the appropriate forum for my question, but here goes:
There seems to be near universal agreement that if you have a ticket for a seat and want to recline then you have every right to do so, the guy in back be damned. I don't necessarily agree with it, having been the guy whose knees get crushed too many times, but I can at least get some room back by reclining my seat into the next guy's lap.
My question has to do with visual in-flight entertainment. I like to read and rarely watch in-flight video/TV/whatever it's called these days. I'll either turn on my overhead light or, even better, will raise/lower the window shade to get natural light. Neighboring passengers complain that the light ruins their viewing experience. Why should I have to sacrifice what I want to do to pass the time so that someone else can experience the mental wasteland? Is it my right to let there be light so I can read?
YYZflyer From Canada, joined Feb 2006, 3636 posts, RR: 5 Reply 1, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 2111 times:
Quoting EWRandMDW (Thread starter): Why should I have to sacrifice what I want to do to pass the time so that someone else can experience the mental wasteland? Is it my right to let there be light so I can read?
I agree with everything you've said. If your fellow pax can't survive a few hours without watching TV then they have big problems. How can that little light above you disturb other people? It's meant only to be for one person.
Quoting EWRandMDW (Thread starter): you have a ticket for a seat and want to recline then you have every right to do so, the guy in back be damned. I don't necessarily agree with it, having been the guy whose knees get crushed too many times,
I read in another thread that someone said he put his legs and feet up against the seat in front of him so the other person can't recline. So the person called an F/A, then the guy looked at the f/a and put his finger to his lip. She then laughed. And the other passenger started swearing at him. It was a fun read.
JGPH1A From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 2109 times:
Quoting YYZflyer (Reply 1): How can that little light above you disturb other people? It's meant only to be for one person.
I find those overhead lights incredibly intrusive if I'm trying to sleep. It is common courtesy to think of others before inconveniencing them by keeping your lights on, opening your shade if they're watching the movie, reclining your seat if they're eating or working - it's always polite to ask if whatever you're doing is going to bother the person next to you or behind you. Just ask, most of the time most people are happy to be asked and won't mind.
EWRandMDW From United States of America, joined Jul 2006, 379 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 2090 times:
JGPH1A, I completely agree that letting surrounding passengers know I'm turning on the light or reclining is the decent thing to do. On a redeye or long flight I'll tell the people sitting next to me I'm putting on the light or let the guy behind me know I'm reclining my seat back (I never move it all the way back), but most passengers aren't as considerate. That's when it seems the law of the jungle takes over. At that point if others don't care about me I won't care about them.
Yeah, I still love to look out the window! Those guys can look at videos anytime, but how often do I get the chance to see the Arctic, Greenland, Baffin Island etc from 40,000 feet. I remember in 1962, I was just 13 years old: went with my Dad and Mom to Europe, YVR-AMS on Bristol Britannia, and back on a DC 8. I looked out of the window continuously and was fascinated by the ever-changing view. To this day, I still love to look out the window, regardless of where I fly. That is one of the pleasures of going by air. Fortunately, last year between SNN and YYZ on AC, I left the shade up even though the announcement asked us to lower the shades for the movie. Just just BS as far as I'm concerned. I really don't think there is much they can do about it, other than say the majority rules. If asked, I would lower the shade just so as not to cause a scene, but I really do not think I should have to do so.
Cheers,
AY104
The only thing a customer should expect for his/her loyalty is good service
AerorobNZ From Rwanda, joined Feb 2001, 6320 posts, RR: 14 Reply 5, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 2069 times:
If you sit by the window you have veto rights over that particular window. If you sit by the aisle you have the right to get up whenever you please. They both have their advantages.
MCOflyer From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 8552 posts, RR: 14 Reply 6, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 2069 times:
Quoting AerorobNZ (Reply 5): If you sit by the window you have veto rights over that particular window. If you sit by the aisle you have the right to get up whenever you please. They both have their advantages.
FlyingColours From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2003, 2315 posts, RR: 11 Reply 7, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 2042 times:
Quoting EWRandMDW (Reply 3): but most passengers aren't as considerate.
Thats the real issue, some passengers are just out for a good moan (chance is they are British, after all we like a good moan - joking there ).
I've had to jump into arguments over reclined seats and each case is somewhat different. Its usually at meal times that people start to kick off big time about reclined seats. It seems these days that seats cant go back as far as they used to, I think they were made by "Weber", or it may have been "Fielding" either way we were replacing one with the other before I left.
As far as the window blinds go, if you want yours open then you can have it open. I love having my window blind open (on those very rare instances I'm actually a passenger). Although chance is the sunlight is blocked out by my head glued to the glass
Passengers have less rights than they think onboard, well once you are in the air, its just they don't seem to realise this.
Phil
FlyingColours
Lifes a train racing towards you, now you can either run away or grab a chair & a beer and watch it come - Phil
Disruptivehair From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2007, 598 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 2041 times:
Quoting EWRandMDW (Thread starter): My question has to do with visual in-flight entertainment. I like to read and rarely watch in-flight video/TV/whatever it's called these days. I'll either turn on my overhead light or, even better, will raise/lower the window shade to get natural light. Neighboring passengers complain that the light ruins their viewing experience. Why should I have to sacrifice what I want to do to pass the time so that someone else can experience the mental wasteland? Is it my right to let there be light so I can read?
I say if you feel OK with invading someone's space by reclining into it, then people have a right to ask you to lower the shade or turn off the light. It's only fair.
Elite From Hong Kong, joined Jun 2006, 2760 posts, RR: 10 Reply 9, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 2030 times:
I usually don't ask the passenger behind me if it is alright to recline, because I don't really find it necessary. I do, however, recline slowly so they can get themselves/things out of the way if necessary. I always put my seat in the up-right position when meals are served.
And when CX releases their new seats, one of the problems are solved!!
"In a world first for Economy Class travel, our new seat creates a fixed living space that no longer interrupts the space behind when you recline."
Quoting JGPH1A (Reply 2): I find those overhead lights incredibly intrusive if I'm trying to sleep.
Agreed. I hate it when people turn on their overhead lights when they don't need them (they are resting, or listening to music etc).
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