Reclining Seat Solution

August 31, 2009

in Flying Hell Commentary

I travel a lot and with expense controls find myself having to work in economy more often than not. Reclined seats and laptops don’t work. So here is a solution for you.

Most drop down tables drop and have two supporting aluminium “Legs.”

Lower your table.

Take the two magazines: Flight and Duty Free.

Fold them both in half and jam them at the base of those “Legs.”

This should minimize the recline in the seat in front of you.

So if you are on a flight and you can’t recline your seat…..I’m sitting behind you! 😉

{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }

saw August 31, 2009 at 6:20 pm

Don't do that with me.. 'cause I'll take those magazines and shove them where the sun don't shine.

I don't like that the seats recline and make me claustrophobic either, but I'll defend to my dying day, the right of the person in front of me to recline (as long as they don't hit me in the face doing it, and are kind enough to go back upright at mealtime).

Why should YOUR recline work, while you deny someone else?

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JK August 31, 2009 at 8:19 pm

You have to work during your flight?? Not my problem. I'll recline my seat if I want to.

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Hugh September 1, 2009 at 1:43 am

When someone purchases a ticket, they also purchase the right to recline that seat. I find it obnoxious of you to deny someone that right, while you are able to exercise yours. I echo SAW's comments. Some of us are bigger people and need the space. I'm not fat, but I am a big guy, 6'2" and broad shouldered and muscular. If some pip squeak like you was doing that to my seat…well, it would be the last time you tried it.

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ps September 1, 2009 at 2:49 am

So people can't recline because your firm is saving a few bucks? There are 3 alternatives- pay the full freight for first, put off your work until you arrive at your destination or get the smaller notepads that are now on the market. I'm sure you feel you are very important and have a sense of entitlement but guess what- others paid for their fare too and even though the cabin is tight, they have a right to recline space. Idiots like you give business travellers a bad name.

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david September 1, 2009 at 4:27 am

wow you must feel amazing, how to make a flight really uncomfortable for the person in front of you, what would you do if someone did this to you?

i really hope you dont do long distance travel, since i fly mainly long distance (NY to Singapore, sometimes via london) and if you were on the 6hour to london or 13hour from london to singapore

be courtious to other travelors, and if work is that important that you HAVE to to it on a plane than either pay the extra or use miles/points for business class, or keep your laptop on your lap so you dont disturb the person infront who paid for their seat

you must be really proud of yourself lol look i found a solution

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DSD September 1, 2009 at 9:47 am

You are a Schmuck!!!
I don’t recline my seat very far but I definately recline the seat some, as I find it very uncomfortable to sit straight up. If I can’t recline my seat the first thing I would do would be to flag down a flight attendant and I’m quite sure that once they found your magazines they would be removed. Once I found out what you did, you can bet your bottom dollar I would be laying in your lap.
I’d also pinch my son every so often just to make your flight that much more enjoyable.

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Demotage September 1, 2009 at 12:16 pm

Just a question:

There are some that believe that purchasing a ticket gives them the "right" to recline their seat. There are others who believe that purchasing a ticket gives them the "right" to have some reasonable legroom, not to have their knees crushed, and to not have someones head only inches from their nose.

In a way, I can see both sides – but why do those who believe one over the other think that their "right" takes prescedence over another's "right"?

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Sharon September 1, 2009 at 1:26 pm

I love the way everyone is so tough in these comments. Actually reclining the seat is not more comfortable, people just think it is. It puts your spine in a much worse position than keeping the seat upright.

Also, I purchased a ticket and deserve that space, why should somebody be able to invade it. Besides I don't want to look at your bald or dandruff infested head.

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saw September 1, 2009 at 5:12 pm

Since the seats are designed to recline, the space you purchase is that space.. .MINUS the recline of the seat in front of you. It sucks, but that's the deal.

When I'm squished, I find that I can remedy a lot of the issue by reclining my own seat, which is how I handle it. If the person behind me complains, I just suggest to them that they do what I just did.

Unfortunately, that leaves the people in the last row a bit crushed – but then – that's what you get for not planning ahead I guess… Been in that spot myself – sucks – but I "suck it up" 🙂

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S.M. September 15, 2009 at 8:07 am

Sharon September 1, 2009 at 6:26 pm

I love the way everyone is so tough in these comments. Actually reclining the seat is not more comfortable, people just think it is.

Yeah because I'm just imagining how badly my back hurts after sitting ramrod straight up and down on a non-inclined seat for 5 or 6 hour flights and that it feels ever so slightly better when I'm able to lay back a little bit and take some of the pressure off. Somehow I don't think you would know what other people find comfortable or not since everyone is different.

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saw September 16, 2009 at 3:35 am

I think Sharon likes those exit row seats on the Embrair's… you know.. the ones on Continental that have extra-thin seat padding so that your ass is perma-flattened and you have to spend 6 weeks with a chiropractor to decompress your spine after the 3 hour "express" jet flight…

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Sharon September 16, 2009 at 11:19 am

SM…yes everybody is different, however, the basic make up of the human spine is pretty much the same for everyone and it has been researched how reclining the seat puts your spine in worse alignment than having the chair in it's upright and locked position.

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Ruud September 23, 2009 at 1:46 am

Unbelievable, the amount of anti-social bastards around in the airspace. I'm quite tall and can barely sit in most economy seats. Always (and I mean always, NO exception) exactly the person in front of me finds it necessary to try to break my legs. If it's a tall person they usually understand and look/ask first, but it's often the little ones (Italians and Arabs are the worst) that are so damn anti-social and just try to go. So when they do that I shout (as it hurts) then they look back and see that my knees are there. And then about half an hour later or when I go to the toilet try again. Then I first ask them to go back, if not push them back to be able to sit again, with enough force it's possible.

Next month flying the Singapore A380 which hopefully reduces this problem a bit so I can enjoy the flight.

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david September 23, 2009 at 5:33 pm

ruud your flight on the Singapore Airlines A380 will be much better! I have flown with them for a long time, and have been on the A380 a bunch of times now, and there should be no problem, i am quite tall myself and even with the seat fully reclined i wasn't uncomfortable!

Even a very tall guy on my last A380 flight (at least 6ft 5) was happy with the seats, and had a sigh of relief when he sat down. And you will love the tv size and seat width and comfortability, also you get served drinks very often and the food is great, best airplane food i have ever had

so good luck with your travels

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David October 27, 2009 at 6:04 am

@Hugh…being 6`2 and big, you must know how much it sucks when someone reclines their seat and hits your knees. I know I do…that`s why I never recline my seat. Why should I cause the person behind me stress and discomfort? Sure you may be entitled to recline your seat, but it doesn't mean you have to go ruin someone else's flight by doing so.

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Ruud October 27, 2009 at 6:29 am

The A380 was great indeed, I love those sliding seats. Hell, I even reclined my own seat a bit. 😛

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KPinky January 18, 2010 at 10:58 pm

I'm sick of people complaining about the person in front reclining. If he seat goes back, it goes back.

My husband is 6'5, if we can make the time to get to the airport early and get an exit row seat for the leg room, so can others.

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Ruud January 19, 2010 at 4:42 am

What kind of logic is that? If I hit you in the face, I hit you in the face? Don't you have any compassion for the ppl behind you?

If you want to wait 3 hours in an aitport, maybe you can be lucky to get a seat with extra legroom yes. And most likely a crying baby on the same row sitting in the middle…

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IYAOYAS March 16, 2016 at 12:26 pm

I'm seeing some bashing on this post… Maybe I'm just a jerk, but I liked it. I travel far too much and have had more than a fair dose of obnoxious seat-recliners, body odor offenders, Chatty-Kathy's (Sorry anyone named Kate) and arm-rest hogs. If some inconsiderate jerk in front of me is a seat-slammer, it's fair game. Ditto for the reading light and air jets.

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