A woman began yelling at her seatmates behind her, claiming that her seat was pushed the entire flight and that she had a right to recline. The incident occurred on a Delta Air Lines flight in economy class.
Woman Lectures Seatmates On Delta Air Lines, “I’m Allowed To Put My Seat Back!”
Video begins with the woman shouting at the couple behind her, in which she accused a woman of pushing her seat for the entire flight:
“The whole trip she pushed my seat!
The couple denied it, but both the angry woman and her husband insisted, “No, you seen it!”
Then the volume escalates further, with the angry woman loudly insisting:
“I’m allowed to put my seat back!”
Sadly, the video cuts off as we watch other passengers all turn their attention to the escalating verbal argument.
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The video is captioned, “A heated confrontation between Karens in the wild on an airplane.”
For purposes of our discussion, I am going to assume that the angry woman reclined and that the woman behind her kicked or pushed the seat.
If that is the case, the woman had every right to be angry. In economy class, you are permitted to recline to your seat. Don’t like it? Fly first class or fly private. It doesn’t matter how tight the airline packs seats in: the recline button is there to be used by the passenger and the only “Karen” is the one who kicks or pushes a seat.
Now, I do have two self-imposed rules that I abide by that I believe encourage peace onboard. First, I do not recline during meal service (this is a rule on some carriers). Giving people a little more space to eat is reasonable. Since Delta doesn’t serve meals on most domestic flights in economy, that does not appear to be an issue here. Second, when I do recline I will generally recline very slowly. I once had a laptop screen pinched (thankfully it did not break) when a passenger reclined rapidly. You can recline, but do so in a nice way.
CONCLUSION
It seems this situation onboard Delta festered before boiling over upon landing. I’ve seen situations like this before and I understand the anger, but the better way is to ask nicely once not to kick or knee or push your seat, then involve a flight attendant if it continues. Shouting matches rarely turn out well…
image: @grahamnancarrow / TikTok
Of course you take the side of the reclining passenger. Sounds about white.
https://i.postimg.cc/254L274K/77-CF9652-C9-B3-4-F69-A1-B9-385-FB247-EDDD.jpg
Gurrrl, not everything is about race. Stop trying to stir the gumbo pot.
And the gumbo pot wasn’t racist your no better the the previous person who made the comment
Hell, it is. And there is only one race. THE HUMAN RACE. And if too many whites didn’t feel so damn entitled, it wouldn’t have to be about skin color.
@Loretta Jefferson: Are you okay? Put yourself in that woman’s perspective, you want to recline your seat and the person behind you pushes your seat so that you can’t recline because they want the extra room. This is a simple matter, I don’t see how it has anything to do with race.
Loretta, just to be clear… you’re being sarcastic, right?
Black at it again with the perpetual victim complex.
We’ve got Loretta Jefferson and Loretta Jackson so far. Loretta Johnson tomorow.
You sound real ignorant. You need to watch your mouth. And you sound about white. Now, how you like then apples.
You would see it as a black victim issue while being cloaked in your white privilege….smh
You sound racist and paranoid.
Racist pos, stop playing your poor me race cars. Sounds about black to play your Karen race bait card KAREN.
Are you really as ignorant as your comment ? Or are you just trying raise hairs?
Why does EVERYTHING have to be racists to you. She was not in the wrong! You are packed like sardines you can’t move AND you have the right to recline your seat. What exactly is racists about that???
(communication) do you mind if I recline my seat or am I hitting you with my chair – correct respond would have been no I don’t mind or no your fine it’s no bother at all or ask if she could recline up some LIKE I KNOW RACE ISSUES ARE OUT HERE BUT DAMN GIVE ME A BREAK People are so sad
You must be joking. Everything that is wrong with our country today.
Racist call. Keep pushing
Figgers you’d take the black passengers side
Why is everything racist to you
You are wrong anyone can put their set back on a plane. It’s not if you are white or black. People grow up and get over it !
Yep!
Sometimes people really pound those touch screens and it feels like they are doing it intentionally. Everyone seems to be a nut case now. Partly due to overcrowding on planes with no space but also due to a lack of severe penalties on the people who misbehave.
A fair point and a reasonable possible benign explanation.
Possibly, but…pushing makes it sound the person behind was literally pushing back on the seat in front of her. I think the woman in front would have mentioned the person behind her was hitting the seat throughout the flight. Then again, who knows.
I would bet that’s what happened here. She was probably playing a game on the seat back screen. I was on a flight a couple weeks ago where a guy yelled at the guy behind him for taking his water bottle out of the seatback pocket too many times.
Everyone has rage problems, they should start putting Prozac in the water supply
Start? Check out some water quality reports to see the massive amount of rx in the water supply already
I specifically remember a trans-con flight on Delta where the FA’s called out to be mindful of the touch screens and they didn’t need to be hammered to operate (my words not theirs, but you get the point).
Why is it that short, runty folks always seem to feel the most entitlement to slam their seat back into my 6’5″ legs. Sorry, but if happen to get stuck in economy and the person in front fully reclines their seat, it is impossible for me not to touch the seat back with my knees. I have to deal with it (by being silent and not complaining)–so does the person in front of me.
To those that will snarkily counter that I should fly first or business, I always book a first, long haul business or PE, or bulkhead seat. However, the airline industries inability to always run flights on time has often resulted in my being downgraded in to regular economy more often the I would prefer.
I think there is a big difference between a 6’5″ person naturally touching the seat in front and an obnoxious person just hitting the seat in front out of spite. I don’t envy your situation, jcil!
As a short, runty person I have found the curvature of the seats is often designed for a taller person. Sometimes reclining the seat is the only way to sit comfortable. I usually roll up my jacket or sweater and put it behind my lower back to fill the gap. Same problem in some cars without adjustable head rests.
What has trans got to do with this? 😉
https://i.postimg.cc/1tnGMQY9/30c663da3edd2ba3.jpg
The spacing between seat is unlikely to change anytime soon..and indeed space might become tighter…it’s not your Lazy Boy or Barco lounger at the house..be considerate be polite,or find a different mode of transportation
Eliminate seatback entertainment AND recline. I can’t tell you how many times it’s been TAP TAP TAP on the back of my head all flight long. And DYKWIA going full rocket recline with no regards to anyone behind them. People simply have no consideration for others.
I don’t recline on non-lie flat seats. Not worth the drama or the extra millimeters of alleged comfort for myself
Right! Just cause you can doesn’t mean you should lol
I’ve never flown true Premium Economy so that would be one thing..but in regular economy, hard sell
Fly literally every other US airline out there, then. Leave DL’s IFE and live TV to the folks that enjoy them.
at what point in certain states are taking/posting videos of this sort of thing an invasion of privacy
is an airplane cabin a ‘public’ place (requires a specific ticket to be in the cabin, in which case it might not)
anyone have tips on how to deal with a seat nudger or kicker without boiling to the point of needing to shout?
I think it can be reasonably argued that the cabin of a full commercial airplane, where you have voluntarily surrounded yourself with 200-300 strangers, is a place where the expectation of privacy (in the context of “invasion of privacy”) should not and does not exist.
Agree with your rules! Especially the slow part!
I generally only recline an inch or so.
Another rule is that I only recline if the person in front of me reclines.
That’s exactly why I take the last row every time I fly long haul. I do not want to shove my seat in someone’s face.
But don’t you often find your seat doesn’t recline?
Always in a wide body. I travel internationally about 4 times year and I can’t think how f a time where it didn’t recline
The “recliner” is absolutely right. You are allowed to recline your seat. As our author mentions, it is polite to slowly recline and maybe not recline during meal service, but it is not prohibited.
After the first couple of times of having my seat kicked, I would call the flight attendant over so that they could explain that reclining is allowed, but seat kicking is not. If the seat kicking continued, I’d call them over again. Some might say this is cowardly and that we should politely confront the “kicker” but airlines, and by extension, their employees, have created this very stressful environment. Let them deal with it each and every time.
Perfect way to address, the carriers created this situation, their staff needs to handle it, each and every time, maybe then they include in their Union Contracts that seats need to be improved. Waiting also for the first one to sue AA because they peed themselves because of the size of their outhouse.
I trust the woman who reclined her seat. I know the type who will kick and scream out of spite despite a person reclining within the rules in a seat she paid for. Reclining is allowed outside of takeoff and landing. If you need more space you can recline yourself. We see what has happened over the last 10 years where certain groups run wild like in cities and suburbs because no one is allowed to question them or criticize them. Good for this woman sticking up for herself.
Coded racist is still a racist lol
Please add to the chart
Y’all must travel in packs or something.
Nothing is racist if literally everything is.
That is some silly word salad right there.
Said another way: https://media.makeameme.org/created/if-everything-is-wrzwdn.jpg
Is this some new strategy racists like you are now using?
Sticks and stones. Being called a racist is a badge of honor from you 😉
https://i.postimg.cc/yxLV4bVQ/Screen-Shot-2023-04-29-at-4-04-09-PM.png
Do you store with all the KKK badges you have too? lol
Sounds like you still didn’t watch Uncle Tom. That’s okay. You can try to drag us down into this hell but we aren’t buying it.
https://i.postimg.cc/L43X115D/DCDDB322-5214-4532-A46-C-11-EF4-FDFE915.jpg
Gurl, post as many memes and pics as you like, you are still a racist who insults God every time you invoke him lol
Racist tracist. Good to know you believe in God though. Progress.
I’d say it’s good to know you’re a racist and homophobe, but either aren’t a good thing to be…
Anyone who knows me would know that isn’t true..but still, stick and stones, and still not a Biden voter/supporter, like you, cheering on the destruction of the world.
https://i.postimg.cc/GhKCLvsN/IMG-5897.jpg
Nah, we know you, and what you stand for, between your comments and the links you post give us all an idea of who and what you really are 🙂
https://i.postimg.cc/sxkt9NtM/0-D278965-CE40-4-A22-8429-32-C7-D5-B6-CDF6.jpg
13/50
Goes to show, that the extra inch really matters.
Best time to recline is right after take off as tray tables have to be stored. Pushing the seat happens all the time but the worst os the knee pushing right in the lower part of your back. I don’t usually recline my seat in coach.
Flying is extremely stressful for some people. I know before I started to fly a lot I was queasy the whole flight and always thought I was going to puke. I would recline to find some measure of relaxation and try to concentrate so I wouldn’t puke all over everyone. I’ve had my seat kicked by a child for an hour and finally I asked the parent to please have them stop. Didn’t work, kid kept at it. The touch screens do cause people to push the seats, so it could have been this. Or, it was someone who was just mad in their own right (because of the far recline) and had had it and decided to continually touch the seat. Sadly, it’ll take a lot more than someone yelling to get the airlines to move the seats further apart. Many of us can’t afford to pay for further apart seats in Comfort or First Class. So, we put up with some inconvenience to not have to drive for 24 hours! Wish the airlines really cared about comfort, alas – they just care about the money.
So you want more space, but do not want to pay extra. Got it.
So, I get it: seats come with a recline button, so you can, in fact, recline… it’s considered a “right”. But what about the “rights” of the person losing personal space directly in front of their face by someone who is taking that space by reclining? Space is already so confined in most economy cabins that losing even a little is detrimental to the well-being of the passenger who is affected by the loss… what about that person’s “rights”?
They can recline too, if they so choose.
Which sadly only further contributes to the problem…
I am also 6’7″” and when forced to fly in tight quarters and the person in front of me tries to recline I politely tell them that it just will not happen. My knees are up tight against the back of their seat with no room to move. Most of the time I don’t have any issues. A few times people will try and push harder and I remind them that it just won’t make any difference. If they want to still recline ask a flight attendant to be moved.
The guy behind had signed up for an economy seat and therefore knew the risk that the guy in front can (and many times will) recline. What you described is not a “right.” If said passenger is so peturbed that someone reclining in front is “detrimental to his/her wellbeing” well then, sucks to suck, pay for F, J, PE, or bulkhead. Otherwise, deal with it like an adult.
Where’s the law that says I can’t push on the seat? My body has arms and if I want to use them to push on the seat in a way that doesn’t cause injury then so be it. Don’t like it? Sit in first class
Doesn’t matter what your opinion is! Ask any flight attendant and they will explain that reclining is allowed, but kicking and seat pushing is not. Think of it as passengers pay for their seat and thus do what you want with your own seat, but do not touch the seat of another person. Don’t like it? Fly on an airline that doesn’t have reclining seats, upgrade your seat to business or first class, drive, etc. Do what you want EXCEPT keep your body off the seats you didn’t pay for.
Cindy has entered the chat
I agree. I fly often and am very mindful of letting my seat back and cramping a tall person. The real problem is that People don’t give a damn about each other at all, whether it be black or white. Just because you’re allowed to let your seat back doesn’t mean you have to be an ass and squish someone else without a care. Just freaking ridiculous. I see this happening all the time. And for those saying fly first class or business, why don’t you get off of your opinionated asses and pay the difference for such persons since you have the solution.
If possible, airlines should disable the recline feature on all seats. I would great if seats came with a hard to reach lock that disables the recline feature. I never recline. And if I did, I would check with the person behind me first to see if it was okay with them. A little common courtesy can prevent many of these problems.
And this is why I still use my Knee Defenders to keep the DYKWIA from reclining into my face
And if you did that to me I would pull it out and chuck it down the aisle.
Be careful. Next headline will be FA uses hidden taser encouraged by union management and smuggled through KCM to stop Matt Klint
And I would make sure that the airline bans you from ever flying them again. Most airlines forbid those devices. You haven’t paid for my seat so you don’t get to decide what I can and cannot do with it.
I’ve had my drink tipped over and my computer screen trapped by people quickly reclining. As long as the airlines continue to cram seats together, reclining seats should be abolished. Flying in economy is equivalent to taking the bus and I’m over dealing with the drama.
Exactly—flying buses. No reclining in economy. So dumb it’s even possible considering the oasis of most economy design. IFE is different as I am pro-IFE for the map alone.
Poor you. When you pay for my seat, then you’ll get to decide how I use it. As long as the seat I pay for reclines, I’ll recline.
Hello my name is Edward DYKWIA and I was a hall monitor in high school
Nice straw man argument (sarcasm). There are many reasons seats cannot always be reclined. First and foremost is that they have to be upright for takeoffs and landings (unless they are broken such as I had on one flight.) Since the first time that a passenger gets to define their space is with the seat upright, that is the default position. If the reclined seat goes into the passenger’s space in the back, that person has a right to protest if it causes things like pain. Someone whining about a seat being pushed is ridiculous. Kids do that from time to time and their entitled parents and the flight attendants don’t do anything about it. Suck it up, it happens. Maybe they should have diverted to get her off of the airplane. She should have bought a ticket in business class or first class where such things are less likely to happen. Hopefully seats with limited recline are coming or better yet, recline the back by sliding the sitting surface forward and having a hard shell behind the back.
Your last point is a good one but then they’d need to increase pitch and call/charge it comfort+
The shell design seats have been present in some earlier PE seats, and they haven’t been really well received. The JAL PE shell seats have had good feedback but it’s also a 42″ pitch
I’m against reclining more than 25%. I’m 6’4″ and 205 – and I manage unless it’s a red-eye and then I get a seat with added room. The better airlines don’t prohibit full-recline, but many discourage it in written guidance to passengers. The worst full-recline offenders in economy are invariably people of average or smaller stature who don’t give a f*** about others. The only good answer – since human stature is so varied – is to return seat pitch to pre-2000 measure and / or reduce the degree of recline in seats.
The good news is that airlines have provided extra legroom economy (34-35″ pitch, like “pre-2000″) and even premium economy! (38″-42”) Aren’t choices awesome?
When you miss your connecting flight because the airline f’ed up, and are told that there are no available extra legroom seats remaining for the entire day, then these “awesome” choices are not available.
In the spirit of May Day (becoming quite popular with the woke set I believe) may I humbly suggest that airline seats be assigned on a “to each according to their need” basis. Tallest people on the plane get the seats with the most legroom, and the shortest folks get to sit way in the back. Sounds better than assigning seats based on wealth/privilege.
It’s not ok for you to judge short ppl (or anyone)! I’m short with CONSTANT PAIN and if my seat is back it’s bc I am very tired from my meds or lack of sleep likely bc I was yelling out in pain the night before or my seat is back bc it is giving me some pain relief!
If airline’s didn’t want the seats to recline they would only have stationary seats. In this world you pretty much get what you pay for! If your flight is changed then you can wait for a flight with extra leg room or toughen up and be uncomfortable! Apparently you dont fly on budget airlines where the leg room is less than if someone reclines on a regular airline. Is it fair that most everyone on that flight can’t afford a non-budget airline?? I’ve purchased seats with extra legroom and been bumped for someone in a wheelchair! Fair is not always equal!
There is so little room in coach that out of respect for the person sitting behind me never recline my seat.. also in response to he post fly first if you don’t like it…I can’t afford it or I certainly would!
It do think it boils down to a respect issue for many I think but as we know respect goes out the window on planes and it’s everyone for themselves
Why do ppl complain at all?? Being “considerate” goes both ways including not judging or having a bad attitude. You have no idea why ppl recline and regardless the reason, it’s their seat. Everyone pays for a seat and that seat determines when to board or unload, when cart service occurs, which bathrooms are used etc. It’s not wrong to recline and I never get upset. My worst flight was when kids were playing slap jack on the table attached to the back of my seat.
I don’t think it is inherently wrong. I just don’t do it. I understand there’s plenty of reasons people need to recline. It’s complicated.
Wonder what US pax would make of serious research by European budget carrier Ryanscare…….investigating “standing seats” to allow pax capacity to increase on their short-haul routes………(this is the same airline that reportedly considered charging pax 1 Euro to use the on-board lavatory…since they charge extra on the basic fare for everything else (the toilet charge could have been an April Fools joke by Ryanscare CEO O’Leary of course!!
It’s probably only a matter of time before at least some carriers say ‘well with inflation we have no other choice to implement a crazy seating option to stay competitive and afloat’.
https://i.postimg.cc/dt1k6LKY/Screen-Shot-2023-05-01-at-6-02-32-PM.png
People who recline their seats on a flight are literally the worse!
I disagree! I believe ppl that judge others are the worst. I recline my seat bc I’m either is a lot of pain or very tired. You wouldn’t know that by looking at me! You can recline as well! No one is breaking the rules by reclining thus you nor others should complain. Maybe you’ll consider that before saying degrading things about others.
When I fly, I don’t recline my seat because I know how uncomfortable it is for the people behind me. When the person in front of my seat chooses to recline, I admit to mentally issuing a heavy sigh, but otherwise sit quietly and suffer thru it. Not out of fear, but because I was taught, and I believe, that the Golden rule should dictate my behavior. Not because I’m better than anyone in these comments, but because I want and try to be. Because I believe.
Nicely put!
+1
How about if the freaking airline Just gave everyone a little more room and quit being so bombastically greedy. The airline street it’s passengers like animals. No way animals have better treatment.
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should…. The reality is the seat pitch is hardly a “game changer”. Simply put, reclining your coach seat is a dick move. I travel often and never do it. Especially on flights under 4 hours in duration.
I’m 5’10, I travel a lot – in 1st class and economy. I never recline my seat no matter how uncomfortable I am. Period. I believe it’s inconsiderate. (Blaming someone who cannot afford 1st class is also unkind).
We all know that space is tight and frankly, I believe our ire should be directed at the airlines, not at each other.
Typically I try to have a polite conversation with the person in front of me: I simply ask for a warning before they recline. Yes, they have a right to do so. And while it has a negative effect on me, I don’t object and try to arrange my body in such a way that it’s tolerable. IMO letting them know that it impacts me is reasonable and hopefully raises their social awareness – no man is an island.
I have to wonder why the “freaked” passenger didn’t speak to the flight attendant about the matter rather than screaming at the offender.
Kindness, critical thinking and problem solving skills appear to be in short supply in this scenario.
I’m 6’6′ feet tall and my legs extend a few inches into the back of the seat, preventing the seat in front of me from reclining any distances at all. So not everyone has the right to recline their seat as I didn’t build the plane and my legs aren’t going to be any shorter during the flight. I only clack my seat and never fully recline as I consider it rude.
I am also fairly tall at 6’ 3” and in many airlines when people recline, my knees are actually getting crushed by the seat in front of me. So when I move my knees, they think I’m kicking their seat back. I usually try to upgrade my seat but now a days most flights are already booked solid months in advance
Man those seats are so tight together if someone reclines they hit my knees. I’m 6’5″ and hate flying and I feel for the person behind the recliner way more than the lady demanding to lay back in an airtight sardine can.
Place the blame for ANY such arguments correctly, it’s the airlines fault. For all their propaganda touting good service and caring about passengers the truth is they care only about profit. Gone are pillows, blankets, magazines and on many flights even food. The seat size and separation are set to the ultimate minimum to get more people in each plane no matter how uncomfortable it is for customers. I wouldn’t be surprised if we som see non-reclining seats and perhaps pay toilets. Flying used to be like going on a cruise now it’s just a bad bus ride. Prices continue to escalate while comfort and service declines. Airlines are a business and they need to make a profit BUT it would be nice to see a balance that actually doesn’t treat passengers as a necessary nuisance. Just my .02 cents…