The completely correct guide to reclining on an airplane

[Tahuyaman]

Flying has become an annoyance. Now simply getting to your departure gate has become a chore. Then going through customs can be a freaking nightmare.

A couple ples years ago we returned from Mexico to Sea-Tac where we went through customs. We were briefed on the aircraft that Sea-Tac had installed kiosks where you scanned your passport and answered the standatprd questions. We were told this eliminated the step of the face to face meet and greet with the customs man.


I went went through the Kiosk and someone guided me to a line where we had to talk to a customs agent. When it came to my turn, he asked me all the same questions I just answered at the kiosk. When he was finished I said "I have a question, what is the purpose of going through the kiosk"? He responded with "by going through the kiosk you eliminated the requirementto see me". I then said "all of us here utilized the kiosk, but we were all directed to come see you". He said "correct, this step has been eliminated". At that point I saw no use in asking another question.

[Dr. Who]

Notwithstanding the fact that airlines have created most of this problem by allowing insufficient space between seats, the tray table was originally provided for eating, not for using laptops and regardless of how much space is allowed between seats, reclining the seat ahead will affect a laptop sitting on the tray table. A person on a long flight should be allowed to recline their seat for comfort's sake. The plane is not an extension of one's work space and those who wish to work en route should book the kind of flights that offer more business related amenities.

[DGUtley]

Flying has become an annoyance. Now simply getting to your departure gate has become a chore.

Pam and I were returning from London in September from our first ever trip to Europe. We touched down in Toronto at 30 minutes before our departure. An hour and a half before departure some young Air Canada Attendant came to me and told me that we were rebooked on a morning flight b/c we were going to miss our flight home and that there'd be a ticket just inside the ramp. So.... we get off at the ramp and are told 'you can make it'. Pam and I start running from Gate A99 to Z99. We had gotten all the way down to right where you go to the short flight gates and we're stopped by a guy and told: "you'll never make it" I'm huffing and puffing and say 'huh, she said we'd make it'. His reply was that US customs is closed. US Customs closes at 8:00 every night. So, b/c US Customs closes in Toronto at 8:00 every night (might be 9 or whatever - I don't remember exactly) rather than the USA being open for business at all times, we had to stay in Toronto at some dump by the airport with no internet and no Buckeye game. When we'd booked the trip 6 months earlier, we'd had a 4 hour layover in Toronto. Naturally, they'd cut it and we were late getting out of London. Boom.

Flying has become an annoyance.

[Tahuyaman]

Pam and I were returning from London in September from our first ever trip to Europe. We touched down in Toronto at 30 minutes before our departure. An hour and a half before departure some young Air Canada Attendant came to me and told me that we were rebooked on a morning flight b/c we were going to miss our flight home and that there'd be a ticket just inside the ramp. So.... we get off at the ramp and are told 'you can make it'. Pam and I start running from Gate A99 to Z99. We had gotten all the way down to right where you go to the short flight gates and we're stopped by a guy and told: "you'll never make it" I'm huffing and puffing and say 'huh, she said we'd make it'. His reply was that US customs is closed. US Customs closes at 8:00 every night. So, b/c US Customs closes in Toronto at 8:00 every night (might be 9 or whatever - I don't remember exactly) rather than the USA being open for business at all times, we had to stay in Toronto at some dump by the airport with no internet and no Buckeye game. When we'd booked the trip 6 months earlier, we'd had a 4 hour layover in Toronto. Naturally, they'd cut it and we were late getting out of London. Boom.

Flying has become an annoyance.

I was returning from Mexico once and had to go through customs in San Fransisco. When I was boarding the flight in Mexico I was randomly selected for an additional security check. The Mexicans simply took me aside and searched my carry on. It took about five minutes.


I get to SF and go through customs, then have to through TSA security again to get to my flight to Seattle. Of course the additional security check still was in place. Some rude wench orders me to stand in a square box and wait for an available screener. An hour later I got her attention and asked if they have forgotten about me. She got pissy. About a half an hour later some other guy finally took me aside and took another hour to check my carry on bag. The same one which took five minutes to check in Mexico. He was being intentionally slow and patronizing. When he was done I told him that this was the biggest cluster $#@! I have ever witnessed and that I will be contacting someone about this fiasco. I asked for his name and the rude woman's name and they told me.


I told the guy going through my little carry on that I was going to miss my connecting flight to Seattle and he basically said too bad. Alaska airlines gave me a break and got me on the next flight.


I get back home and I composed a detailed email and registered a complaint to the SF TSA. Within an hour or so I got a response from someone in SF telling me that he reviewd the date and time I went through security and said that he had verified the names of the agents I dealt with, interviewed them and that he was taking corrective action immediately and said "this will never happen again". He told me that they want the feedback so they can corrective measures.



When I sent the email, I doubted that I'd get a response let alone one that quickly. That actually kind of impressed me.

[DGUtley]

I was returning from Mexico once and had to go through customs in San Fransisco. When I was boarding the flight in Mexico I was randomly selected for an additional security check. The Mexicans simply took me aside and searched my carry on. It took about five minutes. I get to SF and go through customs, then have to through TSA security again to get to my flight to Seattle. Of course the additional security check still was in place. Some rude wench orders me to stand in a square box and wait for an available screener. An hour later I got her attention and asked if they have forgotten about me. She got pissy. About a half an hour later some other guy finally took me aside and took another hour to check my carry on bag. The same one which took five minutes to check in Mexico. He was being intentionally slow and patronizing. When he was done I told him that this was the biggest cluster $#@! I have ever witnessed and that I will be contacting someone about this fiasco. I asked for his name and the rude woman's name and they told me. I told the guy going through my little carry on that I was going to miss my connecting flight to Seattle and he basically said too bad. Alaska airlines gave me a break and got me on the next flight. I get back home and I composed a detailed email and registered a complaint to the SF TSA. Within an hour or so I got a response from someone in SF telling me that he reviewd the date and time I went through security and said that he had verified the names of the agents I dealt with, interviewed them and that he was taking corrective action immediately and said "this will never happen again". He told me that they want the feedback so they can corrective measures. When I sent the email, I doubted that I'd get a response let alone one that quickly. That actually kind of impressed me.

Pam and I had applied for Global Entry 8 years or so ago. Then, we had to go to Detroit to be interviewed for it. We went up, were interviewed and were eventually accepted. We flew six or eight times and I never got pre-check. I complained to the airlines and they said it was the TSA. I called the TSA and they blamed the department of homeland security. I called the DHS and some officer called me back, took my complaint and said he'd get back to me -- I asked him if my pre-check was denied b/c of my then political activism. He laughed. He called me back the next day and said that I was clear and there was no reason I wasn't get it. You know what? Ever since then -- I've gotten it every single time. Every single time.

[Tahuyaman]

Pam and I had applied for Global Entry 8 years or so ago. Then, we had to go to Detroit to be interviewed for it. We went up, were interviewed and were eventually accepted. We flew six or eight times and I never got pre-check. I complained to the airlines and they said it was the TSA. I called the TSA and they blamed the department of homeland security. I called the DHS and some officer called me back, took my complaint and said he'd get back to me -- I asked him if my pre-check was denied b/c of my then political activism. He laughed. He called me back the next day and said that I was clear and there was no reason I wasn't get it. You know what? Ever since then -- I've gotten it every single time. Every single time.

I get pre-check about half the time. I don't know why there's such an inconsistency. I've applied for Global Entry, but it's been in reveiw status or whatever they call it for nine months.

TSA is a mess. It hasn't gotten much better over time either. I've been some airports where the people are polite, cheerful and efficient. I've been others where the exact opposite is true. Oralando was excellent. I think Atlanta was too.

[MisterVeritis]

I was returning from Mexico once and had to go through customs in San Fransisco. When I was boarding the flight in Mexico I was randomly selected for an additional security check. The Mexicans simply took me aside and searched my carry on. It took about five minutes.


I get to SF and go through customs, then have to through TSA security again to get to my flight to Seattle. Of course the additional security check still was in place. Some rude wench orders me to stand in a square box and wait for an available screener. An hour later I got her attention and asked if they have forgotten about me. She got pissy. About a half an hour later some other guy finally took me aside and took another hour to check my carry on bag. The same one which took five minutes to check in Mexico. He was being intentionally slow and patronizing. When he was done I told him that this was the biggest cluster $#@! I have ever witnessed and that I will be contacting someone about this fiasco. I asked for his name and the rude woman's name and they told me.


I told the guy going through my little carry on that I was going to miss my connecting flight to Seattle and he basically said too bad. Alaska airlines gave me a break and got me on the next flight.


I get back home and I composed a detailed email and registered a complaint to the SF TSA. Within an hour or so I got a response from someone in SF telling me that he reviewd the date and time I went through security and said that he had verified the names of the agents I dealt with, interviewed them and that he was taking corrective action immediately and said "this will never happen again". He told me that they want the feedback so they can corrective measures.



When I sent the email, I doubted that I'd get a response let alone one that quickly. That actually kind of impressed me.

Just wait until they also run your health care for you.

[Peter1469]

Pam and I had applied for Global Entry 8 years or so ago. Then, we had to go to Detroit to be interviewed for it. We went up, were interviewed and were eventually accepted. We flew six or eight times and I never got pre-check. I complained to the airlines and they said it was the TSA. I called the TSA and they blamed the department of homeland security. I called the DHS and some officer called me back, took my complaint and said he'd get back to me -- I asked him if my pre-check was denied b/c of my then political activism. He laughed. He called me back the next day and said that I was clear and there was no reason I wasn't get it. You know what? Ever since then -- I've gotten it every single time. Every single time.

You should have a card, and included your info on your airline info.

[DGUtley]

You should have a card, and included your info on your airline info.

We do and it is.

[carolina73]

Neck injury? Not so sure about that - the jerk wasn't hitting the back of her seat that hard. Was she the victim of simple battery, though? Absolutely.

I would have spoken to him once, and then brought it to the attention of the flight attendant if he persisted. If the flight attendant did nothing, I'd have insisted on speaking with the senior flight attendant on board; if they did nothing, I'd have advised them that the moment we touched down I was going to be contacting the local police, which information/threat they would have had to relay to the captain of the flight, which I suspect might have caused him or her to come back and become involved in the situation..

I can't recall having any seatback-related incidents in the air, but I did once have to stop an individual from putting the armrest up between us. He was an extremely obese person, and apparently wanted to put the armrest between our seats up to allow himself to "stretch out", so to speak, into my seat. I said "No, the armrest stays down". The flight attendants couldn't think of any way to force me to let the other guy have part of my seat, so they had to move him elsewhere.

The look on her face was that she was playing the game. It was not pain. It was "I am going to win"

Unless someone here is an Air Marshall or some job that has you flying as a passenger then I would bet I do it more than anyone here. Because I have status on most of the airlines I do get the exit row and am upgraded most of the times.

However; in the instances where that does not happen then I wished I were Mini-Mike because the regular airline seats in coach are not made for 6'2" 215 lbs. There is no more room when your back is plush against the seat. Your knees are against the back of the seat in front of you. When they recline the seat then they are putting direct pressure on your kneecaps.

I have politely asked them and told them I have no more room and a few have ignored me and one said "I paid for this seat". It was made less comfortable for her to say the least. I flew on one of those Spirit Airlines flights and the woman in front of me reclined her seat and ignored my plea. The seats were so close together that I could not fit my legs. I stuck my legs into the aisle to make sure that the stewardess would complain and then tell the woman to put her seat up. The stewardess came down the aisle saw my legs and stepped over them and kept on going.

You can fix obese but being over 6 foot is not something you can do anything about. 6 ft + is becoming more the norm.

They should pin all the seats so they will not recline and put an end to the issue. Or kick woman off the plane because I really cannot remember one man ever refusing to put his seat back up. In reality, only a small percentage are so discourteous that they recline their seats anymore when they see someone taller behind them. This woman in the video was a Hillary Clinton voter for sure.