Reclining seats, knee defenders and flight diversions… What’s it all about?

It’s been a battle in the air between passengers as flights have recently been diverted to the nearest airport to unload the battling parties. They believe they are fighting for the right of space.

• The right to recline.
• The right to use your tray table.
• The right to your legroom.
• The right to not have a seat back in your face.
• The right to use a knee defender to protect your space.

It does seem as the “seat pitch” of airline seats gets smaller and smaller, the more fights the flight attendants have to attend to, which often means the combatants to be forcibly de-planed at the nearest airport.

The seat pitch is the measurement of space between the same “part” of seats.  That means that your space is not measured between the back of the top of the seat and the front of yours.  It’s a measurement of the space between the front of your seat and the front of the seat behind or in front of you.  You can easily have the seat back in front of you over the front of your seat.  The result is we feel a bit like sardines in a can.

What can you do besides upgrade and pay more? 

• Fly Spirit Air. Spirit has non-reclining seats on its jets.
• Check out SeatGuru.com. You can find the Seat Pitch, Seat Width and more info on good and bad seats.
• Be loyal to one airline. If you build up enough miles, your airline will often give you free seat upgrades or at least an early choice of seat.
• The Knee Defender.  The Knee Defender is the legal, but often airline banned clip that fits on the arms of the tray table. It keeps the passenger in front of you from reclining too far into your space. The makers say knee defender also protects your laptop from being smashed and protects you from leg thrombosis. 

 More:
Fly more comfortably with these
Who Needs A 'Knee Defender' If Passengers Can Just Recline Their Airplane Seats Politely?
A solution to airlines' Knee-Defender woes: Get rid of reclining seats
Businessman behind Knee Defender dispute 'ashamed' about his behavior
Dispute over reclining seat diverts flight, again
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