Etiquette experts reveal when you should never recline your seat on a flight

RECLINING your seat is one way to make an uncomfortable plane journey more bearable.

But according to a group of experts, there are several occasions when you should never extend your seat back.

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In an article in USA Today, two etiquette experts shared the exact moments when reclining a plane seat is never acceptable.

Podcast host and etiquette expert Nick Leighton explained that you shouldn’t recline your seat if the passenger behind you is working on their laptop.

He said: “Nobody likes their laptop snapped in half.”

Before you recline your seat, it’s best to check to see what the passenger behind you is doing.

If they are on a laptop, ask before you move your seat back.

This is because you could be held responsible for any damage done to the laptop if you do move your seat suddenly.

On a recent journey, one passenger had their laptop destroyed when the person in front of them reclined their seat.

Rosalinda Oropeza Randall, who is also an etiquette expert, added: “Avoid reclining when the majority of the passengers are enjoying their snack or meal.”

If you suddenly recline your seat back, you may spill food and drink onto another passenger’s lap – resulting in an argument and a dry cleaning bill.

The etiquette experts also explained that it’s never acceptable to recline a seat if there are young children sitting behind you, or if the passenger is injured.

It’s also not a good idea to extend your seat back if the person behind you happens to be tall.

Last year, a woman was left furious when a tall passenger sitting behind her during a flight stopped her from reclining her seat.

The two people were on a short-haul journey when the woman tried to recline her chair.

She was asked to put her seat upright by the tall passenger because her reclined seat was hitting his knees.

While the incident divided opinions online, there are ways to go about reclining your seat that can be more courteous to the people sitting around you.

Passenger Lisa Blossat Harrison said she always checks who’s behind her, before not reclining all the way.

She said: “I’ll look behind first, then gently go back a little just to relieve my back.”

And frequent flyer Ben Schlappig added: “If you are going to recline your seat, do so slowly, and make sure the person behind you knows. No matter what, don’t be a jerk.”

A flight attendant revealed to Sun Online Travel how to get the person in front of you to put their chair back up.

Meanwhile, a design student produced plans for double-decker seating arrangements to prevent seat reclining from affecting others.

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