Mum reveals ‘petty’ revenge on reclined plane passenger – no-one is on her side

A MUM has revealed her “petty revenge” on a passenger who reclined their seat during a flight – but people don’t agree with her.

The woman said she was travelling on an early red-eye flight from the US back to the UK when it happened.

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She explained on Mumsnet that the woman “reclined her chair as soon as humanly possible,” and the problems started when food was served.

She explained: “The inflight meal comes about 45mins in.

“She is the ONLY person in the cabin who keeps her seat reclined, bearing in mind she is sat bolt upright to eat.

“I don’t believe it’s within my rights to ask her to (do the decent thing and) put her chair up so I can eat in comfort without her chair pressing against my forehead.

“Instead I did the petty thing and kicked her chair throughout I’m the inflight meal, so she had a taste of the discomfort that I have.”

She added in the comments that she was “tired and jet lagged,” saying: “Why should I further my discomfort by forcing myself to communicate with her verbally.”

She asked if she was in the wrong for doing this – and nearly everyone disagreed with her method.

One person wrote: “Why didn’t you just ask her to put her seat up while you’re both eating? Is this a reverse or are you 4 years old.”

Someone else said: “How about next time just talk to the person.”

A third agreed: “You were petty and passive-aggressive, which had no useful effect for you.”

Lots of people said she should have told the flight attendants, who would have most likely told the woman to put her seat back up.

Most airlines tell passengers to unrecline their seats during food service.

Etiquette expert William Hanson backed this up, previously telling Sun Online Travel: “There is a time and place for [reclining your seat] – it should always take place after the meal has been cleared.”

And studies have shown that reclining your seat isn’t the best way to sleep on a flight.

Andrew Lawrence, president of the Chiropractors Association of Australia, says the best position for getting comfortable in economy is only “slightly reclined”.

Passengers should then put a cushion at the base of the spine to help maintain the lumbar curve and reduce pressure at the junction of lower back and pelvis.

Here are the times you should recline your seat on the plane – and the times you shouldn’t.

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