That's interesting, Civil Aviation Authority rules state passengers must be fit and able to operate emergency exit doors, so the CAA rules would indicate that you had to be physically capable of opening these emergency exit doors to sit in the seats at the emergency exit with extra leg room, these doors are not light and require a bit of effort to open and if it is the over wing exits they have to be physically thrown out.

I'm not talking about the seats by the emergency exits but those by the regular entrance and exit doors (ie the row of seats that is usually immediately to your right as you board).

I know but is there a convention that not just from air bridges but all boarding will be done on the side of the aircraft to the pilot's left? Even though there are entrance and exit doors on both sides of the aircraft I can't ever remember boarding or getting off to the pilot's right hand side.

SM

And another

An American Airlines flight headed from Miami to Paris had to be diverted into Boston airport late on Wednesday night after two passengers began arguing and the argument turned physical. The disagreement was sparked by the hot button issue of the week: seat reclining.

This is the second such incident in the last week. A Newark-to-Denver flight ended up in Chicago on Sunday after a man attached a "Knee Defender" gadget to the seat in front of him to prevent it from reclining, and got a cup of water in the face from the woman sitting there as a response. An online debate about the ethics of leaning back has been raging ever since.

Yet ANOTHER incident

For the third time in nine days, a US commercial jet has been forced to divert by enraged passengers flying into a temper over a reclining seat in the cramped confines of economy class.

A 32-year-old woman trying to snooze on a tray table on a flight from New York to West Palm Beach, Florida became the latest offender Monday when the woman in front slammed her seat back, bashing her alleged victim's head at the end of the Labor Day holiday weekend

Airlines are almost as much to blame as the passengers. They insist in trying to fit as many seats on an aircraft as possible to maximise revenue and of course generallythe passenger wants a cheap seat but that of course comes with the cot of reduced seat width and pitch.

Indeed BA (not exactly a world leader in comfort despite what they may think) are busy reconfiguring aircraft right now, they are reducing seat pitch in Business Class as well down to 29-30 inches. 29 inches for rest of cabin. The new seats may give n impression for some that leg room is unaffected but in reality it is...simple!

Ofcourse Ryanair have not seat recline. Over all this is also not for customr comfort but is to get as many seats as possible on the 737. Lets face it - they dont really care much about customer comfort....do they now...really!

If a carrier has a seat recline then any given passenger has the right to use it. Why should they not seriously? If there is medical reasosns or other reasons for additional leg room them choose your carrier carefully and pay for the leg room or fly business class with an operator that offers sufficent leg room in the premier cabin.

What all passengers could do is show a wee bit of respect to fellow travellers...such as not reclining during meal times (if there is such a thing with chosen carrier) or as a courtesy say to the person sitting behind that you are reclining your seat and do it slowly (hold the back of the chair as you recline).

I still maintain no one has the right to rest on my knees for the duration of the flight.
I am thinking of using Easyjet for my next holiday.

i am afraid they have every right to recline should it be offered....indeed possibly best that you choose carrier with no recline....but personally unless in emergency exit seat with easyjet, even without recline my legs generally are against the seat in front. pay your pound and take your choice I guess....

They have every right to recine but not if they are resting on my knees causing me great discomfort.
I have travelled mostly with Thomson these past few years and find their recarro seats do give a bit more leg room.
I would willing pay for an extra leg room seat if I was allowed to sit in them!
I only do package holidays so dont have much choice from my local airport.

Well it looks as if you will be in future

http://www.thomson.co.uk/blog/2013/03/thomson-airways-introduces-new-extra-legroom-seats/#.VAednmK9KSM

SM

Glynis HT Admin wrote:

Pilot and cabin crew? I wonder what all that was about.

Who gets first pop at the stewardesses?

wonder what the recline is on such seats..no doubt too much for some.....nice to see Thompson appear to be committed to holding on to their ageing 757;s!

I am fully behind all those anti recline posts with the exception on overnight flights when the majority of people are hoping for a little shut eye. I do not and never will appreciate the ''I'm all right Jack''attitude. Sorry!

In an earlier post someone mentioned Thomson 757s? Well they have a number of extra legroom seats now, and you don't have the emergency exit restrictions applied. Also some 737s are/have been converted to allow extra,extra legroom seating.

If I have to fly in economy then the person in front of me in a standard seat NEVER reclines -thats because I'm wedged into the seat anyway so my knees stop anyone successfully reclining!!

Again though - while I understand some frustration - if the airline/carrier allows for recline and the airline carrier decides to have tight seats to allow the passenger to pay for or want a seat that is known to be tight or "cheap" then why should any said passenger sitting in a seat that ALLOWS for said recline not be allowed to recline. It is not a case of "I am alright Jack" it is a case of being permitted to do so....in line ith what the carrier allows. Any passenger who reclines does not decide on the seat pitch.

Sure should an airline decide not to allow seat recline (EZY or RYR) then fine passengers know this so pay your money for such seats and move on....

Sorry nivsy, but I stand by my post especially as I have suffered from having my knees crushed on several flights.

A couple of years ago on a flight to Rhodes, the woman in front tried to recline her seat on my knees as soon as the seat belt light went out.I "resisted " successfully so she complained to the flight attendant .I explained to him,very reasonably, that the airline had a duty of care to me as a customer,as reclining the seat onto my knees might cause me severe walking difficulty at the other end - I'm 6' 4" and starting to suffer with joint issues.The crew sided with me and the woman said she would complain to "Head Office" -bet that didn't do any good as getting compensation out of Thomson for genuine complaints (downgrades,delays etc) is almost impossible!!

I must remember to object the next time someone close to me is eating a vile curry on board when I dont want anything......sometimes the smell is somewhat hazardous to my well being!

Sorry but i cannot agree with your reasoning.....and indeed airlines are now beging to choose to have recline or not have recline. Maybe it is just as well.

No harm in agreeing to disagree nivsy - all best

Sorry nivsy - I can't agree with YOUR reasoning -its OK to inflict harm on another passenger because you can????