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You can always spend the extra $50-100 for Economy Plus offerings that have more leg room. Similar to an overweight individual who buys two seats to be comfortable.
If there are any available. The few timesI've flown recently There have either been non available or the upcharge was much more than $50-100. (and it would have had to be for two seats since my wife has similar issues)
Until relatively recently my job required me to travel extensively. I've been in both situations - having people lay their seat on my knees, and not being able to recline for various reasons. Both situations sucks. However, IMHO physically preventing someone from reclining their seat - that they paid for and have the same right to use as you do yours - is not only extremely rude, but a borderline misdemeanor.
Not possible for the person in front of me to recline as my knees are embedded into the seat back if I've been stuck with a standard seat. Though I've had people repeatedly try, jamming the seat further into my knees. At which point I just have to say, excuse me, those are my knees you are pushing against.
I do make every attempt to book one of the "premium" or exit row seats. But sometimes they are all snatched up. The premium and exit row seats should have a minimum height requirement. Nothing like seeing some 5'2 person in one of those when I've been stuck in a standard seat.
Why should there be an arbitrary minimum height requirement? People who pay extra for more legroom get the extra legroom. They can be 4'10"; they paid for it, they deserve to get what they paid for, no matter what their height. My ex mother and law booked seats with extra legroom for myself and I on a trip to Las Vegas on United some years back. I didn't understand the point of it, as we are both short (5'2"), until she explained they were the only multiple seats left together on the plane.
I got pretty angry when I realized that she paid for extra legroom, only to discover we paid extra to be seated in an emergency exit row! Thus, we had the extra legroom, but in the event of an emergency, our petite selves would be responsible for helping others out of the plane. I do appreciate you for trying to book the seats with extra legroom first, however. I am very short (5'2") and have had many tall people get upset when I recline the seat behind me in economy. I do it slowly but they still get annoyed.
I feel there's reclining and then there's reclining. Personally, as the one reclining I have no desire to be in someone's lap looking up at their faces. I think it's better if we all try to work together and each other's comfort. Recline some but leave the lap behind alone.
I always recline gently so as not to knock stuff off the trays and use judgement based on the size of the person behind me. On longer hauls, I try to establish my ground early and not suddenly jar the seat back 3 hours into the flight, after somebody has already made themselves comfortable.
Reclined seats can be useful weapons too. On a flight from MCO to EWR this summer, we had a young girl playing the drums on the back of our seats almost continuously. First I gave her a dirty look and then asked her mother to have her stop. The fat mother said the girl was bored and what did I expect her to be doing for 2.5 hours. With that answer, myself and my son fully reclined our seats and put the squeeze on the mother. The drumming stopped and we nudged the seats up.
I had a very overweight person next to me once who complained I had my arm on her armrest. I noticed she had her other arm on the other arm rest...and wanted a second one as well apparently. She was very forceful about wanting that armrest too. Fortunately I had noticed my seat back was controlled by that armrest...and not the one on my other side. So I told her nicely it controlled my seat back so it was mine. She was taken aback but actually apologized.
I typically get stuck next to someone who goes 3-4 bills. I'm like a magnet for obese.
Why should there be an arbitrary minimum height requirement? People who pay extra for more legroom get the extra legroom. They can be 4'10"; they paid for it, they deserve to get what they paid for, no matter what their height. My ex mother and law booked seats with extra legroom for myself and I on a trip to Las Vegas on United some years back. I didn't understand the point of it, as we are both short (5'2"), until she explained they were the only multiple seats left together on the plane.
I got pretty angry when I realized that she paid for extra legroom, only to discover we paid extra to be seated in an emergency exit row! Thus, we had the extra legroom, but in the event of an emergency, our petite selves would be responsible for helping others out of the plane. I do appreciate you for trying to book the seats with extra legroom first, however. I am very short (5'2") and have had many tall people get upset when I recline the seat behind me in economy. I do it slowly but they still get annoyed.
Physical need should trump desire.
The problem is in how you actually book an exit row/premium seat. It's not an option until check-in 24hrs before the flight. So it's a mad dash to get that exactly 24hrs prior. I've even had to stop presentations at work to attempt to get one. Charge me an extra $300 for it, I'll pay it. Even though it comes out of my own pocket and work won't expense that upgrade. Just give me a chance to do so.
Signing up for an exit row and not being able to handle a 50lb door while seated is outright irresponsible if not criminal. I like the idea of requiring training/certification for that responsibility. Plane Exit Row Seat Is a Responsibility - ABC News
"In the U.S. population, about 14.5 percent of all men are six feet or over ... Even more strikingly, in the general American population, 3.9 percent of adult men are 6'2″ or taller."
Less than 1% of women are 5 ft 10 in or taller.
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