Whose Space Is It Anyway?

Dear Sky Steward,

It infuriates me when the passenger in front of me slams his or her seat into the fully reclined position the moment the seat-belt sign is switched off, cutting into what I believe is “my” space. I am not talking about late night flights and overnight sleeping, I am talking about short to medium haul day-time flights. I am less and less polite about this situation as time goes by. Could you please explain what personal “space” a passenger is and is not entitled to.

Signed,
Violated from Vancouver

Dear Violated,

The Sky Steward suffered during a situation like this himself when a couple seated in front of him at the bulkhead decided to put their seat back all the way. He was left with so little space, he could not use his laptop to get any work done on the 3 hour flight from Dallas to San Francisco. Turning the air vents on full blast and turning them in the direction of the couple (who had already complained to the flight attendant about the cold) did nothing to help the situation. Looking back on it, he wishes he had practiced what he preaches and politely asked the the husband to bring his seat up just a bit.

That is the only thing to do since it is the right of everyone on the plane to recline their seat and the "no-recline device" has been banned by most carriers. The Sky Steward does not feel that it is always necessary to recline the seat and when it is possible to keep it upright, it is a very generous act of kindness that is greatly appreciated. It seams like a game of dominos; when one seat goes back, so do all the others behind it.

In Flight Faux Pas! What do I do?

Dear Sky Steward: I often wish there was a non-confrontational way to let fellow passengers know that they are committing in-flight Faux Pas. I hate it when people seated behind me constantly pull on my seat as they get out into the aisle. What should I do?Signed, Disturbed from Detroit



Dear Disturbed: The Sky Steward shares your in-flight frustration. In cases such as these, it is always necessary to gather if this behavior will continue to irritate you (such as on a 10 hour flight) or whether you will have to address it. It is perfectly ok to smile as you ask this person to please take care to not pull on your seat because you are a light sleeper and are suffering from a severe headache. Then 'thank them so much' for their understanding and follow it up with a compliment such as, "that blanket color looks marvelous on you!". This is the ultimate way to 'sandwich' your request and on flights offering less and less food, it will be greatly appreciated.