Should You Lean Your Seat Back On a Plane?

Airplane seats
Photo by Kaysha on Unsplash

Should you recline your seat back while you’re on a plane? You might think the answer is obvious, but this topic is a lot more controversial than you think. If you disagree, bring this topic up with a few people and see what they say. The truth is that it’s a lot more complicated than people realize. While there are some who don’t think twice about putting their seat down, there are others who find it to be a morally inferior decision—and here’s why.

The Recliners

There are those who make the simple that “since we can, therefore we should.” This is perhaps the most common opinion. After all, why would airlines give people the option to recline if it wasn’t a good thing to do? Therefore, these people happily recline with no second thought.

The Upright

But then there are those who stubbornly refuse to recline their chairs because they’re so conscious about those sitting behind them. These people are painfully aware of how much of a burden they cause others by reclining that they simply avoid doing it altogether.

The Perfect Balance

We’re here with the optimal solution. Start your flight off completely upright, and see if you can get comfortable like that. However, if the person in front of you reclines—that’s when you can recline yourself and do it in good conscience.