Aviation
A travel survey of international airline passengers has revealed that 91% of airline passengers want to see an end to reclining seats on short haul flights, and 43% wanted the amount of time they can be used reduced on long haul flights.
More than 60% of flight attendants said they had been involved in or witnessed arguments because of reclining seats.
“The effect of people reclining their seat can result in various negative emotions such as anger, stress, anxiety, frustrationm and upset for the passenger behind them,” says psychologist Dr. Becky Spelman.
“This emotional impact can result in a whole range of unhelpful behaviours, including air rage.”
According to Dr Spelman, there are two basic personality types among travelers – those that are altruistic, considering the comfort of others, and those that are selfish, only thinking of themselves.
“A reclined seat can negatively impact upon a person’s overall flight experience, especially if the person in front is being particularly inconsiderate,” says Dr Spelman.Â
“And while these negative emotions can be reduced simply by a fellow passenger asking permission to recline their seat, the study found that a third of passengers are too worried about the reaction they’d receive, and most people (64%) have never done so.”
At a time when airlines are introducing lie flat seats in Business Class and First Class it seems a bit ironic than many passengers would like to see reclining seats removed from economy class.
What Say You?
What is your opinion of reclining seats on airplanes? Should they be continued? Should their usage be restricted to certain periods of time? Or should they be done away with altogether?
Please leave comments in the comments box below or send them to us at Facebook.com/ATWHK.