Twitter Weighs in on Reclining Airplane Seat Debate

The internet is polarized over a viral video involving an American Airlines passenger who claims she was assaulted while reclining her seat on a recent flight.

The video shows a male passenger seated behind her repeatedly bumping the back of her reclined seat. While many have condemned the man's inappropriate behavior, some have criticized the woman for not only escalating the situation by pulling out her phone but for reclining her seat in the first place.

Like the rest of the world, Twitter is torn on this raging air travel debate.

Unsurprisingly, plenty of people made the case for reclining your seat, typically asserting that since you paid for it you have the right to use it how you choose or pointing out that most airplane seats only recline a short distance anyway.

Travel writer and TV personality Lee Abbamonte and many others were of that mindset.

Can we put an end to the reclining airplane seat debate? I don’t understand the issue. The seat is designed to recline and the passenger has a right to do so. The behind passenger has no right to punch the seat if the person reclines. Why is this under debate? #travel #etiquette

— Lee Abbamonte (@LeeAbbamonte) February 14, 2020

I was today year’s old when I found out that you’re not supposed to recline a seat that you paid for on airplane. Who decided this?

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) February 14, 2020

If you’re not supposed to recline your airplane seat, they wouldn’t recline. As a tall dude, I don’t do it because I would prefer the person in front of me not do it, but if they do, them’s the berries, man.

— Jeremy Danner (@Jeremy_Danner) February 13, 2020

Who are these people who actually think I can’t recline in a reclining airplane seat that I paid for? I’ve always, always, always reclined without a single complaint. pic.twitter.com/Ylz7uAAr2q

— Kattey Ortiz (@KatteyOrtizTV) February 13, 2020

Some even threatened retaliation for hitting their seatback and suggested better ways to resolve the problem.

I’ll recline my seat on an airplane, and if you say anything and especially punch my seat, you’ll get crop dusted the whole flight.

— Bottlerocket (@bottlerocket) February 13, 2020

Punching someones reclined seat on an airplane is juvenile and malicious... Jamming your knees against the back of the seat so they cannot recline is a far more effective and rewarding tactic.

— James Sharman (@jamessharman) February 13, 2020

Meanwhile, others outlined their own versions of proper reclining etiquette, noting when it's acceptable to adjust your seat on a flight if at all.

The only time it is socially acceptable to recline your seat on an airplane is if it’s overnight and if the person in front of them has done it to them. The only time it’s acceptable to punch someone’s seat is....never. The end.

— Sasha Brown-Worsham (@sashabrownworsh) February 14, 2020

Tall people have 1 inch of space on an airplane. If you recline, you take that space, causing their knees to be crushed up against your seat. You are causing significant discomfort to someone else in order to increase your comfort by a small margin. You’re an asshole.

— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) February 13, 2020

Just a reminder that when you recline your airplane seat into someone's legs, it doesn't matter if their seat also reclines. Them reclining is irrelevant. They can't recline their legs out of the way. There's plenty of room at chest height. That's not where the issue lies. pic.twitter.com/u97bIk4TaS

— Jesse Thorn (@JesseThorn) February 13, 2020

Lots, including columnist and Director of Sports Journalism at Northwestern University, J.A. Adande shifted the blame to the airline industry for seemingly packing passengers in like sardines.

Corporate America has us battling each other over reclining airplane seats rather than going after the airlines for packing us in so tightly that you can’t recline your seat without being up in someone’s nasal cavity

— J.A. Adande (@jadande) February 13, 2020

"I paid for my seat, I can recline if I want to" faction of Airplane Twitter...be better. We live in a society. Let's join forces vs. our common enemy the airline industry, which pits us against each other in misery.

— Brian McNally (@bmcnally14) February 13, 2020

Where do you stand?

Are you team recline or team no-recline?