by Rachel Barter ’27 on April 16, 2026
Opinion - Society
First of all, I know that comfort on an airplane is a first-world problem and is not a major problem that needs to be addressed, but I believe that people reclining their seats on airplanes is indicative of the person’s character.
Last week over Easter break I travelled to Edinburgh, Scotland to visit my friend studying abroad, which involved me taking practically every form of public transportation available including two flights on the way there and two flights on the way back.
Out of all the methods of transportation, the flights were, as expected, the most uncomfortable due to the length and cramped space that is difficult to adjust to. However, I was not prepared on my final, seven hour flight on the way back into Boston, for the passenger in front of me to recline her seat all the way back to the point that the screen on the seat back was less than a foot from my face.
First of all, the seat should never have been able to recline that far or, frankly, recline at all, given the discomfort it will inevitably cause the person behind them. Second, it is not necessary to recline your chair all the way back for five hours of a seven hour flight to the point that the screen is too close to my face that it burns my eyes and my tray table is literally in my lap, making it almost impossible to to eat, drink, or access my bag for the rest of the flight.
If you are the person who leans your chair all the way back on a plane, especially if the person in front of you has not leaned their chair all the way back, then you need to learn to consider others before yourself. I refrained from leaning my chair back because there was a tall dad with a child sitting behind me and I felt like it was morally wrong to recline my seat into not only his lap, but also the baby’s limited area.
Maybe I am reading way too far into this, but reclining your chair all the way back on an airplane is selfish. At the very least you should ask yourself is the comfort of my neighbor worth sacrificing for my own, extra comfort? I would hope you answer no.