Traveller letters: Why airlines should ban reclining seats

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This was published 6 years ago

Traveller letters: Why airlines should ban reclining seats

The debate over seat reclining etiquette continues.

The debate over seat reclining etiquette continues.

FIXED VIEWPOINT

Why are there reclining seats at all on planes? Trains don't have them; there are none in my house, and at most one in other people's homes. In my 60s and 70s I flew to Europe or the US about every year without once needing to recline my seat.

Not being a monkey or a contortionist, I get an aisle seat; if the folk in front recline their seats it's next to impossible to get out of yours from inside. Any airline which scrapped reclining seats would be top of my list.

Ile-de-France, Paris.

Ile-de-France, Paris.Credit: Lionel Lourdel

If you must recline, travel business class.

Michael Bailey, Uki, NSW

INCLINED TO RECLINE

It's interesting how the airline industry has subtly managed to shift the issue of reclining aircraft seats from its design responsibility to an etiquette dilemma for paying passengers.

Airlines have a legal and social duty to ensure safe travel, and that squeezing in seats doesn't result in passenger discomfort and injury, or inter-passenger conflict.

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Many of your readers seem to have assumed it's solely an ethical question for paying customers to resolve in this forum, or in flight – recline or don't; recline only so far; overweight people should be considerate enough not to recline.

The real answer seems to lie in demanding airlines have planes designed in such a way that one of the small comfort features of flying cattle class does not have to be a source of conflict, tension and injury risk, all for the sake of getting a few more bums on seats.

Simply, everyone should be able, with clear conscience, to recline, whenever inclined.

Ross Duncan, Potts Point, NSW

LETTER OF THE WEEK

We are older, well seasoned travellers. But at the prompting of our adult children, we decided this time to give Airbnb a go. We rented three places, one in Paris and two in Prague. The experiences could not have been different.

In Paris we did not meet the owner face-to-face but picked up keys and let ourselves in. It was obvious that she had not lived there for some time and we did not feel like welcome guests. No attempt had been made to make any space for guests and part of the decor was a series of very dead pot plants.

In the bedroom was the ultimate welcoming metaphor, a chain and lock slung across the wardrobe. This apartment was in a charming and quiet part of the St Germain district and we were able to walk and access the city. But we felt uneasy all the time and wished we had booked in a nearby hotel that had rooms at the same price we had paid for the apartment.

In Prague, again key collection was done via email instruction but the places were obviously the owner's business. They were both clean, modern Ikea-furnished apartments, away from the chaos of the centre of Prague. There was room to hang and store our clothes.

We admired the entrepreneurial efforts of the women who ran the apartments and, of course, we looked after them as though they were our own homes.

In Berlin we opted for a hotel stay and luckily chose the amazing Hotel Adlon, a five-star hotel with such friendly accommodating staff, huge rooms and wonderful venues. The contrast with the Paris Airbnb could not have been more startling.

Paula Stevenson, Webimble, Bunnan via Scone, NSW

FOOD FIGHT

Most airlines offer food in first and business departure lounges and I am surprised to see passengers tuck in to a three-course meal at 10pm followed by a three-course breakfast at 6am.

I can't help thinking this might be because the food is free, thus encouraging gluttony. Starvation can be offset with juice, tea, coffee and perhaps a croissant.

Patrick Sayers, Woollahra, NSW

HIGH TIME

Replying to Bill Goldie (Traveller letters, June 2) regarding his concerns about the height of Machu Picchu, I would say go. Unless you plan on climbing Huayna Picchu, which is quite steep, the main tourist area is quite comfortable to walk around.

Four of us visited the site five years ago (and I had just had a hip replacement a few months prior) and we had no problems, apart from coping with the altitude.

Anne Szczurowski, Lambton, NSW

EVERYONE'S A CRITIC

Locavore (rather than Mozaic) in Ubud (Traveller, June 3) is Bali's most ambitious gourmet restaurant (and No.22 in the San Pellegrino 2017 list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants).

Joe Wilder, Caulfield North, VIC

STAMP OF DISAPPROVAL

While there may be some justification for issuing a new number on a passport renewal, there is no such justification for the fact that the "unspent" part of the existing passport is not credited to the holder.

With the travel requirement of six months' passport validity, effectively the Passport Office makes an even greater profit. What reason could there possibly be to prevent the new passport being officially issued with effect from the day after which the existing passport expires?

Graham Findlay, Ashfield NSW

SUCH IS LIFE

On May 15, 2017, in Honolulu I urgently required two documents to be witnessed by an official Australian witness (form 888 Dept of Immigration and Border Protection, and a sheet containing my Australian Passport details).

On arrival at the Australian Consulate in Honolulu, to my great surprise, I was informed that the charge for witnessing the two documents was $US106. As a NSW registered Justice of the Peace I cannot charge for witnessing documents (NSW Justice website).

Prominent in the Consulate office area were photos of the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and Minister for Trade. Given the cost of witnessing my two documents I wonder whether there should be a bust of Ned Kelly flanking the ministers?

Vince Redden, Petersham, NSW

SHEDDING THE KILOS

I fly regularly from Melbourne Jetstar domestic where they often savagely hit unsuspecting travellers with excess cabin luggage (over seven kilograms).

I'm a business traveller who travels as light as possible. I also need to be on and off the plane quickly so booking a small bag as luggage is not a reality.

I have no issue paying "extra" if I could increase the weight of my "carry on" luggage to, say, 10 kilograms, so long as the bag complies with luggage regulation re: overall size. The airline wins, as does the consumer, without the huge negative impact if being hit $50 a kilogram.

Stephen Johnson, Newcastle, NSW

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