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'To the woman who made my sister cry on a long-haul flight - you are the problem'
OPINION - This is an open letter to the woman who was sitting behind my sister and her family on a long-haul flight from Sydney to London.
You, my friend, are everything that is wrong with air travel these days.
We've seen it unfold across the world; passenger air rage taking off with more and more travellers throwing tantrums over everything and anything they deem "outrageous".
But this time... you took things too far.
Passenger rage on planes is getting out of hand. Getty
The seat recline debate is one that has raged on for decades and I don't see it being "decided" any time soon, if ever.
But the issue - in my opinion - really has nothing to do with the actual reclining of a seat, or the legroom or comfort of a flight (of which more responsibility should be lobbed at airlines anyway).
The real issue stems from a person's inability to think beyond themselves.
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Let me set the scene: you're a new mum travelling with your six-week old baby and husband. You've managed to get everyone and everything onto the plane successfully and are settling in for the long haul.
For reference this was a 20-plus-hour flight to London with Qantas, including a brief stopover in Singapore.
The baby is finally asleep and all you want to do is recline and do the same when the woman behind you starts kicking and shaking your seat.
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My sister was travelling with a newborn when she was shouted at. Getty Images/iStockphoto
This goes on - my sister trying to recline, the woman kicking and pushing the seat back - for the next FIVE hours.
It culminated in the woman actually getting up and shouting at my sister not to put her seat back.
My sister at this stage was already in tears - all while cradling her newborn.
What is wrong with people?
It took my brother in law, as well as three other fellow passengers, to put the woman in her place before there was some semblance of peace and my sister could recline without fear of retribution.
Of course, some might argue that by reclining your seat you're the one being selfish.
However, if you do so respectfully, you have absolutely every right to recline in order to sleep. It's literally how plane seats in economy were designed. Especially on a long-haul flight.
There isn't much room in economy, reclining adds a little extra comfort. Getty
In this instance, by complaining about the seat reclining, the woman was only thinking about herself and her own comfort. Not the fact that my sister was travelling with a six-week old baby, and was clearly emotional, upset and tired.
It's the selfishness of this that puts her in the wrong.
What is the etiquette on reclining your seat?
An etiquette expert agreed that in the end it all comes down to being respectful.
Amanda King, Managing Director of the Australian Finishing School, helped clear up the questions around seat reclining.
"It's an unspoken rule, at least amongst high society that you do not recline your chair on a short flight," she previously told 9Travel.
"There is no need to. Especially economy seating which is already a very small space," she said, adding: "Definitely not when they are serving food or beverages as the tray table is in use and there just isn't much room left."
What about on long flights? King says that yes, it's acceptable to put your seat back when you require sleep.
But it also comes down to how you do it.
"When you do move your seat try and do so slowly, with ease," she advised.
"Not fast and forceful, it may be a shock to the person behind you and can possibly spill drinks or bump an open laptop."
