Delta says it will put an end to one of the most uncomfortable aspects of economy class – but will the masses rejoice? By Nick Walton
We’ve all been there. You settle into your economy class seat, you secure your half of the armrest with a few subtle nudges and prepare for your journey. Then, as soon as the seatbelt sign is turned off, the seat in front of you thrusts back, effectively swallowing your personal space and making work virtually impossible.
A Long-Standing Issue
Seat recline has long been a contentious issue in economy class, as we have seen in recent air rage incidents, and even the political elite have not been spared. We’ve even come up with innovative if not equally-controversial ways to stop the passenger in front from claiming our territory. However, I’ve always been firmly in the camp of ‘no recline’. Unless you’re on a medium to long-haul flight – let’s say anything more than three hours – passengers should think of others, dig deep for a little resolve, and if need be, stay awake.
Delta Airlines recently announced it will reduce the recline on economy class seats on 62 of its A320 aircraft, those used on routes of two hours or less. In a rare move for an American airline, Delta actually wants passengers to be more comfortable. And this isn’t the first time the recent winner of Airline Quality Rating’s best US carrier put passengers first; it recently stated it wouldn’t follow the pack by adding a 10th seat abreast its 777-200ER aircraft. But how will travellers react to the new policy?
Losing Ground
Seats in economy, including those with extra legroom, will now recline two inches, rather than four. This, in my mind, makes perfect sense – seats aren’t exactly verticle to start with and with passengers trying to use their time on flights as effectively as possible, those two inches for the traveller behind you could mean the difference between opening a laptop and working, or a serious neck or eye strain as you try to focus on a seatback screen that’s barely inches from your face.
Interestingly, the airline, which says the move is not about adding seats but adding comfort in an on-going attempt to be more competitive, will also reduce the recline in first class from five inches to three and a half – this doesn’t make as much sense, as one of the reasons you pay extra to fly first is for the comfort of a decent recline, especially given seats in first should already be spaced adequately apart.
A Changing Trend
Of course, Delta has been adding seats to its fleets on par with its competitors, with the average economy class seat now offering 30-31 inches of pitch, or the space between seats, on the Airbus A320. However, the new policy, which is in a test phase, makes sense because the first thing most people do when that seat reclines in front of them, is to reach for their own recline button, creating a domino effect that affects everyone’s travel experience. Perhaps we should simply give an inch or two and become better travellers?