A 6’8″ passenger flying Delta first class from San Antonio to Los Angeles filmed a flight attendant trying to mollify the passenger in front of him, who was complaining because he couldn’t recline. The seat back wouldn’t move because the tall passenger’s knees were already butted up against the seatback and the seat just wouldn’t move.
The lead flight attendant came over. She explained that the seat was physically blocked and she couldn’t change that. The passenger filming says this is the second time with the same guy in the same seat in front of him within 5 days, and that he previously kept trying to force the recline and it wouldn’t go.
Delta’s Airbus A319, A320 and A321 first class seats have as little as 35 inches of pitch, or the distance from seat back to seat back. That’s not more space than extra legroom coach.
Over at American, legacy US Airways Airbus A320s have just 36 inches of pitch in first class and that feels super-tight. Otherwise American’s first class seats generally offer 37 inches, which is still less than the 38-40 they used to offer before the current seating configurations rolled out. United is also mostly 37 inches (actually 36.7″ on several aircraft) though their A320s and CRJ-550s are more generous.
For an airline that claims to be premium, Delta is actually less premium with the most valuable commodity on the aircraft: real estate. It’s a throwback to the old Northwest Airlines days.
Commenters, though, seem to fall into these camps:
- “Recline is a paid feature / I’m reclining” You’re entitled to recline since the seat was designed to do it. And “tall people should book a different seat / bulkhead / exit row / don’t fly.” (Here, the passenger already booked first class, what else should they have done?)
Some commenters go fully deranged about “forcing it back,” which is simply saying that they’re fine injuring someone to win a 2-inch argument.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian has said that passengers do have the right to recline (but use discretion / ask first).
- “Reclining is rude / unwritten rule against it” Reclining is anti-social because it creates discomfort for someone behind you for very little gain. “only recline if sleeping,” “never recline on daytime flights,” “people who recline are like people who don’t return shopping carts.”
- “Neither passenger is the problem; the airline is” Delta sells a First seat that reclines but also sells a seat behind it where a tall person can’t exist without blocking it.
The problem is Delta first class just is not very nice. However, if you’re going to have such tight first class seating, install seats with articulating recline (‘cradle’).
One person wrote “If you’re 6’8 you should fly in the cockpit!!” Cockpits can be even more cramped! “Sit on the wing next time.” Ok, boomer.
The flight attendant line “I can’t make his legs smaller” though is doing most of the comedic work because it’s the blunt truth.
If Delta sells a premium seat where a core feature (recline) is unusable, Delta should offer service recovery to the affected customer who couldn’t recline in the form of miles or travel credit – rather than punishing the tall passenger for existing. This also reduces the chance of escalation by mollifying them with “you’ll be made whole after landing.”
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