The issue of reclining one’s seat is a perennial source of both conflict among airplane passengers and online debate.
While many consider doing so for all but short periods of time inconsiderate as it significantly reduces the space of the passenger behind you, others argue that this should not be the travelers’ concern as airlines need to design cabins in a way that allows each passenger to use each feature of their seat. One survey from The Vacationer found that 77% of passengers believe it is rude to recline one’s seat throughout the entire length of a flight while only 27% believe it is okay as long as the other passenger makes no complaint.
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On the flip side, those who are not able to recline their seat at all can sometimes also have grounds for complaint.
Traveler lawsuit said they were ‘treated like economy class passengers’
This week, an Indian court ruled that a couple on a Singapore Airlines (SINGF) flight from India’s Hyderabad to Singapore is owed nearly $2,400 after their seats failed to recline and caused them to sit upright for the length of the four hour, fifty-minute flight.
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Anjali and Ravi Gupta had paid 66,750 Indian rupees (roughly $800 USD) for each ticket were initially offered 1,000 loyalty points with Singapore Airlines each for the inconvenience but, as first reported by local Indian press, declined and took the matter to court.
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Hyderabad City in Telangana province, of which Ravi Gupta is the director general of police, ordered the airline to refund each passenger 48,750 Indian rupees (roughly $584 USD) each along with 12% interest and an additional 100,000 INR ($1,198 USD) for the “mental agony and physical suffering” and 10,000 INR ($120) for lawsuit-related expenses. The total will amount to roughly $2,400 USD combined.
Local outlet the Deccan Chronicle said that the Guptas claimed they were “treated like economy class passengers” in the complaint.
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Singapore Airlines has acknowledged the malfunction and court ruling
In a statement to the press, Singapore Airlines said that it “acknowledges the decision of Hyderabad’s District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission” and that there were “no issues” on the Guptas’ connecting flight to Australia.
“The flight duration from Hyderabad to Singapore is typically around four hours,” the airline said further. “As it was a full flight, Singapore Airlines staff unfortunately could not reseat the customers elsewhere in the Business Class cabin. Our crew proactively checked in on these customers regularly and offered to manually recline the seat when needed. We apologise to Mr. and Mrs. Gupta for the inconvenience caused by this mechanical issue.”
After news of the court ruling was reported, many in India debated whether the Guptas made a big deal out of a minor inconvenience or were correct not to settle to the small points payout initially offered by the airline.
In 2023, Australia’s flagship carrier Qantas Airways QUBSF faced a similar situation when the recline function on a long-haul flight from Australia to Hawaii malfunctioned and the affected business class passenger had to be moved into economy for lack of other seats in the higher fare class.
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