Spilled drinks, crunched laptop screens, and crushed knees: the perils of reclining on airplanes have become a major concern for many passengers. A new video campaign by La-Z-Boy, a furniture company known for its plush reclining chairs, has launched a tongue-in-cheek appeal urging travelers to “Do the upright thing. Don’t recline when you fly.”
The company’s petition, which had garnered over 186,000 signatures as of Monday, argues that “just because you can doesn’t mean you should.” The campaign uses humor to highlight the consequences of reclining, including the risk of spilled drinks, damaged electronics, and bruised knees.
The issue of seat reclining is a contentious one, with opinions divided among passengers. While some see reclining as a necessary luxury on long-haul flights, others view it as an invasion of personal space. A 2023 survey by YouGov found that attitudes towards seat reclining vary by region, with Europeans being the least tolerant of the practice. In fact, Europeans are the tallest people in the world, and it’s no surprise that they would be more likely to feel inconvenienced by reclining neighbors.
In contrast, fewer than one in three travelers in the United Arab Emirates expressed concern about seat reclining, making them the most accepting of this in-flight behavior. The survey also revealed that travelers from the UAE were less bothered by other in-flight behaviors, including personal grooming and noisy children. However, they were more likely to find public displays of affection unacceptable, a reflection of the region’s more conservative cultural norms.
La-Z-Boy’s campaign is likely to resonate with many passengers who have been left feeling bruised, battered, or simply frustrated by the reclining seat epidemic. Whether or not one agrees with the company’s stance, it’s clear that the issue of seat reclining is here to stay – at least for now.
