She sounds like a jerk, but other than acting out like a child, she isn’t wrong. Personally, I would let it go, but it’s not her fault someone else messed up your ticket. I’m very short and that typically gives me a disadvantage is many scenarios. One of the few places it works to my advantage is aboard a flight. However, more than a few times I’ve sat next so someone very not small, who occupied some of my space for the duration of the flight. Politeness dictates that I can’t complain, because obviously I can’t expect someone to drastically alter their shape for the next few hours. But how is it fair?

Tall or short, big or small - each height/size etc comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages - fair or unfair.

Part of flying coach and having very cheap air-fares is we have to put up with sub-optimal conditions and risk having to be tolerant of our fellow travelers. It is part of the unwritten contract.

Screaming kids, drunks, people with questionable hygiene, snorers, rowdy groups, people taking up extra space, super-talkative neighbours etc etc.

If we are serious enough about wanting to lower the risk of such inconvenience, we need to get out the plastic and pay for economy plus, business class etc.

All reasons why I would personally drop it and chalk it up to an annoyance of flying, but I still don't think it's fair. Your hygiene habits or body size have to be someone's problem, and I don't think it's fair to make them someone else's. I miss out on all kinds of things because I'm 5'2". If you can't reasonably fit in one airplane seat, you ought to miss out on cheap(er) air travel and pay for the extra space instead of dumping your problems into my lap.

Indeed. If a small person should be required to give up flight seat space to the larger persons, then every tall person should be on their knees at concerts.

Same for me. My knees are staying put. There's nowhere else for me to put them.

You're welcome to recline as much as you want, unless it gets in their way.

I was quite surprised to see in the article that the lady in front of you apparently was in the right. She had paid for that space not you.

> Every airline has a rule, which is that the person with the button can lean back, but they are super deliberate about keeping that rule quiet.

To me that sounds crazy. Everyone has to fit in the seat when upright, because of take-offs and landings. But reclining the seat can make it impossible for a passenger to fit in. Or put in another way: you buy the passenger space for the reclined position and are then asked to sit in the upright position.

But as the article says, this split people 50/50 and each half cannot understand the other half.

disclaimer - didn't read the article.

but here's the thing - exit seats used to be free (i used to check-in early at the airport and ask politely, i always got them), but:

1) they're often narrower due to trays/screens in armrests (this was a problem when i was heavier)

2) all the low-budget online check in crap combined with the fact that I now have to pay for the extra legroom is basically discrimination. Most people can choose to lose weight (i did) but can't choose to be shorter (I'm 196 cm).

The most infuriating thing is when they eventually do random assignment to the exit seats because nobody paid for them.

IMO, there should be a "I am tall" verification system that overrides paying for exit seats and prioritizes them.