[jammer722]

Re Find the Best Seat on Any Plane in Adam Pash's July '09 column "Simplify Your Life"

I'm with Adam on using seatguru.com. It is an excellent site with fairly accurate info on each airline's cabin configuration. I spend up to 36 hours from start to finish of my commute to/from work every 6 weeks, each trip involving 3 or 4 flights on up to three different airlines, and I always check my seat allocation with seatguru.com before leaving.

On the flip side, Adam, I think you and your magazine should stop touting means to reduce the recline of the seat in front of you. This is your magazine's second go at it that I'm aware of. I agree that many fellow travelers are less than courteous when reclining their seats, however, if you want a fast-track to air-rage, that is about all it would take. With all the indignities and discomforts of modern-day airline travel inflicted upon us by the airlines, having someone behind me restricting my seat recline is as offensive as someone pushing me along in a line-up with their luggage. I consider that space to be mine, not that of the passenger behind me. The passenger behind has (usually) equal space to recline (I always make allowance for meal time and if the seat behind me cannot recline, but I know not everyone respects that). Same goes for the room under the seat in front of me. Put your shoes there and you'll find them in the isle, maybe.

The seat pitch of today's "cattle class" cabins is so tight, you can forget using anything larger than a netbook, and if you're going to do that, bring your reading glasses - the screen will be very close to your nose! If it is so important to work with a laptop on a flight, you better be able to anti up for a business class seat.

[mjd420nova]

I'm afraid that if you tried to recline your seat in front of me while I was trying to enjoy an in-flight meal, you'd have a real problem on your hands. I cannot eat while reclining and unless I wish to wear half of my meal, I have to bend over the tray table to prevent spallage. This cannot be done while the seat in front of me is reclined without banging my head on the top of the seat in front. If you refuse my simple request to sit up long enough for me to eat, then you shall be the one to wear my meal.

[coastie65]

I guess I have been lucky. I have experienced no inconveniences as far as meals go. Also, I am happy if the Bar Cart makes frequent passes and the stewardesses aren't former prison Matrons ( Guards) or Marine D.I.'s. There was one flight though that I remember. My girlfriend and I were flying from Vegas to Atlanta. It was a 737 and there was a German Tour group aboard. I was next to the window, my girlfriend next to me, and a German guy on the aisle. Apparantly he hadn't showered since he left Germany. That was a long flight. We nearly got bumped on the flight from Atlanta back to Richmond, due to a large number of Military personnel trying to get back to Norfolk, which was the stop before Richmond ( about 90 miles). Other than that and getting nearly rancid and definitely stale peanuts on a United Flight from Hartford Ct. to Washington Dulles, I haven't really experienced any negative stuff.