WestJet, the Calgary-based airline, is introducing a new seating configuration on its Boeing aircraft that will permanently change the reclining experience for Economy class passengers. The airline has announced plans to implement “fixed recline” seats, eliminating the option for travelers to adjust their seatbacks during certain flights.

A WestJet spokesperson explained that the seats will have a pre-set, slight recline that cannot be altered by passengers. This design, they believe, is more considerate of the limited space available in the Economy cabin, preventing issues of personal space infringement among travelers.

“Feedback from our guest user testing showed that half of the passengers preferred a fixed recline, as it helped avoid the discomfort caused by other passengers encroaching on their space,” stated the WestJet representative.

The move raises questions about in-flight etiquette, particularly in the cramped quarters of Economy class. Does the decision to implement fixed recline seating imply that reclining one’s seat is inherently inconsiderate? WestJet’s approach suggests that maintaining personal space is a priority, potentially changing the dynamics of in-flight comfort.

What do you think? Is the fixed recline a considerate solution or an unnecessary restriction?

“It is absolutely fine to recline your seat on any flight you wish,” Elaine Swann, a former flight attendant of 10 years and the author of “Elaine Swann’s Book of Modern Etiquette,” told Nexstar.

“This is something that is embedded in the culture of travel. To sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight,” she added.

Swann did however suggest a few ground rules for reclining to ensure a considerate experience for everyone involved.

“Mind the speed in which you recline your seat,” she advised. “Take a moment to just turn and glance backward [at the person in the seat behind you], like checking your rearview mirror. … You might be able to see a beverage or a laptop on the tray, and if so, that should guide you.”

Sarah Murdoch, the tour guide and travel writer behind Adventures With Sarah, said a reclining passenger might also want to alert the person behind them, perhaps if they see that person is eating, or that their knees might be squished by the process.

“If your seat isn’t reclining, it may be a tall person, and in this case it’s rude to try and jam your seat down onto their knees,” Murdoch told Nexstar.

Travelers on Reddit have largely come to the same consensus in relatively recent posts, urging their fellow travelers to use caution when setting their seats back.

“I ask the person in front of me to recline slowly if they’re going to recline. That way I have a chance to get my knees out of the way,” one self-described “tall” Reddit user wrote. “But we’re only having this conversation because the airlines are cheap, and are allowed to reduce legroom beyond reason.”

Swann, meanwhile, has witnessed several disputes over reclining seats firsthand. Recalling the incidents she remembered from her time as a flight attendant, Swann said she was often asked to advocate on behalf of the passenger being encroached upon, but she instead reminded those passengers to sit back, too, they needed more room.

“Really, we let each passenger know they both sit in reclining seats,” she said.

Murdoch has also had luck asking a flight attendant to switch her seat, in cases where the seatback in front of her is causing significant discomfort.

“My family is quite tall … and it has happened that the flight crew will intervene, because it’s just not possible for the seat in front of us to recline,” she said. “In these cases, we have been moved to new seats, or the person in front has been offered a different seat.”

Any passengers who aren’t placated or accommodated by these approaches might be wise to plan better for future trips.

“If you want to fly and you do not want someone to recline, there is one place on the airplane that you can sit: the exit row,” she said. “The seat will not recline in front of you, for safety reasons.”