In the long-running battle between those who believe that it’s OK to recline as far as an airline seat will take you and those who sit behind them in fear of damage to knees, laptops or food trays, Delta Airlines is choosing sides by limiting seat recline, at least on some flights.
The airline announced last Friday that it will take 2″ out of the recline on its A320 planes, starting immediately, reducing it from 4″ to 2″ in economy and from 5.5″ to 3.5″ in first.
Delta’s chief of customer experience and onboard products, Ekrem Dimbiloglu, told The Points Guy website that it’s not an effort to squeeze more seats into the cabin, but to protect passengers seated behind. The Points Guy site commented that “It’s hard to believe that any airline taking away something from passengers today could be a good thing, but, if you take Delta at its word, this might make for a more comfortable flight for some.”
The change will take place, at least for now, only on A320s, which tend to fly shorter domestic routes. But, if passenger response is positive, it might be extended to other flights.
