Guy Gets His Laptop Obliterated By A Passenger As He Reclines His Seat, Folks Talk Plane Etiquette
The more we talk about airplane travel and airlines, the more we’re beginning to see a pattern: even though flight is amazing and this option of getting from point A to point B is the most practical one, that pretty much ends the list of positives.
As for the negatives, well… it would probably take a while to list all of them. And no matter how you view it, this next situation also sucks because that’s one expensive laptop down the drain.
More Info: X (Formerly, Twitter) | BarStool Sports Post
History has shown us that nothing is safe, nor sacred on airplanes, and that all that we can ever blame on flights are the seats. For everything. Including crushed laptops
Image credits: Kelly (not the actual photo)
This one guy shared on X (formerly Twitter) how his laptop was demolished by the poorly designed seat geometry when a passenger in front reclined
Image credits: HardFactorPat
Image credits: HardFactorPat
Image credits: HardFactorPat
There were hopes that Delta Airlines would do something about it, but they claimed zero fault in this and gave a consolation prize of sorts in the form of 7,500 mile points
Image credits: HardFactorPat
No, this isn’t a situation where someone was fighting over an airplane seat this time around. Though an airplane seat was involved.
‘Co-Co-Lead Anchor’ at Hard Factor, Pat Cassidy, was traveling from Austin, TX to Los Angeles, CA on… yes, you guessed it… Delta Airlines. He thought he was gonna get some things done on his laptop while partaking in the miracle of flight, but then a catastrophe struck.
The fellow in the seat in front of Cassidy decided to spontaneously recline. As you might have guessed, seat reclining on planes is never good, and that went triple this time around as it leaned in a way that crushed the screen of Cassidy’s $1,500 (supposedly) Apple MacBook Pro.
This alone made Cassidy very upset. As he recalled the event in a Hard Factor talk, his sudden and very audible reaction immediately drew the attention of both the recliner and the flight attendant. According to Cassidy’s pretty funny recollection, both of them were useless in mitigating the situation.
This ultimately led him to, then, Twitter (now X. Mind you, this happened in 2020) where he kept bugging Delta Airlines about it. Some time later, Cassidy was told by Delta’s Twitter manager to reach out to their customer support. He did. And though Delta was sorry about the whole incident and even transferred 7,500 miles points to Cassidy as a token of good faith for being a loyal passenger, they ultimately said that this was not their fault. The story was elaborated on a bit in his personal post on BarStool Sports.
The thread sparked quite a bit of debate among X’ers, discussing who’s truly at fault here: Cassidy, the reclining guy or Delta?
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Image credits: Kelly (not the actual photo)
This is what sparked a debate on who was at fault here: Cassidy, the other passenger, or Delta? Well, folks on X (again, I can’t get used to calling it that. That thing that used to be Twitter) had arguments for all sides.
On the one end, we had folks who met the same fate. Even shared pictures of how their laptops also “folded like tacos” under the immense pressure of that guy’s seat rest. Of course, there were those who narrowly avoided the danger, but they also related to Cassidy’s situation.
Many argued that the seat design is just flat out terrible and that Delta ought to be the one taking the blame on this one. If not for the cramped seats and inhumane seating, this probably would never have happened.
Others were, however, saying that this was 100% Cassidy’s fault because he was the one who put the laptop in that situation in the first place. He couldn’t have not known that the seats recline, right? A little foresight could have been in order then.
Besides that, a number of people were inclined to blame it on Cassidy because of his “childish” reaction. Cassidy’s suggestion to put up a warning label on the seat was, in the eyes of some, unnecessary for a something that was common sense. Folks also encouraged him to practice thinking before making his problems public. Harsh words, but ’tis the internet.
This happened back in 2020. Two years later, in 2022, someone poked Cassidy about it, asked if Delta did anything more than just throwing miles points at him—corporate called, but Cassidy couldn’t get through to them when he called back and that was that.
Some were on Cassidy’s side and explained that it is ultimately Delta’s fault for the crummy seat design
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Most airlines have their terms of use up and freely available online for anyone to read. And practically all of them have some form of “we’re not responsible for whatever happens to your stuff onboard”. In fact, a number of them also throw in the same language about luggage, though those issues people have better chances of arguing with.
But this is where insurance comes into play. A recent study says that 35% of people (the largest group) buy insurance for things like flight delays, reservation problems and baggage loss, while the next biggest category went for health-oriented insurance.
Travel insurance is widely available, but most folk (more than half of those surveyed, 55%) got it via the travel agency they were booking the flight with, while nearly a third (28%) went with word of mouth. Lastly, another 35% opted for no insurance because they never really had accidents before and didn’t see a point to insure themselves, and nearly a fifth of people didn’t see a point in it because of their cheap trip.
Others, however, blamed it on Cassidy for doing something that to some is common sense
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Image credits: John McArthur (not the actual photo)
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Whatever the case, the discussion is now passed on to you: do you think anyone is to blame for the crushed laptop, or was this just an accident and, well, crap happens? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below!
I don't understand people getting angry at the person who posted this. People should be able to have their laptops on the tray, and people should be able to recline their seats without it causing damage. Claiming the passenger was at fault so they don't have to cover it is BS. This is 100% a design issue. The seat shouldn't be able to catch the laptop like that through normal use.
I agree, how is normal use of the tray somehow now a stupid/wrong thing? What if OP had a meal resting there and the person reclined, flipping (potentially) burning-hot food onto OP’s lap? Would these idiots still be yelling “you should have known better than to use the tray!” I feel that, at the least, Delta should have reimbursed the (fair) value of the laptop. It’s not like $1,000-$2,000 is going to break a massive airline like Delta.
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Exactly! I never respected Twitter, but even less I'll respect Musk trying to rename it
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It might make a difference in a crash, but I have never understood why there is not just a non-adjustable seat with a set recline enough to rest, but not so much that you couldn't eat/drink/work. Then you can design everything around that so there is no problem. It seems silly to have the "luxury" of a reclining seat when flying is so uncomfortable otherwise.
It's the airlines fault. They advertise recline, they put a button on the seat to recline, they should ensure that reclining the seat does not result in damage to items on the tray. That said, if you're about to recline, it's wise to peek behind your seat before you do it.
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If people didn't slam their seats back as fast as humanly possible, this could be avoided. I've gotten my head banged up because I was leaning to get something from my bag (under the seat in front of me) and the person just slammed back.
The only times I've reclined my seat on planes is when there's no one sitting behind me, and sometimes the seat will jerk back. So it's not always passangers slamming their seats back. It's the design of the chair.
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If I recline a seat on an airplane, I communicate with the person in back of me. It is called manners. They could be eating or have something hot on that trey. How about all of us Americans learn how nt be considerate.
I need to recline because of back issues, but I always make a point of telling the person behind me before I do. I wish everyone would do this. I've never had a single conflict, and I fly a lot. Not in the US, though. Maybe that's why.
Strange, I would have thought the person in the front would, out of common sense and good manners, check with the person behind before leaning back their seat in the first place, the same way someone in the front passenger seat of a vehicle would before reclining theirs hhmm, give someone the chance to move or adjust anything they needed to. But common sense and good manners, apparently not so common or good anymore. The seat design may hold partial responsibility, the rudeness and narcissism of so many people these days probably holds more.
Sadly it doesn't happen often. I have been on flights and had someone slam their seat back as meals were being served. They didn't like the food so didn't think anyone else should be able to eat it either. They got told to put their seat up and slammed it straight back down the second the steward moved. After two more warnings they were told listen or else.
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This is why you take out accidental damage insurance on your gear if you are going to go travelling with it. If you have good documentary evidence showing the condition of the laptop before and after and an impartial witness that can confirm what happened, you might try the small claims court. If not, then you will struggle to fight an airline's lawyers.
That said, you shouldn't have to do any of this - most 21st century flying folks will have a device of some sort, and seats should not be a danger to them. There is no reason at all for this to even be possible. But it could be fun for the insurance companies to duke it out with the airlines regarding responsibility, when the insurance has to pay out time and time again. (Also, yay, something *else* to have to insure. Not looking forward to next time I have to get travel insurance as it is, between the health issues and the wheelchair)
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Really, nobody is at fault here. The laptop passenger has every right to have his laptop there, the passenger in front has every right to recline and Delta has a policy about replacing things that weren't their fault. If they replace it, then they must do it for everyone and then it wouldn't be a policy anymore and everyone would be claiming for any old s**t. And for people moaning about small seats and airlines should give more space, small airline seats are nothing new, and if the airlines gave more space, they would have less seats and need to charge more for the seats they do have.
What's at fault is failure to communicate. That person could've easily told the passenger in front of him something like 'Hi, I have a laptop on my tray for work, so could you maybe tell me when you want to recline so I can remove it first?'. Just like the passenger in front could've asked if there was anything on his tray as he was about to recline. It's really not that hard.
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If it hooks into the divet of the tray just right- lock and crush.
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If they gave him a replacement, then a *lot* of people would start doing this on purpose just to get a free laptop, or they'll bring an already-broken laptop with them and just say this is what happened. Also, on most planes that I know of, the tray table moves with the seat, meaning this result is not even possible, so I'm suspicious about this being real in the first place.
Once had a passenger push her seat back and I promptly pushed it back to the upright position, she moaned to FA, who asked me if I wanted to move, politely replied that I am 6ft and if she wants to put her seat back, she can move to sit in front of a midget who doesn't need the leg room. FA smiled and moved offending passenger ... it was a 2 hour flight.
In my book, anyone who reclines their seat on an airplane, unless the seat behind them is empty, is a monster.
Airplane seating has gotten so cramped that reclining is impossible. With the person in front of you fully reclined they are literally in your lap. Since the overcrowding isn't going to change, the airlines should make all seats stationary; no more reclining feature.
Ita. No idea why this is still a feature when there is less and less room. It’s claustrophobic enough without someone taking up your space with their chair.
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If your screen is open at an obtuse angle, it will catch on the seat and get damaged. If it's at an acute angle, I'd think it would just close as the seat reclines.
Who TF is going to use their laptop partially closed? If my laptop even thinks I'm about to close it, it'll turn off the screen and sleep.
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I don't see why people who wanna recline their seats don't just tell the person behind them they are gonna recline. I would it's respectful and it allows the person behind the opportunity to move whatever needs to be moved people these days just don't care about anyone but themselves.
Well I don't know about you guys but I always ask the person behind me if I can recline my seat🧎♀️That said, OP is not at fault and neither is the person in front of them, at fault is simply bad design. People are getting angry at OP for using the tray the way it was imagined.
That is not what they tray was designed for, now you're just making stuff up. It's for meal and snacks. Just because people have started putting their electronics on it doesn't mean that it was ever built to accommodate them And anyone stupid enough to put their laptop screen all the way up against the seat back in front of them and in a position so that it hooks under the laptop trays holder and can't just fold closed when the person in front of them doesnt ask their permission to use their own paid seat however they paid for it deserves what they receive
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If that person sued the airlines the airlines would probably have to make modifications on the seats to accommodate the seats to recline when someone has their tray table up. I would get a lawyer and sue them. It is a win, win for everyone if that person does!
No. They wouldn't have half a leg to stand on. The trays aren't not laptop trays. Not reading the terms of use you didn't read doesn't mean they don't apply. Only an idiot would hook their laptop screen underneath the tray table latch and expect that it's safe like that
Load More Replies... The age old tactic of pushing responsibility on others, it always works, doesn't it? It can even sabotage whole countries. Not telling people to work on a plane is utterly ridiculous and the is also akin to sabotage, for the value lost by such a rare incident is clearly outweighed by the economic productivity. The problem here really is that people tell other people to be paranoid, you tell them that they have to be conscious again and again for cases where no one can be held responsible despite being others being indeed partially responsible. It's ironic when barbaric systems like 'I don't care, pay up or pay with blood' make for a better society. Ours where responsibility can just be dismissed with contracts and lawyers makes for quite a rotten one.
Can we stop dredging up posts from 3 years ago to write about today? 🙄
I may be wrong, but I think on some planes the tray table can slide closer to you. If this isn't the first time the poster has flown, then you'd think he'd know that a person in front of him just might recline. On the other hand, if the recliner would have been polite and simply turned around and asked the poster if he could recline, it could have been avoided. But shame on Delta for the way they handled it.
Family insurance covers this costs, also the flight companies have generic insurances what are covering unaccidental damages. ... // From Now I will check and ask if I am changing my seat position.
Person in front really should have checked to see if anyone was sitting behind them. It's inconsiderate to assume this commercial aircaft is your own private jet For that matter, what in the world was this laptop doing open when captain requests that ALL personal devices are to be turned off. If you really needed that extra legroom why didn't you request a seating upgrade? I know it's more money, but was it $1,500 more money? There's enough blame to go around here. What if there was turbulence on the flight and that laptop became a projectile? Too much entitlement, not enough aircraft.
Never flown with Delta, but on every commercial airplane I have ever used, devices only had to be switched off during take-off (at the most - some airlines seem to accept airplane mode even then). Using laptops, phones or tablets at cruising altitude is perfectly normal and not forbidden at all, and I really don't see why it would be bad behaviour.
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Is there an unspoken rule about reclinig seats? Is considered rude to tell your backseat neighbour or people just do it?
Let me put it like this. What job is worth so much that you desperately try to work in bloody cattle class?
It's a laptop not a "traytop", will you blame the airline if you hit turbulence and the laptop broke?
I used to have to fly 3 times a year from Atlanta, GA to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, round trip, for many years. I would, and still will, recline my seat whenever I want, except during meal times as a courtesy. If you don't want your stuff ruined, then don't have it crammed up against the seat in front of you. I never had an issue and I find it silly that people are so immature when it comes to space on their flight. If you don't like sitting in cramped economy class, then upgrade or stop whining. You pay for what you get. Stop feeling entitled.
It’s not crammed in front it’s just sitting on the table which the passenger should be able to do. It’s not entitled to wish that someone had given warning before reclining back in to someone else’s space. Everyone knows how little room there is for movement so warning would have been good. Suggesting that if people can’t afford an upgrade they deserve to have their property damaged is very unhinged. And saying you recline whenever you want without any regard for people around you makes you seem like the entitled one btw.
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So, question for the “seats should be designed differently/reduced to accommodate laptops” crowd. Let’s say this was a Delta 737 with 24rows of economy totaling 144 passengers. Realistically they would have to eliminate at least 3 rows to have any real impact on your desires (likely more due to exit row placement). So, with minimum 18 fewer passengers let’s say that would immediately raise ticket prices over 10%. Add in the system wide reduction in capacity which would require added planes and crews for every route. You may very well end up with more than 30% increasing in flying costs *if* it was at all feasible (that’s a big “if” considering airfield/industry capability). So is using a laptop on a tray table without ample caution *really* worth such a large increase in personal and professional costs as well as the potential of not having available seats? No real commentary. Just curious how people rationalize their opinions…
Not necessarily cost effective if you have to implement across the fleet given that what we are talking here is basically a freak accident, but alternatively you could redesign the trays so that they have a hinge in the middle and bend in half (some seats have/had these when there was a screen per row in the middle seat). That way the top of the laptop cannot get caught when the seat reclines.
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Last I checked, airplanes were modes of transportation, not an office for people to work at. If they replaced OP's laptop what is to prevent ppl with a broken laptop going on a flight and saying it happened there? Just looking at the seats I can tell they are too small to actually get any work done. I wish people would stop blaming others for their lack of brain cells. I also find it very amusing to see all of the whiny babies in here saying they cant articulate "X" instead of Twitter. Maybe go back to school and pay attention this time? Common sense isn't so common anymore.
It's 2023. Everywhere can be an office. Trains and airplanes are actually very common places to work. If you're stuck in one, why not make use of the time and finish a project?
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Did he provide notice that he was going to be using his tray? Or is it that everyone just needs to confirm to HIS needs, without any thought to their own?
The seats recline for a reason! If ur laptop is ur livelihood, maybe not put it out during a flight? They had every right to recline
That tray wasn't meant for laptops. It was meant for food and drinks. Put your laptops away until you get to your destination.
Function isn't an immutable absolute, but thanks for regurgitating the same unsubstantiated nonsense over and over from 1966!
Load More Replies... This really sucks, but the trays were not designed for a laptop (nor should they be). They were designed for a food tray, a drink, and for other relative flat items. It is absurd to think delta or anyone else would be responsible. There is a reason upgraded sections are labeled “business.” They have more room to potentially allow work to be done. Even in business though, there isn’t any real expectation of enough room for a full laptop on a tray.
I don't understand people getting angry at the person who posted this. People should be able to have their laptops on the tray, and people should be able to recline their seats without it causing damage. Claiming the passenger was at fault so they don't have to cover it is BS. This is 100% a design issue. The seat shouldn't be able to catch the laptop like that through normal use.
I agree, how is normal use of the tray somehow now a stupid/wrong thing? What if OP had a meal resting there and the person reclined, flipping (potentially) burning-hot food onto OP’s lap? Would these idiots still be yelling “you should have known better than to use the tray!” I feel that, at the least, Delta should have reimbursed the (fair) value of the laptop. It’s not like $1,000-$2,000 is going to break a massive airline like Delta.
Load More Replies... Exactly! I never respected Twitter, but even less I'll respect Musk trying to rename it
Load More Replies... It might make a difference in a crash, but I have never understood why there is not just a non-adjustable seat with a set recline enough to rest, but not so much that you couldn't eat/drink/work. Then you can design everything around that so there is no problem. It seems silly to have the "luxury" of a reclining seat when flying is so uncomfortable otherwise.
It's the airlines fault. They advertise recline, they put a button on the seat to recline, they should ensure that reclining the seat does not result in damage to items on the tray. That said, if you're about to recline, it's wise to peek behind your seat before you do it.
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Load More Replies... If people didn't slam their seats back as fast as humanly possible, this could be avoided. I've gotten my head banged up because I was leaning to get something from my bag (under the seat in front of me) and the person just slammed back.
The only times I've reclined my seat on planes is when there's no one sitting behind me, and sometimes the seat will jerk back. So it's not always passangers slamming their seats back. It's the design of the chair.
Load More Replies... If I recline a seat on an airplane, I communicate with the person in back of me. It is called manners. They could be eating or have something hot on that trey. How about all of us Americans learn how nt be considerate.
I need to recline because of back issues, but I always make a point of telling the person behind me before I do. I wish everyone would do this. I've never had a single conflict, and I fly a lot. Not in the US, though. Maybe that's why.
Strange, I would have thought the person in the front would, out of common sense and good manners, check with the person behind before leaning back their seat in the first place, the same way someone in the front passenger seat of a vehicle would before reclining theirs hhmm, give someone the chance to move or adjust anything they needed to. But common sense and good manners, apparently not so common or good anymore. The seat design may hold partial responsibility, the rudeness and narcissism of so many people these days probably holds more.
Sadly it doesn't happen often. I have been on flights and had someone slam their seat back as meals were being served. They didn't like the food so didn't think anyone else should be able to eat it either. They got told to put their seat up and slammed it straight back down the second the steward moved. After two more warnings they were told listen or else.
Load More Replies... This is why you take out accidental damage insurance on your gear if you are going to go travelling with it. If you have good documentary evidence showing the condition of the laptop before and after and an impartial witness that can confirm what happened, you might try the small claims court. If not, then you will struggle to fight an airline's lawyers.
That said, you shouldn't have to do any of this - most 21st century flying folks will have a device of some sort, and seats should not be a danger to them. There is no reason at all for this to even be possible. But it could be fun for the insurance companies to duke it out with the airlines regarding responsibility, when the insurance has to pay out time and time again. (Also, yay, something *else* to have to insure. Not looking forward to next time I have to get travel insurance as it is, between the health issues and the wheelchair)
Load More Replies... Really, nobody is at fault here. The laptop passenger has every right to have his laptop there, the passenger in front has every right to recline and Delta has a policy about replacing things that weren't their fault. If they replace it, then they must do it for everyone and then it wouldn't be a policy anymore and everyone would be claiming for any old s**t. And for people moaning about small seats and airlines should give more space, small airline seats are nothing new, and if the airlines gave more space, they would have less seats and need to charge more for the seats they do have.
What's at fault is failure to communicate. That person could've easily told the passenger in front of him something like 'Hi, I have a laptop on my tray for work, so could you maybe tell me when you want to recline so I can remove it first?'. Just like the passenger in front could've asked if there was anything on his tray as he was about to recline. It's really not that hard.
Load More Replies... If it hooks into the divet of the tray just right- lock and crush.
Load More Replies... If they gave him a replacement, then a *lot* of people would start doing this on purpose just to get a free laptop, or they'll bring an already-broken laptop with them and just say this is what happened. Also, on most planes that I know of, the tray table moves with the seat, meaning this result is not even possible, so I'm suspicious about this being real in the first place.
Once had a passenger push her seat back and I promptly pushed it back to the upright position, she moaned to FA, who asked me if I wanted to move, politely replied that I am 6ft and if she wants to put her seat back, she can move to sit in front of a midget who doesn't need the leg room. FA smiled and moved offending passenger ... it was a 2 hour flight.
In my book, anyone who reclines their seat on an airplane, unless the seat behind them is empty, is a monster.
Airplane seating has gotten so cramped that reclining is impossible. With the person in front of you fully reclined they are literally in your lap. Since the overcrowding isn't going to change, the airlines should make all seats stationary; no more reclining feature.
Ita. No idea why this is still a feature when there is less and less room. It’s claustrophobic enough without someone taking up your space with their chair.
Load More Replies... If your screen is open at an obtuse angle, it will catch on the seat and get damaged. If it's at an acute angle, I'd think it would just close as the seat reclines.
Who TF is going to use their laptop partially closed? If my laptop even thinks I'm about to close it, it'll turn off the screen and sleep.
Load More Replies... I don't see why people who wanna recline their seats don't just tell the person behind them they are gonna recline. I would it's respectful and it allows the person behind the opportunity to move whatever needs to be moved people these days just don't care about anyone but themselves.
Well I don't know about you guys but I always ask the person behind me if I can recline my seat🧎♀️That said, OP is not at fault and neither is the person in front of them, at fault is simply bad design. People are getting angry at OP for using the tray the way it was imagined.
That is not what they tray was designed for, now you're just making stuff up. It's for meal and snacks. Just because people have started putting their electronics on it doesn't mean that it was ever built to accommodate them And anyone stupid enough to put their laptop screen all the way up against the seat back in front of them and in a position so that it hooks under the laptop trays holder and can't just fold closed when the person in front of them doesnt ask their permission to use their own paid seat however they paid for it deserves what they receive
Load More Replies... If that person sued the airlines the airlines would probably have to make modifications on the seats to accommodate the seats to recline when someone has their tray table up. I would get a lawyer and sue them. It is a win, win for everyone if that person does!
No. They wouldn't have half a leg to stand on. The trays aren't not laptop trays. Not reading the terms of use you didn't read doesn't mean they don't apply. Only an idiot would hook their laptop screen underneath the tray table latch and expect that it's safe like that
Load More Replies... The age old tactic of pushing responsibility on others, it always works, doesn't it? It can even sabotage whole countries. Not telling people to work on a plane is utterly ridiculous and the is also akin to sabotage, for the value lost by such a rare incident is clearly outweighed by the economic productivity. The problem here really is that people tell other people to be paranoid, you tell them that they have to be conscious again and again for cases where no one can be held responsible despite being others being indeed partially responsible. It's ironic when barbaric systems like 'I don't care, pay up or pay with blood' make for a better society. Ours where responsibility can just be dismissed with contracts and lawyers makes for quite a rotten one.
Can we stop dredging up posts from 3 years ago to write about today? 🙄
I may be wrong, but I think on some planes the tray table can slide closer to you. If this isn't the first time the poster has flown, then you'd think he'd know that a person in front of him just might recline. On the other hand, if the recliner would have been polite and simply turned around and asked the poster if he could recline, it could have been avoided. But shame on Delta for the way they handled it.
Family insurance covers this costs, also the flight companies have generic insurances what are covering unaccidental damages. ... // From Now I will check and ask if I am changing my seat position.
Person in front really should have checked to see if anyone was sitting behind them. It's inconsiderate to assume this commercial aircaft is your own private jet For that matter, what in the world was this laptop doing open when captain requests that ALL personal devices are to be turned off. If you really needed that extra legroom why didn't you request a seating upgrade? I know it's more money, but was it $1,500 more money? There's enough blame to go around here. What if there was turbulence on the flight and that laptop became a projectile? Too much entitlement, not enough aircraft.
Never flown with Delta, but on every commercial airplane I have ever used, devices only had to be switched off during take-off (at the most - some airlines seem to accept airplane mode even then). Using laptops, phones or tablets at cruising altitude is perfectly normal and not forbidden at all, and I really don't see why it would be bad behaviour.
Load More Replies... Is there an unspoken rule about reclinig seats? Is considered rude to tell your backseat neighbour or people just do it?
Let me put it like this. What job is worth so much that you desperately try to work in bloody cattle class?
It's a laptop not a "traytop", will you blame the airline if you hit turbulence and the laptop broke?
I used to have to fly 3 times a year from Atlanta, GA to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, round trip, for many years. I would, and still will, recline my seat whenever I want, except during meal times as a courtesy. If you don't want your stuff ruined, then don't have it crammed up against the seat in front of you. I never had an issue and I find it silly that people are so immature when it comes to space on their flight. If you don't like sitting in cramped economy class, then upgrade or stop whining. You pay for what you get. Stop feeling entitled.
It’s not crammed in front it’s just sitting on the table which the passenger should be able to do. It’s not entitled to wish that someone had given warning before reclining back in to someone else’s space. Everyone knows how little room there is for movement so warning would have been good. Suggesting that if people can’t afford an upgrade they deserve to have their property damaged is very unhinged. And saying you recline whenever you want without any regard for people around you makes you seem like the entitled one btw.
Load More Replies... So, question for the “seats should be designed differently/reduced to accommodate laptops” crowd. Let’s say this was a Delta 737 with 24rows of economy totaling 144 passengers. Realistically they would have to eliminate at least 3 rows to have any real impact on your desires (likely more due to exit row placement). So, with minimum 18 fewer passengers let’s say that would immediately raise ticket prices over 10%. Add in the system wide reduction in capacity which would require added planes and crews for every route. You may very well end up with more than 30% increasing in flying costs *if* it was at all feasible (that’s a big “if” considering airfield/industry capability). So is using a laptop on a tray table without ample caution *really* worth such a large increase in personal and professional costs as well as the potential of not having available seats? No real commentary. Just curious how people rationalize their opinions…
Not necessarily cost effective if you have to implement across the fleet given that what we are talking here is basically a freak accident, but alternatively you could redesign the trays so that they have a hinge in the middle and bend in half (some seats have/had these when there was a screen per row in the middle seat). That way the top of the laptop cannot get caught when the seat reclines.
Load More Replies... Last I checked, airplanes were modes of transportation, not an office for people to work at. If they replaced OP's laptop what is to prevent ppl with a broken laptop going on a flight and saying it happened there? Just looking at the seats I can tell they are too small to actually get any work done. I wish people would stop blaming others for their lack of brain cells. I also find it very amusing to see all of the whiny babies in here saying they cant articulate "X" instead of Twitter. Maybe go back to school and pay attention this time? Common sense isn't so common anymore.
It's 2023. Everywhere can be an office. Trains and airplanes are actually very common places to work. If you're stuck in one, why not make use of the time and finish a project?
Load More Replies... Did he provide notice that he was going to be using his tray? Or is it that everyone just needs to confirm to HIS needs, without any thought to their own?
The seats recline for a reason! If ur laptop is ur livelihood, maybe not put it out during a flight? They had every right to recline
That tray wasn't meant for laptops. It was meant for food and drinks. Put your laptops away until you get to your destination.
Function isn't an immutable absolute, but thanks for regurgitating the same unsubstantiated nonsense over and over from 1966!
Load More Replies... This really sucks, but the trays were not designed for a laptop (nor should they be). They were designed for a food tray, a drink, and for other relative flat items. It is absurd to think delta or anyone else would be responsible. There is a reason upgraded sections are labeled “business.” They have more room to potentially allow work to be done. Even in business though, there isn’t any real expectation of enough room for a full laptop on a tray.
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