For maximum comfort, airline seats must be in their full, upright position
I found Catharine Hamm’s column on aircraft seating and comfort very interesting [“The Battle Between Our Backs, Knees and Wallets,” On the Spot, Oct. 21].
Although seat width and pitch are important, there was one major aspect of seating comfort Hamm did not mention. It is when the passenger in front of you reclines his or her seat all the way back, almost into your lap. This is very annoying and can be easily remedied by the airline restricting how far back seats can recline.
At the very least, the head flight attendant can request passengers to be considerate and not recline their seat more than one notch.
Even from a safety perspective, a fully reclined seat makes it more difficult to evacuate in case of an emergency. That is why all seats must be in a full, upright position during takeoff and landing.
Martin Plost
Rancho Palos Verdes
In discussing diminishing airline seat comfort it was relevant for Hamm to mention the increase in American obesity from 2000 to 2016 but ridiculous to cite an increase in average height from 150 years ago. The first flight at Kitty Hawk occurred 115 years ago, and that plane no longer is in use.
Gerry Swider
Sherman Oaks
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