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(c) Elliott Publishing.

Seat Kickers
ChrisCrossings · August 3, 2000

Q: I had a horrendous experience on a Virgin Atlantic flight. A traveler forcefully kicked the back of my chair when I reclined. How could I have prevented that from happening?

-- Maura Kayal

A: I've only heard of this being a problem in economy class, and it's a result of the airline seats being installed too close together. Like most transatlantic carriers, the space between Virgin's steerage seats - also called "pitch" in the travel business - is around 32 inches.

Passengers who are more than 5 feet, 7 inches tall will find 32 inches of pitch insufficient. Their knees will meet the seat in front of them. On a long enough flight, the rubbing and chafing will become so annoying that an irate traveler may indeed respond to further legroom shrinkage in a violent way.

Richard Branson, the top dog at Virgin, knows his cheap seats are less than comfortable. How can I be so sure? Because he's been sighted sitting in his own economy class seats (I've actually spoken with several eyewitnesses). Pity the airline CEOs who haven't a clue. And check out the chart (below) if you're interested in the sad details of their ignorance.

Seat "kickers" come in several varieties:

  • Playful babies. You know, the ones that use their tray table as a drum set. They're very aggravating, but given a kid's attention span, the annoyance is usually short-lived.

  • Pushy passengers. They hardly say a thing when you lean back, until they shift around - and realize they're wedged in. That's when they start kneeing you in the back at predictable intervals.

  • Stealth fighters. These passengers immediately know they've lost several inches of personal space, but use a variety of tactics - including loud "ahems," nudges and pulls - to encourage you to rescind your claim.

  • Fourth-and-long. Chances are, you had a "run in" with one of these. The moment you lean back, they whack you in the derriere. Usually, it's only kids, retirees and drunks that are this aggressive.

How do you not become a victim of a kicker? Well, I'd try securing a better seat, either in business class or against the back of the plane or against a bulkhead. If that's not possible, you might have to forfeit that nap - yes, don't lean back - in the interests of preserving the peace.

In any event, try asking the passenger behind you before leaning back. If the answer is no, and if there are no other seats on the aircraft, go to a flight attendant for help. It's their job to keep you, the passenger, safe.

And being booted in the back by another traveler isn't my idea of a safe - or pleasant - flight.

Still Tight
Average economy class seat pitch on US Airlines

Airline Pitch (in inches)
Alaska 32
American * 31
America West 31
Continental 31
Delta 32
Northwest 32
Southwest 32
TWA 32
United 32
US Airways 32

Source: Aircraft Interiors, Ticked.com
* American Airlines is expanding its seat pitch in 2000.

Christopher Elliott's column appears on Thursdays. All e-mailed questions to ChrisCrossings become property of Ticked.com and may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion. You may reach Elliott at chris@ticked.com. Or visit his home page at http://www.elliott.org.