The reclining seats on aircraft are a bollox. They make very little difference to the comfort of the person who pushes their seat back, but cause misery for the person behind them. Some airlines have stopped using them altogether in recognition of the problems they create.

I have a different answer that still retains some choice but requires those who insist on reclining to pay more for the privilege. Here's how it works: Opting for a reclining seat will cost you more up front. Opting to sit behind an allocated reclining seat will cost you less. The seating plan can easily show what seats have been activated.

Changing your mind by deciding to use a none reclining seat during the flight will require you to swipe your credit card to enable the action. This will be costly, with the passenger immediately behind you collecting most of the reward for tolerating this new unexpected intrusion.

Michael O'Leary has already started fitting these to his new Ryanair planes, and now you know from where he got the idea!
-- xenzag, Jan 11 2018

Fit motors to the seats, so they can move back and forth on their rails. This allows the available seat-inches to be reassigned from one passenger to another during the flight.

Next, set up an in-flight stock exchange, so people can buy and sell seat-inches amongst themselves during the flight as they see fit.

Futures could come in handy on long flights, too. If I'm tired when I get on the plane, I could buy myself some extra seat-inches while simultaneously selling a futures contract to someone else who knows he'll want to sleep in eight hours' time.

There will have to be strict rules against short-selling, as this could require the whole plane to expand and contract telescopically.

It gives a very literal meaning to the terms "long" and "short" positions!
-- Wrongfellow, Jan 11 2018


Sit right at the front. Don't have an autopilot.

You won't need a reclining seat. You won't even need a back to your seat. Your rictus grip on the control yoke, and the tension in your muscles, will provide all the upper-body support you need - particularly if you're sure you can detect the faint note of a cylinder that's only firing on one plug.
-- 8th of 7, Jan 11 2018


I'm going to kick your seat until you pay to recline.
-- Voice, Jan 12 2018


//Next, set up an in-flight stock exchange, so people can buy and sell seat-inches amongst themselves during the flight as they see fit.

Futures could come in handy on long flights, too. If I'm tired when I get on the plane, I could buy myself some extra seat-inches while simultaneously selling a futures contract to someone else who knows he'll want to sleep in eight hours' time.//

A 12 hour simulated flight would be an excellent introduction to the stock market for students.
-- Voice, Jan 12 2018


It’s all fine until someone invents the recline default swap trade market and a bubble occurs.
-- RayfordSteele, Jan 12 2018



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