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Delta’s CEO Ed Bastian was pressed for his answer on whether or not it’s OK for airline passengers to recline their seats.
His answer came during an interview today on CNBC’s Squakbox program.
“Customers have the right to recline,” he said, adding, “The proper thing to do is, if you’re going to recline into somebody, you ask if it’s OK first,”
This comes in response to the now-viral video of a male punching the seat of a reclining passenger in front of him.
He mentioned that he, personally, doesn’t recline his seat.
“We’ve been adding a lot more pitch…more room in coach, etcetera,” said Mr. Bastian. He also said Delta’s been testing reduced-recline products.
Watch the segment below:
Here’s how some folks on Twitter felt (at least, of those who didn’t use scathing profanity):
Delta CEO Says Passengers Should Learn To Enjoy Fighting Each Other To Death For An Extra Quarter Inch Of Leg Room https://t.co/E58hf1Ko6e
— Kashana (@kashanacauley) February 14, 2020
The Delta CEO should ask permission before moving seats closer together and creating a situation that turns flights into a seat reclining Hunger Games https://t.co/pAO8GbwxBX
— Josh Billinson (@jbillinson) February 14, 2020
Me says Delta CEO should ask permission to go straight to hell (PERMISSION GRANTED) https://t.co/ZDrZHyM8mC
— Paul F. Tompkins (@PFTompkins) February 14, 2020
If the Delta CEO was seated behind me I’d recline my seat back-and-forth for 3 minutes nonstop immediately after he got his free 6oz beverage https://t.co/wzXGmogdoI
— Matthew Giraldi (@MGiraldi) February 14, 2020
— Chris
H/T: Rick E.
Featured image courtesy of Brian Cohen / The Gate
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I rarely recline because my recline mechanisms rarely work. That eliminates the problem. OK, I have exaggerated but it’s true often enough that I’ve given up reporting those recline malfunctions to FA’s. I wonder how often those mechanisms get checked and repaired.
Has Bastian ever said that he flies Delta cattle class on most of his trips rather than Business/First or a private jet. It would be a good PR gesture if he does usually fly coach.
On a more positive note, there does seem to be more leg room in coach on the 717’s and whichever Airbus model I flew recently. But I still rarely can get a coach tray table to sit flat unless I turn my legs sideways. I’m tall at 6’2″+ but well short of NBA tall.
Such hypocrisy from Delta. If it is one’s *right* to recline a seat, there is no need to ask for permission to exercise a right.