wnbubbleboy
Veteran
Most U.S. airlines still allow seats to tip as far back as four or five inches, even though they have shrunk the space between rows. But now Southwest Airlines is doing something to reduce the threat of bruised knees and spilled drinks. The carrier is reducing the maximum recline in many of its seats so that customers can use laptop computers, for example, when the person in front of them wants to lean back.
Southwest found that its seats had varying degrees of maximum recline, from two inches of movement at the top of the seat to 4.5 inches. The airline decided to standardize recline at three inches, adjusting seats as planes go in for major maintenance work. "It was impossible for a customer to use a laptop behind someone who had reclined fully in a seat that allowed four or 4.5 inches of recline," said Linda Rutherford, a Southwest spokeswoman. The airline determined that a three-inch recline provided "maximum comfort and usability," she says
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06334/741845-37.stm
Southwest found that its seats had varying degrees of maximum recline, from two inches of movement at the top of the seat to 4.5 inches. The airline decided to standardize recline at three inches, adjusting seats as planes go in for major maintenance work. "It was impossible for a customer to use a laptop behind someone who had reclined fully in a seat that allowed four or 4.5 inches of recline," said Linda Rutherford, a Southwest spokeswoman. The airline determined that a three-inch recline provided "maximum comfort and usability," she says
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06334/741845-37.stm
