I put the blame squarely on airlines for constantly reducing the amount of room between rows of seats. As things stand now if you were to recline your seat, you’re basically mashing yourself into the nose of the person behind you. Not great 🙁

the law of air travel should state this…

Prohibited behavior

(a) Reclining seats: It shall be illegal for any person to recline their seat in economy class unless the persons sitting directly behind and in front of them have also reclined their seats.

(b) Armrests: The person seated in the middle seat of any row in economy class shall be entitled to use both armrests, while the persons seated in the window and aisle seats shall be entitled to use one armrest each.

I'm a tall person. So, yes. Often. However, I try to get a seat with more place or beside the aisle.

Often.

As in, more often than I strictly feel comfortable.

at night

I will go on the record as saying I am part of team recline.

holy f, these results. I really hope that ppl who voted "rarely" are talking about people with health problems who •need• to have the seat pushed a bit.

Still happy that "never" beats "always".

I miss the option "Not when I am eating" 😛

when it's long haul, no one is using their tray table to eat, and the cabin has been darkened for sleep

When flying in the Delta One Suites? Always.

I want the name of those replying "always" or "often" to create a block list.

overnight flight.

On a long haul flight when most people are sleeping.

I'm "often", but only because it's a fact that other people often recline their seat (whether OK or not), and once stuck behind a reclined seat, I consider it OK to recline mine rather than be in maximally uncomfortable knee pain

If people actually rarely reclined their seat, I'd be a "rarely" too.

I don't often recline except for on long hauls, but the seats have a recline function and the staff tell you when you are or aren’t allowed to use it. I don’t know your situation whether you had an unexpected 12 hour layover and are just trying to get comfortable enough to rest, or what. Recline away.

Instead, I’ll direct my annoyance at the airline for such cramped seating.

I think one notch is ok most of the time. Never more than that, unless the seat behind you is empty, and even then no more than two notches.

You can always look behind to check if that passenger has their seat reclined.

If they have, you can recline slightly without causing any undue discomfort to them as the space between will be more or less the same!

I’m usually perfectly comfortable sitting upright with my legs all scrunched up, more so than most people. So I almost never recline. I try not to assume the same when the person in front of me reclines, though

I mean, sometimes the seat behind you is empty.

I did not know that it was an issue.

I’m going to cause some problems here. I said never—and yes, I regularly fly 10-11 hours. I’m also only 5’6”.

it's cool how this is also a poll of how tall your followers are

Bring it. My tibia doesn't fit between my seat front and your back anyway, one of us might as well be comfortable.

I'm in camp "always," save for landing/take-off.

They're built to recline.

They exist to recline.

Reclining is a feature.

The social ramifications of doing so, particularly during the meal section of a flight, is borne by the designer, not the user.

If and only if there is nobody behind you.

really depends how far

At sleep time on a long haul overnight flight.

I would say it's definitely fine on a red-eye. Because then most people are trying to sleep. For a day flight, the person behind you probably wants to plop down a laptop!

rarely. Depends on

A) which class you’re flying in. Business and first usually don’t have the space problem.
B) if the seat behind you is occupied or not.
C) a health problem — and even then after consulting with the person behind you.

I’m tall. It’s really uncomfortable in some cases. But there’s no way I will recline the seat in a fully booked economy class mini plane.

Interesting results! I'm "often". I think the recline feature is there to use. Sometimes it's not convenient to me when someone else uses it, but that's on me.

Thanks to everyone who replied!

sounds like the majority needs to address airline management. (If I ever had the chance, I would talk about issues of far greater substance than a seat recliner).

they should simply make seats that don’t recline 💁🏻‍♀️