Flight grounded: Fight over seat reclining

Whose space is it anyway? The use of a Dh80 gadget led to the grounding of a United Airlines flight midway to its destination as passengers reportedly got into a heated argument over the right to recline a seat.

According to reports, a fight erupted on the flight because one passenger was using a device called the Knee Defender, which when attached to a passenger’s tray table prevents the person in front of them from reclining their seat.

“It helps you defend the space you need when confronted by a faceless, determined seat recliner who doesn’t care how long your legs are or about anything else that might be ‘back there’,” says the product  description on the manufacturer’s website.

“If the airlines will not protect people from being battered, crunched, and immobilised – very real problems according to healthcare professionals, medical studies, government agencies, and even some airlines – then people need options to protect themselves,” it adds.

It also maintains that, “in the limited space available to display instructions directly on this small device, we state: ‘Knee Defender ... Use only as needed - Do not hog space... Comply with flight attendant's directions.  Be polite to fellow passengers’.”

Even as the $22 (Dh80) gadget doesn’t violate any safety standards, several airlines (including UA) prohibit the use of such devices. However, a 48-year-old gentleman decided to use it on United Flight 1462, and not just that – he refused to take it off when a flight attendant requested that it be removed.

The lady sitting right in front of this person, whose seat wouldn’t recline thanks to the Knee Defender, decided to then take matters in her own hands – she reportedly threw a cup of water on the man’s face, and things could have gotten uglier but the airline decided that enough was enough.

The domestic United Airlines flight which was going from Newark to Denver took an unscheduled stop at Chicago to unload both the unruly passengers.

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